SYDNEY – The Brumbies scored five unanswered tries in the second half to thrash the Reds 43-10 in a bonus point Super Rugby victory on Saturday which cemented their place at the top of the Australian conference.
The comprehensive six-try victory made the twice former champions the only Australian side without a losing record this season after three wins and three defeats.
“The boys were pretty hot-on tonight, we wanted to throw the ball around and we finally got some good weather,” said Brumbies captain Scott Fardy.
“We’re obviously pretty happy with that second half, that’s probably one of the best halves of footy I’ve been involved with since I’ve been here.”
While much of the pre-match attention focused on the return to Canberra in Reds colours of former Brumbies stalwarts Stephen Moore and George Smith, it was a younger generation of Australian players who caught the eye.
Chris Kuridrani gave the Reds the early lead when he scythed through the Brumbies defence at a lovely angle in the seventh minute.
That was as good as it got for the visitors, however, as Wharenui Hawera kicked his first penalty and the Reds wing’s cousin Tevita Kuridrani barged over from close range to give the home side a 10-7 lead.
Reds scrumhalf James Tuttle, standing in for the dropped Nick Frisby, converted his first penalty with his third attempt to tie up the scores on the stroke of halftime, but the floodgates opened after the break.
Hooker Robbie Abel went over off a rolling maul within two minutes of the restart, and fullback Aidan Toua showed his pace to finish off a chance created by a searing break from prop Allan Alaalatoa two minutes later.
Loose forward Jarrad Butler secured the bonus point with a try off the back of a dominant Brumbies scrum in the 52nd minute, and James Dargaville and flank Chris Alcock put the gloss on the victory in the last 10 minutes.
Wallabies captain Moore, facing his old team for the first time since moving north at the end of last year, said the Reds’ 12th straight road defeat had been “embarrassing”.
“It’s a pretty numb feeling to come here and lose like that,” he said.