Round 14 of SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific saw a seismic shift in the Aussies' finals hopes, with the Brumbies charging to the top of the ladder, the Force's hopes all but extinguished, and the Waratahs' hopes hanging by a thread.
The Reds still sit firmly in finals contention despite their loss, but are not out of the woods yet, with only four competition points separating them and seventh.
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Rugby.com.au selects its Team of the Week from the Australian teams in Round 14.
The Waratahs' season might have crashed in the last few weeks, but the form of the incumbent Wallaby loosehead cannot be understated.
While James Slipper served as a worthy runner-up, Bell put in a stellar shift across his 64-minute performance, with 15 carries and a perfect day in the set piece, besting his opposite number Tamati Williams in nearly all metrics.
The battle for Wallaby hooker is a fascinating clash at present, with Richie Asiata and Billy Pollard both having perfect nights at the lineout in Canberra - though both did have their errors in general play, with Pollard receiving a yellow card.
However, their counterpart in sky blue outshone them this weekend, with Dave Porecki nailing 12 lineouts and not making a single infringement across his 64-minute performance.
While Tom Robertson put in an 80-minute shift and Zane Nonggorr also served as one of the Reds' strongest sledgehammers, it's hard to go past the performance of the Brumbies' skipper.
The Wallabies will be sweating on Allan Alaalatoa's fitness after he left the field in the 48th minute with a suspected calf injury, particularly because he was in strong form.
Having a perfect defensive game and picking a try, Alaalatoa was having one of his best performances of the season before his departure.
One of the few bright sparks in a well-beaten Western Force side.
Beating two defenders and managing yet another perfect defensive game, Williams has a firm grasp on the Wallaby No.4 jersey - though the Reds' Josh Canham and the Brumbies' Nick Frost are close behind.
While Lachlan Shaw was a worthy runner-up at the Brumbies, making more tackles than any other player across the entire weekend, Miles Amatosero had the better all-around performance.
One of the few players to get significant go-forward against the Crusaders, the young lock made 11 carries, busted a tackle, and picked up a try for his efforts.
While finding consistent form remains his Achilles' heel, when he is on form, Amatosero is one of the most aggressive and dangerous players in the Aussie sides.
It feels like a broken record at this point, but man-of-the-match Rob Valetini has a stranglehold on the Wallaby number six jersey.
A mammoth 34 post-contact metres, 14 carries, and 17 tackles completed without a single miss, the current John Eales medalist has a work rate that few can match.
In saying that, there is a close running mate on the opposite team from the weekend.
While Brumbies' Rory Scott made a perfect 22 tackles, McReight had the more complete performance, back to his attacking best.
Making 11 carries for 45 post-contact metres, busting two tackles, and making a linebreak to go with 15 tackles made, McReight put in a solid shift in Canberra.
It was the weekend of the Number Eights, with Reed Prinsep putting in a solid shift for the Force, while 50-capped Brumby Tom Hooper and the Reds' John Bryant also played well in Canberra.
However, in 2025, Langi Gleeson is getting better and better.
With 13 carries for 33 post-contact metres and a perfect defense record, Gleeson also picked up two tries against the Crusaders.
A two-way horse race between the Reds' captain and the Brumbies' Ryan Lonergan, the latter enjoyed a perfect night with the boot, while also making 13 tackles.
However, the former takes top spot again for his brilliant attacking ability, beating two defenders, managing two offloads and breaking the Brumbies' line on two occasions, with one leading to a try assist.
Even on nights when the Reds go down, McDermott continues to keep his side in the contest through his skill set.
Tane Edmed did enjoy a stronger performance, and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips continues to show why he should be in the conversation for future Wallaby consideration.
However, with no specialist back-up flyhalf on the bench, Declan Meredith had the most pressure on him this week to deliver - and that he certainly did.
Overcoming an HIA early against the Reds, he finished with a stunning linebreak, a try assist, two defenders beaten, and the most post-contact metres of any Australian player this week (54.6 metres).
It was a composed performance on a night where the Brumbies needed him to stand up.
The Reds' Tim Ryan was a close second with a critical try against the Brumbies, but Mac Grealy had the better individual performance on a tough afternoon in Lautoka.
Beating five defenders, making three line breaks and pulling off two offloads, Grealy was head and shoulders above the rest of his team when it came to asking questions of the Drua defense.
Hunter Paisami would've taken the top spot if not for a bad night defensively, missing three tackles and copping a yellow card for a high shot.
Joey Walton retains his spot in the team of the week, with a better defensive performance, while pulling off a line break, two tackle busts, an offload, and a try assist for his efforts.
Another one of those players who feels like they have a stranglehold on their jersey number, Len Ikitau only reaffirmed that this week, causing all sorts of headaches for the Reds.
Busting six tackles and making 45 post-contact metres, his strong performance opened holes in the Queensland defence for the Brumbies to capitalise on.
He might not have got on the scoresheet like his opposite number Andy Muirhead, but in terms of nearly every other aspect of the game, Lachie Anderson had a strong showing in Canberra.
Making 40 post-contact metres, busting four tackles, making two offloads and a linebreak, Anderson was one of the best on park for the men in red.
The Brumbies fullback earlier this week announced an extension with the Brumbies until 2028 - and on Saturday night, he gave the Canberra faithful another reminder of how good a player he is.
On top of scoring the final try for the Brumbies, Wright made two linebreaks, busted two tackles, and assisted in the build-up to Andy Muirhead's try in the second half, which proved to give the Brumbies the momentum swing needed to win.
