Progress is slowly happening: What each of our Aussie Super Rugby teams must do to take the next step
There is a lot of hope around the country, but there's so much more work still to be done.
The Brumbies have suffered a heart-breaking Super Rugby defeat with the Sharks scoring a try after the siren to snatch a 27-22 win in Canberra.
Sharks centre Lukhnayo Am pounced on a kick after 81 minutes to stun the majority of the about 8000 fans at GIO Stadium on Saturday night.
Only a few minutes earlier with the scores level, replacement Brumbies flyhalf Isaac Thompson attempted a 40m drop-goal that missed to the left.
The Brumbies had clawed their way back to tie the game up with 10 minutes remaining when Wallabies centre Tevita Kuridrani, who struggled to have a major influence, got on the end of three quick passes to cross next to the post to bring them within two.
Wharenui Hawera converted to level the scores.
The home side got out to a 15-3 lead after half an hour thanks to tries from Henry Speight and Josh Mann-Rea and a penalty goal from Hawera.
Speight crossed courtesy of a perfect long pass from Kyle Godwin while Mann-Rea drove over the tryline to score.
The Sharks then piled on 19 unanswered points as they capitalised on the Brumbies’ poor discipline.
Tendai Mtawarira started the Sharks’ comeback with a 35th-minute try, while flyhalf Pat Lambie made them pay for giving away too many penalties.
They grabbed the lead for the first time just before halftime and carried that momentum into the second half where they dominated the majority of the term.
Lambie nailed the fifth of his seven penalty attempts to open up a 22-15 advantage while Brumbies centre Kyle Godwin was in the sin bin for a professional foul.
The Brumbies remain winless after their opening-round defeat to the Crusaders and their next chance to open their account will be in Canberra on Friday night against the Western Force.
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