Matt Lucas was a stand out as the Brumbies Runners clinically defeated the Waratahs ‘A’ 40-17 on a crisp afternoon at GIO Stadium.
The halfback distributed the ball beautifully all game and made some fantastic runs from behind the ruck.
The Brumbies Runners raced out to a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the match, with hooker Connal McInerney dotting down from the back of a rolling maul, the team sprinkled with Super Rugby talent showing they are just as strong from the line out as the Super Rugby line-up that took on the ‘Tahs immediately afterwards.
Throughout the first twenty minutes the Runners showed their capabilities in defence, winning several turnovers before Lucas burst through the NSW line and passed to Rory Scott to score the second 7-pointer of the evening.
Andrew Tuala scored the first points for the visitors, capitalising on a line out in good field position to burrow over from the back of a maul.
NSW fullback Sam Giltrap easily converted to bring his team back within a converted try. The home side didn’t take long to respond, with Blake Enever getting his name on the score sheet after a low drive from a couple of meters out.
Wharenui Hawera missed his first conversion of the match as the score moved to 19-7. NSW lifted the intensity towards the end of the half, and Tuala crossed for his second try of the night in the final moments before half time from another line out drive.
The Canberra team were unlucky to concede, having defended for over five minutes of sustained pressure. Giltrap missed the conversion from out wide, sending the Runners into the sheds holding onto a tight 19-12 lead.
After the break the Runners worked on building pressure and eventually Len Ikitau broke through the line, offloading to Jahrome Brown who carried a defender over the line to score to the left of the posts.
Just moments after receiving the kick off, it was Tom Wright showing off his pace by blitzing over 70 meters to score under the posts. With the lead now pushed out to 33-12 the Runners quickly looked to be in control of the game.
The Waratahs weren’t done yet though, winning a couple of penalties on the attack, and eventually shifting the ball to the right winger Richard Wolf who dove over to score in the corner.
NSW stepped up in defence to prevent the Brumbies Runners from scoring for the next 20 minutes, but they couldn’t keep the home side out. Canberra’s fullback Bayley Kuenzle picked up a try with two minutes to go to finish the game on a high.
The win continued the Runners great form in 2019, further proving the depth of the Brumbies squad.
STATISTICS
Brumbies Runners (19) 40 (T: McInerney, Scott, Enever, Brown, Wright, Kuenzle, C: Hawera (4) Jimenez) Waratahs ‘A’ (12) 17 (T: Tuala (2), Wolf C: Giltrap)TEAM
1. Vunipola FIFITA (6. Isileli FA 74’), 2. Connal MCINERNEY (16. TP LUTERU 74’), 3. Angus WAGNER (17. Max BODE 68’), 4. Darcy SWAIN, 18. Blake ENEVER, 6. Jack FARRELL (21. Wyll HOLLAND 31-40’), 7. Jahrome BROWN (21. Wyll HOLLAND 74’), 8. Rory SCOTT (20. Ben LOVE 28’-38’, 4. Tom HOOPER 74’), 9. Matt Lucas, 10. Wharenui HAWERA (24. Lincoln SMITH 70’), 11. Chance PENI (25. Brendan JIMINEZ 74’), 12. Tom WRIGHT, 13. Len IKITAU, 14. Andy MUIRHEAD (23. Billy CARBERRY 63’), 15. Bayley KUENZLE
Words: Patrick Woods
