There is and has always been, a proud tradition of rugby in our Nation’s Capital, taking on some of the world’s greatest sides, and winning.
In 1978, the ACT defeated the reigning Five Nations Champions Wales in a thrilling contest at Manuka Oval.
In 2001 the Brumbies were narrowly beaten by the British and Irish Lions at GIO Stadium, only to avenge that narrow loss 12 years later, slaying the Lions 14-12 in front of 22,000 proud Canberrans.
However, one game stands out almost above them all. The day Brumbies legend Patricio Noriega and his Argentinian test-side teammates took on the ACT Kookaburras and were thoroughly beaten.
Murray Harley was the vice-captain on that famous day in 1995. Just over 25 years later, the 22nd of April still stands, in Harley’s mind, as perhaps the most pivotal day in ACT Rugby’s history.
“It was tradition in those days for the touring sides to take on the provincial teams during the week before the test match,“ Harley explained.
“We’d had some famous wins in the past, the one against Wales of course being a standout but we had never taken on a full Test team.
“Normally we might get the reserves, but this was the Argentinian Test team.”
Unknowingly, Argentina stepped onto the field that day against a team that was on the brink of something special, packed full of some names you may have heard of before.
Marco Caputo, Ipolito Fenukitau and Matt O’Connor all (O’Connor never played for the Brumbies, he signed for Hunter Mariners in Super League in 96) went on to form part of the nucleus of the first Brumbies side.
There was also, again you may have heard of them; Rod Kafer, Joe Roff and George Gregan.
By 1995, the generation of players who would conquer World Rugby at the turn of the century were already beginning to make their mark. George Gregan had already made his name on the international scene, with ‘the tackle’.
However, despite his recognition with the Wallabies, ACT Rugby was still on the outside looking in. Having steadily built a winning culture, and a local competition that was producing top level talent, the Kookaburras trekked around Australia, trying to prove their worth, 80 minutes at a time.
A breakthrough came in 1994, when the Kookaburras demolished NSW 44-28. It’s a result that many look to as the catalyst for the ACT’s inclusion in Super Rugby when the game turned professional in 1996, but Harley believes the win against Argentina was as significant, if not more.
“We had beaten NSW, so we were now on the map but there was still no way we were going to be included in the Super (Rugby) competition in my opinion,” Harley explained.
It was never uttered aloud but Harley and his ACT teammates knew that they were playing for recognition.
From the first minute, the Kookaburras went after the Pumas, Roff going over for the opening try off what Harley described as a dominant scrum.
“From the early stages of the game, (Argentina) knew they had a tough task against us,“ Harley remembered.
“Of course, the way the Brumbies played, Roff, Gregan and Larkham, who didn’t even make the squad that day, has become famous but when we were playing as the Kookaburras, we were really changing the game.
“We had a solid pack, and that young backline with Kafer and O’Connor, we bamboozled teams, running it from deep, scoring tries from everywhere.
“I don’t think the Argentinians knew what had hit them. They were tough though.
“It was a brutal contest. We won convincingly but we had plenty of bruises coming off. I had stitches and a broken jaw, but it was still an amazing feeling.”
The Brumbies took ACT rugby, and in some ways the region as a whole, and put it on the map in the early 2000s, becoming one of the greatest club rugby franchises in the world.
But without the ACT Kookaburras, the Brumbies may never have been. They fought for ACT Rugby’s place at the top table by going out on the field, and winning.
ACT v Argentina – 22 April 1995, Manuka Oval
ACT 33 (T: Joe Roff 2, David Grimmond, Ipolito Fenukitau; C: Matt O’Connor 2 P: Adam Friend, Matt O’Connor 2, ) def Argentina 16
