This is Miller's side hustle. He waits for a message to find out if he's needed at the property on the outskirts of Bungendore, then trades his footy boots for work boots to chop firewood, drench sheep or fix a fence.

The Brumbies flanker spent Wednesday afternoon and Thursday on Harry's farm doing odd jobs in between his rugby duties.

It started as a way to supplement Miller's income when Rugby Australia slashed player payments after coronavirus forced the season to shutdown in March.

But Miller, a dairy farmer from Berry, loves it too much to walk away now, even on the eve of the Brumbies' rivalry showdown with the NSW Waratahs on Saturday night.

"At the beginning it was because of the wage cuts. Now I'm just really enjoying it," Miller grins.

"So I said to them I'm happy to come out to do half a day even when we're back on track. Not for the money, just for that escape from rugby.

"They try to push to have something else apart from footy, which I've always had back home [in Berry]. This is pretty similar and I'm getting to learn a lot of different things.

"I've grown up with my dad teaching me everything he knows. It's handy to see the different ways to do things."

Miller will start on the bench for the clash against his former Waratahs teammates in Sydney, but his preparation has barely changed since he emerged as Shute Shield star and won a Super Rugby deal as a late-blooming 25-year-old.

Miller used to milk cows in the morning before the two-hour trek to training and games, get back in the car and return home before the early wake-up to do it all again.

He was doing the commute from Berry to Canberra when he signed with the Brumbies last year, juggling farm work with National Rugby Championship duties.

But a more permanent move to the capital and the Super Rugby shutdown forced him to explore other options, which led him to Harry's property about 40 minutes out of Canberra on the outskirts of Bungendore.

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Miller and some Brumbies staff turned to odd jobs when the season was stopped and wages were cut and most are still living a double life to live their sporting dreams.

"I was back home working during the first COVID-19 break and I asked my brother if he knew anyone around Canberra with a property," Miller said.

"He went to school with Ed Harry and within a couple of weeks I was out there doing bits and pieces, and I'm enjoying it. I'm out there maybe two days per week ... doing anything from sheep work to firewood or spraying. If we have a morning session at Brumbies, I'll head out in the afternoon. Then I'll go out on my day off as well.

"I've always liked the idea of having something outside of rugby. I didn't come into [professional sport] squads when I was younger, I've always known to work. I love working on the farm, so it's a way of staying connected with that because that's what I want to do when I finish playing footy."

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar adds: "Will likes to keep himself busy. He's not someone who is going to sit around on his couch and play the PlayStation from one day to the next. [Working on the farm] is just part of his preparation now, it's a little outlet for him."

The challenge this week is to go from wrangling sheep to trying to nullify a Waratahs back row, which boasts incumbent Test skipper Michael Hooper and firebrand Lachie Swinton.

"I get on well with all those boys so it'll be good to play against them again," Miller said. "As long as we can stop them from [putting it together], it's our main goal.

"They can hurt anyone on their day, we've just got to make sure it's not us."