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Christian Lealiifano makes rugby comeback for Brumbies

Christian Lealiifano. (AAP Image/David Moir)
22nd June, 2017
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Christian Lealiifano has made a remarkable comeback to rugby, playing for the Brumbies a little more than seven months after a bone marrow transplant to treat leukaemia.

The star five-eighth came on just after 50 minutes of the Brumbies’ match against the Asia-Pacific Dragons on Thursday night in Singapore.

It didn’t take long for Lealiifano to return to the scoresheet as he knocked over five conversions in the ACT-based franchise’s 61-14 victory.

The 29-year-old was diagnosed with cancer in August and had surgery in November.

Lealiifano, who has 19 Wallaby caps, has continued as Brumbies co-captain since entering remission earlier in the year, with the club also using him in an assistant coaching role.

His incredible return will spark hopes he can figure in the Brumbies’ finals campaign or their two remaining Super Rugby fixtures.

They will host a sudden-death final on July 21 after sealing the Australian conference before the June Test break.

Last week, Brumbies teammate and Wallabies prop Scott Sio said Lealiifano’s attitude had been an inspiration.

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“To see how calm and collected he is with the adversity he’s facing on a personal front, it really tells you to sit back and put everything in perspective and say, ‘it’s really not that tough if we’re willing to stick together and push through it’,” Sio said.

Meanwhile, Argentina halfback Tomas Cubelli also made his return for the Brumbies in his first game since injuring his knee in the pre-season.

After coming on in the second half, Cubelli showed his class with some silky passes and kicked the final conversion of the match.

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