ACT Brumbies hit the road to connect with fans across the Riverina

The passionate fans who had the chance to meet their heroes or his players who interacted with people from all walks of life.

It was a whirlwind tour for the Brumbies, with players visiting Narrandera, Leeton and Hay before playing a trial against the Waratahs in Griffith on Saturday night.

Community engagement was a key pillar of the roadshow, with the club running clinics, visiting schools and holding fan days.

The Brumbies were determined to prove their commitment to the region and the players enthusiastically met spectators and attempted to build lifelong fans.

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Larkham has long known towns such as Griffith boast a passionate rugby community and he said the key is ensuring similar visits happen regularly to ensure they remain connected with the sport.

"There's still good connection to the game of rugby out there," Larkham said. "There are other sports that rugby is competing with but there are some strong and passionate players and supporters in the region crying out for more of these games.

"Having the whole team and the Wallabies contingent out there is what's going to drive the next generation to want to play rugby."

The Brumbies weren't the only attraction in Griffith on Saturday, with new Wallabies coach Eddie Jones travelling to the town.

The coach has made it clear the importance of connecting with fans and the visit was a chance to see a commitment that was put in place at the end of his tenure at the Brumbies nearly 20 years ago.

"I was just saying that when I finished at the Brumbies one of the things the Brumbies made a commitment to was to develop rugby in Southern NSW and today (Saturday) is a good indication that they have kept that promise," Jones said.

Larkham watched on as his former mentor interacted with the fans, impressed with the way the Wallabies coach was able to connect with everyone he met.

While meet and greets can often become highly stage-managed affairs, Saturday night was different.

Jones mingled with punters for hours, the Brumbies and Waratahs players staying on the field after the game to sign autographs and pose for selfies.

The scenes will likely be similar next weekend when the Waratahs play the Reds in a trial in Narrabri, with Jones to attend.

"It was special for Eddie to walk on the field and interact with all the players, staff and spectators," Larkham said. "For the people of the region to have so many Wallabies in the one place and the Wallabies coach there, I don't know if that's happened before.

"Eddie was always about connecting with the whole country. He's aware of the support in regional areas and we often don't have the opportunity to take games out there."

The trial at Exies Oval was also a chance for the returning Wallabies coach to cast his eye over the next generation of Australian rugby.

While Brumbies flyhalf Noah Lolesio did not take to the field on Saturday, he is a player sure to attract Jones' interest throughout the upcoming season.

The youngster fell out of favour with former coach Dave Rennie and with a player option for 2024, the next 12 months could be the defining period of his career.

Having attracted big money offers from Japanese clubs last year, there are fears he could be lost to Australian rugby if this season does not play out as planned.

Lolesio is set to feature in the trial against the Rebels in Wagga on Saturday.

Jones has effectively wiped the slate clean and declared performances in Super Rugby will be the defining factor when picking a Wallabies squad in June.

The change has provided Lolesio with an opportunity to fight his way back into the Australian starting line-up, now it's up to him to take it with both hands.

"Young guys have to put up their hand, that is the whole thing," Jones said. "It isn't up to me to determine who is going to play well, it is up to the player.

"He (Lolesio) has played a handful of tests and he has done well. I'd love to see him keep developing."

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