VIDEO: Brumbies too good for Rebels
SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Brumbies have won 10 straight games at home after dispatching the Melbourne Rebels in an Australian Super Rugby derby on Friday.
The dominant hosts triumphed 39-26 to take top spot in the Australia conference early in Round Two.
The Brumbies burst out of the blocks and scored four unanswered tries in the opening 28 minutes to leave the Rebels playing catch up all night at Canberra Stadium.
The Rebels were on the back foot from the opening whistle with Brumbies centre Irae Simone scoring inside five minutes after selling a dummy six metres out.
The Brumbies had 85 percent of possession in the opening 10 minutes before rookie flyhalf Noah Lolesio sent a sensational flick pass to Tom Banks who nabbed the second five-pointer.
Next it was former NRL flyer Solomone Kata who easily palmed off Reece Hodge and set up flank Tom Cusack to cross untouched out wide.
The Brumbies made it two tries in two minutes when Pete Samu broke from the kick-off before Lolesio grubbered for Kata to score in the corner.
The Rebels finally got some ball on the cusp of half-time and mounted enough pressure for flank Angus Cottrell to score and make it 24-7 at the break.
The visitors made a flying start to the second half and Cottrell had his second try inside two minutes after carrying three defenders over the line with an epic leg drive.
But the Australian conference favourites quickly hit back through a line-out trick play which saw skipper Allan Alaalatoa put Folau Faingaa over down the blindside.
Rebels hooker Anaru Rangi thought he’d matched his Brumbies counterpart from a rolling maul in the 57th minute, but the try was ruled out due to obstruction.
Fortunately for the Rebels, one minute later Rebels captain Dane Haylett-Petty threw a dummy and scored a sensational solo try from 45 metres out to make it 31-21 and give the visitors hope.
But Lolesio slotted a drop goal in the 65th minute to extend the buffer before Kata grubbered for Tom Wright to score the sealer in the 67th minute.
A late charge from the Rebels saw halfback Frank Lomani score an overlap try in the 78th minute to deny the Brumbies a bonus point.
The Brumbies are chasing their record of 13 straight wins at home, a sequence they established in 1998.
The scorers:
For Brumbies:
Tries: Banks, Cusack, Fainga’a, Kata, Simone, Wright
Cons: Lolesio 3
DG: Lolesio
For Melbourne Rebels:
Tries: Cottrell 2 Haylett-Petty, Lomani
Cons: Lomani 2, To’omua
Teams:
Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Solomone Kata, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Tom Wright, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Tom Cusack, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Caderyn Neville, 4 Murray Douglas, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Connal McInerney, 17 Harry Lloyd, 18 James Slipper, 19 Nick Frost, 20 Will Miller, 21 Ryan Lonergan, 22 Bayley Kuenzle, 23 Andy Muirhead.
Melbourne Rebels: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Marika Koroibete, 13 Reece Hodge, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Andrew Kellaway, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 Michael Wells, 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Matt Philip, 4 Ross Haylett-Petty, 3 Ruan Smith, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Matt Gibbon.
Replacements: 16 Steve Misa, 17 Cameron Orr, 18 Jermaine Ainsley, 19 Gideon Koelenberg, 20 Rob Leota, 21 Richard Hardwick, 22 Ryan Louwrens, 23 Campbell Magnay.
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant referees: Damon Murphy, Jordan Way
TMO: Ian Smith
