The ACT Brumbies have started their season on fire with a 56-24 win over the Western Force.
The scoreline doesn't reflect the Force's dominance in the first half, with the visitors digging deep and kicking clear late for a win that puts them top after the opening round of Super Rugby Pacific.
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
So what did we learn?
If anything sums up 30 years of the Brumbies, this could be the game.
Written off in the off-season with no Lolesio, Ikitau, Hooper, Alaalatoa, and Wright, the underrated heroes did the job.
The likes of Andy Muirhead, Rhys van Nek and Ollie Sapsford were all rock-solid as the Wallabies that were on the field did their magic.
The trick for the Brumbies in 2026 will be whether they can do this all season if they cop further setbacks.
It's a brutal run to start the way as they head to Christchurch for a rare Sunday game, backing this up at home against the Blues - two teams coming off a loss
The Force will lament their inability to capitalise on early field position, but there are promising signs there, even if the second half fell away drastically.
New signing Franco Molina was superb and delivered a tidy stint, while Vaolini Ekuasi was a bowling ball in attack.
Like many teams in round one, they just missed that polish to finish their chances, typified by Carlo Tizzano’s multiple efforts held up over the line. When they chased the game late, the Brumbies made them pay, piling on the points.
But their increased focus on the power game is the right move forward and will deliver results in time.
There will have been a lot of fans questioning why Declan Meredith got the start over Wallabies incumbent Tane Edmed, but he repaid Stephen Larkham’s faith.
He missed touch early but certainly made up for it with his powerful dart for the line to put them in front before the break, running through the much bigger Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
Meredith made it a double after backing up Ollie Sapsford’s run to quell the Force’s comeback. His passing was rock-solid all afternoon, showing sharp hands for Charlie Cale’s try.
Edmed will get his chance and looked good in their late game push, but it’s now Meredith’s to lose.
How Charlie Cale figures in the Test set-up in 2026 is going to be fascinating to watch (should he stay fit).
The number eight is a freakish athlete and produced some special plays, including showing off the speed when he torched down the sidelines for the Brumbies’ first try, before finishing it off with a quick tap try.
He got through 22 tackles in the brutal heat and even produced a crucial lineout steal to end the half with the Brumbies in front, picking up his efforts in the second half with a bullet ball for Ryan Lonergan’s try.
It’s a position of luxury for the Wallabies heading forward, with Cale providing another weapon for Joe Schmidt/Les Kiss.
The returns of Harry Johnson-Holmes and Blake Schoupp were welcome sights after their respective gruelling recoveries.
Johnson-Holmes is a very popular player among teammates, and his double effort to chase and then win a loose lineout in the 27th minute epitomised what he is about. He got through 50 minutes in his first game in over 600 days.
It was a similar story for Schoupp, replacing James Slipper after 49 minutes for a special return after his long time out.
