Fast forward for McCalman

NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian July 9, 2010, 3:33 pm


Western Force forward Ben McCalman has capped an impressive debut Super 14 season with a call-up to the Wallabies for the Tri-Nations.
The hard-running flanker has gone from the Force reserves bench to the national squad in just five months.
And the 22-year-old, who joins teammates Nathan Sharpe, David Pocock, Richard Brown, Matt Hodgson and James O'Connor in the squad, is stunned by his rapid raise.
"It has all happened very quickly. I got my starting jumper at the Force quicker than I expected and I guess I've been lucky from there," McCalman said.
"It's up to me now. I know I've still got a lot to do and this is where the hard work starts. I'm only in the 30-man squad at the moment but hopefully it will lead to other things."
The 2010 Force rising star winner was thrown into the deep end during the Force injury crisis, going into the starting back row after the round one injuries to Brown and Pocock.
He prefers life in the back row but at 106kg and 192cm, showed his versatility by packing into the second-row during the season.
"I'm comfortable in either the No.6 or No.8 jumper but I'll play wherever I'm put," he said.
McCalman impressed Wallabies coach Robbie Deans in his two performances for the Australian Barbarians against England last month.
"Robbie said from the start that the Baa Baas was an opportunity to make a statement. I guess I did that and ticked all the boxes," he said.
"I was surprised when he called and it's pretty exciting knowing that I'm going into camp on Monday."
McCalman, who played in all 13 games for the Force this year, knows only one way with the ball - forward.
"We play against some pretty big guys and you've got to be as strong as you can to beat them. It's the only way to beat them," he said.
McCalman was a Force target for two years before being lured west. He was in the 2009 Australian 7s squad, represented Australia from schoolboy level to under-20s and was in the Wallabies extended training squad and Waratahs academy last year.
He is one of four uncapped players named by Deans. The others, centre Anthony Faingaa, breakaway Scott Higginbotham and second row/lock Rob Simmons, are all Queenslanders.
He has dropped wingers Drew Mitchell and Lachie Turner, props Pek Cowan and Laurie Weeks and hooker Huia Edmonds.
Prop Benn Robinson and hooker Stephen Moore are back after missing the June Tests with injuries. Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, prop Ben Alexander and back-rower Stephen Hoiles are injured and two spots are still up for grabs.


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