University of Queensland stunned Brothers 45-33 to deny them history in the last round of the Sumo Energy Hospital Cup despite the addition of Josh Flook, James O’Connor and Matthew Faessler.
Brothers were aiming to be the first team since 1913 to go through the season undefeated but were turned away by a dazzling Red Heavies side at St Lucia on Saturday.
UQ racked up seven tries in its last afternoon with the old clubhouse, with doubles going to halfback Flynn McDermott and Reds winger Lachlan Anderson.
The highly-anticipated return of former Wallaby O’Connor saw him play the final 10 minutes in a second five-eighth role and cross for a consolation try.
Reds hooker Faessler played a solid 40 minutes around the paddock as a starter while Flook imposed himself in the wide channels off the bench in the second half.
The opening 20 minutes featured two tries apiece for both sides.
Flyhalf Tiarnan Neville broke the line for the Red Heavies, which led to Anderson going in untouched.
A penalty try evened the ledger for Brothers, before Reds winger Tim Ryan picked up the scraps and offloaded to form fullback Benn Dalle Cort, who went 60 metres to score.
McDermott then crossed as Neville orchestrated another nice passage of passes for UQ to lock the game at 14-14.
Man of the match contender Mac Grealy was the catalyst for the next three Red Heavies tries:
A lovely dummy-and-go broke the Brothers line as Grealy was tackled five out from the line. UQ summed up the situation perfectly as captain Will Robinson went short side for five.
Another Grealy dummy followed shortly after. With a quick first step, he went himself and scored under the sticks to put his side up 28-14.
It was Groundhog Day as Grealy broke a brittle Brothers line again and the pass was on point to give Anderson his second in the left corner.
Neville converted all three as he went five from five in the first half and five from seven overall. Brothers got the last laugh before the break, with Faessler scoring in tight off a maul to reduce the margin to 35-21.
Another Brothers comeback appeared to be brewing as reserve hooker Theo Fourie mirrored Faessler’s work in the first half, capitalising off a maul.
McDermott and Neville combined as part of a length-of-the-field try, off a spilt Brothers pass, that helped the Red Heavies regain control.
From one end to the other they went before quick-footed fullback Tom Howard finished off a brilliant ad lib try that covered 75m. There was a pinpoint long ball as part of it from No.8 Pat Sowerby.
McDermott capped off the performance of the season from UQ by scoring his second to shut the lights out on a potential Brothers comeback to make the scoreline read 45-26 before O'Connor crossed in the 79th minute.
While denying Brothers a place in the history books, UQ created some history of their own as the only side to take competition points off the Brethren in season 2026.
McDermott said the most traditional rivalry in the Hospital Cup is always a game the team lifts for.
“They're obviously the top of the competition and have been for some time, so any chance we get to go up against them we lift. It's pleasing to see it come through in both our results this year against them,” McDermott said.
The semi-finals are now officially locked in.
Wests pulled off a dramatic 40-39 win over premiers Bond University on the Gold Coast to leapfrog the 2025 premiers and take the final spot in the top four.
Remarkably, Wests let 21-0 early yet trailed at half-time. It was that sort of seesawing afternoon with tryscoring Wests winger Joji Nasova proving a fending, pacy handful.
Easts thrashed Sunnybank 61-15 at Bottomley Park. A bumping John Bryant try down the sideline was a feature of Souths defeating GPS 47-38 at Yoku Road.
Brothers and Norths will meet in the major semi-final at GPS Rugby Club on Saturday with the winner advancing straight to the grand final at Ballymore.
Next Sunday, Easts have lucked into home ground advantage at Bottomley Park for the minor semi-final against Wests.
The tightest top four race in recent history finished with Brothers well out in front on 72 points.
Norths (54), Easts (54) and Wests (52) completed the top four with UQ (51), Bond (49) and Souths (47) all rueing what might have been.
