The Brumbies opened Round One of Super Rugby AU with a convincing win over the Western Force in Perth, last weekend.
New South Wales Waratahs, however, lost their opening game to arch-enemy Queensland Reds.
- The Brumbies have won nine of their last 10 Super Rugby games against the NSW Waratahs (L1), including their last six meetings on the bounce.
- These two sides have an intense rivalry, with the ledger standing at 20 Brumbies wins to NSW 17 since 1996 in Super Rugby.
- Indeed, the Canberra team has also beaten two other teams more than seven consecutive games in the competition (W12 vs Reds from 2000 to 2010; W10 vs Western Force from 2014 to 2021).
- The ACT side, consequently, has won 16 of their last 17 Super Rugby games on home turf (L1), including their last six on the bounce.
- Moreover, the Brumbies boast a tackle success rate of 85% in Super Rugby AU since the beginning of 2020, the highest of any team in the competition and five percentage points higher than that of NSW Waratahs (80%).
- Tom Banks has gained 610 metres in Super Rugby AU, – the second-most of any player in the competition behind Reds’ Filipo Daugunu (872m).
- Jake Gordon has scored the opening try of the game on three occasions in Super Rugby AU since the beginning of the 2020 campaign – the most of any player.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at GIO Stadium, Canberra, for what should be a cracker.
4.00: PENALTY! Will Harrison opens the scoring after the visitors after their first foray into the opposition’s half. 0-3
6.00: A poorly times catch and run by Tepai Moeroa gifts the hosts an attacking scrum inside NSW territory. From the resulting scrum, the Brumbies pack win the penalty and kick to the corner.
8.00: TRY! Rob Valetini crashes over after a powerful driving maul was well defended. 5-3
9.00: CONVERTED! Noah Lolesio adds the extras. 7-3
12.00: TRY! Almost every Brumbies player had a hand in the try. They shifted the ball left, right, left again before sending the ball to Lolesio. The standoff ran across the defenders and put Mack Hansen away. 12-3
14.00: MISS! The kick is wide. 12-3
16.00: The Brumbies could score a century here, NSW looks abject, and we have not even gone 20 minutes.
19.00: The hosts look like scoring every time they touch the ball, only an intercept saved the Tahs before winning a cheap scrum-penalty after James Slipper slipped.
20.00: NO TRY! The Waratahs do well to get the ball through the hands and out wide to Mark Nawaqanitawase. But the winger knocks the ball out into touch while reaching for the line. 12-3
23.00: Everything is going wrong for the Tahs, this time they lose possession during a driving maul. The Brumbies clear, the Waratahs knock-on. This is not good by Rob Penney’s men.
25.00: Another good run by Valetini, although this time, the Tahs manage to hang on to his boot laces. Eventually, the ball is dotted down for a 22-drop-out; however, the home team had a penalty advantage and kick to the corner.
25.00: TRY! Another powerful driving maul ends with Lolesio, of all players, coming in to finish what the forwards started. This game is done. Over. Finished. 17-3
27.00: CONVERSION! The standoff converts his try. 19-3
29.00: Nic Berry awards the beleaguered visitors a penalty at the breakdown. Jack Maddocks bangs the ball to the corner.
30.00: TRY! Harry Johnson-Holmes crashes over from close range after several pick and drives. 19-8
31.00: CONVERSION! Harrison adds the extras. 19-10
34.00: The Brumbies might be accused of trying too hard. They have all the ball, all the territory, but keep making little mistakes, or give away a penalty for not releasing in the tackle. The only saving grace is that NSW is making more errors. The first-time tackling is non-existent by the Sydney men, so expect more tries.
36.00: Free-kick to the Tahs, who opt for a scrum. Reset. The Waratahs go to the short side, but a forward pass snuffs out the opportunity.
38.00: Andy Muirhead knocks the ball into touch when it seemed easier to catch the ball. It kills a good opportunity after the Brumbies broke from deep inside their half all the way to the opposition’s 22.
39.00: Brumbies win another penalty from a set-piece, this time the lineout. Tom Banks sets up a lineout near the Waratahs’ 22.
40.00: Another penalty is kicked to the corner.
41.00: Multiple infringements lead to a talking-to by Mr. Berry. Banks goes to the corner.
42.00: TRY! Connal McInerney flops over the whitewash after a bulldozing driving maul. 24-10
43.00: CONVERSION! Lolesio adds the two. 26-10
The halftime score was Brumbies 26 Waratahs 10
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Canberra, Australia.
43.00: The Waratahs make a mistake straight after the restart, the Brumbies almost score before winning the turnover after holding up the Tahs’ forwards. Brumbies win a free-kick at the scrum and opt for another.
43.00: TRY! Nic White spins out of two tackles after a back-row move from the scrum, and darts through for his team’s fifth try. 31-10
45.00: CONVERSION! Lolesio is collecting points tonight. 33-10
48.00: Another big scrum leads to a Brumbies penalty on the halfway. Banks boots the ball to the 22 – here we go!
52.00: It’s all Brumbies in Canberra. The Tahs have no idea, they can’t tackle, can’t scrum, and keep dropping the ball. The hosts look like scoring every time they touch the ball. Banks boots another penalty to the corner.
54.00: Somehow, the Tahs manage to halt a driving maul, they win back a loose ball and clear their lines. That was superb by Jack Dempsey, who stole the ball.
55.00: Irae Simone knocks-on with the try-line at his mercy. Alex Newsome is again warned for penalties in the ‘RED ZONE’, Sam Caird is lucky to be on the field. Scrum under the sticks to the home side.
56.00: TRY! Hansen has his second. White broke from the scrum, sent a skip-pass to Simone, who drifted before sending a wide pass to the winger. Hansen gathered on the bounce and beat the cover defence to the corner flag. 38-10
58.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 40-10
60.00: How many do the Brumbies want?
63.00: TRY! Irae Simone joins the back of the driving maul to help shunt the Brumbies over the chalk. It was Lachlan Lonergan, who flopped over. 45-10
64.00: CONVERSION! Ryan Lonergan ADDS THE EXTRAS. 47-10
68.00: The game is up for the Tahs, but the Brumbies want 50!
71.00: TRY! Hat-trick for Hansen after the winger gathered a lovely little grubber from Len Ikitau. 52-10
73.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 54-10
75.00: Banks intercepts the loose pass but cannot get away.
77.00: TRY! Banks gets his try, waltzing over untouched in the corner. 59-10
79.00: CONVERSION! THAT’S 60 POINTS! 61-10
81.00: Tahs are looking for a second score; the hooter has gone, can they get it?
82.00: No, they can’t, the ball is tackled into touch. Game over.
FULL TIME
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The final score is Brumbies 61 (26) Waratahs 10 (10)
Scorers
Brumbies
Tries – Valetini, Hansen (3), Lolesio, McInerney, White, L. Lonergan, Banks
Pen –
Con – Lolesio (5), R. Lonergan (3)
Drop –
Cards –
Waratahs
Tries – Johnson-Holmes
Pen – Harrison
Con – Harrison
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 1: Amy Perrett
Assistant Ref 2: Reuben Keane
TMO: James Leckie
Teams
Brumbies
15 Tom Banks, 14 Andy Muirhead, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Nic White, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Darcy Swain, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Connal McInerney, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Harry Lloyd, 18 Tom Ross, 19 Nick Frost, 20 Tom Cusack, 21 Ryan Lonergan, 22 Reesjan Pasitoa, 23 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa
Waratahs
15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13 Alex Newsome (captain), 12 Tepai Moeroa, 11 James Ramm, 10 Will Harrison, 9 Jack Grant, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Lachlan Swinton, 5 Jack Whetton, 4 Sam Caird, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Tom Horton, 1 Angus Bell
Replacements: 16 David Porecki, 17 Te Tera Faulkner, 18 Sio Tatola, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Hugh Sinclair, 21 Henry Robertson, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Triston Reilly
