Jack Dempsey knows why Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has handed him his first Test start against the Springboks, and it's not to make friends.
The 23-year-old is keen to jump straight into the "s***ters" - as he so eloquently put it - in Sunday morning's (AEST) clash at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Dempsey will line up in the No.6 jersey and won't be shirking the issue against a South African side with a point to prove to their home fans after they were humiliated 57-0 by New Zealand in their last outing.
Cheika loves Dempsey's angry streak and the NSW Waratahs flanker is more than willing to indulge him.
"I'm definitely not here to be a playmaker or to call the lineouts - that's for the brainiacs in the team," Dempsey said.
"(Cheika) has told me where he sees me and what my role is and it's definitely in the s***ters, in the contact and the dominant collisions.
"The Springboks is the epitome of that so that's a big challenge and I'm excited for that.
"I'm excited to come up against the (Eben) Etzebeths and (Siya) Kolisis, who are world class in that area, and showing them that I'm not far off them."
Dempsey was taken on last year's European tour as a development player and made his Wallabies debut off the bench against Italy in June.
He admitted he was lucky - but not undeserving - to be selected in Cheika's mid-year international squad despite playing barely any Super Rugby this year due to a broken foot.
"I think the timing was the most disheartening thing," Dempsey said.
"I kind of missed a whole year of rugby ... but I knew I deserved to be there, with where I was.
"In rehab you can get pretty dark but that was one thing that was driving me the whole time.
"Now I've got the six jersey on, (I'm) where I feel like I wanted to be."
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