Being jetlagged from flying around the world and exhausted from a mammoth defensive effort is easy when you expected to spend this year climbing ladders every day to earn a living.
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That's why ACT Brumbies rookie Jahrome Brown won't be complaining this week as he prepares for his first starting XV appearance at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.
The Waikato junior was juggling his rugby ambitions with installing roof spouting in Hamilton when the Brumbies offered him a chance to train in Canberra this season.
Even then he didn't expect to be thrust on to the Super Rugby stage and earn man-of-the-match honours in his run-on debut in Cape Town.
But the former New Zealand under-20s prospect has embraced the challenge of filling back-row holes left by David Pocock, Lachlan McCaffrey and Rob Valetini.
Brown is expected to be retained in the Brumbies' starting side for the clash against the Auckland Blues, giving him a chance to play against some of the players he grew up with.
Brown was in the same New Zealand under-20s squad as All Blacks winger Rieko Ioane, but broke his arm at a training camp and didn't get to play for the national side.
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One of the players who got his chance in Brown's absence was Dalton Papali'i - the Blues flanker set to play against Brown this weekend.
"I was keen to get over here and give it a crack. If I wasn't here, I'd be back home roofing. So this is better than that," Brown said.
"I was training in the morning, working during the day and then back to training in the afternoon. We would put up gutters on houses, so I was up and down on ladders all day. That was hard on the body to add training as well.
"I'm lucky to be here. When I broke my arm I was a bit down and didn't think I'd get back [to that level]. My family helped me a lot, but I never thought I'd be here."
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar is expected to make minimal changes to his side as they attempt to snap a three-game losing run against the Blues.
Pocock (calf) is expected to be ruled out for at least three more weeks, which will likely see him miss games against the Blues and the Japan Sunwolves before returning after a bye.
McCaffrey (knee) is also struggling with injury and is unlikely to be a part of the Brumbies' side this week, leaving Brown, Tom Cusack and Pete Samu as the only fit back-rowers on the ACT roster.
Murray Douglas and Blake Enever have been used as the blindside flanker back-up, but Brown, Cusack and Samu have churned through a huge work load in the past two weeks to keep the Brumbies in finals contention.
The Brumbies have made more tackles than any other team in the competition this year, highlighted by their tally of 361 in games against the Cape Town Stormers and Argentina Jaguares in the past two weeks.
It's not our work ethic that needs to improve, it's our detail and execution.
- Brumbies defence coach Laurie Fisher
The key to easing the defensive load to have more energy in attack? Make less errors.
"It's not our work ethic that needs to improve, it's our detail and execution," said Brumbies defensive coach Laurie Fisher.
"I certainly think there's the belief. We've got to try to create a bit more space in attack and take our opportunities."
Brown grew up in Putaruru and went to school in Hamilton, making him a Waikato Chiefs supporter. The Chiefs' biggest rivalry is with the Auckland-based Blues, and Brown is keen to test himself against the unpredictable New Zealand side.
Brown is using his Brumbies stint as a chance to launch his career and his hopeful of securing a deal to stay in Canberra next year.
"It's been great to learn of [Pocock], I looked up to him when I was young and now he's helping me," Brown said.
"I've played against a few of the Blues boys in [the New Zealand provincial competition], so it will be good to play against them again.
"We're confident we can do the job. It's just about getting our bodies right after all the travel we've done and hopefully we're ready."
SUPER RUGBY ROUND 12
Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Auckland Blues at Canberra Stadium, 7.45pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.