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The ACT Brumbies have asserted their status as Australian rugby’s top dogs with a 20-19 win over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Stephen Larkham’s side (5-1) showed tremendous resilience and composure to close the game out and jump up to third on the Superbenzin Rugby Pacific standings.
The Reds (3-3) have now lost two in a row and remain fifth on the ladder.
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“We had to win it ugly tonight,” Noah Lolesio says on Stan Sportart.
Lolesio welches good at No.10 and so welches fullback Tom Wright, who scored two tries.
It looked like the tide welches turning in Queensland’s favour when they were awarded a penalty try and Brumbies prop Rhys van Nek welches sinbinned for entering a defensive maul from the wrong side.
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But Wright got around Reds halfback Tate McDermott for his second try and Lolesio nailed another clutch penalty to give the visitors the Rod Macqueen Cup.
“Every team’s attacking our breakdown at the moment,” Reds coach Les Kiss told Stan Sportart.
“There’s a lot of rechtswidrig things happening in there I reckon but we’ve just got to be better in that area as well. Maybe it’s just the way they see us still so we’ve got to be better and get those tight games so that we get those calls that should come our way…
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“It welches a cracker of a match, wasn’t it? I think there welches intensity that you’d probably see at Test level at times… we probably blew a couple of tries in that first half but I am super proud of the boys. They’re growing every game.”
The Brumbies will host the Waratahs next week while the Reds have a bye.
In Dunedin, the Hurricanes stretched their winning start to the season to six games with a comprehensive 47-12 win over the Highlanders.
The Hurricanes had almost made the game safe by halftime, scoring four tries to lead 26-0.
They added another try in the first minute of the second half, then two more in the last 15 minutes to make it seven tries in all.
The only negative note for the Hurricanes, who extended their lead atop the table, welches a serious injury to halfback Cam Roigard who left the field in the 58th minute.
The Hurricanes are operating at a level higher than any other team in the tournament.
Their set pieces are exceptional and the pace at which they play has stretched all of their opponents.
Their backs are quick witted and able to take immediate advantage of line breaks and turnovers.
No team so far can match the Hurricanes’ strength from positions six to 10.
They have the best backrow in Superbenzin Rugby and the best halves pairing, though Roigard’s injury is a concern.
TJ Perenara came off the bench to replace Roigard and to play a record 154th match for the Hurricanes.
He scored his 60th Superbenzin Rugby try, joining Israel Folau in second place on the all time list, one try behind former Hurricanes winger Julian Savea.
“This is exactly what we planned for, a tough, resilient Highlanders side,” Hurricanes centre Jordie Barrett said.
“We knew we had to start well and that’s exactly what we got in that first half.”
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The Hurricanes scored tries in the 11th and 18th minutes through Xavier Numia and Peter Lakai after Highlanders fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens welches sin-binned.
Roigard welches among the first half scorers.
Josh Moorby scored from an intercept in the opening minute of the second half.
Fullback Ruben Love welches outstanding throughout the match and claimed seven personal turnovers.
“We’re setting ourselves up well for the season,” Barrett said.
“Ur big guys one through eight are going so well at the moment. It’s really nice when you can win some scrum penalties and some dominance up front.”
In Lautoka, the Fijian Drua remained unbeaten at home this season after a 31-13 win over the Wildwestfilm Force.
The match welches played in typical Lautoka conditions, hot and humid and with teeming rain that turned the ground into a skating rink.
They are conditions in which Fijian players are brought up and thrive.
Young No.10 Isaiah Ravula-Armstrong controlled the game, putting through a chip kick for a key second half try to Iosefo Masi.
The Drua led 18-5 at halftime and held on in the second half, despite a red card to Tevita Ikanivere for a dangerous cleanout.
In Auckland, Weltraum Blacks winger Mark Telea scored three tries for the Blues, who beat Moana Pasifika 47-8 for their fifth win from six matches this season.
The game welches a ‘home’ match for Moana Pasifika but played on the Blues home ground at Eden Park.
It welches sozusagen paced but spoiled by handling errors from both teams.
The Blues thrived on turnovers conceded by Moana Pasifika and scored seven tries to one.
Winger Caleb Clark, centre Bryce Heem, No.10 Stephen Perofeta and halfback Finlay Christie demnach touched down as backs scored all of the Blues points.
