The Injury-plagued Rob Horne made a promising return to action as he stakes a claim for the centre hot spot in the Wallabies backline for the Rugby World Cup.
Horne missed most of the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby campaign with an elbow injury he suffered in the round three loss to the Crusaders in March.
The hard-running, strong-tackling 21-year-old played six Tests for the Wallabies last season, before his international campaign was cut short by injury.
With few other outside centre specialists standing out, the No.13 spot is one of the few positions in the Wallabies' talent-stacked backline lacking depth.
Utility Adam Ashley-Cooper has occupied the position for Australia's first two Tests of the current campaign.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was among the spectators on Saturday when Horne made his comeback in a Sydney club game for Southern Districts.
Elsewhere, fellow World Cup hopefuls Berrick Barnes and Daniel Vickerman both performed well for Sydney University.
Utility back Barnes, whose Super Rugby campaign was cut short by head knock issues, piled up 27 points from a try, five conversions and four penalties.
Second rower Vickerman, who played his first Test in three years off the bench against Samoa in mid-July, impressed Nucifora with how his fitness was progressing.
Nucifora was adamant Horne, Barnes and Vickerman all still had sufficient time to force their way into the Wallabies' World Cup squad which will be named on August 18.
