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39 to 19 is a shellacking any day of the week, but in a qualifying final, away from home, it was a truly historic thrashing that the Brumbies claimed against the Stormers.
The Brumbies played the rugby I wish they’d played more of ever since 2013, when they galvanised as a unit and had the composure and strength needed to win a championship.
Yes, there have been glimpses of that form but against the Stormers they tried things from the very beginning.
They moved the ball laterally and looked to attack the blindside with quick ball movements and fast feet. Nic White didn’t sit on the ball, Christian Lealiifano moved it and the forwards either recycled or drove forward around the ruck quickly.
I hinted before the match the Brumbies could cause a boil over if they remembered they have devastating attacking players available such as Henry Speight and Joe Tomane. Thankfully they got Tomane the ball early and often. He did the rest, making defenders look slow and weak in his wake. But the movements that led to some of his tries deserve team-wide praise. Tomane was the beneficiary of purposeful support play and able offloading for phases before he crossed the paint.
Without the ball, the Brumbies were strong and David Pocock quietly had one of his more disruptive days. Before you even get to Scott Fardy and the rest of the pack, Pocock had taken away the Stormers’ patterns and momentum. The result was a Stormers team that couldn’t establish continuity or find a groove. Their possessions looked like junior rugby – quickly out of ideas if they couldn’t bash through.
The sole bright spot for the Stormers was Damien de Allende. The few times he had the ball in space he was an absolute handful to bring down. Basically, he was as good as he has been all year. He is one of the in-form South African players right now; I shudder at the thought of him crashing through the Wallabies midfield.
The low spot for the Brumbies is Speight’s red and almost certain long-ish suspension (as I write this he has been found guilty but no sanction has been determined).
So, just how good was the Brumbies victory over the Stormers in Cape Town, historically speaking?
I went back 10 seasons to try and put their dominant away win in perspective.
2014
Last year the home side won every single finals match. One, two and four-point losses in the final and qualifiers were as close as it got. Between those relatively close matches were comfortable 18 and 26-point home side wins to the Waratahs and Crusaders in the semi-finals.
This might indicate the second week in the finals, including some travel for the Sharks before their thumping against the Crusaders, is even tougher to remain competitive.
2013
The only away win in the finals was the Brumbies’ semi-final win over the Bulls. So the Brumbies have some form in this area, clearly, and retain a fair whack of the squad that pulled off this feat a few years ago. Their victory certainly gets some points for style, being that it was a semi-final, whereas the last weekend was just a qualifying final. However they only snuck past the Bulls 26-23, so that doesn’t rate as highly.
2012
The Sharks romped over the Reds 30-17 at Suncorp Stadium and, looking back on it, started the slide to where the Queenslanders find themselves now. In that game the Sharks were swarming, irresistible and composed enough to keep the scoreboard ticking over – they played the quintessential away game.
The Brumbies’ win last weekend was more dominant, but the Sharks run to the final in three away fixtures, including that seriously good win in Queensland, ranks right up there in history.
2011
Just one away win, as the Crusaders beat the Stormers 29-10 at Cape Town in the semi-finals. That was a very strong victory, of which the Brumbies’ win was reminiscent, but came off the back of a Dan Carter field day with the boot – he kicked five penalties and two conversions – rather than six tries like the Brumbies managed. Not the same.
2010
No away wins in the finals.
2009
The Chiefs got flogged 67-10 trying to get an away win at Loftus Versfeld against the Bulls in South Africa. Again, this isn’t easy.
2008
No away wins again. The biggest win of the finals was the Waratahs 15-point win when the Sharks travelled to Sydney. Tough gig this away winning business.
2007
We have an away winner! The Bulls won their first of three titles in four years away against the Sharks in Durban. The final 20-19 score line fell the Bulls way because Percy Montgomery’s two missed conversions kept the Bulls close enough for Bryan Habana’s 82nd minute try to be the winner. An all-time grand final victory and because it was a decider it has to be considered one of the best away wins of all time.
Does that make up for how close it was compared to the Brumbies thrashing?
2006
Back to no away wins.
2005
No one won away in the finals in 2005.
I’m stopping now. The 20-point margin of victory, the travel to Cape Town, the six tries scored, the manner in which they continued to roll the scoreboard along and not let the game get close, the ease – all of that means the Brumbies secured one of Super Rugby’s greatest away finals wins on the weekend.
Possibly the Sharks rolling the Reds and the Bulls winning the final away from home are the two best comparisons for their own levels of difficulty.
There are two weeks of finals left, and the Brumbies have a chance to repeat those heroics against the Hurricanes. History says they won’t be able to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t savour what they’ve already achieved.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.