The Brumbies captain missed the 2023 World Cup after rupturing his Achilles playing against the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup at the MCG.

After fully recovering from that injury, Allalatoa has been in strong form this season, missing just one game for the Brumbies in Super Rugby and averaging 59 minutes per game.

Former Wallabies hooker Jeremy Paul believes a healthy Allalatoa is vital if Australia is to stand any chance of winning the series.

“My first person picked within the team is Allan Allalatoa, either starting or coming off the bench, because for me, he typifies what being in the squad and being in a team is all about,” Paul said.

“His scrummaging has been top shelf this year, I still think Tongan Thor [Taniela Tupou] is slightly ahead for scrummaging, but Alan Allalatoa’s form this year has been outstanding; he’s definitely going to get the number three jersey and play beside Angus Bell.”

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Allalatoa’s partnership with Tupou in the Test series against the Lions will be crucial, given they will be up against two world-class scrummagers in Ireland’s Andrew Porter and England’s Ellis Genge.

Tupou has come off the bench in his last five games for the Waratahs in Super Rugby, averaging 42 minutes per game.

After a difficult season, Tupou has returned to form in his side’s last two defeats against the Reds and the Crusaders.

The Wallabies have a lack of depth at tighthead prop, with the Force’s Tom Robertson and the Reds’ Zane Nonggorr below Tupou and Allalatoa.

The Brumbies could also be boosted by the return of Wallabies five-eighth Noah Lolesio for the finals, after it was feared the playmaker had suffered a neck injury after being caught awkwardly in a ruck against the Force in Perth last Saturday.

Lolesio is back running at training and will undergo further tests, but could take the field for the Brumbies in their home quarter-final on June 7.

Watch all the action from the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season on Stan Sport, the only place to watch every match live and on demand.