When a starry-eyed Blake Schoupp met James Slipper all he could think of was this guy's the man.
Now, he gets to run alongside the former Wallabies prop in the 36-year-old's milestone match.
Slipper will become the first Super Rugby player to notch 203 games when he takes on the Chiefs on Friday night after matching former All Black prop Wyatt Crockett's 202 mark two rounds ago.
Schoupp was inspired by Slipper's push to reach his dreams and is in awe that he gets to play in the historical occasion after meeting him in high school.
"I remember watching and getting a photo with him after the game and thinking this guy's the man. As I continued wanting to get better at rugby he was always there," Schoupp said.
"When I first came down to the Brumbies he made me feel really welcome. It was definitely a pinch-me moment.
"The way he carries himself and came back after his little spell was really inspiring ... To see him break the record this week is just super impressive."
Schoupp added Slipper is the best loosehead prop in the world and believes he can continue playing for as long as he wants, despite first debuting in 2010.
It comes after Slipper scored his 10th career try in the ACT Brumbies' 50-24 victory against the Crusaders in round two before thumping a 60-metre kick, which led to a Declan Meredith five-pointer against the Blues in round three.
"What he does is pave the way for us young frontrowers and shows what's possible," Schoupp said.
"With the Wallabies, he has a fair amount to share and that's allowed me to see a clear path of how you get in, stay in, and keep a jersey for a long time.
"He hasn't had the easiest run, but what he's done is come back and continue to play at a high level."
Schoupp has played in every game for the Canberrans since returning from an Achilles injury that ruled him out for a large chunk of last year.
He will have to put in another good effort if the Brumbies are to beat the Chiefs, having lost their last five clashes against them.
"It was a tough run last year. The injury was pretty rough, but I'm just grateful to be back playing," he said.
"I think back to when Charlie Cale and I were in rehab ... and we were just in here every day going about our work.
"But now we can look back on it and really be proud of ourselves."
