'A quality team': Brumbies looking to snap Brisbane hoodoo against rivals Reds

The ACT Brumbies have been a class above their Australian rivals this Super Rugby Pacific season but they will need to snap a serious hoodoo if they are to take down Queensland in round seven.

The Brumbies have not won at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium since 2015 and are riding a six-game losing streak at the venue, a run that includes heartbreaking memories of their 2021 Super Rugby AU grand-final defeat.

But the Brumbies have become a winning machine since that devastating night, victors in nine of their last 10 outings against Australian teams as they have established themselves as the nation’s best club side.

ACT coach Stephen Larkham is not expecting an easy ride in the tough Brisbane conditions on Good Friday, as his side look to end their Queensland disappointment against a Reds outfit coming off back-to-back losses.

“It’s the rivalry we’ve got with the Reds that’s been steadily building over the last couple of years,” he said.

“They’re a quality team. They’ve got a lot of Wallaby players in their 23.

“The humidity, the temperature, the crowd, the travel, it all comes into it.

“We’ve certainly addressed that at the start of this week but it’s not something that makes it any easier for the boys when they get out there. They’re going to have to deal with lots of distractions.”

The Brumbies’ hot form was rewarded with 13 players named in Eddie Jones’ recent Wallabies training squad, while the Reds had four.

Both sides have troops who will be determined to play their way into Jones’ future plans.

Queensland five-eighth James O’Connor – who has been dropped to the bench for the Brumbies clash – missed out on a first call-up under the new national coach, as did ACT playmaker Noah Lolesio.

Reds’ No.15 Jock Campbell, meanwhile, will be out to make a statement against Brumby Tom Wright, one of three fullbacks in Jones’ squad as preparations begin in earnest for the Rugby World Cup, which kicks off in France in September.

Larkham said players should not give up on their World Cup dream, adding the squad could easily look very different by the end of the season.

“The best (squad) announcement for a player is really the one at the end of the Super Rugby season,” he said.

“It’s an honour and a privilege for the guys who got announced this time around, but there is a long way to go.”