Thousands of votes and about as many long, laboured arguments later, our Brumbies family have decided their All-Time Greatest Super Rugby XV.
Every day for the past six weeks we have debated and deliberated on just who is the best Brumby at each position, and after a coach and the bench have been confirmed, we now have our final, undisputed best Brumbies team ever.
Two modern day heroes occupy the bookend spots with Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa being selected at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively. Sio, a stalwart of the Brumbies since 2013 and still firmly in his prime, and Alaalatoa, the current Plus500 Brumbies skipper have plenty of chapters to write in their story at Australia’s most successful club.
Completing the front-row is Jeremy Paul, and although he plied his trade in the early noughties, you can clearly see Paul packing down with Sio and Alaalatoa in 2020. A two-time champion, and a player ahead of his time, Paul is more than worth his place as our hooker.
The locks proved to be the most controversial position, with Rory Arnold and Radike Samo taking the spots, but you can’t deny they would have been a dynamic duo. Arnold, a Brett Robinson Award winner, perhaps reached a level as a lock nobody else did in a Brumbies jersey, and Samo, though probably more renowned as a backrow, was simply unstoppable in the 2004 title winning season in the second row, including a masterful performance in the Grand-Final.
Our backrow went more to script, with Owen Finegan rightly taking his place on the blindside. Ben Mowen impact on the Brumbies in his brief stint was recognised with his inclusion at number 8.
7, 9, 10, 11. They are the Brumbies Mt. Rushmore, and were never in doubt. George Smith was lock for the seven jersey, despite the presence of David Pocock. George Gregan and Stephen Larkham have a stand named for them at GIO Stadium, so their inclusion was a shoe-in and Joe Roff, well he could have been picked here or fullback but the 11 jersey seemed to fit best.
An iconic set of players, every one of them unique in their talents and contribution to two Brumbies titles, but their position as the four greatest Brumbies ever is undeniable, and they simply had to be in this team.
At 12, Matt Giteau fended off a strong case from Christian Lealiifano to renew his tandem with Larkham. Outside Gits, Stirling Mortlock took the 13 jersey against Tevita Kuridrani.
Fan favourite Henry Speight lines up on the right-flank, with the iconic figure of Andrew Walker completing the side from fullback.
On the bench, Stephen Moore, Bill Young and Ben Alexander form a fierce looking replacement front-row unit, while David Giffin and Scott Fardy provide height and dynamism covering the rest of the forwards.
Nic White and Lealiifano are the spark in the halves, with Mark Gerrard completing a stunning selection which could rival any club sides All-Time selection.
With all this talent, this side needed a strong leader, and the Brumbies are lucky to have had some of the best coaches ever too. Current Head-Coach Dan McKellar is still building his legacy, Jake White turned the Brumbies around in just one season, David Nucifora a champion and Rod McQueen is well, Rod McQueen, but there could be only one winner.
Eddie Jones. The Brumbies first title winning coach, and widely considered one of the greatest rugby minds of all-time. A fitting Gaffer for this rag-tag squad of some of the best players in Rugby history. They all just happened to play for a community club, with a professional rugby team. The outcasts, that took the world by storm. The Brumbies.
The All-Time Greatest Brumbies XV.
- Scott Sio
- Jeremy Paul
- Allan Alaalatoa
- Rory Arnold
- Radike Samo
- Owen Finegan
- George Smith
- Ben Mowen
- George Gregan
- Stephen Larkham
- Joe Roff
- Matt Giteau
- Stirling Mortlock
- Henry Speight
- Andrew Walker
- Stephen Moore
- Bill Young
- Ben Alexander
- David Giffin
- Scott Fardy
- Nic White
- Christian Lealiifano
- Mark Gerrard
