Brumbies vs Reds: Wallabies bolter watch, let’s talk about Tom Wright

CANBERRA: The ACT Brumbies have secured a top-three finish in Super Rugby Pacific with a 21-14 win over the Queensland Reds at GIO Stadium. Andy Muirhead and Tom Wright were among the try-scorers, as the home side held on for a tense win.

Captain Allan Alaalatoa limped off the field during the second half with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. Without any further updates, fans and Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt face an anxious wait two months out from the first Lions Test.

Here are some takeaways.

Brumbies are still Australia’s best Super Rugby team

The Brumbies are first on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.

With this win over the Reds, the Brumbies leapfrog the Crusaders and Chiefs into top spot, but they aren’t in control of their own destiny. With a bye week coming up, both of those Kiwi sides will rise back up the standings with a win in round 15.

This result also sets up an enthralling clash between the Brumbies and Crusaders in Canberra on May 30. That result will decide whether the men from Christchurch place in the top two, or whether the Brumbies have that honour going into the playoffs.

But regardless of how that plays out, the Brumbies are the real deal.

Ahead of the 2025 season, there was plenty of talk about the players both the Tahs and Reds had brought in, and the Force had also recruited some big names, including Dylan Pietsch. Some wondered whether a new team would emerge as Australia’s best.

Yet, here we are.

It’s déjà vu

The Brumbies are it.

Having completed a season sweep of the Reds, and with a top-two finish potentially 80 minutes of rugby away, the Brumbies have proven their worth once again. If anything, they’re better now than what they once were, and could very well go on to challenge for the top prize.

Wallabies bolter watch
If there’s going to be a genuine bolter in the Wallabies squad to face Fiji, and potentially to take on the British & Irish Lions, look no further than Lachie Anderson.

Anderson has been sensational for the Reds this season, which included another impressive performance against the Brumbies. That was Anderson’s 12^th start for Queensland in 2025, which is more than Tim ‘The Junkyard Dog’ Ryan and Filipo Daugunu on the wing.

After making the move north from Melbourne to Brisbane, Anderson has gone from strength to strength in a star-studded Reds side. Anderson has only scored four tries in 2025, but one of those was the match-winner last time out against the Waratahs in Sydney.

But if we look beyond that, it’s pretty well impossible to look past the impact and influence the winger is able to have, whether that’s under the high ball, running into contact, or standing tall on the defensive side of the ball.

In Canberra, Anderson started the match with a solid run into contact in the eighth minute, going on to have an impressive number of running metres by the 30-minute mark with 30, which was 22 shy of Daugun,u who was first overall at the time.

Anderson lined up opposite Paris Olympian Corey Toole, a man many want to see play for the Wallabies soon rather than later, but was unquestionably the winner of their head-to-head battle at GIO Stadium.

While Joe Schmidt is far more likely to select Harry Potter in the national squad, Anderson would almost be a like-for-like replacement if the Western Force flyer was to sustain an unfortunate injury either ahead of or during the Lions Series.

Hurricanes fans, rejoice

If you’re a Hurricanes fan, you were cheering the Brumbies on against the Reds.

With the Reds going down swinging, the stage is set for a shootout next week with the Canes, with the winner set to take hold of fourth going into the final round. Under the new competition format, that is a game-changer for whoever triumphs next Friday.

The highest-ranked loser gets a second chance in the playoffs this season. If the script goes to plan and the top three teams win, those being the Chiefs, Crusaders and Brumbies, then the fourth-placed side will progress to the semi-finals, even with a loss.

At about 9:30 pm AEST on May 23, either the Reds or Canes will be in the box seat with a week to go. The Reds host the Fijian Drua in their final round-robin fixture, while the Hurricanes return to Wellington where they’ll take on Ardie Savea’s Moana Pasifika at Sky Stadium.

Let’s talk about Tom Wright

Tom Wright has re-signed with the ACT Brumbies and Rugby Australia for another three years, until the end of 2028. Wright joins other Wallabies like Fraser McReight, Jeremy Williams, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Harry Wilson and Jake Gordon by recently signing new deals.

All of these contract extensions can only be a good thing for the Wallabies ahead of the Rugby World Cup on Australian soil in 2027. After impressing once again in 2024, Wright is widely considered the favourite to wear the Wallabies’ No. 15 jumper during the Lions Series.

But let’s talk about that.

Wright played 12 Tests in Wallaby gold last year, starting all of those appearances at fullback, but Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has predominantly been a fullback for the Tahs. It’s a genuine possibility that Suaalii lines up in that role against the Lions.

But that’s unlikely.

And with good reason.

Ahead of round 14, Wright was equal-fifth in Super Rugby for total carries with 134, 10^th for line breaks with 10, fourth for defenders beaten with 41, and one of the leaders in the competition for try assists.

Wright was also unusually quiet during the first term against the Reds, with the fullback running the ball three times and making one tackle, but the Wallaby bounced back with an improved second half.

For the first time this season, Wright scored a try.

Wright was ranked 30^th in RugbyPass’ Top 100 in 2024, and it’s little wonder why. With playmaking genius, a reliable kicking game, and the proven game-breaking ability required to star at both Super Rugby and Test levels, Wright is an automatic selection at No. 15.

Wright needs to start against the Lions.