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Brumbies claim bruising local derby
Friday, 13 March 2009
Brumbies Media Unit
George Smith takes the ball forward against the Waratahs
The CA Brumbies have returned to the winners’ list with a 21-11 win over local rivals, the Waratahs, at Canberra Stadium tonight.
The two-tries-to-one win was the CA Brumbies’ 100th victory in Super Rugby and capped off a memorable ACT double with the Canberra Capitals claiming the WNBL title in the adjoining AIS Arena just minutes prior to kick-off.
CA Brumbies inside centre Tyrone Smith was outstanding in his first run-on performance of the season and linked well with centre partner Stirling Mortlock while the halves pairing of Joshua Holmes and Christian Lealiifano, who was named the CA/Dataflex Man of the Match, provided their side with direction and ensured clean ball for their teammates outside them. Flanker George Smith was another standout in a very physical and bruising encounter.
CA Brumbies Head Coach Andy Friend says the win was an important one following their loss to the Western Force a fortnight ago.
“When you have a loss like that [against the Force] – and it was basically an attitudinal loss – to turn that around in your next performance is important and the boys did that tonight which was great to see,” he said.
“[Tonight] was all about the performance. If we’d played like that and lost then I still would have been proud of them but it showed that we can move the football around and it’s nice to be jumping on the plane [to South Africa] with that win.”
In an opening half typifying that of a local derby, both sides threw themselves at one another with penalty goals the sole source of points in the first term. Gerrard drilled home goals in the ninth and 32nd minutes while Waratahs flyhalf Kurtley Beale hit the uprights twice before nailing a penalty goal on the half-time siren to have his side trailing 6-3 at the break.
The match’s try drought lasted just four minutes into the second half when the home side strung together 14 phases before shifting the ball from one side of the field to the other allowing winger Adam Ashley-Cooper to dive over in the corner for an 11-3 lead.
The touchdown preceded a horror two minutes for the CA Brumbies who lost Stephen Hoiles to a knee injury and Mark Chisholm to a head knock before Beale compounded the situation with his second penalty goal to draw his side to within five at the 49th minute.
However, the CA Brumbies wrestled back momentum in the 63rd minute when Tyrone Smith ignited a raid into the Waratahs half with a stepping and bumping 30-metre run which eventually saw replacement prop Ben Alexander burrow over for his second Investec Super 14 try. Gerrard added the extras and a penalty goal in the 75th minute to extend his side’s lead to 21-6.
The visitors managed consolation try four minutes from full time when Lote Tuqiri chipped across field for Lachie Turner to score.
The CA Brumbies depart for their three-week South African on Monday.
MATCH DETAILS
CA Brumbies 21 (Adam Ashley-Cooper, Ben Alexander tries; Mark Gerrard 1/2 conversions, 3/3 penalty goals) defeated Waratahs 11 (Lachie Turner try; Kurtley Beale 2/5 penalty goals, Daniel Halangahu 0/1 conversion) at Canberra Stadium, Canberra.
Referee: Mark Lawrence (RSA)
Half time: CA Brumbies 6-3
Crowd: 21,594
http://www.brumbies.com.au/act.rugby/page/55558
DEPTH WON THE MATCH THE TAHS RAN OUT OF PLAYERS AND THE BRUMBIES JUST STEPPED UP AND OVER.... NICE WIN... A LONG SLOW BUS TRIP HOME FOR THE TAHS
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