Declan Meredith may be in a breakout season, but the process has been far from a flash in the pan.
The Brumbies flyhalf is using his slow build to Brumbies stardom to deal with the sudden external pressure as he tries to guide the team through the finals and himself to a potential gold jersey.
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Meredith has been the story of the season, vaulting into sudden contention for a Test debut after a brilliant start to 2026.
A string of injuries and departures led to the fly-half going from an unknown prospect to a Wallabies bolter, having to deal with the hype and pressure that comes with it.
“It’s funny because you don’t think it’s real sometimes," he told Rugby.com.au and smiled.
“For me, it’s my first good crack for a year and you get that stuff thrown up so you don’t think it’s reality but it’s nice to hear your name thrown up in that aspect."
The 26-year-old is the rare playmaking prospect with a long apprenticeship in Australian Rugby.
He moved from Cairns as a teenager to join Wests in 2019 and earned an opportunity in the Brumbies Pathways program off the back of his performances in club rugby.
In 2023, he'd sign his first Super Rugby contract and debut twice off the bench, whilst still dominating the John I Dent Cup enough to be named MacDougall Medallist.
Meredith would spend close to two years on the bench, largely an unused sub behind Noah Lolesio, before his chance came in 2025, starting in a three-game span that included a historic win over the Blues at Eden Park.
“I think the main thing I've learned from it is patience," he said.
“Every player's quite hungry to want to be starting each week and be on the team each week so there was definitely the last couple of years where it's been in or out, off the bench, not many minutes here or there but I think that’s helped me grow my game a lot.
“I think it's been good for my development because you don't want to be rushing to the deep end. You see a lot of young 10s kind of get thrown in the deep end straight away and it's kind of almost a fight or flight for them in the moment, whereas I haven't been able to experience that as much, which has been good, I feel, for my development."
The departure of Lolesio opened the door for Meredith to take the next step, beating out Wallabies incumbent Tane Edmed for the starting gig.
The playmaker hasn't looked back, starting 13 games in 2026 and often being handed the faith by coach Stephen Larkham to go the full 80 minutes.
“It's been a new challenge for me, but I think it's been one that I've really enjoyed and having the boys' confidence back me each week, as I grow my game, getting those regular starts and still trying to find myself as a footy player and develop my game, it's been an enjoyable experience," he reflected.
“It's a really good feeling that [Steve’s] backed me and put that confidence into me and gave me that opportunity. I can't thank him enough for giving me that and he’s helped me throughout this year. There’s been a lot of one-on-ones working on my game and where I can be better each week and I think that's helped me improve week to week.
“He's one of the greats, so he’s a pretty good person to fall back on and ask for tips when needed, so that’s been very helpful and has helped me improve my game a lot.”
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt could see the value of his long apprenticeship as Meredith guided the Brumbies to wins over the Crusaders and Chiefs.
"Some of the other guys, they come in very young and it's hard to see the wood for the trees sometimes at 10, with that step up and pressure - and when you get to Test level, that wood's a lot thicker," Schmidt said back in March.
"Having had those experiences and built on them, I think it just allows him to see more, and stay calmer, and be more decisive."
Meredith has fallen slightly off the radar as the Brumbies' form has slipped, but his focus has remained the same.
“You just can’t let it take your focus away from the job at hand," he said.
"We've got a final series in which we want to put our best foot forward for the Brummies and go all the way.
"We've been so close the last two years and I think this year we've got a great pack and we can go that extra step."
