Tom Ross and Mack Hansen both had moments of doubt. Ross wasn't sure how a knee reconstruction would affect his ACT Brumbies dream, Hansen didn't know if he was big enough for Super Rugby.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But when the childhood friends, Daramalan graduates and Gungahlin Eagles teammates ran on Canberra Stadium for a joint debut on Friday night, they saw the signs in the crowd that announced their arrival.
"I had to laugh when I saw it after going on the field. They [the Eagles] put my face on Donald Trump and they had a 'trust in Big Red' sign for Tommy," Hansen laughed.
"That meant the world to me. The whole Eagles community have got around Tom and I so much, I'm so thankful for that. The support has been amazing, I'll probably be pinching myself for two years."
Ross and Hansen played their first game for the Brumbies in a tense 19-13 win against the NSW Waratahs, marking a special moment for the friends who have been playing together since they were 10 years old.
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar put his faith in the duo, and a host of other Canberra juniors, to stand tall when the game was on the line against the ACT side's biggest rival.
They didn't let McKellar down, with Hansen and Ryan Lonergan combining to score a try in the final four minutes only to be denied by the television match official.
Ross held his own as the anchor of the Brumbies' scrum when he came on in the second half and he will keep his place in the side for a set-piece showdown against the Queensland Reds next weekend.
But both have had to overcome personal battles to reach their Super Rugby goal. Ross ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament two years ago, halting his rise as a highly-rated teenage prop.
"At that point in time I wasn't sure, I thought the [junior] Wallabies were out of reach. So you don't get too far ahead of yourself, you play for the love of it," Ross said.
"I just want to keep learning off guys like [James] Slipper and Scotty Sio and build from there. I had a bundle of nerves the entire week leading up to the game, but good nerves. I enjoyed it.
"I've played schoolboy footy with Mack since I was about 10 and to go through my career with him by my side, and to make our debut, it's surreal."
Hansen's challenge to be ready for Super Rugby was being big enough to handle the physicality. He stacked on seven kilograms in the off-season to reach 87 kilograms and says he now has the confidence to play against the best.
"And it's not fat this time," Hansen joked. "I've grown mentally and physically, the physical part is big because I feel I'm not getting rag-dolled as much.
"I had to put trust in myself that I was ready for it. Even last year I never thought I'd play a game, I was there just learning off people.
"But after the first Brumby Runners game this year I felt like I could do it, like I was ready. And being able to play with my mates, it's just like being back at the school. If you're not having fun, you won't reach those higher honours."
Brumbies skipper Christian Lealiifano praised the rookie pair for handling the pressure of an Australian derby and backed them to continue their rise through the ranks.
"I was rapt to see those boys get on, they didn't look out of place at all. They were confident in their own ability and so were we," Lealiifano said.
"I'm loving seeing local talent really thrive, they continue to impress. They get limited opportunities but when they get them, they're putting their hands up."
