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It's all about timing. And Sean McMahon has been one of the very few at the troubled Melbourne Rebels franchise able to pick the ideal moment to pounce, to the extent he will probably solve an Australian Test dilemma. It has been a dreadful year for the Rebels. Their solitary win and a draw has been surrounded by endless diabolical losses- with several defeats exposing the glaring fact that they are carrying numerous passengers who are clearly not up to Super Rugby standard. The deep uncertainty over the province's future has not helped, prompting Rebels assistant coach Morgan Turinui to this week unload on the Australian Rugby Union for dithering about in determining whether they or the Force are omitted from the competition. Even the ARU printed on its own website Turinui's remark that the national body's handling of this issue was 'an absolute disgrace.' One Rebels player who hasn't been smeared by the endless criticism swirling around the province is McMahon. The Rebels' best known player had not been involved in this year's Super Rugby tournament until last Saturday as he had been recovering from ankle syndesmosis. He appeared in the second half of the match against the Reds in Melbourne on Saturday night, with his coach Tony McGahan later arguing that if McMahon had played the full 80 minutes the Rebels may have won. McMahon did make a difference, providing much needed impact to a Rebels pack that has often drifted this season.  And what a perfect moment to return. It is less than a month before the start of Australia's domestic international series, and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika now has to start getting serious in formulating a Test lineup to first confront Fiji in Melbourne on June 10, followed by Scotland and Italy. There are several spots wide open, none more than the No 8 position. As expected from a sub-standard Australian conference, not one of the five provincial No 8s would have yet convinced Cheika that he is an automatic selection. The best of a middling mob has been Queensland's Scott Higginbotham, but Cheika has shown in the past that he has reservations about the work-rate and commitment of the 30-year-old. Cheika has omitted Higginbotham from Wallaby squads before. While Higginbotham has been dynamic at Super Rugby level, he has often failed to be as penetrative when in the green and gold. Although McMahon is probably better known as a blindside flanker, he can adequately fill No 8. He now has three Rebels matches against the Waratahs, Crusaders and Brumbies before the Super Rugby break to convince Cheika he is the man, with the most likely scenario being that he partners openside flanker Michael Hooper and blindside Scott Fardy in the Test back-row. Cheika will also be wanting to convince McMahon he is a wanted man, especially after recent reports that the 22-year-old is seriously considering a multi-million dollar move to Japan, which would put his 2019 World Cup position in jeopardy. The ARU contract offer to McMahon is well short of what Japanese clubs are offering.  McMahon is probably not yet convinced that Cheika is an ally, as while the Wallabies boss has selected him for 15 Tests, ten as a starter, he has also often overlooked him. But the threat of losing him overseas and a lack of options will make the retention of McMahon a Cheika high priority. It wouldn't surprise if Cheika, as part of the sweet-talk, decides to give McMahon a leadership role within the Wallabies playing group. This week, World Cup winning Wallaby Tim Horan suggested that McMahon was the most likely Australia captain after Hooper, who could easily take over the leadership from the out-of-form Stephen Moore this season. So anticipate McMahon soon having a 'vc' next to his name.
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