'Bloody oath it does': Victory tastes just as sweet as Brumbies extend streak

The Brumbies pounded their opponents into submission before racing away with a 40-16 victory in wet conditions at Canberra Stadium.

Noah Lolesio added 20 points with the boot while the hosts rain in four tries to one to secure a bonus point.

The win was the Brumbies' 12^th in a row over the Waratahs in a streak that extends back to 2018.

While some have declared the rivalry dead, Swain said it carries just as much meaning as when he arrived in Canberra in 2016.

"Bloody oath it does," Swain said. "There's heaps of guys not just in the 23 but in our pathway that have come down from Sydney.

"A lot of guys have a chip on their shoulder and that means a lot to us. We've always been considered the little brother and [had] that stigma so it means a lot."

Saturday's loss came at a heavy cost for the Waratahs with star prop Angus Bell limping from the field with a foot injury.

NSW coach Darren Coleman said doctors fear it is the same issue that caused Bell to miss almost the entirety of the 2023 Super Rugby season and spend four months on the sidelines.

In a cruel blow, last year's injury also occurred in a loss to the Brumbies.

Should it be the same injury, the prop's Super Rugby season is over.

While Bell was able to make it back for the Wallabies campaign last year, new coach Joe Schmidt will be holding his breath amid fears he could miss a chunk of the Test season.

Coleman said the prop was devastated by the injury and hopes he receives a positive prognosis in the coming days.

"There was not much talking, a but of hugging and crying," Coleman said. "He's pretty shattered by it all.

"We'll hold out a little bit of hope. The doctor said the pop he felt may have been something different but at the moment it looks scarily like the same injury."

The ACT Brumbies have continued six years of misery for the NSW Waratahs with their 12th-straight victory over their fierce rivals at Canberra Stadium.

The loss will raise further questions over the health of the rivalry, with ACT chairman Matt Nobbs declaring it dead last year.

The Waratahs were determined to prove it's alive and well, however they were completely outplayed in the 40-16 loss.

The Brumbies ran in four tries to one in the bonus point win, with Noah Lolesio adding 20 points with a perfect night from the boot.

It was a special evening for ACT veteran James Slipper as he ran out for his 178th Super Rugby appearance. With that, the prop surpassed Stephen Moore as the highest capped Australian in the competition.

The match was played in wet, slippery conditions with rain falling throughout much of the first half. Despite the weather, plenty of expansive rugby was played with both teams willing to throw the ball around and attacking with width.

A crowd of 8018 fans braved the rain to watch the contest. ACT officials had hoped the figure would crack 10,000, however the wet weather dashed those hopes.

The Brumbies took control of the contest early and slowly turned the screws on their rivals throughout the first half. Stephen Larkham's side then put the result to bed early in the second, with NSW chasing the game.

The hosts did not release the pressure gauge during the dying minutes, Corey Toole and Charlie Cale crossing for late tries before Dylan Pietsch was held up over the try line as the final siren sounded to secure the bonus point.

The loss came at a cost for the Waratahs, Angus Bell suffering an injury to the same foot he injured in the opening round loss to the Brumbies last season.

The injury forced the Wallabies prop to miss the remainder of the Super Rugby campaign, with NSW officials hopeful the latest blow is not as serious.

The Waratahs opened the scoring with a third minute penalty goal, however it was the Brumbies who dominated the first half.

The hosts spend the bulk of the opening 40 minutes camped inside the Waratahs' half however points were hard to come by.

One maul was held up over the line, another fell one metre short and the forwards were again denied later in the half when Billy Pollard knocked on.

The Brumbies also made a number of errors in attacking territory, with NSW holding on desperately as heavy rain fell at Canberra Stadium.

Eventually ACT captain Darcy Swain turned to Lolesio's boot and he kicked three penalty goals to Tane Edmed's two in the opening stanza.

The Brumbies then landed a hammer blow as the half-time siren sounded, Harrison Goddard darting from the base of the ruck to score the opening try of the night.

The former Waratah was promoted to the starting side on Friday after ACT skipper Ryan Lonergan was ruled out with an ankle injury.

Lolesio converted the try to make it 16-6 at the break and ensured the scoreline reflected his side's dominance in the opening half.

While Edmed added another penalty goal early in the second half, the visitors had no answer for a rampaging Rob Valetini who charged over the top of the NSW flyhalf to extend the margin.

The Waratahs, however, continued to threaten with ball in hand and posed plenty of problems for their opponents.

Fullback Max Jorgensen was dangerous each time he had space to attack and made multiple breaks in the second half.

Eventually the visitors hit back through Charlie Gamble, however the joy was short lived as they dropped the ensuing kick off.

The Brumbies made their opponents pay, with Toole finishing off a well-executed set play before Cale secured the bonus point with two minutes to play.

AT A GLANCE

ACT BRUMBIES 40 (Harrison Goddard, Rob Valetini, Corey Toole, Charlie Cale tries; Noah Lolesio 4 pens, 3 cons; Jack Debreczeni 1 con) bt NSW WARATAHS 16 (Charlie Gamble try; Tane Edmed 3 pens; Will Harrison 1 con). Crowd 8018 at Canberra Stadium.

The ACT Brumbies Super Rugby Women's finals hopes have been dealt a blow after a tough loss to the Fijian Drua on Saturday.

The defending champions' forward pack set the tone for a 20-7 victory at Canberra Stadium to secure their place in the playoffs.

It was a tightly-fought encounter, with heavy rain making conditions challenging in the second half.

The Brumbies entered Saturday's game knowing a win would secure their place in the top four. Now, however, their finals fate will be determined in a showdown with the Western Force at Viking Park next weekend.

It's a familiar position for Scott Fava's side, with ACT travelling to Perth last year to book their finals berth with a last-round win.

This time, a single point will be enough to secure a place in the semis, with the Queensland Reds five points behind on the ladder.

Saturday's loss came at a cost, with captain Siokapesi Palu limping from the field in the second half with a leg injury. It was a bittersweet afternoon, with Palu becoming ACT's highest capped women's player.

The Drua were dominant from the outset, the forwards taking control early, however it took until the 13^th minute for the visitors to cross for the opening try.

Momentum eventually swung the Brumbies' way and a couple of penalties set the platform for Tania Naden to finish off a dominant rolling maul.

A penalty goal handed the visitors a 10-7 lead at the break, ACT pleased to head to the sheds within three.

The Brumbies had a chance to hit the front in the second half, however an error handed the Drua a chance to counter attack with Atelaite Buna finishing off a long range try.

The rain arrived soon after and the visitors closed out a 13-point win.

FIJIANA DRUA 20 (Sulita Waisega, Atelaite Buna tries; Luisa Tisolo 2 cons, 2 pen) bt ACT BRUMBIES 7 (Tania Naden tries; Faitala Moleka 1 con) at Canberra Stadium.