As a young child whenever the Wallabies would be playing tests overseas (other than New Zealand), Harry Wilson's dad Cameron would put he and his brothers Sam and Will to bed at six o'clock and then wake them at midnight.
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He'd "feed them a couple of Tim Tams to wake them up" and then they would sing the national anthem with gusto.
On Sunday Harry was again singing the national anthem with gusto, only this time instead of his family alongside of him it was 22 other players decked out in gold.
The moment he had long been dreaming of, it was everything the Gunnedah product hoped it would be, and more, although he admits it hasn't really hit him yet that he is a Wallaby and "just played the All Blacks".
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"It was just an amazing experience and I just loved every moment of it out there," Wilson said.
"And it's kind of opened up my eyes to how much more I want to play for the Wallabies and how I want to do it for a long time."
"So it's definitely given me some motivation now."
He said to be out there on the field singing the national anthem was "really special".
"I couldn't hear too much of the crowd singing it so we were just hearing our own voice most of the time," he said.
After that came facing the haka.
"As young Aussies you always look forward to watching the Aussie/New Zealand matches to see the haka and it was pretty cool versing that," he said.
"Gees it was loud and they got pretty pumped up but it was awesome and I guess you kind of use that for your own motivation with the adrenaline rush there."
Getting his first touch inside the first couple of minutes, the 20-year old said he grew in confidence over the game.
One of the Wallabies' best performers, consistently making metres with his carries and creating a couple of chances outwide, Wilson was "happy enough" with his performance.
"I was happy with my game, I had a role to play in the team and I thought I did that," he said.
The second test will be played this Sunday, and he can't wait.
He has been like a kid on Christmas Eve this week, just itching to pull on that Wallaby gold again and do it all again.
"The moment the game was done you just want to get to next Sunday again and have another crack at them," he said.
And not that he is likely to, but just in case he has any problems remembering the date of his Wallabies' debut, he won't have to look too far for a reminder, being Sam's birthday.
You could say Harry got the best present.
For his family back in Australia it was an emotional occasion.
"We were just so proud of his achievements and it was just so good to see him out there and doing what he does well," Cameron said.
"He goes well and he acquitted himself beautifully."
Along with Harry's brother Will, he and wife Mandy, watched the game together at the family home. Unfortunately the birthday boy was unable to be there as his Northern Suburbs second grade cricket side, of which he is captain, were playing a one-day semi-final.
"He got to watch the first little bit but then he had to go (onto the field)," Cameron said.
Providence would have it that they did win.
When he got home they all watched the game again together.
Harry had informed them of the good news earlier in the week but they were "sworn to secrecy" until the team was officially announced, which was tough.
"It was a whole week of no sleep and being so bloody excited without telling anybody," Cameron said, joking that for anybody who knows him "keeping it bottled up was very hard work".
"But Mandy telling her family, and telling my family, there were a lot of tears and memories of where we came from."
"And the support from Gunnedah's been fantastic.
"I don't know how many texts, and messages I got on Facebook, but it was just unbelievable.
"And still getting them."
Asked what he would have said if someone had told him last year that Harry would be making his Wallabies debut this year, he thought he'd be "very lucky if he did".
At that stage he hadn't even played a game of Super Rugby.
"But he's a determined little bugger and I don't put anything beyond him," he said.
"He works hard at his craft and he shows that on the field."