With his head still spinning from a whirlwind journey which nearly led to being etched into the record books as Wallaby No.904, Jono Lance will lead an experimental Australian side desperate to make his first Test cap a reality.
Less than a fortnight ago Lance was slugging it out in the first week of pre-season training with the Western Force, when he received a phone call that would quickly alter his mood.
Could he jump on a plane, fly to Paris to train with the Wallabies and take part in a Wallaby XV clash with the French Barbarians in Bordeaux?
"Obviously I jumped at the chance and flew out the next day," said Lance.
But while the lure of wearing the gold jersey in a non-capped fixture, as he will do as the chief playmaker against the Baa-Baas on Thursday night (Friday morning AEDT), was enough to get him on a plane - Lance's week changed drastically on Tuesday.
Quade Cooper, pencilled in to wear the No.10 jersey in last weekend's Spring Tour Test against France, went down with an ankle injury.
Suddenly the enigmatic star was in doubt, and Lance was thrust into training with the first side - with a bench spot on offer should Cooper fail to recover.
When Cooper failed a game-day fitness test, Lance was named on the bench and a childhood dream beckoned.
"It was definitely a rollercoaster ... but to stand there belting out the anthem next to two of my good mates, a week after finishing my first week of pre-season (was great)," Lance said.
"It was definitely an exciting week."
Lance's career has been typified by untimely injuries and being stuck behind Wallabies stars in the playmaking role at both the Reds and Waratahs during their title-winning seasons.
But when his luck looked like changing, another twist was brewing.
With Australia's win over France not decided before an 83rd-minute field goal sailed left of the posts, coach Michael Cheika never called on the 26-year-old Lance.
"It was definitely a little bittersweet," Lance admits.
"I understand how rugby works and in a close environment like that you probably want the players who have a feel for the game for finish it off.
"I understood that and I'm happy the result went as it did.
"It was probably 20-30 minutes after the game that it dawned on me how close I was and how I'd just missed it.
"But it's made me even more hungry to get back there and earn that cap."
But in the washup of the game Cheika said a Test cap loomed for the likable Lance - and a chance to run the show in Bordeaux will cement that.
Lance views Thursday's clash as an opportunity to force his way into the playmaking discussions alongside the two first-choice five-eighths Bernard Foley and Cooper.
"Constantly (playing well) and putting pressure on them will make the 10 jersey for Australia a lot better," Lance says of his desire to challenge Australia's established stars.
"Hopefully I keep doing that, keep putting my name forward and that time will come."
The match also represents an opportunity for development players - the likes of Andrew Kellaway, Izaia Perese and Jack Dempsey, and NRL convert Marika Koroibete - to impress the Wallabies coaching staff in a competitive environment.
"Andrew Kellaway is a classy player for a young guy," said Lance.
"He's someone with a very big future."
WALLABY XV (15-1):
Luke Morahan, Marika Koroibete, Mark Gerrard, Kyle Godwin, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Jono Lance, Nick Frisby, Ben Mowen, Jack Dempsey, Peter Kimlin, Sam Carter, Will Skelton (capt), Tom Robertson, Nathan Charles, Paddy Ryan. Res: Andrew Ready, Sef Fa'agase, David Lolohea, Scott Fardy, Henry Vanderglas, Nic Stirzaker, Izaia Perese, Andrew Kellaway.
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