After four years away from Ballymore, Reds prop Sef Fa’agase notched his 50th Queensland cap in Round 1 of Harvey Norman Super Rugby Pacific.
It’s not a milestone Fa’agase thought he would reach after the 31-year-old departed Ballymore in 2018.
The prop spent time with the Highlanders and Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby, as well as stints in Japan and the United States.
He returned to the Reds last season as injury cover, impressing enough to earn a two-year contract and the chance to reach his half-century for Queensland.
“It’s something I didn’t think I’d be able to achieve,” Fa’agase said of the milestone.
“With perseverance, the help of my partner keeping me on the straight and narrow and the coaching staff believing in me, I was able to do something I’ve been working hard the past couple of years to achieve."
After debuting for the Reds in 2015, Fa’agase’s time overseas has seen him bring a number of lessons back to Ballymore, shaping the player he is today.
At 31, Fa’agase is an elder statesman in the Reds pack and helps lead the squad’s young contingent.
“It was a bit of a learning curve in my journey, four years away,” he said.
“The lessons I learnt in New Zealand, about how to be a professional athlete and applying that to my life outside of footy and on the field as well.
“Bringing those lessons back with me has been huge.”
With Queensland facing a huge injury toll in the front row in 2022, Fa’agase’s decision to return to his home state was an easy one.
“I’m a Queensland boy, Brisbane boy,” he said.
“The 50 games wasn’t at the forefront of my thinking, it was the opportunity to come back home, back to Ballymore, back to my roots. It was a big carrot for me.
“The longer it got on, I didn’t think it was going to be a possibility, but when the opportunity presented itself I couldn’t say no.
Now settled back in Brisbane, his 50th cap isn’t the only milestone of note recently for Fa’agase, with he and his partner Tiffany welcoming their first son earlier this month.
“It’s a different challenge in itself,” he said on the birth of his son.
“You can have a result like the weekend and you have to park it at the front door and put the Dad hat on.”
After a disappointing start to the season, Fa’agase and his Reds teammates have now turned their focus to the Round 2 clash against the Western Force in Melbourne this weekend.
The Force claimed a come-from-behind win over the Melbourne Rebels in the opening round, and Queensland will need to be at their best against the men from the West this Sunday.
“They took their chances when they were presented to them and they executed really well,” Fa’agase said.
“For us, it’s a matter of stacking our positive moments and making sure we execute this weekend.”
The Reds won’t be alone in Melbourne, with all 12 Super Rugby Pacific teams descending on the city for the competition’s second annual Super Round.
“It’s pretty awesome, Melbourne’s a great city, the sporting capital of Australia they call it,” Fa’agase said.
“It’ll be fun this weekend.”
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