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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika loves a bolter and Perth Spirit halfback Michael Ruru could be next on the list, according to NRC coach Kevin Foote.
Ruru has shown the value of the NRC in the past year, coming from club rugby in Perth to starring for the Spirit and working his way through the ranks at the Force.
The New Zealand-born nine was third in line at the Force at the start of the year before a season-ending injury to Ryan Louwrens gave the debutant a chance to play regular games.
By the end of 2017, Ruru was the easy first-choice for the Force by the end of the season.
He has been one of the form Spirit players in the NRC this season and Foote said that hadn't been ignored by those higher up the ranks.
"It you think about Ruru - he started NRC in 2014 and then didn't do it in 2015 and 2016 he say behind Louwrens - we had to pick him on the flank to give him time," he said.
Now look at him, he's pretty much the player of the tournament so far and he may be being looked at for the Spring Tour.
"The NRC's awesome in that sense, it does a couple of things for us (in Perth) - it's been that competition to focus on while everything (with the Force) has been going on and it gives them exposure."
Foote said Ruru would be ready to compete at the international level if he was given a call-up.
"He fought from the third place, behind Ryan Louwrens and Ian Prior, who had both played SR and by the end he was starting.
"He’s older, he’s got kids, he‘s a mature leader and he's ready for the next step."
Cheika has picked players out of the NRC in the past, despite having little involvement in Test teams during the year, with both Kyle Godwin and Tolu Latu joining the Test fold after strong showings in the provincial competition last year.
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2017/10...ters-october-8