Wallabies prop takes heart from teammate

RUGBY UNION: Returning Wallabies prop Scott Sio is taking inspiration from Brumbies teammate Christian Lealiifano as he seeks to revive his own international career after injury.

Sio was named on the bench for this afternoon’s clash with Scotland in Sydney after a struggle with a knee injury.

But the 25-year-old said two months in rehab alongside Lealiifano, who was diagnosed with leukemia last August, had put his problems into perspective.

Lealiifano, the Brumbies’ co-captain, has been in remission since February and is hopeful of making a comeback to Super Rugby in 2018.

“His story and his journey he’s been on in the last year has been so inspirational,” Sio said.

“For me, he really puts a lot of this minor injuries into perspective.

“To see how willing he is to put his body on the line at training, to make everyone else better around him, it’s truly great and it’s something that I’ve tried really bringing into this camp.”

Sio said Lealiifano’s “ultimate positivity” was an eye-opener for all Wallabies.

“You rarely see him get angry or frustrated in the group. To be in the position he is as captain, you’re following his every lead,” he said.

“To see how calm and collected he is with the adversity he’s facing on a personal front, it really tells you to sit back and put everything in perspective and say ‘it’s really not that tough if we’re willing to stick together and push through it’.”

Sio is joined among the reserves by hooker Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu, Rory Arnold, Richard Hardwick, Joe Powell, Quade Cooper and Reece Hodge.