Quade Cooper of the Rebels converts a try during the round one Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Rebels at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)
Super Rugby result: Brumbies 27-34 Rebels
The Brumbies and Rebels played out an intense but error-ridden Aussie derby which the visitors won.
Quade Cooper of the Rebels converts a try during the round one Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Rebels at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)
The Rebels completed an upset victory away from home in round one of the 2019 Super Rugby competition beating the Brumbies by 34-27.
Christian Leali’ifano got the Brumbies on the scoreboard early on with a penalty goal to make the most of a strong start.
A rolling maul helped Folau Fainga’a power over for the Brumbies as the clock ticked towards the quarter of an hour mark, the conversion made it 10-0 to the homeside.
The Rebels responded by charging upfield with Will Genia the impetus, the move would end with Tom English going over despite a massive goal-line tackle. Tavita Kuridrani picked him up but couldn’t drive English backwards in the air and he got the ball down over the line.
Jack Maddocks had a simple sprint to the line after he intercepted a ball that I suppose you could say was kicked by Irae Simone though it didn’t travel far and suddenly the Rebels held the lead.
The Brumbies and Rebels then traded tries to take the score to 15-19 in favour of the Rebels. Rory Arnold crossed for the Brumbies before the Rebels took a four point lead as Quade Cooper converted Matt Philip’s try.
The swirling wind favoured the Brumbies in the first half and they just about made it pay when they took the lead in the last five minutes of the half. Alan Ala’alatoa scored his second career try to convert a period of sustained pressure. The conversion gave them a 22-19 lead and they managed to rebuff a final attack by the Rebels and go into the break ahead.
The Rebels thought they had scored just after the break but the TMO ruled that Genia’s final pass was forward.
Anaru Rangi smashed over in the corner for the Rebels ten minutes into the second half and Cooper nailed the conversion from out wide. Rangi was too big and strong for three Brumbies backs to stop.
The Brumbies first concerted attack of the second half looked good until a sloppy penalty allowed the Rebels to exit the danger zone on 52 minutes. A minute later Cooper dropped it onto the toe and the ball rolled out five from the Brumbies line and the hosts were under the pump again.
The Rebels rejected a shot at goal shortly afterwards but were robbed by the Brumbies who could only find touch just outside their own 22. The Brumbies were pinned in their own half for nearly twenty minutes at the start of the second half until a relieving penalty in the 58th minute.
The Rebels Tom English looked to be through and over but an ankle-tap from Kuridrani brought him down, he fell on the ball left it behind as he slid over the line when he should have scored.
The Brumbies failed to make the most of a lineout five out from the Rebels line and after the exit they coughed up a penalty that allowed Cooper to stretch the visitors lead out to seven points with the score 22-29.
Cooper could have made the game safer a few moments later but his shot at goal.
An inch-perfect kick from Billy Meakes gave Jack Maddocks the simplest of scores which he completed in dramatic fashion to give the Rebels a 12 point lead with just six minutes to play.
With two minutes to play the Brumbies rumbled over for their first points of the second half as Sam Carter came up with the ball. Leali’ifano missed the kick leaving the Brumbies effectively unable to win the contest.
An intercept late on allowed Maddocks to knock it out and seal the Rebels win.
