Unknown ACT Brumbies prop Archer Holz in line to make his Super Rugby debut

This is how unknown tighthead prop Archer Holz rose from obscurity to the biggest game on the Super Rugby AU regular season calendar.

The 21-year-old is in line to make his ACT Brumbies debut in a grand final rematch against the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night.

His role? Helping Canberra junior Tom Ross to fill the void left by suspended captain and Wallaby Allan Alaalatoa in a battle between two all-star forward packs.

Holz tips the scales at 128 kilograms and stands at 189 centimetres, and made his way to Brumbies headquarters this season via the Shute Shield.

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You might have heard a whisper he impressed Eastern Suburbs coach Pauli Taumoepeau in a trial last season to earn his first grade debut, but "it's actually even more humbling than that".

"He wasn't anywhere near our top squad," Taumoepeau said.

"He was playing in under 20s. Then over COVID, two of our tighthead props who are country boys had to answer that call and go back home.

"Reluctantly, I called our colts coach and said 'mate, I might bring Archer up just to upskill him, so if we need him during the season then he has done some training'. It was such a reluctant call.

"I called Archer and said 'I know we're in COVID at the moment but the situation has changed and you'll be in top squad'."

All that meant at the time was Holz, whose parents would make the 10-hour trek from Brewarrina in northwest NSW to watch him play, was added to Easts' first grade Whatsapp group chat and given a training program to stick to while competitions were on hold.

"I dropped off a single scrum sled to all our props, and that was it. The boys were off to do their own training. That was it, I didn't really expect much," Taumoepeau said.

"He was very chubby. We didn't really know where Archer sat in terms of what he wanted to do with his footy, he was half serious but happy to play socially. He was just in there for pure depth.

"We came back after COVID, he was still pretty big and didn't really impress us much. Then our scrum coach just kept raving about him saying 'mate, he is better and better each session'.

"We had him in the trial but I said to the colts coach 'you're going to get him back, why don't I chuck him in the deep end and then I'll give him back to you?'"

Taumoepeau knew Holz could play. He'd been in schoolboy representative teams and NSW academies. But nothing could have prepared him for what came next.

"He was 20, and just laying blokes out," Taumoepeau said. What's more, he did it for the last three games of the season with a broken rib.

Holz was so determined to improve Taumoepeau would literally have to drag him out of training sessions and tell him to save himself for the weekend.

So it may not have come as such a surprise when the Brumbies came calling. The saw game footage and wanted to know everything: What was his character like? His numbers in the gym? His Bronco testing?

"They were going to come up for a training session but we played a game in between and they had seen enough. They were like 'mate, we've seen enough, we're going to get him'," Taumoepeau said.

"You've got to look at that Brumbies organisation, and think especially with their front-row, if there is a club that knows how to develop forwards and get them to hum in the same direction, it's that club. That's sort of the reason he went down there."

So Holz has gone from colts to Super Rugby in 10 months, but "if they say he is ready, then Jesus, he is ready."

SUPER RUGBY AU ROUND FOUR

Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium, 7.45pm. Broadcast: Live on Gem and Stan Sport. Tickets from Ticketek.

ACT Brumbies team: 1. Scott Sio, 2. Folau Fainga'a, 3. Tom Ross, 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Tom Cusack (c), 8. Pete Samu, 9. Nic White, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Mack Hansen, 12. Irae Simone, 13. Len Ikitau, 14. Andy Muirhead, 15. Tom Banks. Replacements: 16. Lachlan Lonergan, 17. Harry Lloyd, 18. Archer Holz, 19. Nick Frost, 20. Jahrome Brown, 21. Ryan Lonergan, 22. Reesjan Pasitoa, 23. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa.

Queensland Reds team: 1. Dane Zander, 2. Alex Mafi, 3. Taniela Tupou, 4. Angus Blyth, 5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 6. Angus Scott-Young, 7. Fraser McReight, 8. Harry Wilson, 9. Tate McDermott, 10. James O'Connor (c), 11. Filipo Daugunu, 12. Hunter Paisami, 13. Jordan Petaia, 14. Suliasi Vunivalu, 15. Jock Campbell. Replacements: 16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17. Harry Hoopert, 18. Zane Nonggorr, 19. Ryan Smith, 20. Seru Uru, 21. Moses Sorovi, 22. Bryce Hegarty, 23. Josh Flook.

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