Dark horse Tom Hooper emerges in Brumbies race for lock spots in Super Rugby Pacific

"And that's what I need," Swain said. "I need guys challenging me so I can get better."

The ACT Brumbies already trade Test front-rowers for Test front-rowers, and a Wallabies scrumhalf for a Wallaby-in-waiting. Now the club's lock stocks are helping to drive them to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.

Hooper has declared himself ready to charge into Australian rugby's most heated rivalry, emerging as a dark horse in the race for Brumbies lock spots leading into a clash with the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium next Friday night.

Swain missed this week's win over the Melbourne Rebels following a head knock the week prior, while question marks hover over the fitness of Cadeyrn Neville as he continues on the comeback trail from a shoulder injury.

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Hooper and Nick Frost impressed as the Brumbies' locks during the win over the Rebels, with coach Dan McKellar now facing a major selection headache for a grand final rematch.

There is hope Neville will return to the fold in the coming weeks - but Hooper has vowed to rise to the occasion if he gets the nod to face the Reds this week.

"Every time I talk to him his shoulder is getting better every day. Hopefully we see him back either next week or in the coming weeks," Hooper said.

"It's very exciting with that potential of me playing. Hopefully I'm lucky enough to get into the squad. Who knows whether Nev will be back or not. I haven't played them yet and they're a physical team, but I'm keen to bring my physicality to that game.

"I've had an interesting rivalry with the Reds my whole life really, being a NSW-born player and then coming to the Brumbies and just seeing that rivalry blossom over the past few years. Even though I wasn't playing in the grand final, it left a bad taste in all of our mouths.

"We're not really chasing redemption or anything but if we stick to our game and our plan, it'll be a good game and hopefully we'll get over them."

Swain's assessment in the wake of Hooper's run-on debut was simply that he "killed it". McKellar has earmarked him as a star of the future - not that he let the rising star get too pumped up after full-time.

Hooper grins he did plenty of that during the game, and he needed a few older heads to rein him in.

"Dan would be a very good poker player, he usually doesn't give away too much," Hooper said.

"He was pretty concerned with my shiner but he just thought I'd get some well-needed attention from the missus. That's all he really had to say.

"I'm sure I'll have meetings with him throughout the week about how he thought I performed and we'll review my game heavily as he does with all of our 23 and then take that into the Reds.

"I felt comfortable out there. It's always good to have some level heads out there. A few times I was jumping for joy and had a bit of ants in my pants.

"Level heads like Scott Sio and James Slipper prevailed and they told me to calm down and just breathe. Even Wrighty [Tom Wright] there for a second was like 'mate, just settle down'.

"Not that I was getting too ahead of myself or anything, but it's just good to have that experience there so I know where I need to stand and what my job is in the team."

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