Moore: Just standing up for our mates

Brumbies captain Stephen Moore and coach Stephen Larkham denied it was a pre-planned strategy to niggle the Stormers.

The Cape Town-based franchise, the Stormers, sneaked a crucial one-point (25-24) win over the Australian conference leaders at the weekend.

A failed conversion by the usually reliable Christian Lealiifano, when he hit the upright from bang in front after a David Pocock try going into the final 10 minutes, left the Brumbies trailing by the solitary point they lost by.

However, the games was littered with penalties – 19 of the 24 in the match awarded against the Brumbies – and numerous off-the-ball scuffles in a spiteful encounter.

Both coach and captain denied there was a pre-planned move to 'niggle' the opposition, but said they were "proud" of how the players stood up to the physical Stormers.

"We didn't speak about it before the game, but we knew the Stormers were going to be physical – particularly with their ball carries and ball in play," Larkham said in a post-match media briefing.

"We spoke about not being intimidated by any of it.

"When stuff happened of the ball, it was good to see we stepped up and looked after our mates there ."

Moore said the niggle was coming from both sides.

"I don't think there was anything malicious in it, we were just standing up for our teammates," the Brumbies skipper said.

"There was a bit of pushing off the ball, things like that.

"That stuff happens out there and it will stay out there.

"There was nothing untoward, it was just what happens in those type of games.

"We know they are physical and we wanted to be up for that part of the game, but we didn't speak about that [deliberately trying to get under their skins] at all."

Meanwhile it was confirmed that playmaker Matt Toomua will fly to South Africa as they fight to save their season.

Toomua, has been out for a month with an ankle injury, will arrive in Johannesburg on Monday, as the Brumbies start preparations for their encounter with the Lions.

The Brumbies are desperate to cling to their position at the top of the Australian conference and will look to bounce back against the Lions.

The Brumbies (33 points) hold a one-point lead in the Australian conference ahead of the Waratahs (32 points) and the Rebels (29 points).

For Larkham this week the key will be to rectify his team's creaky scrum, which coughed up a string of penalties against the powerful Stormers pack.

"Every scrum resulted in a penalty to the Stormers," he coach said, adding: "Certainly it is what it felt like in the second half and that is where the bulk of the [19] penalties came from.

"Most of those penalties were just and we have a bit of work to do on the scrums."

Having already collected five losing bonus points this season, Larkham described the loss to the Stormers as another one that got away and said they need to focus on what's ahead and not what's past.

"The next important thing is going to be the Lions game.

"We know our backs are against the wall.

"We have 33 points in the competition and you have to get to roughly 50 points – we are going to have to win everything from here."

@rugby365com