An ACT Brumbies' comeback has fallen short agonisingly against the NSW Waratahs 28–30 in a Friday night rivalry clash at GIO Stadium. A battle forged in stone, carved by the ‘Misfit’ Brumbies of the 1990s, the fixture against the men from the big smoke delivered a contest that went down to the wire.
The Brumbies came into the game with confidence, having won four of their past five matchups against the Waratahs and fresh off a victory against the Chiefs. However, it was the visitors who struck first, with Clem Halaholo landing the first blow after scooping up a favourable early bounce to score.
The home side responded through their forward pack, led by James Slipper in his 100th game for the club. The pack went to work, dismantling the Waratahs scrum five metres out from their line. As penalties mounted Pete Samu was shown a yellow card, granting Lachie Shaw the space to pounce over the chalk.
Field position proved crucial, with both outfits looking lethal close to the line. The Waratahs weren't afraid to swing the ball to the edge, resulting in an Andrew Kellaway try following a near interception. With the score sitting at 14–7 after 15 minutes, the frenetic pace slowed as neither team could hold onto the ball long enough to mount a damaging attack.
The match broke open again following a full-field interception by Max Jorgensen, who linked with Jack Debreczeni to bring the play 10 metres out from the line. Amidst breakdown controversy, the Brumbies were caught scrambling in defence and the overlap allowed Joey Walton to score off the next phase in the 28th minute.
The Brumbies closed out the half with momentum by capitalising on Waratahs errors. Urged forward by the home crowd, Charlie Cale delivered a crucial try in the 40+4th minute, sending the teams to the sheds with NSW leading 21–14.
The ACT outfit carried that energy into the second half, striking first. Despite being dragged toward the sideline in contact, they kept the ball alive long enough for Shaw to exploit a scrambling defence and the tall timber trampled over for his second try. By the 45th minute, the match was locked at 21-all.
What followed was a bruising 20-minute period dominated by the forwards. The Brumbies struggled to exit their own half, and the Waratahs made them pay. A scrum penalty in the 65th minute restored NSW’s lead with a three-point shot on goal. Ill-discipline cost the Brumbies again in the 69th and 74th minutes, with two more penalties stretching the margin to 30–21.
Momentum swung back quickly when the Brumbies camped on the Waratahs’ line, hammering away phase after phase. With defenders compressed around the ruck, Luke Reimer powered through the middle to score with two minutes remaining. The conversion cut the deficit to two.
A tense final two minutes had the Canberra crowd on edge, only for a heartbreaking knock-on allowing the Waratahs to control possession and close out the match, sealing a 30–28 victory.
The rivalry once again delivered a heated contest, with the Brumbies pushing the game to its final moments. The squad now heads into the bye week with plenty to build on before hosting the Fijian Drua on April 10.
