Anthony and Saia Faingaa knew exactly what the other was thinking while sitting on the bench for the Queensland Reds last season and they didn't need to draw on twins' intuition.

It was clearly a case of 'what are we doing here?' for the 23 year-old brothers, who shifted north from Canberra to add a new chapter to their blossoming rugby careers.

"Definitely, yeah, we'd made the move from one of the most successful Australia outfits to the Reds," Anthony says, "and they're coming second last and we're sitting on the bench."

A combination of injuries, intense competition in their respective positions and plain bad luck thwarted the Faingaas' plans to turn the promise they'd shown at the Brumbies into permanent starting roles at the Reds in 2009.

Ironically, they'd made the move, in part, because Phil Mooney, the then Reds' coach had been at the helm of the 2006 world champion Australian Under-19 squad, led into battle by Saia and Anthony.

But a change of coach and season has reinvigorated the brothers who are a central part of the reason Queensland has surprised everyone, by playing entertaining and potentially playoff worthy rugby.

"The new coach (Ewen McKenzie) coming in was fantastic for us, no preconceptions or anything like that," Anthony says. "We trained hard and worked hard and we've got our opportunities and we're just taking them."

Anthony is arguably the form inside centre from all the Australian franchises, while Saia has made the starting hooker spot his own ahead of longtime Reds' favourite Sean Hardman.

With three wins and two defeats, including a brutally unlucky loss to NSW, under their belt the Queenslanders are in South Africa this week preparing for what could be the defining few matches of their season. If they can come away with two wins from the three games on the road against the Cheetahs (March 27), the Sharks (April 4) and the Lions (April 11), Suncorp Stadium could be packed to the rafters when the Reds head home for an April 17 date with the Bulls, unquestionably the best side in the Super 14 so far.

"We're a young team and we're creating our own history," Faingaa says. "There's no reason we can't come away three from three in South Africa."

The Reds have finished as one of the bottom two or three sides in Super competition for the last six years, but an injection of youth and their stirring 23-18 away victory over the highflying Chiefs in round four has given them uncommon self-belief.

"It's fantastic for us. It's all new, the team song, a team culture," Faingaa says. "There's only one or two blokes who have been around for three or four years - Sean Hardman and Van Humphries -- other than that it's all different."
Faingaa says McKenzie's emphasis on a return to the basics was the foundation for the 2010 season.

"I think we went away from what we do well," he says. "This year we're gone back to the fundamentals: running hard, making our tackles.

"Last year we did score a lot of tries, but we'd let a lot of tries in. Our defence has been far better."

And Faingaa has been a leading exponent of both basic skills. Running intelligent routes off Quade Cooper's clever passes, he's demonstrated the straight line conviction of a Nathan Grey without ignoring the benefit of setting up his outside backs including the devastating Digby Ioane. His defence has always been a calling card, but this season he's popping up everywhere to mow down the opposition.

"It's good playing outside Quady and inside Digby but it's good that Ewen is giving me a chance. I didn't get that last year with Berrick (Barnes) at 12," he says. "Ewen's backed me, so I'm just trying my best to put in solid performances every game. Trying to do what I do well. Running hard and making my tackles."

As prodigies out of Canberra's famous nursery St Edmund's, the Queanbeyan born-and-raised Faingaas were long destined to become favourite sons in Brumbies country. Saia debuted in Super rugby in 2006, and Anthony was quickly indoctrinated into the club and pinned as the next big thing, after being nominated as the IRB's international under-19 player of the year in 2006.

But the emergence of Tyrone Smith as a quality centre, alongside Wallaby great Sterling Mortlock, and a spate of injuries slowed Anthony's progress at the Canberra club and in 2008 it looked like he was dispensable.

There was talk the Brumbies wanted to keep Saia but cut Anthony loose, but the twins wanted to stick together and Saia helped initiate their move north.

Things looked pretty grim at times during 2009, but now the brothers are getting their wish to play to their potential and do it together. Surprisingly, before Queensland's match against the Crusaders in round two this year, the twins had never started in a Super 14 game at the same time.

"It's always been our dream playing together (in Super rugby) or even higher up," Anthony says, adding that playing with Saia helps him feel "composed" on the field.

"When you're playing with your brother, you look at him and think: 'How good is this.'"
And the Faingaa family is not done yet. Back in Queanbeyan with the boys' mum and dad and their little sister, youngest brother Colby is on the Brumbies' books, appearing for the Brumby Runners as a backrower, while sharing Saia and Anthony's Brisbane home is another footballing sibling, Vili, who turns out for the Ipswich Jets rugby league club.

"We've got the Brumbies down there this year," Anthony says, noting the round 11 (May 1) clash at Canberra Stadium. "Should be interesting ... a few there we'll know."

Although the family roots are firmly embedded in Queanbeyan, a trip to Canberra these days will be venturing into enemy territory, particularly if Anthony and Saia maintain their current form.Before heading to South Africa the twins signed with Queensland for another two years.

"I feel like this is my home," Anthony says of Brisbane. "We're building a life here, Saia and I. We love it it; know some people outside footy and stuff. We're here to stay."