Nick Cummins has returned home from Japan with a clear message: he wants to play again for the Wallabies having been loaned back to the Western Force by his Japanese outfit Coca Cola West Red Sparks. But the 15-Test winger knows he can't just waltz back into the squad, even if Wallabies coach Michael Cheika is an admirer.

"It's not one of those things that you can just call up and get back into the mix," Cummins said. "It all comes down to performance. You have to do your speaking on the field."

Cummins, meanwhile, reflected that his off-field comments in Japan sometimes got lost in translation.

"There were all kinds of names getting thrown about. There were all kinds of names getting thrown about."

With trademark quotes such as "The boys were on it like seagulls at a tip", and "I was like a rat up a drainpipe in one of them runs there", it's little wonder that Japanese journalists found Cummins hard to understand. But the funniest moment came when a Japanese rugby magazine produced a picture spread that referred to Cummins as the "honey budger" instead of his actual Honey Badger nickname.

This photo spread caused merriment in Australia © Getty Images

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"Sometimes it can be difficult when you're talking to a journo after the game saying, 'Yeah mate, I was on the burst'. And then the translator is trying to translate that into Japanese, and apparently there is no actual translation. There were a few odd pauses and frustrations, but we got through most of it."

Cummins, who arrived back in Perth on Saturday, hasn't played since undergoing an arthroscope to remove floating bone pieces in his left ankle last month.

He is holding out hope that he will be passed fit to return in Friday night's Super Rugby match with the Hurricanes in Perth, but he is more likely to return against the Brumbies in Canberra the week after. "I had a bit of a clean up ... now she's starting to fire again, but I might need a few days," Cummins said of his ankle.

The Hurricanes are flying high following wins over the Lions and Bulls, while the Force followed up their trouncing of the Waratahs with a disappointing 18-6 loss to the Reds.

Prop Pek Cowan may return from a neck injury, but fellow front rower Francois van Wyk is out for the season with a torn pectoral and flanker Chris Alcock is expected to miss several weeks with an ankle injury.

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