The Plus500 Brumbies were victorious 19-13 against big-time rivals the New South Wales Waratahs in an absolute thriller of a match on Friday night in front of a strong 12,000 plus crowd.
It was special night for the Brumbies family as some local boys took to the field for the first time in the Brumbies jersey.
Tom Ross and Mack Hansen came on to the field late in to the second half and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
It was no easy feat for both, as Ross was matched up against Wallaby centurion Sekope Kepu in the scrum and Hansen had to defend against a mighty Waratahs backline including Israel Folau and Kurtley Beale.
Coming through the ranks of the Brumbies academy and representing the Junior Wallabies in last year’s Junior World Cup in France helped the duo prepare for what Super Rugby can throw at the debutants according to Brumbies captain Christian Lealiifano.
“It was nice to see those boys add a lot of energy and they didn’t look out of place at all, they were confident in their own ability and so were we,” Lealiifano said in the post-match media conference.
“They get limited opportunities but when they get them they’re putting their hands up which is nice. It’s so pleasing for them and their families as well to see them fulfil their dreams.”
Ross received a special appraisal from coach Dan McKellar post-match as he said he hasn’t seen someone love scrums as much as he does since former Brumby Dan Palmer played at the club.
“He just loved looking forward to knock-ons and Rossy is the same, he just loves scrummaging! If you want to be tighthead prop you got to tick that box and he does it well,” said McKellar.
“There were some big moments tonight where he had to stand up and he’ll take a lot of confidence out of that. He has a lot of other strong attributes in his game as well that he will develop throughout his career.”
The Brumbies had several players come on to the field that had little Super Rugby experience due to their age, but it didn’t deter them from diving into the action from the get go.
Towards the end of the match, Hansen and Lonergan combined for what could have been a try of the year contender but it was unfortunately ruled a knock-on.
Showing great promise to what they will be able to provide to the Brumbies for years to come.
“I was absolutely wrapped to see those boys come on. I love seeing local talent really thrive at this stuff, they just continue to impress,” said Lealiifano.
The Brumbies will travel for next rounds match up against their other old-time rivals, the Queensland Reds on Sunday afternoon.
Words: Rob Davison
