Brumbies shock Chiefs, Sharks beat Rebels in Super Rugby
Queensland Reds score 10 tries to thump Japan’s Sunwolves 64-5
HAMILTON, New Zealand, Feb 22, (AP): The ACT Brumbies overcame a preparation disrupted by an outbreak of mumps to beat the Chiefs 26-14 in Super Rugby on Saturday, ending the Chiefs’ three-match unbeaten start to the season.
The Brumbies shocked the Chiefs with their intensity on attack in the first half and defense in the second and also with their style, departing from the rolling mauls which have been the feature of their play this season to produce a more attacking game.
Stung by a loss last week to the Dunedin-based Highlanders, who scored their winning try after the full-time siren, the Brumbies overwhelmed the Chiefs, scoring three tries to lead 19-0 at halftime and another to lead 26-0 after 43 minutes.
The Chiefs hit back with two tries of their own in the first 15 minutes of the second half. But their comeback stalled in the face of desperate Brumbies defense, led by center Tevita Kuridrani.
Hookers Connal McInerney and Lachlan Lonergan won crucial turnovers late in the match to stem Chiefs’ attacks while others died in the face of relentless tackling.
“I’m just really proud of the boys, they dug deep and that showed in the fast start that we had,” Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa said.
“We knew the Chiefs would come out really hard in the second half, which they did, and we did really well to hold them out. “I think the boys were just holding on to that grudge from last week, how we lost in the last two minutes.”
Tom Banks, Solomone Kata and Pete Samu scored the Brumbies’ firsthalf tries and Samu scored again in the second half as the Brumbies posted their first win in New Zealand since 2014. It was also the first win in seven games this season by an Australian team against a foreign opponent.
“It was a tough one but exactly what we expected,” Chiefs captain
Sam Cane said. “We just didn’t front up, especially in that first half. We were pretty much still on the bus.”
South Africa’s Durban-based Sharks earlier extended a two-year winning streak against the Melbourne Rebels with a 36-24 win.
The Sharks played with just 13 men to start the second half leading 22-10. After the Rebels pulled to within 2217, the Sharks scored on a 19-phase try to give them some breathing room over the final 15 minutes.
A length-of-the field run ending with a try to flyhalf Curwin Bosch clinched it with eight minutes remaining. A late Rebels try prevented the Sharks from taking a bonus point.
Makazole Mapimpi scored the game’s opening try in the fifth minute to give the South Africans an early lead. But the Rebels quickly replied as Andrew Deegan – filling in at flyhalf for Matt To’omua – sent Marika Koroibete through a hole with a short ball. The playmaker’s conversion leveled the score at 7-7 after 10 minutes.
Sharks winger Madosh Tambwe touched down out wide from a pass from Bosch to score and the flyhalf’s conversion gave the visitors a 22-10 halftime lead.
“It was a lot of running rugby, great match and great conditions to play in,” Sharks captain Andre Esterhuizen said.
The Rebels hadn’t played a match in regional Victoria in 10 years. Ballarat is a former gold mining town about 110 kilometers (70 miles) west of Melbourne and its small Eureka Stadium has a capacity of 11,000 but only seats for just over 5,000 spectators.
In a later match at Brisbane, the Queensland Reds notched their biggest Super Rugby total, scoring 10 tries to thump Japan’s Sunwolves 64-5 in their first game at home this season.
It was the Reds’ biggest Super tournament victory, eclipsing their previous best 53-3 defeat of the Rebels in 2011 and moving them into second place in the Australian conference behind the Brumbies.
The Reds will host the Sharks next Saturday.