Not when he had his three sons competing with each other on the field; twins Saia jnr and Anthony for the Queensland Reds, and younger brother Colby for the ACT Brumbies.

"My father would wear a Brumbies hat, a Reds shirt and Brumbies pants," Anthony said.

"It didn't matter who won or lost, it was just good to watch rugby. That's going to be us, just sitting on the fence and watching some great rugby."

Because come Saturday night, the Brumbies and the Reds vie for the Super Rugby AU crown at Lang Park in Brisbane.

MORE RUGBY UNION

The Fainga'a twins are struggling to pick a side. Laurie Fisher and the Brumbies gave the Queanbeyan-born pair a start, while Dan McKellar coached them at Souths in Brisbane.

But it was in Queensland they spent the majority of their careers. It was at the Reds they won a competition and realised their dreams of playing for the Wallabies.

"Sitting on the fence sounds really good at the moment," Saia jnr laughed.

But you naturally wonder where he thinks this game will be won and lost, and the former hooker's answer to the question revolves around one team.

"The Brumbies, they're tactitionists. You know exactly what they're going to bring, they're going to be hard at the rucks, they're going to be diligent, they're going to execute very well at the scrum and set piece," Saia jnr said.

"They bring aggression round the breakdowns. With Laurie Fisher being around, that's what he brings. He brings that aggression and accountability.

"It's going to be won at the breakdown where the Brumbies' sevens, sixes will win that space."

As for the Reds, former inside centre Anthony says "they're doing things a bit different". They play an extravagant brand of football boasting cross field kicks and chips under pressure.

But they will have to orchestrate a game plan when the pressure is at its peak, in front of the biggest crowd the revamped Australian competition has seen.

The Brumbies hosted last season's decider in front of about 6000 people due to coronavirus restrictions. Now a crowd of 50,000 seems a whole different proposition.

It's a stage the Fainga'a brothers experienced at the Reds, and one today's teams will not soon forget.

"Ten years just seems like so long ago but it feels like yesterday," Anthony said.

"It was so amazing to come into a packed stadium, you had people waiting outside for tickets and getting sell-outs in an hour to get to a grand final, and the build-up for the game, all of that stuff is so exciting.

"All your parents and family coming to support you, they're some of the best memories I have playing football. Watching the Reds and Brumbies play again is so exciting for me to watch."

SUPER RUGBY AU FINAL

Saturday: Queensland Reds v ACT Brumbies at Lang Park, 7.45pm. Broadcast: Live on Stan Sport and 9Gem. Tickets from Ticketek.

*The Brumbies are offering a package for fans including a charter flight to and from Brisbane, a ticket to the final, and one night's accommodation. Secure your seat here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: