The tries will bring back the crowds, but the ACT Brumbies' defence will lay the platform for their title hopes this year.
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The Brumbies won their first game in New Zealand in five years and ended a 13-year drought in Hamilton when they beat the Waikato Chiefs by 12 points on Saturday night.
The 26-unanswered points they scored in the first 42 minutes was eye-catching rugby.
But the way they repelled a Chiefs' stampede in the second half sets up their season and announced their arrival as genuine contenders.
They scrambled to protect their line and have conceded just four tries in the past two games. One of those was a charge down, the three others took persistence from the opposition.
If they can defend like that every week, and blend it with their enterprising attack, they'll be there at the pointy end of the season.
SOLOMONE KATA BRINGING THE X-FACTOR
NRL convert Solomone Kata showed with his first touch why the Brumbies recruited him this season.
In fact, his first handful of involvements left no one in doubt about his X-factor ability.
He made a break with his first touch, threw a superb offload with his second and then scored not long later.
Many thought the Brumbies would struggle to replace Henry Speight this season after he defected to the Queensland Reds.
But in Kata, Tom Wright and Andy Muirhead, they've shown they've still got try-scoring class out wide.
BORING RUGBY? NO THANKS
What a difference some dry weather makes. The Brumbies were unfairly criticised for using their rolling maul on a wet and slippery night at Canberra Stadium last week.
It was perhaps fueled by a perception of the way they play, particularly over most of the past decade.
But it missed the mark, especially when you consider this: the Brumbies have scored 17 tries this year and just four have been as a result of mauls.
Pete Samu scored a double, sending another reminder to Wallabies coach Dave Rennie with a superb performance.
Solomone Kata and Tom Banks also scored out wide and at one point the Brumbies had thrown 10 offloads to the Chiefs' nil. Noah Lolesio, Kata and even the forwards got in on the act to break the defence open.
The Chiefs are supposed to be Super Rugby's entertainers, but the Brumbies beat them at their own game.
HAMILTON HAMMER TIME
Remember Possum, the chainsaw-weilding fan hanging from the cherry picker at Chiefs games?
He was still around when the Brumbies' last beat the Chiefs in Hamilton.
Possum hasn't been there since 2010, which says a lot about the drought.
Stephen Larkham and George Gregan were still playing in the 2007 win before finishing their Australian careers that year.
As for the six-year Kiwi drought? The last win in New Zealand was Dan McKellar's first as assistant coach in 2014 and he was pretty pleased to end the curse.
THE HAMILTON CROWD
Speaking of Possum ... a lot has changed since he put the chainsaw away. The cowbells don't even ring as loudly these days.
Those were Super Rugby's glory years, but the rev of the chainsaw hasn't been heard since 2010, which mirrors the competition's decline.
There were plenty of spare seats for the Brumbies-Chiefs clash, which should set off alarm bells at Super Rugby HQ if they weren't already ringing.
The Chiefs were unbeaten before the match and the Brumbies had won two of three.
Sure, Australia's lack of success in New Zealand probably had an impact, but if New Zealand is struggling to get crowds how are Australian sides in a crammed market expected to fill stands?
The competition needs a revamp for everyone's sake, not just to help a struggling code in Australia.
AT A GLANCE
ACT BRUMBIES 26 (Pete Samu 2, Tom Banks, Solomone Kata tries; Noah Lolesio 3 conversions) bt WAIKATO CHIEFS 14 (Aaron Cruden, Anton Lienert-Brown tries; Damian McKenzie 2 conversions) at Hamilton on Saturday night. Referee: Ben Pickerill