![Ollie Sapsford will get his fourth start of the season this weekend. Picture by Keegan Carroll Ollie Sapsford will get his fourth start of the season this weekend. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/29b0ba6f-9970-4fc5-ba16-3d5fbb78eefc.jpg/r0_272_5320_3275_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ollie Sapsford first arrived in Western Australia on a wing and a prayer, hoping to find a path in life while working on a farm and kicking a Sherrin three hours outside of Perth.
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This time he returns on a wing without the prayer, determined to put in another strong performance that will help him continue his Super Rugby journey.
Sapsford is set to shift in the back line for the ACT Brumbies' clash against the Force this weekend, moving from inside centre to the wing as the club adheres to Wallabies resting requirements.
The Brumbies are expected to announce a host of changes when coach Stephen Larkham picks his team on Thursday.
Nic White is injured and Tom Wright and Len Ikitau are being rested in the back line, while several Wallabies forwards are set to remain in Canberra and Larkham will rotate some others in key positions.
James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost and Rob Valetini are the other players who need to miss a game before the finals begin to meet the agreed workload management schedule with Wallabies coaches.
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That has opened the door for Sapsford to get his fourth start of the season when he moves to the wing, with Hudson Creighton to start at outside centre and Andy Muirhead moving to fullback. Larkham is also considering rotating Noah Lolesio and Jack Debreczeni in the flyhalf role to ensure all of his players get crucial game time.
In some ways it completes the journey for New Zealand born and raised Sapsford, who moved to Western Australia for overseas experience when he finished school and ended up playing Australian football.
The country footy stint in Bruce Rock - population of less than 1000 - somehow sparked his journey to the Brumbies.
"I went to the farm in WA and then went travelling in Europe. But before I went to Europe, I watched the Brumbies play the Crusaders in Christchurch and I remember thinking: I'd just love to give rugby a crack," Sapsford said.
"I hadn't really done it during school ... I did a building apprenticeship, but it was always in the back of my mind.
"Then I played a bit of AFL over in Perth and I was enjoying it, but I was thinking, 'man, I'd love to give rugby a crack'. It lit a fire in my belly, so being in [Western Australia] is what led to it.
"There was always part of me that would've loved to have played rugby but I didn't think it was an option. It was a pretty interesting road for me.
"I carried on building and played club footy ... then got offered to go to the Wellington academy and one thing led to another.
"I loved [playing Australian football]. I was an absolute battler, I'd catch the ball and try to run over people."
Sapsford is one of a handful of Brumbies players yet to finalise his future beyond the end of this season.
The 27-year-old has been trying to force his way into a Wallabies-laden back line for the past two years, and a strong performance against the Force will boost his contract cause.
"I haven't finalised what I'm up to next year, we're in the middle of that. Definitely keen to stay," Sapsford said.
The reshuffled Brumbies will face a stiff test against the Force after the Perth side fired barbs at the Brumbies and declared: "we can blow them off the park".
The Brumbies have won their past 14 matches against the Force, but the Force's last win in 2013 was a crucial blow to a championship dream. It cost the Brumbies key ladder points and they played two finals on the road before losing to the Chiefs in the decider.
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