The ACT Brumbies are channelling the ‘hurt’ from their previous defeat to the Queensland Reds as they travel up to Suncorp Stadium for the rematch on Saturday.
The Brumbies let an 11-point lead slip in the final three minutes of their Round Four match in March, their first loss of the season.
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Filipo Daugunu and Carter Gordon scored with just seconds remaining to nab victory for the Reds, who had lost 11 of their last 12 previously in the nation’s capital.
Whilst coach Stephen Larkham insisted they have moved past it, he knows there will be extra motivation as they head to Brisbane.
“We’re pushing forward. We said after the game there’s no point dwelling backwards but 11 points with three minutes to go, that certainly hurts,” he told reporters.
“They’ve shown they are a very good finishing team so that's going to be a challenge for us and a challenge that I think the boys who were involved in that last game against the Reds will be cherishing.
“...We've certainly spoken about the threats that the Reds bring and we've tried to move on to that game straight away.”
Larkham has kept flyhalf Declan Meredith as his starting flyhalf despite a tough afternoon against the Hurricanes.
Meredith had been one of the Brumbies’ best in 2026 but struggled kicking-wise, twice putting the kick for touch dead in-goal, replaced at half-time by Wallabies incumbent Tane Edmed.
Larkham knows better than anyone the struggles of a flyhalf and backed the playmaker to respond against a Reds team still without Carter Gordon and Tom Lynagh.
“Outside of those two kicks, I thought he had a really good game so just trying to put it all in perspective,” Larkham said. “We are challenging our kickers to get as close to the line as possible so we know we're going to make some mistakes here and there and we've just got to be able to live with that.
“He spent a bit of time with his kicks to touch but outside of that, his game was good.”
The Reds have kept the exact same 23 that went down to the Blues in Super Round, with Josh Nasser set for his 50th game for the club.
“The Brumbies are always tough for us. We had a good result in Canberra earlier in the year. It was a fantastic game and we don't expect anything different on Saturday," coach Les Kiss said. "They are a tricky opposition. They have a good set piece, they have a good territory game and you have to be very good around the breakdown.
“We were gutted to lose in Christchurch last weekend. We look at the areas we can improve on but I also look at what we did well. These players don’t give up. They have an appetite to keep playing and there was also some tremendous defence late in the game.
“We know there is more in us and the players work hard and challenge themselves each week to keep our level of play rising as we feel it is.”
REDS (1-15): Aidan Ross, Matt Faessler, Zane Nonggorr, Seru Uru, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Joe Brial, Fraser McReight (c), Harry Wilson, Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Tim Ryan, Hunter Paisami, Josh Flook, Filipo Daugunu, Jock Campbell
Replacements: Josh Nasser, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Nick Bloomfield, Hamish Muller, Vaiuta Latu, Louis Werchon, Ben Volavola, Treyvon Pritchard
BRUMBIES (1-15): James Slipper, Lachlan Lonergan, Rhys van Nek, Nick Frost, Lachlan Shaw, Rob Valetini, Rory Scott, Toby Macpherson, Ryan Lonergan (c), Declan Meredith, Corey Toole, David Feliuai, Kadin Pritchard, Andy Muirhead, Tom Wright
Replacements: Liam Bowron, Blake Schoupp, Darcy Breen, Cadeyrn Neville, Luke Reimer, Klayton Thorn, Tane Edmed, Ollie Sapsford
