Grounded winger Taqele Naiyaravoro has been offered a small window to showcase his finals claims after earning a recall for the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby clash with the Western Force on Saturday.
The Fiji-born Naiyaravoro hasn't started since giving up his spot last month while unable to travel to New Zealand to play the Hurricanes because of visa restrictions.
But Waratahs coaches Michael Cheika and Daryl Gibson on Thursday handed Naiyaravoro a reprieve and challenged the tryscoring powerhouse to make the position his own before likely missing the side's two-game tour of South Africa later this month.
After tackling the Force in Perth, the Waratahs host the Sharks and Crusaders in back-to-back games in Sydney before heading to the Republic to tackle the Lions and Cheetahs.
"That visa issue is an ongoing one," Gibson said.
"Obviously we're eager for that to be resolved so we can take him to South Africa but at this stage it is ongoing.
"So he knows he's got a game to impress and then obviously two home games."
Naiyaravoro has replaced former Wallabies winger Peter Betham, who has been named on an extended nine-man bench.
"We really would like Taqele and Peter to really nail down that spot. It's important for one of them to really show that they really want to," Gibson said.
Naiyaravoro, who has resembled Jonah Lomu on occasions this year while busting tackles en route to the line, has been linked to a move to Edinburgh next year.
But Gibson is hoping the lure of a Wallabies jumper may keep him in Australia - and with the Waratahs, who are losing a host of players at the end of the 2015 campaign.
"One possible way (of keeping him) is him being capped by Australia, if his form dictates that," Gibson said.
Apart from confirmation on Thursday that Jacques Potgieter would return home to South Africa next season to link with the Sharks, the Waratahs are also dealing with the prospect of being without veteran forward Stephen Hoiles for the remainder of their title defence.
Hoiles suffered a knee injury against the Brumbies on Saturday and has been scratched from the Force game amid concerns the back-rower requires surgery.
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