The story of the Brumbies’ last Super Rugby triumph

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Tom Cusack of the Brumbies celebrates with team mates after scoring during the Round 3 Super Rugby match between the NSW Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Saturday, July 18, 2020. (AAP Image/Mark Nolan) NO ARCHIVING ** STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE, NO BOOKS **

It’s amazing to think that a full 16 years have passed since the Brumbies were last crowned Super Rugby champions. The Australian club, playing games out of Canberra, is recognised as one of the southern hemisphere’s best established.

Champions twice in the competition’s first ten years, and finalists on three other occasions, the Brumbies quickly earned a reputation as one of the sport’s club powerhouses, finishing outside of the top ten just once in the first 15 seasons.

Yet they dropped as low as 13th in 2011 and just two years ago ended the season 10th. 2019 was a little more positive, finishing as losing semi-finalists to Jaguares, though their fourth Super Rugby has continued to elude them.

In this article we’ll rewind to 2004, when the Brumbies last got their hands on the trophy as club champions of the southern hemisphere.

Heavily fancied

Back then, the competition was contested by 12 teams, with New Zealand’s Crusaders, Chiefs and Blues expected to be alongside the men from Canberra as front-runners, while the Stormers and Bulls from South Africa were also predicted to challenge.

The Brumbies laid down an early marker in round one with a high-scoring victory over the Auckland Blues, which they followed up with an emphatic 68-28 demolition of the Cats, who’d end the campaign bottom of the pile.

Brumbies’ first test came against the Sharks, with tries from Mark Gerrard and Bill Young enough to help eke out a 23-20 victory. But the team’s first defeat would follow the next week at the hands of South African opposition as the Bulls edged to a 32-21 win in Pretoria.

It was back to winning ways seven days later, however, as the team coasted past the Stormers in Cape Town to get their season back on track. A big win over the Reds would follow, before a second defeat, this time at the hands of the Crusaders.

Building momentum

After a third defeat of the season, against Waratahs in Sydney, the Brumbies would finally begin to find momentum. Wins over the Hurricanes and Chiefs would send the Australian side into the Finals series top of the pile, finishing six points clear of the Crusaders, with the Stormers and Chiefs also joining them in the play-offs.

First would meet fourth as the Brumbies faced the Waikato Chiefs in Canberra for a place in the Final, and five tries scored by five different players would see the men from the ACT secure a comfortable victory and earn their place in the competition’s deciding game.

Champions again

Crusaders would be their opponents in the Final, after 17 points from the boot of Dan Carter had helped his side to a 27-16 with over the Stormers. And the two sides would serve up a thriller in the deciding fixture, staged on home turf at the Canberra Stadium.

Mark Gerrard crossed for a memorable hat-trick, while Joe Roff weighed in with a brace of tries and kicked six conversions as the Brumbies saw off a brave Crusaders effort, ultimately winning the contest 47-38.

Ironically, the triumph marked coach David Nucifora’s last game in charge. The club deemed his work was complete and that “another set of skills” were required. But the decision detracted little from a memorable season for the ACT Brumbies.

 

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