Brace each from Samu and Wright drives Brumbies back to the top

No 8 Pete Samu and wing Tom Wright both scored a brace of second half tries to help the Brumbies to power to a comprehensive 38-11 Domestic AU win over the Waratahs at the Gio Stadium in Canberra on Saturday.

Samu scored a try at the start of the second half and one at the end of the half but it was the two scored by Wright, who was effectively repeating exactly what he did when the Brumbies won 47-14 at the same venue in a Super Rugby game before lockdown, that effectively killed the game as a contest.

Samu’s early second half try had already made it look like a long road back for the Waratah as it put some daylight between the teams on the scoreboard, but with an eight point deficit the Sydney team were still effectively in the game until Wright went over for his first try in the 53rd minute.

It was a score that came off an excellent assist from scrumhalf Nic White in what was close to White’s first touch of the ball for the Brumbies in five years. White last played for the Brumbies way back in 2015 but is back from overseas and he made his return to Brumbies colours by coming onto the field off the bench in this game.

As the scoreline, and 6-1 try-line will suggest, the Brumbies were far the better team as the AU continues to deliver unpredictable and inconsistent form. The Waratahs were starting to look the form team in the competition before this game but lacked that energy in this game. The win means the Brumbies move back to top position on the log, just ahead of the Reds, who smashed the Western Force on the Gold Coast on Friday. But with two rounds to go there is still not much separating the top teams.

The Waratahs next play the Rebels and then they go into a bye week, effectively meaning that next week is the last chance for them to pick up the pieces and still be in the frame for the finals series that follows. The top three teams go through, with a semifinal between teams two and three leading to a decider against the top finishing team.

There wasn’t much between the teams in the first half of the Gio Stadium clash, and the Waratahs might have felt a bit unlucky at times. For instance, after rightly having a try of their own disallowed for a knock-on on the Brumbies line early in the game, they then conceded a try that should never have been awarded.

Scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan scored the try in the 14th minute but the Australian commentators weren’t wrong in suggesting that he was in an off-side position when his halfback partner Bayley Kuenzel executed the kick ahead that led to the score. He looked at least two metres ahead of Kuenzel as the pivot booted the ball through but the TMO ruled otherwise and instead of being ahead, like on the balance of play maybe they should have been at that point, the Waratah were seven points behind.

Kuenzel featured again in creating the next try, this time from a cross kick that landed comfortably via the bounce in the hands of unmarked wing Andrew Muirhead. Will Harrison had in the meantime kicked a penalty for the Waratahs, but the try put the Brumbies 12-3 ahead.

On a damp night it was all about playing for position and the Brumbies did make the most of their opportunities. However, after Harrison kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to six points some great interplay out on the left touchline saw Waratahs No 8 Jack Dempsey go over for a try four minutes from halftime.

Harrison wasn’t able to land the angled conversion so the Brumbies took a one point lead (12-11) into halftime. At that point it looked anyone’s game but the Brumbies took control after halftime, with the first try of Samu’s brace setting the tone for a dominant half. Once Wright joined the try-scoring act that was the end of any debate about who the winner would be.

Scores

Brumbies 38 - Tries: Ryan Lonergan, Andrew Muirhead, Pete Samu 2 and Tom Wright 2; Conversions: Ryan Lonergan 2 and Bayley Kuenzel 2.

Waratahs 11 - Try: Jack Dempsey; Penalties: Will Harrison 2.