In the lead-up to the clash in Auckland against Moana Pasifika, the 24-year-old couldn't quite believe he had reached such a milestone.

"I didn't really think I'd get here," Swain said.

"I didn't get a look-in up north and that put a bit of fire in the belly. Then the opportunity to come down here and snag a contract and learn, and then get to play.

"That progression of club into under-20s, into academy, into a pre-season in NRC and my debut back in 2018, it's tough to put it all in words.

"I've been here for seven years now. It's just a little milestone but I couldn't have done it without all the lads here pushing me everyday to get better, and the coaches for believing in me."

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Swain felt it was "humbling" to be in the position he's in and expressed gratitude to the family, friends, teammates, coaches and supporters who helped him along the way.

That included Brumbies coach Dan McKellar with whom a "hard conversation" helped shape Swain.

A major turning point for the Wallabies star was two years ago when he was denied a spot on the Brumbies team for the Super Rugby AU grand final.

"I wasn't in the best form and I wasn't really playing good rugby," Swain said.

"That moment back in 2020 when I got dropped for the grand final was pretty sad for me, and a pretty hard day to come to terms with.

"Because I was playing footy and then all of a sudden you're not in the game that you want to play.

"But looking back on it, I'd do it all again, because it's made me who I am today and taught me a lot of lessons."

Swain said McKellar inspired him to give more and he was also lifted by the players around him after that devastating selection omission.

"We have a really competitive culture down here and it's not as if we're trying to one up each other, we're all trying to make each other better," he said.

"If it wasn't for guys like Fruit [Nick Frost] or Tommy Hooper - like I remember quite vividly having to chase them down because they're fit buggers.

"That went a long way to me having a good pre-season and then playing good footy last year."

The Brumbies will travel to New Zealand later this week for the Moana clash at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday night.

Though the Pasifika are at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, the Brumbies won't be taking the game lightly, with a chance to seal second spot on the table on the line.

"Fingers crossed [we get] second, but we will focus on getting the win first," Swain said.

"You can't underestimate these guys, they're a real physical pack, and they've got a short turnaround [after playing the Force on Tuesday night].

"We've got to get our stuff right if we want to put some points on them. Certainly nothing is taken for granted.

"They're a really creative team and they thrive off the back of being physical, playing expansive rugby, and making offloads. We've got to be physical and match that, we've got to have a good set piece, and we've got to take them out of the game.

"We've got to make sure that they can't play off the back of a powerful scrum with the powerful maul they have."

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