Brumbies run in nine tries in statement defeat of Moana Pasifika

A brilliant Tom Wright try-of-the-year contender has helped the ACT Brumbies trounce Moana Pasifika in a statement 39-point Super Rugby Pacific win in Canberra.

Five-eighth Noah Lolesio was also a standout in Friday’s 60-21 victory, the Brumbies scoring nine tries and moving to 4-1 ahead of a tasty Australian derby with the in-form Queensland Reds in Brisbane next Saturday.

The game was in the balance when Wright boldly chipped across-field from the Brumbies’ line, finding flying winger Corey Toole in traffic.

Toole, who did his own Test case no harm with another scything display, veered back in-field and found Wright again for a daring full-field try.

Pasifika had looked set to score themselves before hooker Billy Pollard stripped a runaway Nigel Ah Wong, giving Wright the platform to display some Brumbies brilliance.

Lolesio dropped a pass with the line in sight, but it was an early blemish in an otherwise dominant performance by the man overlooked for a World Cup role last year.

He no sooner set up Hudson Creighton with a line-break and flick pass, then kicked across-field to create a try after halftime, and threw the last pass for rampaging flanker Charlie Cale to score.

No.12 Tamati Tua scored from a turnover, Pollard showing a clean set of heels before Rob Valetini stormed on to a pass and set up the centre.

Pasifika, who are now 2-3, kept early pace when they twice exposed a thin left-side Brumbies defence and scored through Kyren Taumoefolau and Lotu Inisi.

Wright’s bold play swung the tide – it was 43-14 before the visitors scored again – and he iced his display with a polished assist for Toole and a try of his own in a two-minute burst in the final stages.

The Brumbies’ not-so-subtle reminder of their class comes ahead of a spicy encounter with the Reds, who are 3-1 and sit second ahead of Saturday’s date with the winless Western Force in Perth.