Brumbies humiliate Waratahs
SUPER RUGBY AU MATCH REPORT: The Brumbies have consigned the Waratahs to their second record loss in as many weeks with a 61-10 Super Rugby AU stampede in Canberra.
The hosts crossed nine times in the rout, wing Mack Hansen notching a hat-trick as the Brumbies alternated between punishing the Waratahs through the middle and out wide.
The result brought up the Brumbies’ biggest-ever win against any Australian opponent in Super Rugby.
It continued the Waratahs’ sorry start to the season after the Queensland Reds last week registered their own Super Rugby record with a 41-7 win over Rob Penney’s side.
Big incomers for an otherwise depleted side, backrower Lachie Swinton and inside centre Tepai Moeroa did their best to crash and bash around the ruck.
But there was little go forward to show for it and loose carries as they looked to spread the ball hurt the visitors, Rob Valenti’s barge-over try starting the rot seven minutes in after a costly Moeroa knock-on.
The relentless Brumbies’ scrum and line-out dominated and they had the Waratahs scrambling when they looked to run.
Hansen benefited on three occasions while flyhalf Noah Lolesio got his hands dirty to finish a rolling maul and outside centre Len Ikitau was a constant threat.
The Waratahs did manage to stifle things briefly, hitting back through Harry Johnson-Holmes for a 19-10 scoreline then threatening to cross again as halftime beckoned.
But the Brumbies were having none of it, hooker Connal McInerney scoring with the last play of the half and No.9 Nic White streaking through early in the second stanza for a 33-10 lead.
Poor defensive reads kept hurting the Waratahs and the rolling maul was too hard to resist for the hosts as replacement hooker Lachlan Lonergan queued up for a try of his own.
Hansen cruised in for his hat-trick with 10 minutes to play before fullback Tom Banks plucked an intercept pass then finished the sequence minutes later to put the icing on the Brumbies’ biggest-ever win over the Waratahs in Super Rugby.
It mounts further pressure on a young Waratahs outfit set to play the Western Force in Parramatta next week still without injured captain Jake Gordon and centre Joey Walton as well as the suspended Izaia Perese.
The scorers:
For Brumbies:
Tries: Valetini, Hansen 3, Lolesio, Banks, L Lonergan, McInerney, White
Cons: Lolesio 5, R Lonergan 3
For Waratahs:
Try: Johnson-Holmes
Con: Harrison
Pen: Harrison
Teams:
Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 4 Andy Muirhead, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Nic White, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Darcy Swain, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Connal McInerney, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Harry Lloyd, 18 Tom Ross, 19 Nick Frost, 20 Tom Cusack, 21 Ryan Lonergan, 22 Reesjan Pasitoa, 23 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa.
Waratahs: 15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13 Alex Newsome (captain), 12 Tepai Moeroa, 11 James Ramm, 10 Will Harrison, 9 Jack Grant, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Lachlan Swinton, 5 Jack Whetton, 4 Sam Caird, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Tom Horton, 1 Angus Bell.
Replacements: 16 David Porecki, 17 Te Tera Faulkner, 18 Sio Tatola, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Hugh Sinclair, 21 Henry Robertson, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Triston Reilly
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant referees: Amy Perrett & Reuben Keane
TMO: James Leckie
