The Plus500 Brumbies have stormed home to a record 61-10 victory over the NSW Waratahs, the reigning Harvey Norman Super Rugby AU running in nine tries at GIO Stadium.
The 51 point victory the highest winning margin between the two sides, with 61 points the highest ever scored by the Brumbies against their traditional rivals.
A hat-trick from local product Mack Hansen mixed with some brute force from the fierce Brumbies maul delighted a rapt Brumbies crowd for the side’s second win of the 2021 season.
Ironically, it was the visitors that started the better of the two sides, the Waratahs stinging from a heavy defeat in round one to the Reds.
The writing was on the wall for Rob Penney’s charges however when Rob Valetini and Hansen crossed in quick succession to open up an early lead for the Brumbies, the latter being Hansen’s maiden Super Rugby try.
That one-two punch opened the Waratahs wide open, but despite some dazzling play out wide, it was in tight where the Brumbies would strike next, albeit from an unlikely source with Noah Lolesio burrowing over at the back of a maul.
The 21-year-old dually added the extras, one of his five successful conversions. Connal McInerney would have normally been the beneficiary of the Brumbies pack’s work, and the Canberra hooker got his chance to thank his fellow forwards on the stroke of half-time, diving through a field of bodies before pointing to the heavies in front of him.
26-10 at the break probably didn’t reflect the Waratahs competitiveness, but the floodgates would open in earnest after the interval.
Nic White’s first try back in Brumbies colours got the party going, the halfback scampering over untouched inside a minute after the resumption of play.
Next came Hansen’s second, the winger dotting down off a perfect pass from standout inside centre Irae Simone.
It was back to the rolling juggernaut next, ACT junior Lachlan Lonergan driving the Brumbies bus over the line for his first meat pie at the professional level.
His brother Ryan was on in time to add the extras, Lonergan kicking three from three conversions.
Hansen’s hat-trick put the Brumbies in touching distance of history, and it was Tom Banks who would get the record-breaking score, Lonergan’s extras bringing the tally to 61, the most points and biggest winning margin for the Brumbies against the Waratahs, ever.
Fitting Banks would close the show on a night where the Brumbies welcomed their biggest crowd since the fullback’s 50th appearance for the club against the Waratahs back in March of 2020.
61-10 the final score, a famous night at the Brumbies fortress.
Plus500 Brumbies 61 (T: R. Valetini, M. Hansen 3, N. Lolesio, M. McInerney, N. White, L. Lonergan, T. Banks,; C: Lolesio 5, R. Lonergan 3) def NSW Waratahs 10 (T: H. Johnson-Holmes; C: W. Harrison; P: Harrison)
The Plus500 Brumbies will play the Melbourne Rebels in Round Three of Harvey Norman Super Rugby AU at GIO Stadium in Canberra next Saturday night at 7:50pm AEDT. LIVE and AD FREE on the new Home of Rugby, Stan Sport and free to air on 9Gem. Tickets available here.
