Speak to anyone involved with the Western Rams and there's two words which are used the most when discussing Wednesday night's game against France.
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Opportunity and excitement.
The match is unlike any other the Western players have been a part of and it provides something different for everyone involved.
Alex Ronayne described the chance to run out as captain against a national team as "a dream" while the match offers the likes of Wellington stalwart Aidan Ryan a reward for years of service to the region.
There's coach Tim Ryan, who can put his name further up in lights with a strong showing on the big stage after his hugely successful stint at Dubbo CYMS, and then there's the four Parkes Spacemen who get to savour the experience on their home ground.
"It's awesome to be here in Parkes but it's great for all of Western Division," Spacemen and Rams fullback Sam Dwyer said.
"It's a good opportunity. It's not often a team in country NSW or Queensland gets to play an international side and hopefully it's a good crowd because it's going to be a really good spectacle."
Wednesday night will mark the sixth time a Western side has taken on France.
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France has won three of those, including the most recent which was a 32-20 victory at Bathurst's Carrington Park in 1990.
The enormity of Wednesday night's game isn't lost on the current Rams squad, with the coach drumming into the side the opportunity which awaits then since they first started training together roughly a month ago.
Dwyer admits it is a little odd to think a bunch of players from country NSW are about to go up against some who play the game professionally, but the match offers the region's best to showcase their talents in front of a wider audience.
"It is pretty strange and when it was first talked about you just think it's pretty cool but now it's getting close to the game," he said.
"We trained on Sunday and then went to the civic reception and you're mingling with them [French players] and you shake their hands and realise it's a big deal."
There was a buzz around the Rams' camp at training on Sunday as gameday got closer and the battle for spots in Ryan's starting lineup intensified.
Dwyer, Jordan Pope, Josh Starling, and Mitch Burke were added to the squad after Western's trial win over Riverina.
The fullback is one of the most hotly-contested spots with Dwyer battling Wellington young gun Will Lousick for minutes at the back.
"Will played really well against Riverina and is a really good player," Dwyer said.
"I'm not 100 percent sure what he [Ryan] will do with the positions but we both trained at fullback on Sunday.
"I don't care where I play though, as long as I get out there."
That is the kind of desire which has impressed Ryan, and something he hopes is possible to be seen more in the coming seasons.
Since the shift to make the country championships an under 23s format, senior representative matches have been virtually non-existent.
"Even though they've brought in the under 23s and stopped doing the opens, I reckon they need to keep doing the opens," Dwyer's Rams teammate Nic Loader said.
"Once you get past 23 you've got nothing to look forward to, so hopefully they can stick to having an opens team each year.
"Obviously it's not always going to be a game like this, but I reckon they definitely need to look at bringing it back."
Kick-off is 7pm at Jock Colley Field.
- WESTERN: 1. Will Lousick (Wellington Cowboys), 2. Lachlan Munro (Orange CYMS), 3. Jackson Brien (Oberon Tigers), 4. Blake Lawson (Bathurst Panthers), 5. Aidan Ryan (Wellington Cowboys), 6. Josh Merritt (Nyngan Tigers), 7. Chad Porter (Parkes Spacemen), 8. Ethan McKellar (Orange Hawks), 9. Ryan Griffin (Orange CYMS), 10. Brandon Tago (Parkes Spacemen), 11. Alex Ronayne (captain, Dubbo CYMS), 12. Ben Maguire (Forbes Magpies), 13. Jake Betts (Bathurst Panthers), 14. Nick Loader (Bathurst Panthers), 15. Sam Dwyer (Parkes Spacemen), 16. Ben Marlin (Dubbo CYMS), 17. Jed Betts (Bathurst Panthers), 18. Casey Burgess (Mudgee Dragons), 19. Jordan Pope (Parkes Spacemen), 20. Josh Starling (Oberon Tigers), 21. Mitch Burke (Forbes Magpies).