The Wests playmaker pinched himself because of a job site conversation he had with a mate when they were building kitchens in Queanbeyan.

The mate was Lewis Holland, captain of the Australian sevens team. When they worked together, Matthews used to tell Holland how much he wanted to play in Hong Kong. This weekend they'll do it together.

The St Edmund's College mates couldn't help but laugh when they were both at a Hong Kong captains photo and preparing to play in front of a packed 40,000-seat stadium.

For Holland, it's a chance for the sixth-placed Australia to put an end to their inconsistent form with just four legs left in the world series. The top four world series team automatically qualify for the Olympic Games.

For Matthews, it's a chance to honour family heritage and take steps towards an unlikely Olympic berth.

"Danny's brothers played a few times here and he spoke about playing at Hong Kong after we left school when we were doing some labouring together," Holland said.

"It was a big thing he wanted to do, so it's awesome to see him get a chance to fulfil the dream he had a while ago. There are times in your career when you have special moments and this is definitely one."

Matthews added: "We had a good laugh about it, it's a long way from school. We're good mates but I don't think we thought we'd be here together."

The details of their involvement, however, couldn't be more different. Holland is the skipper of the Australian side and is a full-time professional.

Matthews had to pay for his own flights to Manila, went to a team camp where players shared a dorm and a single bathroom rather than hotel rooms and will return to Canberra next week to play first grade.

But that hasn't dampened Matthews' excitement as he prepares to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers, Luke and Joe, and represent the Philippines.

"Mum [Leila] is from the Philippines and my brothers have played for them as well," Matthews said.

"You don't realise how big it is over here until you get here and see the support. THere's a lot of Filipinos living in Hong Kong ... there's a whole buzz about the town.

"This is one of the biggest events the team has been a part of, including the World Cup. We did a walk of the stadium and you can already picture the atmosphere. Now we've got to enjoy the rugby."

The Philippines are in the qualifying section of the tournament. They played Hong Kong and Tonga on Friday before a clash against Zimbabwe for a chance to advance to the main draw.

The bigger team goal is to grow rugby in the Philippines, earn a place on the world series, perform well in the Asian series and then chase a medal at the South-East Asia Games in Manila at the end of the year.

They've also got their sights set on an Olympic berth to play in Tokyo next year.

"It's a huge year for the [Philippine] Volcanoes. The Olympics is a huge goal, so is winning a medal at the SEA Games because it's at home," Matthews said.

Matthews leaned on Holland for advice before the Hong Kong tournament. "He was so open to showing me the ropes ... we're good mates but he's so busy. You get a lot of confidence when a player like that takes time to help you out and encourage your team."

Holland will be watching on Friday and hoping the Philippines advance, but he's main focus is ending Australia's inconsistent world series form.

"The start of the season what we set out to do. When we get it right, we play some awesome footy. But key moments in the game or up against the top four team, the lapses are disappointing," Holland said. "We're trying to iron out those moments to play at a high level all the time."