Missing the finals suggests it was a failure. The statistics tell another story - one about a stepping-stone year to a brighter future. But what happens next will define the ACT Brumbies and their Super Rugby title ambitions.
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The Brumbies' late charge to the play-offs fell short, but they won more games, scored more tries and threw more offloads this season than the ACT side that made the finals last year.
They also kicked the ball less than any other team in the competition, which will warm the hearts of Brumbies diehards who crave a return to running rugby, made the fewest errors in Super Rugby.
So how did the Brumbies stack up this year and what has to change next season for them to continue an end-of-year revival?
THE NUMBERS OF HOPE
The Brumbies finished 10th on the ladder and one win short of a finals berth. They won seven of their 16 games and snapped an almost three-year drought against New Zealand sides when they beat the Wellington Hurricanes.
- They scored 56 tries and made 85 linebreaks this season compared to 43 tries and 71 linebreaks last year.
- They kicked the ball 15 times per game, the fewest of any team in the competition.
- The Brumbies averaged 13 offloads per game, an increase from seven per game last year.
- They scored 10 tries from counterattack opportunities compared to three tries from similar situations in 2017.
"So the signs are there. But we have to make sure we start our season next year how we finished this year," said coach Dan McKellar.
"We understand what worked for us in the last six weeks and now we have to continue to develop that part of our game, improve our skill and hit the ground running.
"But it's not just going to happen for us. You've got to get the messaging right and continue to back ourselves."
Utimately, missing the finals has to be viewed as a failure. It was in danger of being a disaster halfway through the season, but the Brumbies turned things around and moved towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
THE MEETING THAT SPARKED CHANGE
The Brumbies were sitting inside Sydney Airport waiting for a flight to South Africa and stewing on a fifth loss in a row when McKellar called them into a meeting.
The Brumbies had just surrendered a lead at home against the Melbourne Rebels, losing the unlosable 27-24.
First-year coach McKellar said it was time for the players to take responsibility. So he divided them into groups, gave them all a specific area to focus on and told them to review and improve that element of the game plan.
The Brumbies won four of their next six games, played with freedom and flair and made sure their year ended on a high rather than going down in flames.
"We pulled together in South Africa. We started to put more responsibility on players rather than it just being coach driven, so we worked together and the players were more accountable," McKellar said.
"We got together at the airport and allowed the players to present with confidence. They started to question each other and make each other accountable in a respectful manner. We took steps forward because of it."
The big change was in the messaging to the players. The coaches applauded attacking errors rather than scolding players for taking chances.
"We just started to relax and enjoy footy a bit more," said Brumbies co-captain Sam Carter.
"That was the difference and we saw that at the end of the season. Maybe we were worried too much earlier in the year, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. In the end, we just needed to play footy. We got rid of the fear and tension and started playing good footy."
WHO SHOULD THE BRUMBIES RECRUIT?
Pete Samu is on his way and Quade Cooper still remains an X-factor option for the Brumbies going forward, but the Wallabies and Queensland Reds discard says he is content earning his salary in Brisbane's club competition.
The Brumbies missed out on luring Matt Toomua back to Canberra after he decided to link with the Melbourne Rebels for family reasons.
The Brumbies have said goodbye to 10 players and a handful, including Ben Alexander and Christian Lealiifano, are yet to commit for next year and beyond. The club's core will stick together, with almost 30 players on the roster already.
It is hoped Lealiifano will re-sign, but the Brumbies still need to add an inside back to fill the void left by Ireland-bound Kyle Godwin.
It's understood the Brumbies are close to finalising deals for at least two backs for next year and the club is set to promote a host of academy players to the full-time roster.
WINNING BACK THE FANS
Brumbies crowd numbers dropped to their lowest point in Super Rugby history this year, with average attendances down to 8391.
The deteriorating state of Canberra Stadium, discontent with Australian rugby and the cold weather were contributing factors. But ultimately it comes down to winning games.
The Brumbies had a 50 per cent winning record at home this season. Fans were frustrated early in the year with the way the team was playing. The good news they turned it around and gave supporters a reason to get excited for the future with the way they ended things.
THE HIGHLIGHT
The last game of the season against the NSW Waratahs. The Brumbies were already out of finals contention, but thrashed their interstate rivals. The most impressive thing was the way the Brumbies played - free-flowing attacking rugby at its best. Ending a three-year Kiwi hoodoo was also a sweet moment.
THE LOWLIGHT
Players, coaches and staff were left gutted after a loss to the Melbourne Rebels in Canberra. The Brumbies led 24-10 with not much time left. Somehow they found a way to lose the game 27-24. In the end it cost them any chance of playing in the finals this year.
THE STANDOUT
Tom Banks showed his class towards the end of the season and has been earmarked as a Wallaby in waiting, while David Pocock's Australian rugby comeback was outstanding. But the standout? Rory Arnold. The towering second-rower enjoyed his best Super Rugby season and should be a Wallabies starter.
FIND OF THE YEAR
Rookie hooker Folau Faingaa was thrown in the deep end when Josh Mann-Rea suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. Faingaa showed he's a star of the future less than a year after being plucked off a concreting job site in Sydney. His back up Connal McInerney and winger Andy Muirhead also deserve big mentions.
THE STATS THAT MATTER
SEASON SUMMARY: Played 16 - won 7, lost 9.
DEPARTING PLAYERS: Kyle Godwin, Isi Naisarani, Richie Arnold, Nic Mayhew, Andrew Smith, Lolo Fakaosilea, James Dargaville, Mees Erasmus, Faalelei Sione, Michael Oakman-Hunt.
YET TO RE-SIGN: Christian Lealiifano, Ben Alexander, Ben Hyne, James Verity-Am, Connal McInerney, Robbie Abel.
CONFIRMED RECRUITS: Pete Samu.
2018 RESULTS
Round two: Brumbies 32 bt Sunwolves Japan 25
Round three: Brumbies 18 lost to Queensland Reds 10
Round four: Brumbies 10 lost to Melbourne Rebels 33
Round five: Brumbies 24 bt Durban Sharks 17
Round seven: Brumbies 17 lost to NSW Waratahs 24
Round eight: Brumbies 45 bt Queensland Reds 21
Round nine: Brumbies 17 lost to Otago Highlanders 43
Round 10: Brumbies 20 lost to Argentina Jaguares 25
Round 11: Brumbies 8 lost to Canterbury Crusaders 21
Round 12: Brumbies 24 lost to Melbourne Rebels 27
Round 14: Brumbies 24 lost to Johannesburg Lions 24
Round 15: Brumbies 38 bt Pretoria Bulls 28
Round 16: Brumbies 41 bt Japan Sunwolves 31
Round 17: Brumbies 24 bt Wellington Hurricanes 12
Round 18: Brumbies 19 lost to Waikato Chiefs 24
Round 19: Brumbies 40 bt NSW Waratahs 31
