OPINION: Australian Rugby is on a red hot run when it needed momentum the most to start 2025 after a clean sweep of the Super Rugby Pacific fixtures over the weekend.
The ACT Brumbies, Western Force and NSW Waratahs all recorded victories to begin their Super Rugby campaign, with the Queensland Reds short odds to do the same next Friday against Moana Pasifika.
Watch every match of Super Rugby Pacific live and on-demand exclusively on Stan Sport.
Fittingly, this is the first time all Australian sides has won in the opening round since 2001 when six months later, John Eales was hoisting the Tom Richards Trophy high in Australia’s last victorious Lions tour.
Yes, the quality of opponents faced over the weekend is notable; with many predicting before the season they will likely finish in the bottom half of the ladder.
The Crusaders-Hurricanes and Blues-Chiefs were epic encounters that proved why Super Rugby Pacific is the most competitive and exciting club competition in the world.
On top of this, opening rounds in the past have scheduled all Australian fixtures to kick off the season
However, the way that the Australian teams are winning is what should excite fans the most.
In the 72nd minute of each of the three wins, no Australian team was in front.
The fight shown by all three teams is symbolic of the belief within the sport at the moment.
It started with the Waratahs, who were far from their best but had enough patience to stick to the grind and power over through Siosifa Amone, who gained instant cult hero status.
With all the weapons in the backline, the fact three of their last four tries were forward-driven is a big positive for Dan McKellar’s side.
This was one-upped by the ACT Brumbies, who rallied despite missing close to double-digit Wallabies to claim Australia’s first win in Fiji. Luke Reimer is a great example of the growth a plethora of Australian players have had after their exposure to either Test or Australia XV Rugby.
Reimer was best on the ground for XV against England A, and the hunger to get back to the Wallabies was typified by how he stood up and dragged the Brumbies to victory almost single-handedly.
It also shows that while a potential exodus of talent from the Lions tour could be coming, the talent is there to step in and fill the void should that happen.
Finally, the Force looked dead and buried before Ben Donaldson stepped up as any seasoned Test playmaker should, shrugging off an ankle injury that had bothered him for the majority of the second half to sink Moana Pasifika after 26 phases.
It’s fitting Donaldson finished it off because he was the one who orchestrated the move three months ago at England that has seemingly lifted the fortunes and spirits of Australian Rugby.
The reality is that Australian Rugby, especially the Wallabies, has been so close for so long yet has lacked the ability to close out big moments.
2022 v England in Sydney, 2022 v All Blacks in Melbourne, 2023 v Argentina in Sydney, 2023 v All Blacks in Dunedin, even the World Cup v Fiji to at least nab a draw. The list goes on.
The moments have been there to take Australian Rugby to the next level and have never been seized upon until that England game.
The confidence is starting to filter through.
It continues to build on a snowballing momentum across the sport, starting with the Sevens sides achieving dual Finals in Perth, with the women taking out the title against favourites New Zealand with no Maddison Levi or Faith Nathan.
In a World Cup year, the Waratahs draw against the Blues in a pre-season trial is encouraging given the squads almost resembled an O’Reilly Cup preview given the talent in both sides.
It shows there is confidence brimming through players after their WXV 2 success, with the Western Force's big win over the Queensland Reds proof this year's Super Rugby Women's will be the most competitive yet.
The runway has been set up so perfectly for the sport to climb, but now it finally seems to have the belief and confidence to do so.
The challenge, as always, has been how to build off this and take the next step.
There’s a fair chance the run of wins continues into the Reds' clash with Moana Pasifika, meaning the first loss will be in an all-Australian clash between the Brumbies and Force
This is where it starts getting serious for the Australian teams, with the ACT side drawn to face the Chiefs and Blues away whilst the Reds take on the Crusaders in three weeks.
If they can continue to snowball and knock off the heavy hitters, hope turns to belief and belief turns to confidence.
Even still, it’s the perfect start to the 2025 season across the board that should be celebrated.
