‘World’s Finest’ Ends Drought with Brilliant Hat-Trick for Brumbies

Len Ikitau marked his return to the try-scoring charts with a spectacular performance, netting a hat-trick in the ACT Brumbies’ 38-21 Super Rugby Pacific victory over the Fijian Drua in Canberra on Friday night.

The fifth round encounter had the potential to be a tricky match, as the Brumbies needed to focus again following their emotional upset victory against the defending champions, the Blues, at Eden Park.

Facing a formidable Drua side—fresh from their surprise triumph over the table-topping Chiefs in Lautoka last weekend—was never going to be an easy task.

Despite not having crossed the line since May last year, Ikitau made a significant contribution to the scoreboard in front of a lively crowd at GIO Stadium.

The 26-year-old dotted down for two tries in the first half and added another in the second, propelling the Brumbies to second place in the standings, just behind the Chiefs.

Next season, Ikitau is set to play in England with the Exeter Chiefs, which means he will miss the Super Rugby competition, but Rugby Australia is eager to have him return to Canberra prior to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

“Lenny is exceptional close to the line when attacking,” said Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham to Stan Sport.

“Defensively, he’s remarkable as a number 13; I genuinely believe he’s the best in the world.”

Ikitau light-heartedly mentioned that he prefers to play the role of a provider.

“To be honest, I’d rather be setting up the tries so I can skip these interviews,” he quipped.

“I just wanted to get in the frame, you know, making sure to back up and be supportive on the field, so I was pleased with that.

“I was quite frustrated with my performance last week against the Blues, so I wanted to come out strong, ensuring I was carrying the ball well and defending effectively…

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“Missing out on the World Cup squad in 2023 was tough, but my little boy (son Lennox) was born around that time, which helped me stay positive.

“It was wonderful to spend time with him when he was younger, so that was a silver lining.”

Larkham has decided to give his players two days off before they gear up for a crucial clash against the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on March 22.

The unbeaten Waratahs will first face off against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.

“We’ve already done our analysis on them, and I’m keen to see how they perform this weekend,” Larkham remarked, as he’s in consideration to take over from Joe Schmidt as the Wallabies’ head coach.

“It will provide a great insight into the Waratahs’ current standing.

“Their forwards have been particularly strong and dynamic.

“Their scrum seems to dominate nearly every other team they’ve faced, and they boast some exciting backs as well.

“They have a few players returning from injuries, which should make it an excellent test for us this year.”