The Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies moved to first place on the Smartech Super Rugby Pacific table with a confident home victory over the Queensland Reds.
The win secured the Canberrans hosting rights for week one of finals, rewarding the crowd of 11,438, the biggest for the Brumbies since the Waratahs at GIO Stadium in 2019. Tries to Allan Alaalatoa, Andy Muirhead, and Tom Wright saw the hosts prove too classy for the visitors.
Head coach Stephen Larkham insisted his side won't be getting carried at the summit of the Super Rugby ladder, with an upcoming bye week next week, and praised their defensive efforts against a smart Reds outfit.
"It's going to be short-lived being top! We know there are games going on next week and we've got the bye," Larkham said.
"The most important thing for us was to get a win out of that game. It was very physical and I thought one of our best defensive efforts so far this season. Likewise, I thought the Reds were good defensively.
"We're happy to be in first place but we know we've got a game coming up against the Crusaders to determine where we finish on the ladder."
The Queenslanders came out all guns blazing to start the match, sending an early warning shot to the home side. Five and a half minutes of relentless pressure eventually paid off, as Tate McDermott made the most of the space afforded to him. His offload found Tim Ryan, who opened the scoring under the sticks.
Brumbies fans had another early scare when fly-half Declan Meredith was sent for a HIA in the eighth minute of the match. Fortunately, he was cleared of any concussion and returned to play later in the half.
The hosts hit back in the 20th minute as skipper Alaalatoa burrowed over from close to the try-line. The prop's seventh try of the season continued a stellar run of form. Prior to this season, Alaalatoa had scored four tries in his Super Rugby career.
Play was stopped in the 33rd minute for a TMO review, which resulted in a controversial yellow card to Brumbies hooker Billy Pollard. The decision drew the ire of the home crowd, who let their feelings be known.
The home side were unable to convert dominant field position into points before half-time, ensuring scores remained locked at 7-7 at the break.
Hunter Paisami was the next to see yellow, courtesy of a coat-hanger-style tackle on Corey Toole in the 46th minute.
The Brumbies capitalised on their numerical advantage, Meredith using the overlap to find Muirhead in the corner to break the deadlock. Muirhead's eighth try of the season took the score to 14-7 in the 49th minute.
In the Brumbies' Member Appreciation Round, Wright sent the crowd into a frenzy as he scored his first try of the season in the 51st minute. A combination of pace and strength saw the fullback power to the line, while Ryan Lonergan added the extras to extend the lead to 12.
Josh Nasser clawed a try back for the Reds in the 60th minute, the Queenslanders turning to the rolling maul to find the stripe - bringing scores to 21-14.
Lonergan restored some breathing room for the Canberrans with a 76th minute penalty, extending the margin to ten with only four minutes to play.
The Reds threatened to score a consolation try - which would have earned them a bonus point - but the Brumbies' turned them away with their scrambling defence.
The Canberrans will head into next week's bye at the top of the ladder, before hosting the Crusaders in a final round blockbuster.
Brumbies 24 (Tries: Alaalatoa, Muirhead, Wright, Cons: R. Lonergan 3/3 Pen: R. Lonergan) def. Reds 14 (Tries: Ryan, Nasser Cons: McLaughlin-Phillips 2/2)
