The Queensland Reds shook off their ACT Brumbies hoodoo with a Round 1 Super Rugby AUS victory at Ballymore on Sunday.
It's the first time Queensland have tasted victory against their ACT rivals under Les Kiss and sets them up as early frontrunners for a berth in the inaugural Super Rugby AUS decider.
Watch every second of Super Rugby AUS live and on-demand via the Rugby.com.au YouTube channel.
So, what did we learn?
Zac Hough's 79th minute try didn't just kill off the Brumbies' upset - it also denied ACT a vital losing bonus point.
Queensland's 36-26 victory sees them joint leaders atop the Super Rugby AUS ladder with the Western Force while ACT now sit four points adrift beside the Waratahs and face a must-win clash with the Force in Perth next week.
It's already do-or-die for the Brumbies - Australia's best performing Super Rugby side of the past decade - and we've barely wrapped up Round 1.
Super Rugby AUS is a brutal three-week round robin competition where only the top two teams progress to the big dance and every competition point is solid gold.
Australian fans know better than to write the Brumbies off and their fightback from 29-14 to 29-26 was impressive but Hough's try is a fell blow to their title hopes.
Nothing fires up a Queensland crowd like a cult hero – especially one who finds the chalk like Tim Ryan.
The Junkyard Dog might not have enjoyed the same try-scoring sprees through 2025 that earned him shoot to fame last season but Ryan was nigh untouchable on Sunday afternoon at Ballymore.
His hat-trick came in just 30 minutes with the first try coming after just 70 seconds following slick interplay with debutant Vaiatu Latu (more on him later) down the short side.
Ryan’s second try was less speed, more strength – bumping away Kadin Pritchard and grassing down inside the corner flag from close range – and his third was a silky-smooth soccer ahead from Heremaia Murray’s grubber before regathering and dotting down at full pelt.
However, his best involvement came in the 75th minute as a clutch defensive read on an overthrown Brumbies lineout to get his side out of trouble - every dog has his day, after all.
They might've dropped this one but ACT showed they're capable of causing set-piece problems throughout Super Rugby AUS 2025.
The Brumbies turned the screws after half time and read Queensland's lineout like clockwork with three consecutive steals, prompting Reds coaching staff to give Theo Fourie the shepherd's crook.
Early scrums were dominated by Queensland with Aidan Ross playing chief destroyed but his departure coincided with momentum swinging back the Brumbies' way and several penalties for the visitors.
Declan Meredith was a cool head throughout for ACT, setting up two of their four tries and kicking smartly out of hand, while captain Luke Reimer was tireless.
The Force impressed against the Waratahs in a 24-3 win but will have their work cut out next weekend to contain a desperate Brumbies laden with talent.
Vaiuta Latu - remember the name, Reds fans.
Latu, 20, was a late call up to the matchday squad and delivered in spades on debut for Queensland.
The St Peters Lutheran College and Brothers product started with a bang, setting up Ryan's opening try with a slick offload before doing it all himself from the scrum base to earn Queensland's second try.
Comfortable across six and eight, Latu shapes a terror for rival sides - expect to see more of the big backrower throughout Super Rugby AUS.
Rookie flankers Hamish Muller and Tom Robinson also worked hard while utility hooker/backrower Hough impressed in his try-scoring stint.
From here, the lightning-fast Super Rugby AUS draw will favour hosts and there's none better placed after Round 1 than the Western Force.
James Stannard's men now return home for two games at Perth's Tompkins Park against the Brumbies and Reds respectively.
The Brumbies criss-cross the country to tackle the Force before returning to host NSW at Viking Park while the Waratahs are bound for Narrabri and a trip down the road to Canberra.
Should the Force and Reds emerge victorious from Round 2, their Round 3 clash will decide who hosts the big dance.
Can the Brumbies or Waratahs add a little jeopardy to the mix? We'll find out next weekend.
