Support for young rake

TEST hooker-elect Brandon Paenga-Amosa will lean on 91Test rock Sekope Kepu as his scrum minder when the Irish try to target the newest Wallaby on Saturday night.

Everything in camp points to coach Michael Cheika rewarding form and set-piece strength by starting the Queensland Reds rookie for a titanic Test of composure at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

Giving Paenga-Amosa the comfort of packing with the squad’s most seasoned props, Kepu and Scott Sio (43 Tests), is a critical part of the puzzle.

Ireland scrum coach Greg Feek, the former All Black, yesterday cooed the Wallabies pack would be “game-ready”.

Cheika may have put down Paenga-Amosa’s name for this Test five weeks ago.

“Brandon’s gone up against Malcolm Marx and performed right at that level,” Cheika said of the rookie’s Reds scrum dominating the outstanding Lions hooker in April.

Kepu has picked up the tag “Uncle” from young prop protege Taniela Tupou and others sizing up his age at 32.