The ACT Brumbies have thrown their support behind the NSW Waratahs to win their first Super Rugby title, putting a bitter rivalry on hold and the a painful memory of a semi-final defeat aside to back their Australian foes.
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The Waratahs are on the cusp of a historic maiden championship, shrugging aside the ''chokers'' tag to power their way past the Brumbies with a 26-8 defeat in Sydney on Saturday night.
It sets up a grand-final showdown against the competition's most successful team – the Canterbury Crusaders – and although the Brumbies will miss out on title redemption, they believe the Waratahs have the strikepower to ignite Australian rugby.
The Waratahs boast a superstar line-up led by Israel Folau and Kurtley Beale and an all-Wallabies forward pack, Test players on the bench and passionate coach Michael Cheika in charge.
The Waratahs and Brumbies share one of the most intense rivalries in Australian rugby.
"And it's really hard as a Brumbies man to ever say you want the Waratahs to do well, but I really hope they do," said ACT playmaker Matt Toomua. "It's probably the only time I'll ever go for them. But we were beaten by the better team, it would be great for Australian rugby. I genuinely hope they can do it."
ARU chief executive Bill Pulver did not hide his desire at the start of the season for the Waratahs to win the championship to help reinvigorate the cash-strapped code. But they'll have to beat the Crusaders and history to do it.
They have played each other in two Super Rugby grand finals and the Crusaders won both.
Brumbies scrumhalf Nic White joked Pulver got his wish. White also threw his support behind former housemate and Brumbies teammate Michael Hooper, who will carry the weight of expectation when he captains the Waratahs in the grand final.
"I guess Bill will be happy ... you want the trophy to be in Australia," White said. "We're out and I definitely think the Waratahs are good enough. They've got strikepower everywhere, their back line gets a lot of the credit but it's their defence that can win them the title. I think they're good enough.
"Once you cross the line you are enemies, but Hoops is a close mate of mine and I wish him every success."
The Waratahs ruined the Brumbies' plans to make back-to-back grand finals. Their defence absorbed wave after wave of Brumbies attacking raid, standing strong despite being out on their feet. They scored three tries, all against the run of play, and were camped on their own tryline for much of the second half.
Cross-code star and top try-scorer Folau attracts most of the attention, but Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said the Waratahs possess weapons in every position.
"The Crusaders have to come to Sydney and that's always difficult," Larkham said. "The Waratahs will get a lot of confidence out of [beating the Brumbies], they'll learn a lot from it and I expect them to do every well."
