He helped the Brumbies enter the post-Christian Lealiifano era with a win but Noah Lolesio wants to step out of the shadow of the club great and make his own mark in Canberra.
Lealiifano has been a constant inspiration for Lolesio since he arrived in the capital last year and has not lost contact with the Junior Wallabies playmaker, ringing him this week ahead of his Super Rugby debut against the Reds.
But reticent to compare himself to the much-loved Wallaby, Lolesio is treading his own path, with family and culture at the centre.
More than an hour after play ended on Friday night, Lolesio was still in the tunnel under GIO Stadium, with wreaths of chocolates hanging from his neck - the traditional Samoan sign of celebration.
"In Samoan culture, this is a sign of celebration. If someone graduates uni or school, or for example, a debut game, I get given these to put around my neck.
"It's always chocolate. I'm sure my family will dig into this after."
Family means everything to Gold Coast product Lolesio, whose parents and siblings flew to Canberra earlier this week to ensure they were on hand for his debut.
"It means the world that the Brums surprised me by shipping them over earlier than expected," he said.
"They rocked up before captain's run and I had no idea.
"It just shows that the Brumbies really care about family and my family really means the world to me, so it was awesome."
The 20-year-old even admitted to a few tears when he saw his mum Sarah at the ground.
"And then they presented my jersey and I got a bit teary but it was business as usual after that."
Lolesio helped steer the Brumbies home with a composed second-half performance helping his side to a 27-24 win over the Reds that could prove crucial in the battle for the Australian conference.
The flyhalf admitted he was shaky at times in the opening period, making errors including putting a kick dead that handed the Reds the chance to rebound after they battled early.
"It was a rough start for me to be honest but I just try to keep playing footy and do what I do best - eyes up," he said.
"I felt like in the second half we really turned it around."
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar praised the poise of his young gun.
"He's a pretty calm and composed kid and nothing rattles him or worries him too much," McKellar said.
"He did some really good things out there and he'll continue to learn and grow and get better and better as a footballer and someone who's got to direct us around the park.
"He's got the ability to just park things quickly, which is a good trait to have as a 10. All players make mistakes - the greats make mistakes - it's how you respond and react to it."
Lolesio isn't sure how he does that, it just seems to be in his nature.
"I don't really think about it. If I make a mistake, I'm just like, all right, what's my next job and keep doing what I do best," he said.
"You've just got to back yourself at times and hopefully I did that tonight."
But he doesn't mind a bit of friendly advice.
"He's been in contact since the trial game and just been giving me advice, he's been really good to me," he said of Lealiifano.
"He keeps me updated on WhatsApp, he wished me the best (before the game), just said to stay calm and do my thing."
But asked if he wanted to be the next Lealiifano for the Brumbies, he was coy.
"No offence to Christian, he's been an awesome ambassador for this club but I just want to focus on me and be the best person that I can be," he said.
"Christian is a massive loss and it's massive shoes to fill but I just want to do me."
