The ACT Brumbies Next Gen side have bounced back in emphatic fashion, claiming a hard-fought 27–17 victory over the NSW Waratahs at Eric Tweedale Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The contest ignited just three minutes in following a tense opening kicking battle. As the men in blue looked to launch an early raid from a line-out, Sam Watson read the play to perfection. The Brumbies scrum half snatched an intercept and streaked down the left touchline to dot down. Chace Oates made no mistake with the extras, taking his sides' lead to 7–0.
The Sydney-siders looked to strike back immediately, forcing a goal-line drop-out in the sixth minute, but Oates relieved the pressure with a monster boot that sent the ball spiralling back to halfway. Despite the Tahs dominating territory for much of the opening quarter, they were repeatedly met by a wall of Canberra jerseys.
The young Brumbies doubled their advantage in the 18th minute. After a powerful scrum platform, the ball was swung wide to Dylan Bretton, who was hauled down just short of the line. Sensing the moment, captain Cooper Eagle put his head down and barrelled through the sky blue defence to crash over. Oates added the conversion to push the lead to 14–0.
With the mercury rising, the match was paused for heat management protocols, allowing both sides a brief reprieve. The men from Canberra capitalised on the restart, with Chace Oates slotting a penalty goal in the 25th minute to extend the buffer to 17 points.
The NSW outfit threw everything at the away side before the interval, but a try-saving intercept from Ed Lyons ensured the Sydney-siders remained scoreless as they headed into a long half-time cooldown.
The hosts emerged for the second stanza with renewed intent. In the 46th minute, Isaac Fonua scythed through the midfield to put the men in blue on the front foot. The ball was shifted rapidly to the blindside where Louis Fenwicke found a gap to score their first of the afternoon.
The momentum continued to swing toward the home side as the Brumbies struggled with their scrum discipline. In the 59th minute, after forcing a penalty from a reset, Edwin Langi spearheaded a charge through the middle to crash over. With the conversion successful, the NSW outfit had cut the deficit to 17–12.
However, the Brumbies’ resilience shone through in the final twenty minutes. A crucial jackal from Jarvis Orr earned the visitors vital territory, and they made it count. In the 62nd minute, the ball was swung to the blindside for Riley Whitfeld, who showed great footwork to finish in the corner.
The Canberra outfit then looked to put the result beyond doubt in the 67th minute, as a clinical rolling maul saw Ewald Kruger rumble over the line to push the score to 27–12.
The Tahs refused to go quietly, with captain Marshal le Maitre catching the defence napping with a quick tap to score in the 73rd minute. However, the Brumbies’ defence held firm through a scrappy final sequence, eventually forcing the ball into touch to celebrate a gritty 10-point victory on the road.
ACT BRUMBIES NEXT GEN 27
Tries: Sam Watson, Cooper Eagle, Riley Whitfeld, Ewald Kruger
Conversions: Chace Oates (2)
Penalties: Chace Oates
NSW WARATAHS NEXT GEN 17
Tries: Louis Fenwicke, Edwin Langi, Marshal le Maitre
Conversions: Harrison Dene
