'He's my idol': Meet the youngster eager to give back to Brumbies veterans

The veteran joined French club Bordeaux in the summer after five years in Canberra, leaving a conundrum for ACT coach Stephen Larkham as he planned for the 2024 season.

Cale received first shot at the No.8 jumper and he took it with both hands, crossing for a double in Friday night's 30-3 victory over the Melbourne Rebels.

The first try showcased a piece of individual brilliance, Cale charging down a tight shortside, kicking for the corner and winning the race for the ball.

The 23 year old has long been viewed as a future star and has bided his time since moving to Canberra in 2021. Cale has starred for Uni-Norths in the John I Dent Cup in that time and received his first taste of Super Rugby action last season.

With Samu's off-season departure, the youngster is ready to step up and hold on to the No.8 jersey for the remainder of the campaign.

"Pete's my idol," Cale said. "I was trying to learn as much as possible off him. He was really helpful, I loved how he played, he was skilful and fast and I tried to adopt his game.

"When he was in the program it was awesome to watch him at training and learn off him. I wouldn't say I'm replacing him, the back row will change each week, but the fact he was starting No.8 last year and I was lucky enough to play No.8 in round one was cool."

The Brumbies have turned their focus to Sunday's Super Round clash against the Waikato Chiefs in Melbourne.

The match carries extra meaning for Larkham's side after they were bundled out of last year's competition in a controversial semi-final loss to the Chiefs.

Cale watched the clash from home as Samu played his last game for the club and conceded it was a tough contest to watch.

With so much on the line, the physicality and defensive contest went up a notch as both sides pushed for a place in the decider.

While a victory on Sunday will not guarantee finals success, it will provide plenty of confidence for the business end of the season.

Cale is a young pup in an experienced squad, but recognises many of his teammates are approaching the end of their careers.

It's additional motivation as he looks to give back to those who helped with the transition to Super Rugby.

"One thing that drives me is I really want [James Slipper] and [Allan Alaalatoa] to win a Super Rugby title," Cale said. "They've been so good to us younger guys, I want them to have that success.

"When I was coming into the team, they didn't have to talk to me but they took me under their wing and taught me the nitty gritty of how to be a professional player.

"They're ultimate professionals and great people. That drives me massively to give those guys what they deserve."