Australian Conference winners the Brumbies hosting the Hurricanes is the first of four Super Rugby quarter finals this weekend.
The Brumbies go into this match having been hit by injuries in their back line and are coming off back to back losses. It’s fair to say they are heavy underdogs in this contest.
The Hurricanes have set a Super Rugby record of 89 tries in a season, 26 from turnovers.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: BEEP! BEEP! New Zealand referee Glen Jackson gets the first quarter-final of 2017 underway in Canberra. The Hurricanes won 56-21 in Napier, earlier this season, but, the Wellington team has lost their last two games in Australia’s capital city.
3.00: There have been 23 matches between the two franchises; 13 won by the Brumbies, 10 by the Canes.
4.00: TRY James Dargaville! Andrew Smith takes Wharenui Hawera’s delayed pass, ran an angled run between two defenders before drawing and passing to Dargaville, who runs in unchallenged to give the home team the first score of the game. It came after five phases from the lineout: 5-0
5.00: MIIS! Wharenui Hawera can’t add the conversion: 5-0
7.00: Scott Fardy is penalised for not releasing. It has been all Brumbies in the early exchanges.
8.00: TRY Wes Goosen! The Hurricanes hit back immediately with their first attack. It came from an overthrown lineout to Goosen, who gathers and runs straight through the Brumbies’ so-called defence, stepping inside Hawera, Joe Powell and Dargaville before scoring: 5-5
9.00: MISS! Jordie Barrett can’t add the extras: 5-5
11.00: BIG SCRUM from the Brumbies; they wheel the scrum and destroy the Kiwi scrum and win the penalty. Wharenui Hawera will call for the tee.
12.00: PENALTY! Hawera slots the penalty, which is from 41 metres and straight in front: 8-5
14.00: Tom Banks makes a break, beating several defenders before offloading to Andrew Smith. Smith takes the ball into the Hurricanes’ 22, but the ball is kicked away and Barrett clears. The Canes’ defence is looking very porous at the moment.
16.00: HELD UP! Another penalty comes for the home team, this time from the rolling maul. They are awarded another penalty and will go to the driving maul from five metres out. The Brumbies barge over the whitewash, but there is no clear grounding seen by Glen Jackson or his assistant, Will Houston.
16:46: TRY Josh Mann-Rea! The final camera angle gives “compelling evidence” that the ball was grounded by the hooker: 13-5
17.00: MISS! Hawera hits the woodwork, again: 13-5
19.00: Ngani Laumape makes another bulldozing run, leaving five Brumbies falling off his busting run into the 22, but the Canes knock the ball forward at the breakdown.
22.00: The Brumbies try to milk a scrum-penalty, however, the Hurricanes’ scrum counter-shove wins the day. The scrum is in centre field, 12 metres out.
23.00: Ngani Laumape goes again, passes to Jordie Barrett, who sends Julian Savea the ball on the touchline, however, Tom Banks hits the “Bus” and the ball is lost in touch; good tackle and shift defence by the Brumbies.
26.00: TRY Jordie Barrett! after 13 phases and two carries by Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara passes a bullet, straight at Ben May’s head and the ball ricocheted over the try line and the younger Barrett dives on the loose ball for his seventh try of the season: 13-10
27.00: Jordie Barrett’s conversion brings up 600 points for the Hurricanes this season; they are only the second team in Super Rugby to have passed the 600 mark after the Lions, last year: 13-12
29.00: PENALTY! Hawera slots his second penalty goal of the night: 16-12
31.00: TJ Perenara wins another penalty at the breakdown. Beauden Barrett kicks to the corner.
32.00: Rory Arnold take a bow! The lock slips sideways and tackles the detached Hurricanes’ player at the back of the driving maul. Close call because it might have been deemed ‘collapsing’ by the referee; all’s well, that ends well.
33.00: BIG SCRUM! Another massive moment in the set piece; the second scrum-penalty for the home team, who have been dominant in the tight phases and scrum. The visitors are off their game.
35.00: Beauden Barrett kicks a bomb, but James Dargaville cannot gather; he looks up at the onrushing attacker, taking his eye off the ball and knocks it forward. Scrum to the Hurricanes near the touchline on the Brumbies’ 10-metres line.
37.00: Ricky Riccitelli runs into Dargaville and sets up more Canes’ ball. The visitors kick the ball away, after several phases, and the chance is lost. But, they do get the lineout inside their host’s 22.
38.00: Scott Fardy is penalised for playing Vaea Fifita in the air at the set piece. Jordie Barrett will take a shot at goal.
39.00: PENALTY! It’s good from Jordie and it’s a one-point ball game: 16-15
40.00: Ardie Savea loses the ball backwards, carries into contact and the Brumbies win a penalty. Hawera is hit hard by Jeff To’omaga-Allen and is down. Glen Jackson is looking at the replay and the tighthead might be in trouble. There is contact directly to the head after the standoff was tackled on the way down, however, it is yellow.
41.00: YELLOW CARD Jeff To’omaga-Allen! The prop is off for 10 minutes.
43.00: The home team are awarded another penalty; they kick to the corner and go to their rolling maul. They break off the maul and barge over the try line, however, Chris Alcock is held up and the Kiwis survive.
The half-time score at GIO Stadium was Brumbies 16 Hurricanes 15
41.00: BEEP BEEP! We are back underway in Australia. Christian Lealiifano is on for his first game since last season’s quarter-final against the Highlanders. Lealiifano, who beat leukaemia, is cheered onto the field.
44.00: Every Hurricanes attack seems to end with the Wellington team losing the ball forward or tackled into touch. Hawera does not find touch and the Kiwis counter-attack.
46.00: Vaea Fifita beats Joe Powell and the loose ball is dragged over the goal line by a Brumbies defender. The Hurricanes pack down with both Saveas on the flank.
48.00: Jordie Barrett is over the whitewash, but referee Glen Jackson deems the past from Beauden was forward. The replay shows the ball went backwards; poor call by the former Waikato Chiefs’ fullback. however, the Canes get the penalty for offsides.
49.00: PENALTY! Jordie puts his team in front with an easy kick: 16-18
52.00: Both teams kicking for territory using a mixture of high kicks and low grubbers. The Brumbies decide to run from their 22 before Scott Fardy, yes, Fardy, kicks the ball away. The home team win the ball back, go wide, but Allan Alaalatoa is penalised at the ruck.
54.00: The Brumbies survive another yellow onslaught. They will have the put into the scrum. The Brumbies came into this quarter-final as the third best defence in the competition this season and it is showing in Canberra.
58.00: The Brumbies have not been able to get out of their 22; they are under huge pressure here. The yellow tide went 12 phases before losing the ball, however, the visitors win another penalty and kick to the corner.
60.00: Great work by Tomas Cubelli. The Pumas’ scrumhalf stole the ball from Brad Shields and the Brumbies clear the danger.
62.00: The hurricanes come again, this time they lose the ball forward at the ruck and so, the Canes will have a scrum, deep inside the Aussies’ 22 and 15 metres from touch; good position for a back row move involving the Barrett brothers…
63.00: The Brumbies survive – again! Fardy this time, snaffles the ball and Cubelli clears.
64.00: Another 13 phases from the Kiwis see them win another penalty after Scott Sio is pinged for playing the ball off his feet. Jordie calls for the kicking tee.
66.00: PENALTY! Jordie Barrett slots his third penalty of the evening: 16-21
67.00: The Brumbies have spent 2 minutes 26 seconds inside the Hurricanes’ 22, however, the visitors have spent over eight minutes in the Brumbies’ 22. how long before the dam wall bursts?
69.00: TRY TJ Perenara! Not long! The All black scores his 43rd try in super rugby, the most by a No 9 in the tournament’s history. Dane Coles made the try, running into the Brumbies’ 22, stepping and using the dummy before offloading to the supporting scrumhalf: 16-26
70.00: The conversion is good and that might be that: 16-28
76.00: TRY Wes Goosen! Jordie Barrett intercepts a loose pass and offloads to the winger, who runs in to score and put the playoff dagger into their opponents: 16-33
77.00: Barrett slots another conversion: 16-35
80.00: The hooter sounds and the ball is kicked into touch. Superb second-half performance by the defending champions.
Full-time
The final score is Brumbies 16 (16) Hurricanes 35 (15)
Scorers
Brumbies
Tries – Dargaville, Mann-Rea
Pen – Hawera (2)
Con –
Drop –
Cards –
Hurricanes
Tries – Goosen (2), J. Barrett, Perenara
Pen – J. Barrett (3)
Con – J. Barrett (3)
Drop –
Cards – To’omaga-Allen (Yellow, 41st minute)
Match Officials
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Will Houston
TMO: Ian Smith
Teams
Brumbies
15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Andrew Smith, 11 James Dargaville, 10 Wharenui Hawera, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Jordan Smiler, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter (captain), 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Josh Mann-Rea, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin, 19 Blake Enever, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 23 Christian Lealiifano.
Hurricanes
15 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 14 Wes Goosen, 13 Jordie Barrett, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Thomas Perenara (captain), 8 Brad Shields, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Mark Abbott, 3 Jeff To’omaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Ben May.
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Loni Uhila, 19 Reed Prinsep, 20 Callum Gibbins, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Otere Black, 23 Cory Jane
