 His impressive form for the Brumbies earned McCabe a call-up to the Wallabies squad for the match against Samoa.This was McCabe's first start in the Wallabies jersey, however the match is heavily remembered as Samoa's first ever victory over the Wallabies, winning 32–23 at the ANZ Stadium.Despite this, he went on to play every match of the 2011 Tri Nations Series, helping the Wallabies secure just their third Tri-nations title.