A blessing in disguise: Missing Wallabies cap is motivation for ACT Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead

It seems a line bordering on the bizarre side for an ACT Brumbies winger who spent months in camp with the Australian squad during the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship.

But getting so close and walking away without a gold jersey to his name has ignited the fire within the 28-year-old leading into the looming Super Rugby Pacific season.

They say Muirhead is a classic Brumbies success story; a player who battled for a look-in back home in Queensland, a dreamer who balanced a job as a courier with a rugby ambition before earning his shot.

Now the best may be yet to come for the dazzling outside back who traded sidesteps for snags on the barbecue at the Brumbies' fan day on Saturday.

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"Considering I didn't play [for the Wallabies], it's probably the best thing that could have happened to me in terms of motivation. I've got the fire in the belly now," Muirhead said.

"I've had a bit of extra motivation over pre-season and for the month after Christmas, it makes me want to perform a bit harder.

"It was a really good experience for me personally. It was a different environment, I've only ever really known a Brumbies environment and I sort of realised I'm quite lucky we've got a good program here, from talking to some of the other guys in the Wallabies squad.

"It was good to learn a lot of things off Dave [Rennie] and Wisey [Scott Wisemantel], they've been around the traps for a while so it was good to see their view on rugby. I learnt a lot."

The road to Test football starts in Muirhead's own backyard.

He has emerged as a mainstay in the Brumbies' back three alongside Wallabies duo Tom Banks and Tom Wright, but Muirhead vows to avoid complacency.

Because the Brumbies have hauled in a pair of ex-Wallabies to bolster their outside backs with Jesse Mogg and Chris Feauai-Sautia set to pile on pressure for places in the starting XV.

"Moggy being there is not really any different to the other guys we've had, he just brings a lot of experience," Muirhead said.

"The young group we've got at pre-season probably sees that with the little things he takes notes on, the experience he brings in terms of knowledge is really evident in how he speaks.

"Chris, I went to school with him 10 years ago, so it's good to be able to catch up with him. He's getting into real good shape.

"No doubt he will play a lot of games next year and we will hopefully see the youth of Chris we saw when I ran around with him and played footy with him back in the day. He'd be one of the most talented people I've played with."

Those within Brumbies headquarters are waiting with bated breath.

The lure of playing in the Super Rugby Pacific season opener against Christian Leali'ifano and Moana Pasifika in Auckland on February 18 is seen as a huge carrot.

The fixture could be overhauled amid concern about New Zealand border restrictions, but the Brumbies are relishing the chance to test themselves against trans-Tasman rivals in a proper competition.

Muirhead admits the Brumbies "struggled with the transition" from playing Australian sides for three months before five games against Kiwi rivals this year, so the club has revamped its pre-season program in a bid to compete.

"You can see definite changes in skill and the intent," Muirhead said.

"I'm looking forward to next year when we get into trials and games to see how that comes into our game. Hopefully we can play a bit more of an expansive game.

"I know we've tried to in the past, but I feel like what we're doing now with the skills and drills they're putting together, it will translate onto the field pretty well.

"I'm looking forward to it, it will be a challenge every week when you're playing different styles, different teams. It will be good to be back to that conventional Super Rugby model we have played in the past."

Saturday's fan day was about more than sausage sizzles.

Among the Brumbies on hand in Fyshwick were Muirhead, Jahrome Brown, Ryan and Lachie Lonergan, Gabby Peterson, Niki Paterson, Grace Kemp, and sisters Caroline and Grace Tai.

It was a chance to reconnect with Canberra after another year hit by COVID-19 bubbles and lockdowns.

"If you look back 18 months ago, just as the fires hit, after that we tried to make a big emphasis on being a community team. We are but we were trying to put more of a push on that," Muirhead said.

"COVID has put a bit of a dampener on that, we haven't been able to get out to schools and do those sort of programs we would usually like to do.

"We've got a pretty big turnout here compared to last time we had one of these. It's nice to see big numbers."

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