Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen expects his side’s growing rivalry with Queensland to flare again in the Super Rugby play-offs after an intense and controversial stalemate at Suncorp Stadium.
While neither the Brumbies nor Reds were particularly pleased by sharing a 19-all draw on Saturday night, the pulsating clash underlined both as genuine title contenders and the form teams in the competition.
The result has the pace-setting Brumbies on top of the table with 35 points while Queensland are two behind ahead of a congested chasing pack.
Pilloried as the weak partner in the three-way SANZAR conference system last year, the Australian conference once again showed itself to be a big improver with NSW upsetting the defending champion Chiefs 25-20 to keep the Waratahs’ finals hopes alive.
With the battling Western Force pushing the Hurricanes all the way in Wellington for a 22-16 loss, Aussie sides hold a best-ever 7-2 advantage over Kiwi teams in trans-Tasman battles this season.
But it’s the Reds, showing the attacking enthusiasm that took them to the 2011 title, and Jake White’s resolute Brumbies who are flying the flag.
In their second clash this season, the Reds threw the kitchen sink at the ACT side in front of a 38,404-strong crowd but the Brumbies’ desperate defence held on to reclaim the Rod Macqueen Cup.
Although the visitors were twice reduced to 14 men with Christian Lealiifano and Scott Sio sin-binned, Queensland were fuming about repeated infringements on their line and felt referee Glen Jackson could have produced more yellow cards.
“There was some cynical stuff (by the Brumbies),” skipper James Horwill said. “But that’s the reality of it and we knew it was going to come.
“They try to slow the ball down – they’re good at it – but we should have been better at taking our opportunities.”
Rival captain Mowen, who engaged in a fiery exchange with Horwill as tempers boiled over in the first half, is looking forward to a likely round three in the finals.
“A big part of these games is who’s going to blink first and, you saw (on Saturday night) at 19-all, no one did,” the back-rower said.
“It has been between us and the Reds the last couple of years (in Australia) and from what I saw from the Reds tonight it will be much the same again.
“It will go right down to the wire.”
The Waratahs need to end an 11-year drought to stay in touch by beating the Bulls at their Loftus Versfeld fortress next weekend but they’ve headed to Pretoria with renewed confidence.
In contrast to 2012 when they habitually failed to close out results, a late match-winning try to replacement hooker John Ulugia showed the 2013 model was made of sterner stuff.
They sit 10th on 26 and are among a group of seven teams separated by just four competition points after another week of tight results.
The Bulls (28) lead the South African conference following their bonus-point 34-0 thumping of the Kings but the Cheetahs (27), yet to have a bye, are well placed following their 12-6 upset of the Sharks (27) in the wet in Durban.
The Blues (31) moved to top of the Kiwi conference courtesy of their weekend bye, but the Chiefs (30), Hurricanes (27) and Crusaders (26) – 24-8 victors over the winless Highlanders – are close behind.