"I'm still trying to work it out really," said Johnson-Holmes after his first training session in South Africa. "It was $8 schnitty night at the Lord Dudley Hotel. I sat down and had a few missed calls, a few messages. I called a number I didn't have saved and it turned out to be Cheik. "He told me to put down my knife and fork and stop eating my schnitty and get packing and come over. Here I am. Loading "Cheik mentioned [a Test debut] on the phone ... and I wasn't sure if it was a figment of my imagination. It's all numb at the moment and I'm still trying to figure it all out. For the moment I'm cruising and taking it as it comes." Johnson-Holmes arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening and went straight to the team hotel in Sandton to say hello to teammates and settle in.

A little jet lagged on Thursday at the side’s afternoon training run, the precocious prop with 33 Super Rugby caps to his name will be running on pure adrenaline as he gets in the right head space to possibly take on a fearsome Springboks pack off the bench in front of a hostile Ellis Park crowd. “I’m sure he’s going to do us proud with the energy he brings,” Cheika said. “Harry is going to come in and have so much motivation and adrenaline. The guy was sitting at the Lord Dudley and now he is here and going to play a Test and we’re going to help him achieve it.” Harry Johnson-Holmes was a great find for the Waratahs this season. Credit:AP Johnson-Holmes stepped up at Super Rugby level in the season just gone when Robertson was nursing his knee injury. He made a name for himself, starting in 12 of his 16 games and was rewarded with a training spot in Wallabies camps in Sydney and Brisbane before the group jetted off for Africa. A week ago, Johnson-Holmes said he got giddy just being around the Wallabies set-up and now he is readying to sing the national anthem at Ellis Park.

Funnily enough, Johnson-Holmes is actually a very good singer. He played bass guitar in a rock band back in Newcastle where he grew up and happily takes song requests from Waratahs and Sydney University teammates from time to time. "I was hoping they'd maybe get me up on the podium [at Ellis Park] to do the official guest singing of it and lead the boys out with the microphone," Johnson-Holmes said of the anthem. Harry Johnson-Holmes is diving into the deep end. Credit:AAP "It's looking less and less likely, so I'll try and sing it as loud as I can from the line-up. To be able to sing that national anthem with some childhood heroes at a stage like Ellis Park I imagine is going to be pretty magical." Johnson-Holmes has been getting minutes under his belt for Sydney University, having played their last two matches.

In the event either of the two starting or reserve props – James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Johnson-Holmes or Taniela Tupou – were to go down injured, the Wallabies would be well and truly screwed. Sio hurt his adductor (thigh) on Friday and medical staff thought they could get him through but after not a whole lot of action on the training paddock on Monday or Tuesday, he was pulled. Johnson-Holmes is quite the musician too. Credit:Christopher Pearce However, Sio is expected to be right for the Pumas match in Brisbane next Saturday. Then there was Robertson, who departed South Africa on Wednesday evening local time. He hurt his ankle halfway through training on Tuesday before what would have been his first Test since September last year against South Africa.