Friday 15 February 2019 12:14, UK
Joe Maddocks scored two tries, while fly-half Quade Cooper made a successful return to Super Rugby as the Melbourne Rebels held off the ACT Brumbies 34-27 in Canberra.
Cooper was frozen out by Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn last year and ended up playing lower-level club rugby in Brisbane before he joined the Rebels on a one-year contract.
Centre Tom English, lock Matt Philip and hooker Anaru Rangi also scored tries for the visitors, with Cooper adding three conversions and a penalty.
The Brumbies were starved of possession in the second spell with hooker Folau Fainga'a, lock Rory Arnold and prop Alan Alaalatoa all crossing for tries in the first half. Lock Sam Carter scored with three minutes remaining but the Brumbies could not complete the comeback.
Meanwhile, All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith scored a 76th minute try as the Otago Highlanders beat the Waikato Chiefs 30-27, refusing to roll over despite being reduced to 14 men in the opening game of Super Rugby in Hamilton on Friday.
The Highlanders played with a man short for the final 15 minutes with replacement centre Sio Tomkinson sent off for a dangerous head high tackle on Brodie Retallick.
Tomkinson appeared to be unlucky as Retallick ducked into the tackle, which referee Glen Jackson ruled was also principally a shoulder charge after several television replays.
Lock Pari Pari Parkinson and replacement flanker Shannon Frizell also scored tries for the Highlanders, who never let the Chiefs get too far ahead with the unerring boot of flyhalf Josh Ioane adding 15 points.
