Amidst all the talk of breaking the shackles and playing the fearless style they want to be renowned for, the ACT Brumbies have discovered their conviction.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
They have discovered their desire to win the little moments, to trade bravado for brute, and to shelve flair in favour of winning ugly.
The Brumbies gritted their teeth and defended their way to a stirring 19-17 triumph against the Cape Town Stormers at Newlands Stadium on Saturday.
The visitors made a remarkable 239 tackles to 90 in their clash with the Stormers, having held just 30 per cent of possession - numbers even Brumbies coach Dan McKellar struggles to comprehend.
Numbers like that aren't built up through a short stint defending your own line - they come from 80 minutes of sheer grit, repelling wave after wave of attack.
"I honestly don't think I have ever been prouder of a group of men, that was backs to the wall, unbelievable," McKellar said.
"The tackles, a lot of decisions just didn't go our way, but the way we stuck at it says a lot about our brotherhood.
"We spoke a lot before the game about creating memories and moments, because we have had a lot of great times in South Africa, and this is right up there."
What's more impressive is the fact the Brumbies bounced back when the entire match threatened to turn on a dime.
The Brumbies had raced to an early lead and were en route to the change rooms at half-time - some had already made their way up the tunnel - having left a mountain of work behind them.
But referee Nick Briant called them back to give Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies a crucial penalty try and hand Toni Pulu a yellow card in a moment that could have turned the game on its head.
The margin was sliced to two, and the Stormers made the undermanned Brumbies pay with a try on the other side of the break.
The lead the Brumbies had rapidly built in the opening stages through Pete Samu and Rory Arnold was whisked away - but McKellar's side was not going to roll over.
"We spoke about it at half-time, we were in a tough position and had a bit of a rough patch there," McKellar said.
"You've got to thrive and enjoy that adversity, and understand those are the moments where you've got to lift, and we certainly did that. We didn't have a lot of ball but we took our opportunities.
"Defence is all about attitude, and looking at our team, these boys have got a fantastic attitude. I'm really pleased."
The Brumbies have now won six of their past eight games in South Africa, but their latest triumph - while it gives their Super Rugby season a pulse - has come at a cost.
Off-contract Brumbies veteran Josh Mann-Rea limped from the field at the 61-minute mark with a suspected anterior cruciate ligament tear.
The 38-year-old hooker has endured a nightmare run with injuries and his latest setback may end his career.
Connal McInerney is making the mad dash to Argentina to plug the gap and support an all-star trio that went a long way to deciding the game at scrum time against the Stormers.
Scott Sio, Folau Fainga'a and Allan Ala'alatoa joined forces in a Wallabies front-row against a Springbok trio featuring Stormers captain Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi and Wilco Louw.
Fainga'a was helped from the field after suffering a nasty head clash, but returned to the field to play a key role..
"Both incredible packs, and I'm definitely glad I'm not a forward. That battle was massive, we knew it was going to be, and for people that love scrums, that was an incredible contest to watch," Brumbies captain Christian Lealiifano said.
"Whichever team was dominating in that area was definitely getting the opportunities. An incredible effort from our group, and the Stormers just kept on coming.
"We knew they would, they're a fantastic side in front of an unbelievable crowd as well, so an epic effort from our boys."
AT A GLANCE
Super Rugby round 10: ACT BRUMBIES 19 (Pete Samu, Rory Arnold, Tom Banks tries; Christian Lealiifano 2 cons) bt CAPE TOWN STORMERS 17 (Wilco Louw, Penalty tries; Joshua Stander con; Stander pen) at Newlands Stadium.
