Updated May 15, 2026 — 5:28pm , first published May 12, 2026 — 7:06pm

Tuition from a World Cup winner and the on-field support of an old mate have Jack Bowen ready to put 18 months of injury behind him and make the most of a late-season starting role for the Waratahs.

For the third straight year, Bowen has been handed his first start of the season at the back end of a Tahs campaign, wearing the No.10 against the Fijian Drua in Suva on Saturday.

Off contract at the end of the year, the rare start – just his third in four seasons at the Tahs – has been framed as a chance for the 22-year-old to impress coach Dan McKellar and earn an extension.

Speaking from Suva, Bowen said he was ready to take advantage of the rare start and help the Waratahs claim a win over the Drua in Fiji, which would be their first in three visits.…