Now he wants to be a regular in the 15-man game.
Grant, at 21 the youngest in the Otago team, got his first start in the blue and gold jersey this year at No 8 in the side's impressive 29-7 win over Northland last Friday night.
He was happy with the side's performance but said his own game still needed some work.
"It was good to get a start as it is a bit different than coming off the bench. Mentally it is a big change, like in things such as the warm-up you're a bit more keyed up," Grant said.
"We had a good set piece which set things up well. I would have liked to have got my hands on the ball a few more times but that is just the way it goes sometimes."
Grant said he was looking to make more dominant tackles during a game and win turnovers at the breakdown.
He said the game had got a lot more physical in the past couple of years and that required a lot more aggression in the tackle, and at the breakdown.
Grant's goal for the season is to contribute as much as possible for Otago, and then hopefully be in contention for a Highlanders spot.
A place in the Highlanders will send him around the southern hemisphere but he has already seen plenty of the world in the past year, as a member of Gordon Tietjens' New Zealand sevens squad.
Grant played in nine tournaments for New Zealand and said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
He also believed sevens had made a positive impact on his game.
"I think it has given me a bit more confidence in space, and identifying where space is and then looking to move the ball there . . . sort of using the wide passes where the opportunities are."
A fourth-year physical education student, Grant said it had been a fantastic experience being on the sevens circuit, seeing the world with the New Zealand team in tournaments in places such as Dubai, Hong Kong and London.
He also survived the tough training sessions by coach Tietjens.
"You have to work hard with him. You don't want to make a mistake with him or he'll say, 'On the line' and you're into your running.
"He does a lot of length-of-the-field work because sevens is like that anyway - a lot of passing and a few shuttles."
Grant said sevens was more competitive now, with many different teams capable of winning each tournament.
With the sport looking good to get into the Olympics in 2016, Grant said it would only get more competitive as countries were going to deploy more resources into the sport.
Players who make the Super 14 squads are no longer eligible for the sevens.
The former South Otago High School pupil said there was a good feeling within the Otago squad, with several home-grown players coming through.
The team to face Auckland on Sunday will be named tomorrow, and Grant will be hoping to get in the run-on side, as he fights it out for the No 8 position with Steven Setephano.
Grant said the side had gained confidence after the win over Northland but Auckland would be tough, having soundly beaten Bay of Plenty last Sunday.
Auckland is not expected to have any of its All Blacks available for the game.
Prop John Afoa, loose forward Jerome Kanio, centre Isaia Toeava, and winger Joe Rokocoko will be in Hamilton preparing with the All Blacks for the Tri-Nations test against the Springboks on September 12.
