The first phone unexpected phone call gave Noah Lolesio hope. The second call gave him the tools he needs to reach his Wallabies dream.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ACT Brumbies rookie returned to Canberra this week to restart his debut season, hoping he gets another chance to play when the coronavirus shutdown eventually ends.
What he has so far has clearly impressed incoming Wallabies coach Dave Rennie, who added Lolesio to a "players of national interest" squad despite being just six games into his career.
The message was clear: "Don't change what you're doing and don't try to hard."
Then Rennie and Wallabies assistant coach Scott Wisemantel pulled some strings to put Lolesio in touch with Berrick Barnes for some one-on-one tutelage with the retired Test playmaker.
Australian rugby has been plagued by drama since play stopped in March. Chief executive Raelene Castle quit after constant pressure, board room warms erupted and financial woes were laid bare for all to see.
But the fact a 51-Test Wallaby, who retired in April, was willing to help guide a 20-year-old kid proves there's still some good left in the beleaguered game.
"I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, I've got a lot of work to do. So I'm trying to keep my head down and be better every day," Lolesio said.
"I got a message from Dave Rennie when I was on the couch and I sat up straight away. I was shaking a little bit.
"I spoke to [Wisemantle] and I asked how I could improve my kicking, and then Berrick called me up as well. He wanted to know about my story as well, then just helped me with bits and pieces.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
- 'Pretty magic': Patty Mills helps raise $100k in seven hours
- ACT government's return to play plans
- 'Confusing': Sports seek clarity after mixed messages
- Raiders could be sent to Sydney after Queensland flu shot ban
- Brumbies coach gets flu shot for first time
- Construction workers give Raiders a 'bad and mean' boost
"I sent him some videos of what I was doing and he was critiquing my kicking, which was unreal. He has been amazing rugby player since I was a kid, so it's pretty crazy to have him talk to me and put in time. That means a lot to me, I couldn't be more grateful."
Lolesio was one of 12 Brumbies included in Rennie's first squad. Fellow bolter Tom Wright was also included, as well as Nic White, who is set to rejoin the Brumbies in the coming months.
The junior Wallaby got the first shot in the Brumbies' No. 10 jersey this year after a three-way battle with Bayley Kuenzle and Reesjan Pasitoa for the right to replace Christian Lealiifano.
Lolesio looked right at home, throwing flick passes to set up tries, kicking a drop goal and refusing to be rattled even when he made rookie mistakes.
"I've made it clear from the start I can't get complacent because I'm still fighting for my place at the Brumbies," Lolesio said.
"Reesjan and BK are great players as well, so I've got keep working hard and hopefully we get the season back up and going. I'm excited, I just wanted to keep playing when it all stopped.
"I know what the standard of Super Rugby is now, so I've been working on little things to sharpen up my game so that when we do come back I know what to expect."
The Brumbies won five of their first six games and thrashed the NSW Waratahs before the season was stopped indefinitely.
Players were divided into mini groups to keep training, while Lolesio went back to the Gold Coast to visit family and train in Queensland before official Brumbies duties resumed on Monday.
The squad has been working in groups of nine, with training to progress to larger groups and eventually contact work in the coming weeks. Captain Allan Alaalatoa spoke to members in an online forum this week, saying the players were hopeful of playing in July and he was on track to be fit after breaking his arm.
"I'm probably the only guy who broke his arm and didn't miss a game," Alaalatoa said. "If we were to have a game this weekend I would be available to play. But we're taking a conservative approach at the moment.
"It was unreal [to be back at training]. We haven't seen the boys or the coaching staff in almost two months ... we had some hard fitness and ball skills and we'll stick to restrictions.
"You can only walk through one entry and to go through that, you need to get your temperature checked, get hand sanitiser and wipe down your phone. Then you wait for the guys in the gym to exit through another door so your group has access to the gym."
Lolesio is confident the Brumbies can pick up where they left the season, despite losing their points. "If it's a domestic comp, we'll be happy with that and we'll be trying to win it," he said.
"It was a bit overwhelming at the start with a lot of attention. But I got used to it and I've just been trying to be consistent, not overplaying my hand."