Brumbies win but injuries roll on
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Brumbies hoping to get on a roll
Captain Matt Giteau is hoping the Brumbies' drought-breaking 17-16 win over the Hurricanes will spark a belated charge up the Super Rugby ladder.
"Who knows, anything is possible," said Giteau after Saturday night's gritty performance at Canberra Stadium provided his team's second win from eight rounds and lifted them to 10th on the 15-team ladder.
"It has never felt like we were in a losing streak within the group."
The Brumbies will look to get on a roll when they meet bottom-placed Australian side the Western Force at home next Sunday.
However, they will be waiting anxiously on the fitness of wingers Adam Ashley-Cooper (hip) and Henry Speight (ankle) and hooker Huia Edmonds (hamstring).
These concerns come on top of the team's lengthy injury-absentee list including Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom (hamstring), Stephen Hoiles (achilles), hooker Stephen Moore (ankle) and flanker (Mitchell Chapman (cheekbone).
Francis Fainifo and Pat McCabe can replace the injured wingers but, without Moore until May, they can ill afford to lose Edmonds, who was outstanding in the hard-fought but error-riddled clash with the equally desperate Hurricanes.
Third-string hooker Anthony Hegarty replaced Edmonds in the second half but the stocks for the No.2 jersey are subsequently bare.
Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett said the Brumbies' defence stifled much of his side's attack, with All Blacks centres Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith never given room to make inroads.
"To give the Brumbies credit, they came up on us hard," Hammett said.
"They umbrellad us occasionally and so it wasn't easy."
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news...410-1d94v.html
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Originally Posted by jargan83
