Tane Edmed wants a shot in the Wallabies gold after joining elite company in twice orchestrating Super Rugby wins over the mighty Crusaders.
Edmed's dazzling display in the Waratahs' shock 37-24 victory over the reigning Super Rugby Pacific champions not only caught the attention of new Australian coach Joe Schmidt.
It also earned the 23-year-old a place alongside Stephen Larkham, Bernard Foley and Quade Cooper as only the fourth Australian No.10 to plot multiple wins over the 12-time competition kings.
"I thought he was a really good balance of efficiency and enterprise," Schmidt told Stan Sport of Edmed's polished encore that followed similar heroics in the Waratahs' 24-21 victory over the Crusaders two years ago.
"I thought his clearing kicks were nice and long and accurate. He got that nice offload to Max (Jorgensen) and they got that space just in behind that they didn't quite finish.
"He's been a really good influence around the game."
How Edmed dreams of earning his Test stripes as Schmidt wipes the selection slate clean following Eddie Jones' messy departure after last year's World Cup debacle.
"I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to wear the Wallaby gold," he said on Tuesday.
"It's something that has been a dream of mine for a long time.
"That's something that comes with good performances and winning games for your state, for NSW. That's my first priority at the moment."
Edmed represented Australia A in 2022 and narrowly missed selection for the Wallabies' spring tour later that year, with NSW teammate Ben Donaldson instead getting the nod and going on to win a World Cup spot under Jones.
"Obviously it did hurt a little bit to know that I was so close," Edmed said.
"But at the same time I was pretty happy with what I had done that year as a second-year player.
"The year was such a whirlwind year for me that I was just chuffed with how my year went; I got to play a lot of Super Rugby.
"But, yeah, obviously it's always going to sting when it's that close and it kind of doesn't go your way."
With neither Donaldson nor fellow young gun Carter Gordon making the position their own as Australia bowed out of the World Cup group stages for the first time, Edmed knows Schmidt has much to ponder.
But the playmaker says it is far too early to start getting his hopes up.
"All the other Aussie five-eighths had great (round-two) games as well," he said.
"I watched 'Donno' and Carter carve it up against each other, I watched Noah (Lolesio) have a really solid game, and then Tom Lynagh had a really good game as well.
"So it's only round two. I've got to put in back-to-back performances to make a claim."
