Could a favourite son of the Brumbies be plotting his way back to the capital?
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Scott Fardy may well be part of the coaching staff at his former club the ACT Brumbies in the future, but for now he's biding his time building his CV overseas.
In just a few weeks Fardy will depart for Ireland after landing a new job as a defence coach for Connacht over the next two seasons in the United Rugby Championship.
Fardy is very familiar with Irish rugby, having played 80 games for Leinster from 2017-2021 after he left the Brumbies following six seasons in Canberra and three years earlier with the Kamaishi Sea Waves in Japan.
After hanging up his boots the Wallabies lock jumped right into coaching with Japan's NEC Green Rockets and Sydney's Warringah Rats, and his latest move in Ireland could put him on track for bigger coaching roles soon.
A return to the Brumbies at some point isn't out of the question, but Fardy is simply taking it a step at a time.
"I'm grateful for the career I had and grateful for the career that's in front of me as well," Fardy told The Canberra Times.
"You've got to be flexible with these things.
"Australia's always going to be home for me so if there's an opportunity here I think that's for the future.
"I'm just excited where it takes me going overseas first in a good system there in Ireland."
Connacht were knocked out of the URC title race in a semi-final loss two weeks ago, and Fardy is excited by the potential at the club.
"Some really good coaches have gone through Connacht so the opportunity to work with them and head coach Pete Wilkins is great," he said.
"Defence is something that I focused on during my playing career, so it was a natural progression to be a defence coach."
Before he calls The Emerald Isle home again with his wife and kids, Fardy was back in Canberra reminiscing with former teammates at their 10-year reunion of the Super Rugby final, where the Brumbies lost to the Chiefs.
Fardy relished the opportunity to rub shoulders with old mates and walk down memory lane, even if it was a tough defeat to revisit.
"We got together for a few drinks and it was good to see a few familiar faces," Fardy said. "We shared so many special memories, not just that year, so it's great to see everyone.
"I was driving around Canberra with my wife and we have a lot of great memories here. I still have family that live here.
"I really enjoyed my six years and grew up as a man here, so it does hold a special place in my heart."
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