Tries, trick plays and a thumping their biggest rivals. This ACT Brumbies team is the real deal and it's time for Canberra to jump on board to ride their wave to the finals.
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The Brumbies booked their ticket to the Super Rugby play-offs with a massive win against the NSW Waratahs on Saturday night, demolishing their arch enemy by 35-24.
The result coupled with the Melbourne Rebels' capitulation has guaranteed the Brumbies' place at the Australian conference and will see them host a final on either June 21 or 22.
It's a remarkable turnaround given they won just two of their first seven games this year. They have now won five in a row to go on their longest winning streak in 12 years.
But the biggest challenge this season hasn't come from their opponents. It's been about convincing Canberra rugby fans they're genuine title contenders.
The club's average crowd numbers have dropped to their lowest level in Super Rugby history with one regular season game to go against the Queensland Reds next weekend.
And despite the way Australian rugby has repeatedly shot itself in the foot over the past three years, the Brumbies are the bona fide glimmer of hope.
"I'm enjoying the way we're playing at the moment, the way the group can adapt out there and the way the group is growing," said Brumbies captain Christian Lealiifano.
"That's the pleasing thing, seeing the group connected and preparing well. Being able to trust each other ... Our season could go one of two ways [early], we looked at hard at what we needed to improve and we zeroed in on that. I've been impressed with the group's growth and hopefully we can continue that."
Beating NSW to seal their place as the best Australian team will make their season resurgence even sweeter when the players wake up on Sunday.
The Brumbies scored 28 unanswered points in the first half after the Waratahs took an early 3-0 lead.
"It was pretty positive rugby," said Brumbies coach Dan McKellar. "Nice, direct and disciplined when we had to be and then took our opportunities in space.
"The Tahs are a quality side and they came out and challenged us, which you'd expect. We didn't get it all our way, but in the first half we were very good.
"Over the last couple of months we've proved it's not a fluke. We're working hard and we're keen for the support to be shown."
The Brumbies scored three tries in less than 10 minutes in the first half, with Rory Arnold, Andy Muirhead and Irae Simone mixing brains with brawn to stun NSW.
They turned to the rolling maul for the icing on the cake in the first half with Folau Faingaa scoring his 11th try of the season from the team's pet move.
But their desperate and scrambling defence was equally as impressive, turning up to repel the Waratahs every time they looked destined to score.
Everything seemed to be going the Brumbies' way until the half-time siren sounded. When the teams came back on to the field, all of the trickery, enthusiasm and confidence disappeared.
The Waratahs struck first when Nick Phipps scored and then Adam Ashley-Cooper got across the line with 10 minutes left to give NSW hope.
But Tom Cusack scored from the back of a dominant scrum to re-establish the buffer and to snuff out the Waratahs' faint finals chance.
Curtis Rona scored after the final siren to deny the Brumbies a bonus-point victory, but all the damage was done in the first half and the ACT side won by 11 points.
"The Brumbies, they stuck to their guns and played a really dominant game there," said Waratahs captain Michael Hooper.
"Credit to them, they've worked out a strong way of playing, they've stuck to that and I wish them luck for the remaining games."
But before they get to the finals, the Brumbies will be determined to get redemption against the Reds after a dismal showing in Brisbane earlier this year.
AT A GLANCE
ACT BRUMBIES 35 (Rory Arnold, Andy Muirhead, Irae Simone, Folau Faingaa, Tom Cusack tries; Christian Lealiifano 5 conversions) bt NSW WARATAHS 24 (Nick Phipps, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Curtis Rona tries; Bernard Foley 3 conversions, penalty) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: Ben O'Keeffe. Crowd: 12,016