Bayley Kuenzle grimaced as he fired a cross-field kick towards the eastern corner of Canberra Stadium.
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It was a play he had practiced all week at ACT Brumbies training but surely this attempt was destined for the stands.
But his worry quickly turned into joy as it flew straight into Andy Muirhead's hands, giving Kuenzle one of two try assists in the Brumbies win over the NSW Waratahs on Saturday night.
It's moments like these that have given the 22-year-old flyhalf confidence to steer the Brumbies towards the Super Rugby AU title.
"I haven't been playing my best footy. I believe [on Saturday] I took another step forward, so I was pretty happy with how I went," Kuenzle said.
"I have full confidence in myself now having those couple of games. I'll build on that, keep improving and enjoying my footy."
Kuenzle enjoyed his best outing of the season, having made his fourth-straight start since stepping into the void left by superstar rookie Noah Lolesio.
He feels settled in his starting role and is determined to make the most of his shot, with Lolesio edging closer to a Super Rugby AU comeback.
A severe hamstring strain has kept the Wallabies prospect sidelined for up to eight weeks and is expected to return for the finals series in September.
"He's been playing some unbelievable footy, so it was unfortunate what happened to him. I was able to take my opportunity," Kuenzle said.
"He's been on the outskirts a bit, giving us ideas and what he believes so that's been good. He's not far from us playing boys, he's been good with recovery and preparation.
"When he comes back, I think for finals, it'll be good. We back ourselves and have a good squad to take it out this year."
The Brumbies sit two points clear at the top of the Super Rugby AU standings, with two rounds remaining in the regular season.
A win over the Western Force at Canberra Stadium on Friday would all but secure a home final, while the second-placed Queensland Reds serve a bye this week.
Kuenzle says the Waratahs rout has given them confidence leading into the home stretch, adamant the Brumbies' best is yet to come.
"We need to keep building and improving. We still have improvements in us and haven't played our best footy in Super Rugby AU,' Kuenzle said.
"[The Waratahs win] is a good stepping stone and hopefully we can build on that going into the Force.
"We can't take them lightly. We know they're a quality side and we have to play our best footy to beat them.
"We'll have to prepare well and hopefully we can get a good crowd on Friday night, our performance will probably be a bit better."
SUPER RUGBY ROUND NINE
Friday: ACT Brumbies v Western Force at Canberra Stadium, 7.05pm