‘Didn’t expect it’: Flanker receives maiden Wallabies call-up in ice bath

Australian Carlo Tizzano was sitting in an ice bath when an all-important email was sent to his phone. The Western Force flanker went to check the timer he had going but instead saw a message with a Wallabies selection letter.

Tizzano is one of six uncapped players in coach Joe Schmidt’s 36-man Wallabies squad to take on the two-time defending Rugby World Cup champion Springboks in Brisbane on August 10 and Perth on August 17.

ACT Brumbies enforcer Luke Reimer, Queensland Reds forward Seru Uru, NSW Waratahs outside back Max Jorgensen, Western Force playmaker Hamish Stewart and Olympian Corey Toole are the other potential debutants in the squad.

There seems to be an opportunity for Tizzano to step up over the next few weeks with regular openside Fraser McReight and loose forward Liam Wright both deemed unavailable due to injury. Two-Test Wallaby Charlie Cale has also missed out on selection.

The Australian squad will assemble in Brisbane on Saturday as they begin preparing for an almighty challenge to open their campaign in The Rugby Championship. But before training gets underway, Tizzano needs to buy himself new metal boots after his last pair broke.

“It feels awesome. I definitely didn’t expect it, that’s for sure,” Tizzano told Western Force media.

“I’ve been enjoying my time at (University of Western Australia) but I had to call Greg Holmes the head coach and let him know, ‘Yeah mate, sorry, I won’t be able to play this weekend. I’ve got another job to do.’

“I was just in the ice bath and I was just checking my timer and I got an email sent through just saying ‘Wallabies selection letter.’ Then got a call from there.

“I couldn’t believe it to be fair.”

At 24 years of age, Tizzano has proven himself as a reliable defender in Super Rugby Pacific for a handful of seasons. The backrower stepped into Michael Hooper’s No. 7 jersey at the Waratahs in 2021 when the then-Wallabies captain went on a sabbatical.

But after leaving Australia’s shores to take up an opportunity with Ealing in England’s Championship, Tizzano ended up asking Western Force Simon Cron to “get me” on a contract while the rising star was in Turkey.

Injuries at the Force saw Tizzano start at openside flanker almost immediately after signing with the club and returning to Australia, and he hasn’t looked back. Tizzano has played 21 matches for the Force in the last two years and started each of them.

In 14 appearances for the club this season, which included two tries in as many matches against Moana Pasifika and the Queensland Reds in March, Tizzano made his mark on the defensive side of the game.

Tizzano made the most tackles out of any player in the competition with 240. That was 32 tackles more than second-ranked Blue flanker Dalton Papali’i who, unlike the Western Force and Tizzano, played finals football.

It’s stats like that show that Tizzano, who was named the Western Force’s Members' MVP for 2024, is ready to take that next step by wearing Wallaby gold.

“Obviously, every Australian rugby kid's dream is to play for the Wallabies. You see them signing the anthem and playing in front of all those people against these awesome teams,” Tizzano explained.

“The opportunity to potentially play against the world champs, the two-time (defending) world champs will be awesome.

“I’m just going to rip into training as best I can,” he added when asked about the prospect of potentially playing a Wallabies Test in Perth. “If that comes up, that comes up.

“But how good though for Perth to get a home Test match against the Springboks. There’s a lot of Springboks supporters here in Perth as well so it’s going to be an awesome game.

“It’s just going to keep raising the awareness for rugby in Perth.”