Auckland-born first-five Noah Lolesio has led the Brumbies to the Super Rugby Australia title as they beat the Queensland Reds 28-23 in the final on Saturday.
Lolesio, playing in his first match in two months due to a hamstring injury, kicked 13 points as victory ensured the Brumbies' third title at Super Rugby level, having won the broader international Super Rugby competition in 2001 and 2004.
Question marks were raised when Brumbies coach Dan McKellar named Lolesio for the final, but his decision was justified after the 20-year-old's controlled man-of-the-match performance.
"It's easy to reflect and say it was an easy decision," says McKellar.
"He has trained really well, our medical staff have done a great job with getting him back. It was four months there he hadn't played before the Rebels game [in round one] and he fronted up that night.
"We were confident he would do the same again tonight. He was one of our best players."
Last week, Lolesio was one of 16 uncapped players named in Dave Rennie's 44-man Wallabies squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.
McKellar says he wouldn't be surprised if Lolesio is named to start at first-five for next month's Bledisloe Cup tests against the All Blacks.
"Like we've done here, if you surround him with experience, a good forward pack, which they'll have the Wallabies, a good scrum, lineout, maul and he can play, if you get on the front-foot he's very dangerous.
"He's certainly good enough and age goes out the window."
Meanwhile, Reds coach Brad Thorn is unsure where his future lies
"I've just been worrying about this [the final] at the moment," says the former All Blacks lock.
"But now that this has come to an end, I'm sure there'll be chats and what-not going around there.
"But it's not really something to talk about now, mate. We've just come from a pretty big game."
