Samu Kerevi's Commonwealth Games rugby sevens cameo has backfired with the Wallabies star to miss the rest of the year because of a knee injury.
The centre had opted to play rugby sevens in Birmingham instead of tour Argentina for two Tests.
He lasted just three games though, suffering what's understood to be an ACL tear in a collision against Kenya and missing the finals as Australia went on to finish fourth.
Kerevi initially downplayed the severity of the injury but wasn't sighted at the competition venue again before Rugby Australia [RA] confirmed the setback on Tuesday.
The injury is a cruel blow for Kerevi and the Wallabies, who have been a better side since the former Queensland Reds captain - now based in Japan - returned under tweaked eligibility laws last year.
"Obviously very disappointed for Samu, had a chat with him just before," his sometime centre partner Len Ikitau told reporters on Wednesday from Buenos Aires.
"I know the type of person he is, and he's going to bounce back and be right for next year. For us, though, it's a next man in mentality, coming in and doing the job."
RA and Wallabies coach Dave Rennie were happy for Kerevi to fulfil his promise and rejoin the sevens program after he had made a shock cameo for the Tokyo Games.
But they'll now be without him for the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup, as well as a five-Test tour of Europe later this year that comes a year before France's 2023 World Cup.
He is also in the final year of his big-money, three-year deal with Suntory and could have played his last game for the heavyweight Japanese club.
Kerevi's injury is likely to mean Hunter Paisami and Ikitau will reprise their centre combination from last year's spring tour for the foreseeable future, with Lalakai Foketi offering further cover in the squad.
Brumbies midfielder Irae Simone is also in Argentina, but he is headed for French rugby at the start of the new northern season and therefore is further down the pecking order.
Paisami and Ikitau were always likely to start this weekend in Mendoza.
"He's kind of a different player from Samu, he's got his own game, his own super powers," winger Marika Koroibete said of Paisami.
"He's got ball skills, he brings energy and he loves to hit ... I reckon he's going to do a very good job."