The ACT Brumbies celebrated James Slipper's milestone in style as they rolled rivals NSW Waratahs 40-16 in Canberra.
It ensures they go into the bye full of confidence, whilst the Waratahs can take some confidence from an improved outing.
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So what did we learn?
No player deserves to break Stephen Moore’s Super Rugby cap record more than James Slipper.
Slipper isn’t a fancy player, he thrives in the grind and battle of the game.
He kept hitting rucks all night long and kept solid at scrum time, earning a trademark penalty in the 60th minute before his exit.
Slipper will hate the fuss surrounding this game but has earned the honour and subsequent celebrations after the game.
A lot of chat before this game was around the Wallabies' position battle but the Brumbies’ unsung heroes proved the difference.
Harrison Goddard led the way, who stepped up after Ryan Lonergan’s late withdrawal. The scrum-half impressed as he took on his old side, sniping perfectly before the break for a try before a nice grubber put them on the attack in the second half.
Ollie Sapsford was also strong on the wing, filling the void left by Andy Muirhead with a reliable night where he forced a couple of turnovers.
These are the players that can make or break title pushes. Every team needs those individuals who can step up and deliver quality, error-free outings and can cover across the backline.
News of Angus Bell going off with a foot injury is enough to send shivers down the spines of Waratahs and Wallabies fans alike, looking dejected as he left the field in the 18th minute
It’s an issue the young prop has dealt with throughout the past two years, causing him to miss almost the entirety of the 2023 Super Rugby season.
The world-class prop was just returning after a flareup of a disc issue in his back, missing the loss against the Rebels.
Fingers crossed it's nothing serious as it adds to Darren Coleman’s woes, already with Dave Porecki, Mahe Vailanu, Daniel Botha, Tom Lambert and Archer Holz all sidelined.
A lot is made about ‘Tah Week’ but don’t get it twisted: it means a lot for the Waratahs and the first-half performance was proof.
In these games, you chuck out the form guide and Charlie Gamble’s pilfer penalty in the first two minutes indicated the Waratahs were on early.
The work of Gamble, Jed Holloway and Lachie Swinton was huge in shutting down the Brumbies pack until right before half-time.
However, their restarts let them down, inviting pressure back on their line after dropping the kick-off constantly.
It allowed the Brumbies to keep applying pressure and hitting straight back on the scoreboard, with Corey Toole's try sealing their fate.
Jed Holloway and Charlie Cale went toe-to-toe at the lineout and it was enough to make any forward weep with pride.
The pair went steal for steal as they kept disrupting the opposition hooker.
Cale’s freakish athleticism allows him to launch late to snatch his ball whilst Holloway is a master of the game and showed his experience.
Both have earned the right to be in Wallabies discussions in 2024, with more performances like tonight inching themselves closer to a call-up.
