Super Rugby Pacific returned with a bang as the Australian teams came out firing in Round One.
The NSW Waratahs opened their account with a strong win over the Queensland Reds in Sydney on Friday.
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
Meanwhile, the ACT Brumbies came back from an early deficit to prove too strong for the Western Force in Perth.
Rugby.com.au breaks it down and selects its Team of the Week from the Australian teams in Round One.
A near sweep for the NSW Waratahs after they were clinical up front against the Queensland Reds.
Tom Lambert won several penalties against Zane Nonggorr at scrum time late in the first half, while Ethan Dobbins was near perfect all night with his throws to go with a physical display.
Rhys van Nek just edges out Dan Botha, who was great in an 80 minute shift, with his try and strong ball carrying the difference.
James Slipper deserves a mention, proving he still has it in his first match since his Test retirement.
Two worthy nominations for players in a losing effort.
Salakaia-Loto was a physical beast and did enough for selection over Miles Amatosero.
Meanwhile, Molina was everywhere for the Force and was a bundle of energy from his first play to his last, which was a well deserved try backing up Ben Donaldson’s break.
The toughest group to nail down.
Every blindside flanker for the Australian teams was world-class, but Ekuasi’s impact in his carries and defence was the tie-breaker, but the likes of Joe Brial, Clem Halaholo and Rob Valetini would easily make this team in future weeks with similar performances.
McReight and Cale were two of the best across the weekend, with the Reds skipper lethal over the ball while Cale’s athleticism was a big reason behind the Brumbies’ big win, finishing with a double and a try assist.
A clean sweep for the Brumbies in a tidy performance for the visitors in Perth.
Lonergan’s delivery was on point all night, also showing off the ball-running ability with a rare scrum-half crash ball line.
As for Meredith, he took over the game, sparking the visitors with a brutal bump off through a pair of Wallabies for a try, proving to be the architect of their comeback win.
Jake Gordon was a narrow omission, showing why he is the Wallabies incumbent in the Reds' victory.
Another tough group to select but Paisami and Pritchard get the nod.
Paisami’s influence flew under the radar, but he put in a very good shift to limit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s involvement and space to create.
For Pritchard, he really shone late in the fixture as he impressed on his debut start.
Joey Walton and David Feliuai were reliable as ever in their respective wins.
Jorgensen was the player of the round in a truly world-class showing from the Wallaby.
He did it all, whether it was a special solo effort or a freakish defensive save to shut down the Reds.
Sapsford and Muirhead round out the team, with the unsung heroes of the Brumbies picking their moments to piece apart the Force.
1. Tom Lambert
2. Ethan Dobbins
3. Rhys van Nek
4. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
5. Franco Molina
6. Clem Halaholo
7. Fraser McReight
8. Charlie Cale
9. Ryan Lonergan
10. Declan Meredith
11. Max Jorgensen
12. Hunter Paisami
13. Kadin Pritchard
14. Ollie Sapsford
15. Andy Muirhead
