Brumbies 23-48 Chiefs: Chiefs ease past Brumbies in Canberra
Last Updated: 12/04/16 11:23am
The Chiefs go top of the Super Rugby table, and establish themselves as competition favourites, with a 48-23 bonus point victory over the Brumbies on Saturday.
The Chiefs, champions in 2012 and 2013, have now won in South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia in successive weeks and that feat alone, unlikely to be duplicated by any team this season, makes them the best team in the competition after six rounds.
They have also achieved those wins while severely depleted, lacking as many as 12 first team players through injuries and overcoming one of the most formidable home sides in the tournament, beating the Brumbies in Canberra for the first time since 2008.
"For me, two years ago sticks in my memory when we lost twice in Canberra, once was a quarterfinal," Chiefs captain Sam Cane said. "I'm really pleased we could come back and put in a performance that we're proud of.
"It wasn't perfect, it was fierce at the breakdown today. We came up against a very good Brumbies side but I'm proud of the way we fought it out."
The match presented a stark contrast in styles. The Chiefs continued to play the brilliant, sprawling attacking style that has made them the leading pointscorers and tryscorers in Super Rugby this season scoring six tries to two.
The Brumbies were again one-dimensional, lacking line-breaking ability and hoping to score points only through the occupation of territory. The Chiefs denied them that opportunity after the first 10 minutes in which flyhalf Christian Lealiifano kicked two penalties to give the Brumbies a 6-0 lead.
Almost from their first possession, the Chiefs produced a try to Los Angeles-born winger Toni Pulu to cut the margin to 6-5. They then wrested the lead from the Brumbies in the 29th minute with a try from a long series of passes to left winger James Lowe.
Prop Scott Sio barged over the line in the 35th minute after the Brumbies were awarded ans attacking scrum from a refereeing error, giving the home team a 13-12 advantage. But the Chiefs immediately regained the lead with a penalty to Damian McKenzie, then initiated a brilliant try from the kickoff that gave them a 20-13 lead at halftime.
McKenzie increased his tally as the top individual pointscorer of the season with early second-half penalties that gave the Chiefs a 26-13 lead. The Brumbies struck back with a try to hard-working flanker Scott Fardy, converted by Lealiifano that brought the lead back within the margin of a converted try at 26-20.
After an exchange of penalties that made the lead 29-23, the Chiefs sealed the match with Lowe's second try in the 64th minute. From a reversing five meter scrum, Cruden scrubbed a left-foot kick crossfield that fell into the arms of Lowe, who scored his second try of the match and fifth of the season.
When scrumhalf Brad Weber scored two minutes later, the Chiefs clinched a bonus point and McKenzie added the coup de grace in the final minute, his seventh try of the season.
