The Brumbies have played the Blues 23 times in Super Rugby since 1996, the Brumbies have won nine matches and lost 14 times.
The Brumbies’ nine wins give them a record of winning 39% against the Blues regardless of venue.
- The Blues have won each of their last three games against the Brumbies, the third time they’ve gone on such a streak against the Canberra side, however, they’ve never managed to win 4+ games in a row against them.
- The Brumbies have won five of their last six games at home (L1), including the last three on the bounce.
- Auckland has lost their last six Super Rugby away games, their last road victory came on Australian soil in May 2018 (24-21 vs NSW Waratahs).
- The Blues have averaged more time in possession (18:12) per game than any other team this Super Rugby campaign.
- Joe Powell (Brumbies) has made six-try assists so far in Super Rugby 2019; only Quade Cooper (Rebels, 9) has made more among Australian teams.
Match detail
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In the meantime why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in Canberra.
4.00: The Blues get an early penalty, and will take a shot.
6.00: MISS! Otere Black pushes his kick well wide from almost in front. 0-0
8.00: TRY! The Blues go through seven phases before Melani Nanai offloads to Thomas Faiane, who races down the sideline to score. The TMO is called to check for a forward pass and if Faiane grounded the ball; it wasn’t forward and he did ground the pill. 0-5
9.00: MISS! Black pulls his kick to the left of the posts. 0-5
10.00: TRY! Caleb Clarke, like a thief in the night, plucks Christian Lealiifano’s long, floated pass, and races away to score under the poles. That is a huge blow to the hosts. 0-10
11.00: CONVERSION! Black can’t miss from in front. 0-12
13.00: The Brumbies are in trouble in the early exchanges. Their rush defence is causing problems for themselves. Allan Alaalatoa concedes a penalty for hands in the ruck. Black calls for the tee.
15.00: MISS! Black pushes another kick past the right-hand post. He’s one from three. 0-12
18.00: The Brumbies are building through the phases; they go 18 before Tom Cusack is taken out chasing Joe Powell’s grubber.
19.00: YELLOW CARD! Alex Hodgman is sin-binned for foul play – after a TMO review – for a late, high shot on Cusack. 0-12
20.00: TRY! The Brumbies go to the corner then rumble over the line with another powerful driving maul. They have the most tries from the set-piece, Folau Fainga’a has eight of them, six in his last six at GIO Stadium. 5-12
22.00: MISS! Lealiifano’s kick rebounds off the left-hand upright. 5-12
23.00: Henry Speight is caught on the wrong side of the ruck. Sam Carter was off his feet as well. Black will take another shot.
23.00: PENALTY! Black gets his radar back on track. 5-15
26.00: Some big hits coming in from the Brumbies, but the Blues keep moving forward. Darcy Swain is caught offsides at the fourth ruck. Black kicks to the 22.
28.00: Good defending by the Aussies; they win the turnover and clear their lines. Black was offsides, anyway.
30.00: Speight charges forward, he is hit by Black, who then goes offsides. The Brumbies kick to the corner.
32.00: The New Zealanders defend the maul, well; however, the home team go wide and mount a long attack inside the 5m.
33.00: Blake Gibson goes high in the tackle and is penalised. Lealiifano wants a scrum, which is under the sticks.
35.00: There are far too many reset scrums, and they are eating into game time.
36.00: Another massive scrum as the Brumbies dismantle their opposition forwards. It’s the fifth penalty in a row, two from the scrum, and Mr Damon Murphy warns Gibson.
37.00: TRY! Joe Powell goes wide to Speight, the wing charges for the line but is hit back by three defenders. The ball is recycled to the left to James Slipper, who collects a wayward pass and dives over from close range. Superb work by the Brumbies’ pack to set-up an important score before halftime. 10-15
38.00: CONVERSION! Lealiifano adds the extras which take him past 900 Super Rugby points, the 12th player to do so. 12-15
40.00: One last attack for the Brumbies. They kick a penalty to the corner and set-up another rolling maul.
43.00: Powell wriggles over the goal-line, but he looks to be held up by two Blues’ defenders. Some good work by Tom Robinson, who held up the No 9.
The halftime score was Brumbies 12 Blues 15
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Australia.
44.00: Leon MacDonald’s side has had a nightmare in the set-piece; they give away another scrum-penalty which Tom Banks boots into the 22.
46.00: The Brumbies go off the top of the lineout and hit the first-receiver channel. The recycle and drive over, but Scott Sio is short, however, the Blues won possession, but brought the ball over their goal-line. Scrum, five, Brumbies.
47.00: Another scrum-penalty conceded by the All Blacks props; it’s the fourth at the set-piece. They are in trouble. Brumbies will take another scrum, which is next to the posts.
48.00: Reset.
49.00: Pete Samu picked up at the base and broke blind. The hosts go seven phases before winning a penalty for offsides. Gibson is called over by the referee, warning the Auckland skipper that the next infringement will result in a card. It’s nine in a row from the Kiwis. Brumbies go for a lineout.
50.00: YELLOW CARD! Ofa Tu’ungafasi is sent to the bin. He’s had a nightmare, conceding two scrum-penalties and now a yellow. 12-15
53.00: Blues are leaking penalties, this time Banks goes to the corner.
55.00: TRY! Fainga’a at the double; it’s another brace and a ninth score of the year. The Brumbies drove their opponents back over the whitewash, and you guessed it, the hooker got up with the ball. 17-15
57.00: CONVERSION! Lealiifano slots the sideline kick. 19-15
58.00: Cusack is pinged for offsides. Gibson, wisely, calls for a shot at goal from in front.
60.00: PENALTY! Harry Plummer reduces the deficit. 19-18
62.00: It’s been all the Blues since Fainga’a’s try. The Blues attack inside the 22; they are getting close to the line. They win a penalty after Murray Douglas goes offsides.
63.00: Black calls for the tee.
64.00: PENALTY! Plummer gives his side an unlikely lead. 19-21
66.00: Penalty for the Brumbies is kicked to the corner.
67.00: TRY! HAT-TRICK for the hooker, who gets all three from driving mauls. Wow! 24-21
68.00: CONVERSION! Lealiifano adds the extras. 26-21
71.00: Brumbies will want to close this game, out.
74.00: The Blues win the turnover and mount an attack from their line. What is the chance of them winning this game?
76.00: The Kiwis are getting closer to the red zone. they are using their pick-and-drives to suck in the defenders before they attack the wide channels. Oh dear, they lose the ball forward and it’s offices, too.
77.00: Brumbies clear, but they need to hold on. Their game-management is going to have to be expertly played out.
78.00: Banks kicks a penalty inside the opposition’s 22.
79.00: Terrific defence by the Kiwis. Josh Goodhue holds up the maul, winning an important turnover because the home side looked like they were about to score.
80.00: Irae Simone concedes a penalty just before the hooter; that is terrible from the inside centre. black pumps the ball into the Brumbies’ half. One last throw of the dice.
81.00: Powell kicks the ball into touch to secure a famous victory, stopping a losing streak against the Blues.
FULL TIME
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The final score is Brumbies 26 (12) Blues 21 (15)
Scorers
Brumbies
Tries – Fainga’a (3), Slipper
Pen –
Con – Lealiifano (3)
Drop –
Cards –
Blues
Tries – Faiane, Clarke
Pen – Black, Plummer (2)
Con – Black
Drop –
Cards – Hodgman (Yellow, 19′), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Yellow, 50′)
Match Officials
Referee: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 1: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2: Angus Gardner
TMO: Ian Smith
Teams
Brumbies
15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Toni Pulu, 10 Christian Lealiifano (captain), 9 Joe Powell, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Tom Cusack, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Connal McInerney, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, 19 Darcy Swain, 20 Murray Douglas, 21 Ryan Lonergan, 22 Tom Wright, 23 Andy Muirhead.
Blues
15 Melani Nanai, 14 Matt Duffie, 13 Thomas Faiane, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock, 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Blake Gibson (captain), 6 Tom Robinson, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Gerard Cowley Tuioti, 3 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 2 Leni Apisai, 1 Alex Hodgman.
Replacements: 16 James Parsons, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Dalton Papalii, 21 Augustine Pulu, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Levi Aumua.