In these days of elite underage players being groomed for the professional game, it's one helluva story, one of the unlikeliest ones involving a Test player in the modern times. It also proves it's not necessarily too late to turn your hand to rugby, even if you're a 24-year-old water polo player.

Tai McIsaac, the Wallabies hooker who wins his second cap tomorrow against Ireland in the Subiaco Oval (kick-off 11am Irish time), had played water polo with the Australian Under-21 side up until 1996, whereupon his failure to make the Atlanta Olympics prompted him to give up the sport. After a couple of years not doing anything, in 1999 at the age of 24, to fill the sporting void he decided to take up club rugby on the Gold Coast, as much because of it's social aspect as anything else.

"I thought I'd have a couple of years of rugby just to have a few beers with my mates, and it just sort of took off from there. I spent a couple of years playing with the Gold Coast side, and then got recruited by the Queensland side. I was there for three years before I came to the Western Force this year."

He played a little rugby league from about the age of four to nine or 10, but otherwise hadn't touched a rugby ball until 24, yet here he is at 31 playing his second Test, a fortnight after his Test debut against England. The one skill, as such, he brought from water polo was an ability to throw the ball, so he was immediately identified as a hooker. "I only threw it in one hand, so I had to adapt and change my style a bit. I think it also had something to do with my body shape; I wasn't built for any other position," he says self-deprecatingly with a smile.

"In the second year of playing at club level I was picked on a Queensland side and I thought to myself, I might be getting good at this," he reveals, and now has his sights set on next year's World Cup, even if he knows he daren't get too far ahead of himself. If anybody should have his feet on the ground, it's McIsaac.

"The last few months have been something of a whirlwind; I haven't had a chance to really sit down and think about it," he adds, but undoubtedly the story would not have had such a fairytale outcome had it not been for the creation of a fourth Australian Super 14 franchise in Perth and Western Australia. (Regarding "western" Ireland, Irish rugby take note).

"Even though the Force didn't win a match, it was a very big building year, just creating a culture with a new team. It's been a pretty big year and for my sake I was fortunate to jump into a team with such a great coach like John Mitchell, and he's brought a great culture to the team. We've learnt a hell of a lot rugby wise, so yeah ,I've been very fortunate this year."

There were near misses, notably a draw at home to eventual champions Crusaders, and McIsaac describes the Perth people as a great sporting public who will again generate a vibrant atmosphere tomorrow.

If the truth also be told, Australia's generally opportunistic approach to scrummaging caught up with them last November, and the selection of so many new, inexperienced faces in the frontrow over the last few weeks is in part down to the slightly desperate way the Wallabies are searching for solutions.

"We've really been working hard on that, not only in camp for the last month or so but I think there was a genuine focus from Super 14 teams in Australia this year to really step up in that area. We've seen a lot of good props come through this year, and you've only got to look at Rodney Blake and Greg Holmes and Guy Shepeherdson to see that scrummaging has definitely improved."

The accuracy of his own darts are helping McIsaac to nail down the position for he would have been picked above the injured Adam Freir, although he acknowledges the Irish defensive lineout is way better than England's and among the best in the world.

The jury is definitely out on Australia's restructuring frontrows but you couldn't help but find McIsaac's unlikely story having a certain charm to it. Not exactly a boy's own story, but one that proves it ain't necessarily too late to dream.