Canberra Vikings and ACT Brumbies recruit Folau Faingaa arrived in the capital last month and needed a place to crash, so he asked good mate Henry Clunies-Ross if his parents had a spare room.
The Clunies-Ross family welcomed Faingaa with open arms, but NSW Country Eagles winger Henry won't be as accomodating when he faces Faingaa and the Vikings in Armidale on Saturday.
Vikings trio Faingaa, Tom Cusack and Andy Muirhead, as well as Eagles' Tom Staniforth and Conal McInerney will all face their former team in the National Rugby Championship fourth round clash.
"I know most of them, maybe the whole team because most of them are my mates from Sydney Uni and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into Lachie Swinton in particular," Faingaa said.
"He's one of my good mates and we've made a deal if we verse each other we have to run straight, no stepping, and it'll good to play Henry as well because I'm living with his parents.
"The Brumbies have given me an opportunity to come down here and showcase my talent, so the plan is to work hard in the NRC before going on to Super Rugby."
Hooker Faingaa was given his spot on the Brumbies roster at the expense of fellow 22-year-old and Canberra product McInerney, who joined the Eagles this season in search of game time.
"Hopefully I can prove a few of the selectors wrong and sort of the Brumbies as well, so yeah I've got a bit to play for," McInerney said.
"I've been coming off the bench but getting some decent minutes and hopefully I can get some more game time and push my case to start and get back on the Brumbies radar."
"There's not too many young contracted hookers going around so I've got a bit of time on my side, but I also want to cherish every opportunity I get going forward."
The Vikings could go top of the NRC ladder with victory against the winless Eagles and coach Tim Sampson said the focus is once again defence after leaking 36 points per game over the first three rounds.
"I would like to sit a bit more comfortably in the coaches box with more of a lead on the scoreboard, but it's the nature of the competition and we've got to be better and adapt to that," Sampson said.
"Individual execution with our tackling and defence as whole has got to be a big improvement and although we're scoring lots of points, I think our attack still isn't where it needs to be.
"Last week we didn't get through first phase on seven occasions, so we've got to be better there and that's why we're defending so much, because we keep turning the ball over."
The Vikings are without Robbie Abel [concussion] and Faalelei Sione [ankle], while Wallabies and Brumbies centre Kyle Godwin will start for Country after 12 weeks out with knee injury.
NATIONAL RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND FOUR:
Saturday: NSW Country V Canberra Vikings at 1pm, Bellevue Oval, Armidale. Steaming available on foxsports.com.au/live
Canberra Vikings: 1. Harry Lloyd 2. Folau Faingaa 3. Les Leuluailii-Makin 4. Darcy Swain 5. Blake Enever 6. Ben Hyne 7. Tom Cusack 8. Rob Valetini 9. Ryan Lonergan 10. Wharenui Hawera 11. Andrew Muirhead 12. James Dargaville 13. Andrew Robinson 14. Ben Johnston 15. Tom Banks Reserves: 16. TP Luteru 17. Angus Wagner 18. Joel Penders 19. Angus Allen 20. Lolo Fakaosilia 21. Josh White 22. Liam Moseley 23. Len Ikitau
NSW Country: 1. Paddy Ryan 2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa 3. Sam Needs 4. Thomas Staniforth 5. Tim Buchanan 6. Rohan O'Regan 7. Maclean Jones 8. Sam Ward 9. Jake Gordon 10. Tayler Adams 11. Alex Gibbon 12. Kyle Godwin 13. Alex Newsome 14. Henry Clunies-Ross 15. Andrew Kellaway Reserves: 16. Connal McInerney, 17. Matt Gibbon, 18. Harry Johnson-Holmes, 19. Ryan McCauley, 20. Lachlan Swinton, 21. Nick Kellaway, 22. Tom Hill, 23.Christian Kagiassis
