Super Rugby Pacific: Australia’s fly-half competition excites Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio

Brumbies fly-half Noah Lolesio is relishing the growing competition between the young playmakers in Australia after an unbeaten start to Super Rugby Pacific.

The 22-year-old guided the Brumbies around in wet conditions to defeat former Junior Wallabies team-mate Ben Donaldson and the Waratahs 27-20.

This comes just two weeks after pulling off a narrow win over the Force and former Brumbies team-mate Reesjan Pasitoa.

Lolesio was the first playmaker out of the so-called ‘next generation’ to breakout in Super Rugby, thrown into the deep end for the Wallabies against the All Blacks in 2020.

As further young fly-halves such as the Rebels’ Carter Gordon start to make their mark, it only served as motivation for Lolesio to improve his craft.

“I think it’s awesome to have depth in the fly-half position throughout all of Australia. It keeps me on my toes because I know if I stay complacent, I’ll go nowhere,” he told reporters.

“Over the (past) 12 months I’ve been trying to improve myself physically and game management-wise as well and I think playing more minutes has helped with that.

“We saw that in the last game (against the Waratahs) that it was very wet, the old me probably would have tried to run everything, so it was different for me to step back in the pocket and lead the boys around.

“I feel like managing the game comes with more minutes (on the field) and I’m learning more and more from myself and how I can improve as a player and help the team out.

“I think (pressure) comes with the job, flyhalf is always under the spotlight isn’t it? You can’t take it too seriously, you just play footy.”

The Brumbies are riding a wave of momentum after three straight wins at home, sitting second on the ladder.

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