Laurie Fisher had every opportunity to take a well-earned holiday.
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With the Wallabies players handed five weeks off after returning from the spring tour, the assistant coach was offered a break of his own.
Instead, the mentor was determined to return to Brumbies HQ and take a look at what coach Stephen Larkham had started building during his time away.
So just five days after returning from Europe, Fisher was back at work, putting the players through their paces. He wouldn't have it any other way.
"I could have taken more time off but I wanted to get back and value-add in the pre-season," Fisher said. "We've got a lot of new players, young guys, I felt it was important to get back here and throw my two bob in."
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Fisher has been pleased with what he's seen in his first week back in Canberra.
Larkham has grown as a coach and implemented a plan for how he wants the team to play in next year's Super Rugby competition.
The players have bought in and are eager to make an impression before the Wallabies return in January.
"The good thing about coming back here is there's always good energy," Fisher said. "There's always a desire to put your hand up and work hard. The real challenge, particularly with the younger group is understanding what it means to be professional.
"The desire and effort is there but we're making sure we're driving detail and giving each individual the ability to self improve."
Fisher is expected to continue juggling both his Brumbies and Wallabies roles through to the World Cup, however that is subject to the outcome of a Rugby Australia review into a disastrous 2022.
While some have called for coach Dave Rennie to be removed less than a year out from the World Cup, head office currently has little appetite to do so.
England rugby officials, however, had no such concerns and sacked Eddie Jones earlier this week.
The 62-year-old was previously viewed as a leading contender for the Australian job in 2024, however his early departure complicates those plans.
Should Rennie continue as head coach, the prospect of Jones taking on an advisory role leading into the World Cup has been floated.
Fisher did not want to be drawn into the discussion around Jones' future but remains confident the Wallabies are well placed nine months out from the showpiece tournament.
"There are some really good footballers who missed large chunks of 2022," he said. "As a coaching staff we can sit down and nail what's important, what are the absolute key things we have to hit and we have to hit every week when we train to be the team we want to be.
"There were plenty of lessons learned but we need to make some small changes around how we train and how we play which I think will have big gains for us."
Fisher's involvement with the Wallabies has allowed him to keep a close eye on the progress of the Brumbies in the national set up.
It's a period that has seen the likes of Nick Frost take his game to another level while Allan Alaalatoa continues to develop as a leader.
Fisher's goal is to convert that growth into Super Rugby success for the Brumbies.
"They all had good seasons and gained some valuable experience in different environments against different opposition playing slightly different ways," he said. "You get back a dozen or so more experienced players, they'll add to our environment.
"Hopefully they'll come back with real energy and a real desire to be successful given we were perhaps a decision off a final spot last year."
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