Brumbies Stun Chiefs In Epic Canberra Classic

Sat, Feb 23, 2019, 12:00 PM
Brumbies.rugby
by Brumbies.rugby
Chance Peni's second try sealed a stellar win for the Brumbies.
Chance Peni's second try sealed a stellar win for the Brumbies.

The Plus500 Brumbies have recorded their first win of the 2019 Super Rugby season after taking an emphatic home victory against the Chiefs, 54-17.

Looking to set a tone for the rest of 2019, the Brumbies came out firing, notching up over 50 points against the Chiefs en route to a win over the New Zealand side.

The second round game got off to an inauspicious start for the home team, conceding a penalty goal in the opening minute to let Damian McKenzie open the visitor’s scoring account.

While it took them a few minutes to find their feet, the Brumbies soon fought back after the first ten minutes of play, culminating in a try to Tevita Kuridrani to put the home side ahead, aided by a Christian Lealiiafano conversion.

Fullback Tom Banks soon helped extend the lead after breaking past the Chiefs, going half the field alone to score the second try of the night with Lealiifano again adding the extra two points.Keeping up the momentum, left winger Chance Peni scored his first try of the night with help from the captain who broke the Chiefs’ line, handing the ball to his team-mate to finish it off and then kicking the conversion.

Conceding their first try of the match so far, the Brumbies defence fell to a try from the Chiefs’ Ataata Moeakiola, combining with McKenzie’s conversion to claw the score back to 21-10.However, two tries late in the second half to the Brumbies, courtesy of Lachlan McCaffery in the 36th minute and hooker Folau Fainga’a after the siren, meant the home team led 33-10 going in to the sheds at half-time.

The second half started slow with no points being scored in the opening ten minutes until Peni broke through for his second try of the night in the 51st minute of play, the following conversion giving the Brumbies 40 points in the match so far.

Again the Chiefs managed to narrow the gap slightly with Samisoni Taukei’aho scoring in the 57th minute and McKenzie kicking the conversion, still trailing by 23 points.After another ten minutes without scoring, Josh Mann-Rea crossed the line in the 70th minute to well and truly seal the game with Wharenui Hawera adding an extra two points to make the score 47-17.

A late try to Kuridrani and the subsequent conversion from Hawera meant the game finished at 54-17, giving the Brumbies confidence ahead of their next match against the Hurricanes next weekend.

Statistics

Brumbies (33) (T: Kuridrani (2), Banks, Peni (2), McCaffery, Fainga’a, Mann-Rea, C: Lealiifano (5), Hawera (2)Chiefs (10) (T: Moeakiola, Taukei’aho, C: McKenzie (2), P: McKenzie)

Team: James SLIPPER (17. Scott SIO 55′), 2. Folau FAINGA’A (16. Josh MAN-REA 65′), 3. Allan ALAALATOA (18. Les LEULUAIALII-MAKIN 68′), 4. Rory ARNOLD (19. Blake ENEVER 66′), 5. Sam CARTER, 6. Robbie VALETINI, 7. Tom CUSACK, 8. Lachlan MCCAFFERY (20. Pete SAMU 55′), 9. Joe POWELL (21. Matt LUCAS 66′), 10. Christian LEALIIFANO (22. Wharenui HAWERA 65′), 11. Chance PENI, 12. Irae SIMONE, 13. Tevita KURIDRANI 14. Andy Muirhead, 15. Tom Banks

Words: Jordan Mulach

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