For the Brumbies it's been the case that when they do well it's generally off the back of a strong Wallabies season the year before. Confidence seems to flow from one arena to the next.

The Brumbies' successful Super rugby campaigns in 2001 and 2004 were bookended by better than average Wallabies campaigns.

The 2001 Brumbies took momentum from a good Wallabies tour of Europe, where their only loss was by two points to the then powerful England team. The Brumbies title win in turn gave the Wallabies a lift into that year's Test season, which included wins against the British and Irish Lions and victory in the Tri Nations.

In 2004 the Brumbies picked up where the Wallabies had left off at the World Cup final to win the Super 14 a second time. Australia then went within one bonus point off claiming the 2004 Tri Nations.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times