Faainga, a Queanbeyan junior and former Queanbeyan Whites player, tasted a 32-24 win at AAMI Park in Melbourne against the club he left last year.

He played solidly, starting at number six for the home side and playing a part of an inspirational forwards performance that allowed fullback Jason Woodward to amass 27 points on his own.

The younger brother of Queensland Reds' and Wallabies stars Anthony and Saia told The Queanbeyan Age he was excited to play against his old teammates.

"I was a bit nervous but very excited at the same time just to get an opportunity to start my first home game against them," he said.

While Faainga was ecstatic with his new club's rare win over the Brumbies, he took the time to catch up with his old teammates, including fellow Queanbeyanites Robbie Coleman and Nic White.

"I caught up with a few of the guys the night before the game," he said.

Last week there was talk in Canberra media that had Faainga stayed at the Brumbies he would have had the opportunity to start at flanker in the place of injured veteran David Pocock.

But Faainga struggled this suggestion of him needing to have remained at the club, saying he made the right decision to join the Rebels.

"I've got plenty of opportunities down here to start...it's just a timing thing opportunities like that [Pocock vacancy] come up, and I really feel for Pocock."

With six regular players out for the Rebels at the moment, he has relished upon his chance to keep starting at the Rebels.

He admitted though that the move took him further away from his brothers in Brisbane and his family in Queanbeyan, but his goal in getting more Super Rugby starts with the Rebels and an eventual Wallabies birth could not be making him happier.