Duelling allegiances to the Reds and Brumbies pump like two hearts within the Fainga’a twins who must have sore backsides from sitting on the fence with their tips for Saturday’s Super Rugby AU final.
Hooker Saia and centre Anthony were such rousing contributors to the 2011 Super Rugby title that you’d expect both would be instantly backing the Reds to win another decider at Suncorp Stadium.
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It’s not that simple. They are not not backing the Reds. Ditto for the Brumbies.
While both played the bulk of their Super Rugby careers with the Reds, you never forget your roots.
They are Queanbeyan-born and got their first breaks with the Brumbies just down the highway in Canberra.
Their late father Saia Snr was always one of rugby’s great split personalities on game days whenever Saia and Anthony, at the Reds, lined up against flanker brother Colby, with the Brumbies, between 2010-13.
“In the car just before, Saia said he’d take our father’s role and wear a Brumbies’ cap, a Reds’ shirt and Brumbies' pants,” Anthony said with a laugh.
Even when the twins weren’t playing the Brumbies, Saia Snr would wear something Brumbies related under a Reds’ jacket as a little reminder to his boys of where they came from.
“We’ve been coached by Dan (McKellar), Laurie Fisher gave us both our first contracts (when Brumbies coach), mum and our sister both still live down there in Queanbeyan,” Saia added.
“I’ll probably sit on the fence with a tip.”
“What I do know is that it’s going to be a great game. You have great players, leaders and unity with these two clubs and it’ll be amazing to see them go head-to-head.”
Added Anthony: “For me, the big rivalry game was also Reds-Brumbies, never so much the Waratahs.
“Basically, the Brumbies were the team that told me ‘Ant, you’re not good enough.’ “Saia and I left, came to the Reds in 2009 and that rivalry was always there.”
Anthony, who went on to play 23 Tests, sees parallels with the evolution of the current Reds to the team that coach Ewen McKenzie turned from easybeats to champs in two years in 2010-11.
“We were coming near last (13th in 2009). We were young, really inexperienced, did work really, really hard and we won a premiership,” Anthony said.
"I remember Ewen had us in the video room before the 2011 final and told us 'we're tipped to lose but in this room we know we are favourites.' That was a really strong message for our team.
“A few years ago, this Reds side was young and inexperienced. Now look how they are playing and the depth of good players.”
Saia pinpointed James O’Connor’s fresh maturity as one of the key driving forces within the Reds’ rise in 2020-21.
“He’s still the same person but he’s become a better man. That’s what I say to people,” Saia said.
“He's shown some of the young kids at the Reds what to do and really brought them on. That leadership role is something he has really embraced and being around figures like Brad Thorn and Jim McKay has helped a lot.”
Anthony had a strong view that the all-Australian Super Rugby competitions had been huge winners and the jump in viewers on Stan Sport in 2021 supports it.
“You are seeing that tribalism. No Australian team is losing because even if the Waratahs do, it's the Reds beating them like it goes in the NRL,” Anthony said.
“It’s been a great competition for Australian rugby.”
Saia jumped in: “Sometimes you can’t give young guys exposure against a New Zealand or South African side but more young Australian players are getting time in this competition.”
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Enough talking around the point. Who’s going to be a gamebreaker and who is going to win the final?
“Tate McDermott has those wheels, direction around the field and he’s quite zippy and I look to guys who are going to touch the ball a lot in big games,” Anthony said.
“If he plays well, the Reds are going to do really well."
Saia chimed in: “The scrum is going to be really important, of course. Any opportunity for a kick at penalty goal the Reds are going to take it. "
Winner? It'll be a ripper final but the Fainga'a brothers are fence-sitting after all this fuss.
It’s a rematch of the 2020 Super Rugby AU decider as the Reds host the Brumbies on Saturday 8 May at Suncorp Stadium, kicking off at 7:45 pm AEST.Click here to purchase tickets to one of the most anticipated Rugby matches of the year.
