Big Ben Mowen shows he's got the right stuff for Wallabies debut

NEW Wallabies flanker Ben Mowen flew into a scuffle with James Horwill as part of the audition that showed he had the power to take on the Lions.

NEW Wallabies flanker Ben Mowen flew into a scuffle with Test skipper James Horwill as part of the winning audition that showed he had the power to take on the Lions.

Code-hopper Israel Folau's jump to Test status tomorrow night at Suncorp Stadium has been a 14-game sprint with barely a speed bump.

For the persevering Mowen, it has been a voyage of knockbacks, resilience and improvement over eight seasons.

---

JOIN US TOMORROW NIGHT FOR UNRIVALLED COVERAGE OF THE WALLABIES v THE LIONS

News+ subscribers exclusive
- Live stream of FoxSports coverage from 7.30pm
- Includes pre- and post-match shows featuring experts Tim Horan, Nathan Sharpe, Greg Martin and Brendan Cannon

Live coverage
- Barrack live with other fans
- Live scores and stats
- Rugby Gold match centre with in-game video highlights
- Match reports and analysis post-game

---

The ACT Brumbies skipper revealed yesterday a heart-to-heart with Wallabies coach Robbie Deans a year ago made it clear why he had not been cut out for Test rugby.

Rather than pursue the soft option of Japanese rugby, Mowen threw himself into reworking his game.

"This is where I always wanted to be," Mowen, 28, said yesterday of a Test debut against the British and Irish Lions' quality backrow of Sam Warburton, Tom Croft and Jamie Heaslip.

"There are certain times that you question whether you'll get there or not, but I'm very fortunate with the support network that helped push me to keep pursuing this and not go overseas.

"I had a good meeting with Robbie a year ago and he said he wanted to see some really good improvements in my impact at the tackle and he wanted to see backrowers who were good on the ball."

He worked diligently to add 4kg and utilised the expertise of Brumbies forwards coach Laurie Fisher to increase his leg power in the carry and improve his breakdown work.

He could not even crack the Wallabies' 50-man camp in January but his extra physicality and one night in Brisbane in late April showed the new edge to his game.

When the Reds rolled over for a try from a lineout in the early stages of the clash against the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium, Horwill enjoyed a little "how easy" smirk.

Mowen stood up for his team, grabbed Horwill and exchanged heated words. It showed all the more starch because the pair are good mates from days in under-age teams in Queensland.

Ben Mowen

Test hooker Stephen Moore said that moment was a show of Mowen's readiness for international rugby.

"That's the type of Test it's going to be, very confrontational and physical. Ben won't be shy," said Moore, who will run the lineouts with Mowen as caller.

Mowen, a product of Brisbane's Easts Tigers, is the first Wallaby schooled at Villanova College since 1970s product Andrew Slack, although he has worn Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies jerseys to claw his way in.

The Wallabies have not picked a pack to be spectators to a Lions onslaught but one that can take them on.

That means Mowen stealing lineouts, locks Horwill and Kane Douglas driving ahead and breakdown technique that can increase Welsh flanker Warburton's inferiority complex against Australia.