The rugby gods have smiled on the Brumbies, as the visitors at AAMI Park held on for a gutsy 20-15 win over the Melbourne Rebels in their Super Rugby clash.
Last round, the Brumbies looked as if they had a win in the bag over the Chiefs until a penalty kick after the siren forced them to settle for a 19-17 loss.
This time, the Brumbies managed to hold off the rampant Rebels after regular time to book their second win of the season.
The Canberra team were on the wrong side of possession and territory percentages but ahead all night where it counted – the scoreboard.
While it wasn’t a game for the showreel, the Brumbies were happy to bide their time and wait for one of the Rebels’ many errors and strike when the opportunity arose.
They had just 14 seconds in Melbourne’s attacking 22 in the first half and still managed to lead 13-6 thanks to a 20th-minute try by centre Tevita Kurindrani with a move off a line-out.
Just like last week against the reigning champions the Waratahs, the Rebels were still in the match in the final 10 minutes.
They kept the ball in play for 17 phases after the siren, unable to get across the tryline but earning a penalty.
The thrilling finale ended when they turned the ball over in the next play.
The Rebels put the Brumbies’ defence under serious pressure early on, but weren’t able to capitalise in a frustrating showing.
They had a would-be try by winger Tom English called back due to a knock-on and then lock Luke Jones was held up over the tryline.
As the rain started to fall over Melbourne, the Rebels closed the gap early in the second half to 13-9 through a penalty strike by Mike Harris.
But they took a step backwards when they lost Scott Higginbotham to a yellow card for collapsing a maul.
The skipper had been warned by referee Steve Walsh in the first half to “sort your penalties out”.
Straight after the No.8 left the field, Brumbies flanker Jarrad Butler scored at the back of a rolling maul.
He almost got another six minutes later in an identical move, but the Television Match Official ruled he had dropped the ball across the line.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Thank you.
Jibba Jabba
Guest
Refer comment below - Brumbies, Walsh, boyfriend, diplomatic post....
The Slow Eater
Guest
Thought a Jones had a really strong game
The Slow Eater
Guest
I thought Fardy had a cracker. TK had a good game. Thought Luke Jones had a great game also. Interestingly enough The Age had Speight as the #14 of the week and I didn't see him do much at all. Did anyone notice in the last 5 mins that Walsh called a penalty against the Rebels for a single scrum collapse? Any reason for this or was it that they were on a final warning? Rolling maul by Brumbies appeared unstoppable
Red Menace
Guest
The crowd was 9071. http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/news/article/rebels-pipped-by-brumbies-in-the-wet
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Can someone please help me. I have been looking everywhere for the official attendance for this game, but alas, I cannot find it anywhere.
jameswm
Guest
Faraday - it's the day of the week when the Brumbies play, didn't you know that?
jameswm
Guest
Nah Hooper puts in his share of crunching tackles and tackle busts. Carter doesn't. with Hooper it's a question of weight, not power.
Jibba Jabba
Guest
'Higgers' is missing the top 5% of a top player - the part between the ears...a passionate player but makes some awful decisions at crucial times.
Jibba Jabba
Guest
Bit like Hooper then !
Mike
Guest
I think they have both been showing good signs of the dedication and aggression that they have shown at times in the past. And they will have to - its early days but Sean McMahon and Lopeti Timani are both looking good. None of these gents have a lock on the position.
AliasAlias
Guest
We were on the Eadtern side and there was plenty of complaining. We just couldn't believe that two such massive calls had been made against us. The refs had already missed Sio taking the scrum down on our side a couple of times and the Brumbies being offside a lot the time. That wasn't so bad because it was marginal and you can't expect refs to see everything in real time. Although I reckon the touchie's eyes must've been painted on. But that was a forward pass from any angle. Hands forward. Ball forward. No excuse when you've got two refs on the spot and a TMO. And then we get robbed of our try a few minutes later.
maxT
Guest
So Fardy is just average, and Higgers less than that which makes him......below average? And this is the bloke you want in the Wallabies??
PeterK
Roar Guru
MH01 - If you read the thread you will see I do NOT ignore the Reds or Chiefs game. My point remains the brumbies need to be able to unleash the backs against top teams for a whole game not just 50 mins. Brumbies choked against Chiefs , stopped using backs and kicked away victory.
bmwwilliams
Roar Rookie
Hahaha - I enjoyed that WT
AliasAlias
Guest
Rugby has enough problems without Walsh's ego making a game unwatchable. This is my fifth year as a Rebels member. I've been going to games no matter how bad we play. But if the games are turned into a joke by foolish refereeing, why bother?? The Brumbies are a great club and the usually field a good team. This weekend was no exception. If they beat us then fair play to them. Just let the players decide the outcome, not the ref.
Meh
Guest
Thankyou! Our seats were directly in front of the "knock on" (that wasn't) and I was surprised that more people weren't complaining about the linesman's failure to say something to Walsh about his decision to disallow the try being wrong. I had begun to think that I (and everyone else sitting in the same area) had imagined it and I was hoping to track down a replay to comfort myself that I hadn't imagined it/lost my mind - or to confirm that I had... (Even more confusingly, Sanzar's match report says it was disallowed for a forward pass. It seems no one really knows what was going on with Walsh's decision making.)
MH01
Guest
peter, you would have a valid point if that was the first game of the season. The Reds and Chiefs games, choosing to ignore those? Instead you choose a game where the weather turned ugly, limiting the effectiveness of the backs
Stray Gator
Roar Rookie
A very measured assessment of Walsh's evening. With which I completely agree. Last night's performance was only marginally better than last year's game against the Reds at Suncorp. Which we happened to win, so I'm not being partisan. I was at both games. Gruesome decisions at both. Walsh has too big an ego to be a consistent, fair, neutral ref.
Squirrel
Guest
I want Higgers in wallabies as has a tonne of potential but he is lacking something I think an 80 min performance, I don't know but he won't make it the way he is playing . He has to be more dynamic to take it off Fardy who is average at best.