Brumbies beat Moana Pasifika in Tremendous score-fest

By Alex Mitchell in Canberra

A HEAVY dose of lineout energy has carried the Brumbies to a fourth straight Tremendous Rugby Pacific win, seeing off Moana Pasifika in an entertaining, back-and-forth affair in Canberra.

They have been down 14-3 inside 10 minutes and couldn’t shake off Moana till deep within the second half, successful 62-36 due to 4 tries off the again of their set piece.

Flanker Luke Reimer jagged two of them as they lent on their precision, earlier than they opened up late when reserve halfback Ryan Lonergan modified the sport off the bench.

Moana merely wouldn’t quit within the 98-point, five-lead change thriller, grabbing a lead on 53 minutes when Samiuela Moli drove over the road from their very own rolling maul.

However the Brumbies put the hammer down, substitute five-eighth Jack Debreczeni skipping over to retake the lead earlier than winger Andy Muirhead’s second attempt had them forward 48-36.

And rugby sevens converts Corey Toole and Ben O’Donnell every discovered a late attempt because the rating blew out, their expansive play catching Pasifika napping as they ran out of legs.

It leaves the Brumbies 4-0 heading to their first NZ journey of the season, set to deal with the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday night time.

Lonergan made one other argument for Wallabies choice, steering his aspect to victory in his second-half stint with some key passes creating scoring alternatives.

However they might want to give their recreation a critical tune-up in the event that they’re to check the NZ sides, wanting porous defensively in conceding 5 tries and giving the Pasifika group an enormous sniff of their first win on Australian soil.

They’d noticed Moana the early buffer courtesy of a free Noah Lolesio cross that flanker Miracle Faiilagi returned 70m for a attempt, earlier than Alamanda Motuga powered from a set piece to depart the rattled Brumbies 11 factors within the gap.

However Tom Wright put Tamati Tua by way of on quarter-hour earlier than the Brumbies added consecutive tries off the again of their lineout, though the Pasifika outfit wouldn’t go away and conjured a magical sweeping transfer that ended with Positive Inisi levelling the scores at 22-22.

Former Brumby Christian Leali’ifano impressed on his first journey to Canberra as an away participant, steering Moana across the park nicely and slotting 11 factors from the kicking tee.

Brumbies and Wallabies centre Len Ikitau missed the competition with a calf niggle, not anticipated to be risked in his aspect’s journey to Christchurch.