Brumbies brothers eye another famous Lions upset
MELBOURNE - The Lonergan brothers will look to help the ACT Brumbies pull off another improbable win over the British & Irish Lions on Wednesday, 12 years after cheering from the terraces as the Super Rugby team stunned the touring side in Canberra.
Scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, 27, captains the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium while his 25-year-old brother Lachlan, capped eight times for Australia, starts at hooker against Andy Farrell's men.
The Brumbies became the first provincial team to beat the Lions in 16 years when World Cup-winning coach Jake White orchestrated a 14-12 win over Warren Gatland's side in 2013.
"I still remember it. I think I was sitting over there somewhere when I was a little fella," Ryan Lonergan told reporters on Tuesday, gesturing at the southern end of Canberra Stadium.
"Pretty sure (Lachlan) was probably eating a pie or something.
"When we got up over the Lions, (it was) such a memorable moment even as a fan.
"So to be able to do it tomorrow as a player (would be) super special and the boys are really excited."
The Brumbies draw pride from their record against the Lions.
In 2001, they came close to beating Graham Henry's side with only a late Matt Dawson conversion lifting the Lions to a 30-28 win.
Stephen Larkham was assistant coach to White during the 2013 upset and as the Brumbies' current head coach will guide a similarly understrength team on Wednesday.
Most of their best players are at the Wallabies camp with Joe Schmidt, preparing for the July 19 series-opener against the Lions in Brisbane.
One Wallaby will be starting for the Brumbies, though, just three days after coming off the bench in the 21-18 win over Fiji in Newcastle.
The abrasive Tom Hooper will be starting blindside flanker, while his 21-year-old brother Lachlan, also a loose forward, has a chance to make his Brumbies debut off the bench.
"Hoops, he's a machine," Lonergan said of the 24-year-old Wallaby.
"So I'm sure he probably would have played 80 (minutes) and he would have been keen to come back and play.
"Special night for him as well to be able to play alongside his brother."
Long Australia's best-performing team in Super Rugby, the Brumbies will be tasked with softening up a Lions selection that may be the closest to Farrell's side for the first test.
On paper, the Brumbies are massively outgunned but their players have taken note of how the lightly-regarded New South Wales Waratahs proved disruptive in a 21-10 defeat by the Lions in Sydney on Saturday.
"Nobody gave them a shot and they made it a really uncomfortable night for the lads," said Lonergan.
"They went really hard at the breakdown .... sort of made a mess of it there and if you can do that and disrupt their game a bit, I think it goes a long way to putting yourself in the fight." REUTERS
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