The Brumbies weathered a storm against the Queensland Reds, then they were rewarded.
With two rounds left of the Super Rugby Pacific competition, Stephen Larkham’s men sit atop the competition standings after a hard-fought 24-14 win over Les Kiss’ Reds.
The 10-point win saw the Brumbies move to 43 points, two points clear of the Chiefs and Crusaders. But they could drop back down to third ahead of the final round of the regular season, with the Brumbies to have their final bye next week before hosting the second-placed Crusaders.
Regardless, with a fortnight left in the regular season, the Brumbies have put themselves in a position they haven’t been in more than a decade as they target a long stay in the nation’s capital during the finals series after three consecutive semi-final defeats across the ditch.
Andy Muirhead in action during the Brumbies’ hard fought win over the Reds at GIO Stadium on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
But Larkham’s men face a nervous wait on their captain Allan Alaalatoa, with the Test stalwart forced off early in the second half with a calf injury.
Alaalatoa, who scored the Brumbies’ first try, didn’t speak in his traditional post-match interview, with Andy Muirhead filling his shoes after the prop’s early departure.
“He was in the changeroom, still limping,” Larkham said. “Our understanding is he carried it into half-time and he was pretty keen to go on, and hopefully it’s only a cramp and nothing more serious.”
The Brumbies’ win was built on the back of a strong defensive line, some rugged contact in the collision area and some brilliance on the floor.
Tom Hooper was everywhere, Rob Valetini had his best match of the season and Rory Scott never took a backward step.
The trio were crucial in the Brumbies’ efforts to contain the Reds, with Alaalatoa’s effort from close range allowing the home side to go into the sheds locked at 7-7.
The home side however managed to go up a gear in the second half, capitalising on the Reds’ turnovers and making the visitors pay on the fringes as Muirhead and Tom Wright scored in the space of five minutes to open up a 21-7 lead.
Ryan Lonergan, who was once again excellent, was also faultless from the kicking tee, landing three conversions and a crucial penalty in the 75th minute that took the Brumbies’ lead out beyond a converted try after Josh Nasser had previously hit back for the visitors.
Despite a helter-skelter finish, the Brumbies hung on to seal a vital win after being forced to go up a level in their physicality.
“We were pretty frustrated at half-time, we sort of let them into the game through our ill-discipline and errors. The boys came in pretty steaming,” Muirhead said.
“I’m glad we could rectify a little bit of it in the second half and get some phases together, but as a team we’re a little bit disappointed with how we performed. We’re usually a lot more clinical, especially at home, but good to get the win.”
Larkham wasn’t bouncing off the walls either, simply saying he was “happy to get the win” but lamenting the several opportunities burned.
Re-signed Wallabies and Brumbies fullback =Tom Wright had a strong second half against the Reds. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
His frustration was nowhere the disappointment of Reds skipper Tate McDermott, who correctly highlighted where the game was won and lost.
“You’ve got to give credit to the Brumbies, they’re a class team,” he said. “They hurt us through our errors and we lost the battle of the breakdown and that decided the game.”
The Reds were by no means miles off the pace, but their injury toll likely caught up with them after losing Tom Lynagh, Seru Uru and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto throughout the week.
Fraser McReight, who was his side’s best, kept the Reds in the contest all night, while McDermott was an ever-present threat. Winger Lachie Anderson was also exceptional, especially in the air as he made life tough for Corey Toole.
But the Reds simply couldn’t land enough shots.
“We started well and showed a lot of intent. I would have liked for us to pull the trigger a few times when we had an overlap,” lamented Kiss.
“We probably had three opportunities where we lost the ball where we could have put more on it in the first half. They capitalised on errors better than we did tonight.”
The Reds, who are two points clear of the Hurricanes on 32 points, host their trans-Tasman rivals next week.
