He didn't play his first game of rugby until he was 24, but now he's aiming to "take a few chunks" out of the Wallabies in Sunday's Lansdowne Cup clash at Croke Park.

Meet the extraordinary Tom Court, the born-and-bred Queenslander now warming the bench for Six nations champions Ireland.

The 29-year-old loosehead has arrived on the international scene after an amazing journey from "a place called Lowood, actually halfway between Ipswich and Toowoomba".

Court is a former Australian Universities shot put champion who was ordered by doctors to give up his chosen sport or face an early grave.

"I lost the vibe and lost the love for it but also I was having a few health problems," he said on Thursday.

"My blood pressure was 165 on 110 so the doctor said I had to start doing something a bit more physical and lose a bit of weight. It's well under control now, about 120 over 70.

"But when I was shot putting, I was 135 to 140kg. These days, I vary between 115 and 120.

"Obviously because of all the running and training we're doing, and a much better diet; I'm not eating four whoppers for breakfast and things like that.

"Unfortunately, shot put doesn't focus too much on the fitness side of things."

Court's sporting switch took him to rugby and in his debut season with University in Brisbane five years ago he played with Stephen Moore, James Horwill and Drew Mitchell, who will all line up for the Wallabies this weekend.

During his brief stint with the Queensland Reds in 2006, the likes of Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Peter Hynes, Mitchell Chapman and Richard Brown were also rising through the ranks.

Eddie Jones was Queensland coach then, but he couldn't find room for Court on the Reds roster.

So Court's fleeting Super 14 career was over after just three games.

"If you play four, they have to give you a full contract," Court said.

"But I came in late, they already had a full squad so they didn't really have much choice.

"But I didn't want to sit around for the rest of the season twiddling my thumbs."

So he upped and left for Ireland, where his grandparents and mother were all born.

"I've obviously got an Irish passport through them, so I guess they call them Plastic Paddies over here," he said.

There's nothing plastic about Court, though, with Moore this week recalling how the big prop "used to lift small cars in the gym".

Court can't wait for his chance to go face to face with his former teammates on Sunday.

"I've been hanging out for this game for a long time," he said.

"I moved over four years ago and made the decision it was Ireland I was going to stake my claim with and it was a bit of a bumpy journey to start with, but once I got bedded in well at Ulster, it's been a good run.

"I'm just looking to get stuck into these boys.

"Obviously I've played with quite a few but there definitely will be no love lost.

"If I get on, I'll be trying to take a few chunks out of them."

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