The ACT Brumbies became the first team to post back-to-back wins in rugby’s Super 14 when they beat South Africa’s Bulls 27-21 in a second-round match at Pretoria on Friday.
Earlier, first-round losers the Otago Highlanders beat the Auckland Blues 25-13, and South Africa’s Cats, beaten by the Stormers last week, edged the Waikato Chiefs 21-16.
The lead changed hands seven times before centre Stirling Mortlock clinched the Brumbies’ win at Loftus Versfeld with a last-minute try, establishing a seven-point margin that was the largest of the match.
Only a minute earlier, Bulls flyhalf Derick Hougaard kicked a penalty from 55m to give the Bulls the lead and complete his 21-point contribution. Hougaard provided all the Bulls’ points with six penalties and a drop goal, while the Brumbies scored tries through Clyde Rathbone, Daniel Heenan and Mortlock.
”It was extremely tough, and I couldn’t be happier with the effort and intensity the boys showed for 80 minutes,” Mortlock said. ”We almost gave it to the Bulls, but we managed to regroup and we were very lucky to get away with the win.”
The Cats landed seven penalties, four in the second half, to beat the Chiefs 21-16 after Waikato led 16-9 at half-time. They also played without lock Willem Stoltz from the 38th minute after he was sent off for rucking near the head of Chiefs number eight Sione Lauaki.
The Chiefs scored the only try through former All Blacks centre Sam Tuitupou in the first half, but Tiaan Snyman converted six of 10 penalty attempts and Earl Rose one to carry the Cats to victory.
It was the second week in a row the Cats took all of their points from kicks after Snyman kicked four penalties in last week’s 23-13 home loss. The fact that the Bulls also relied entirely on penalty kicks sounded a warning to South African teams, who have lacked back-line cohesion.
Winger Roy Kinikinilau scored one try and inadvertently created another as the Highlanders beat the Blues 25-13 at Dunedin. Kinikinilau came out of the sin bin to score a 70th-minute try that clinched the match for Otago, but it was his 10-minute suspension for a high tackle that led to Filimoni Delasau’s try and first split the teams in an even match.
With Kinikinilau sidelined and Otago reduced to 14 men, the Fijian speedster Delasau swapped from the right wing to the left to broaden the Highlanders’ defence against an Auckland attack in the 60th minute.
The positional move proved fortuitous as Delasau, faster than any man on the field, found himself ideally positioned to intercept a loose pass from Auckland centre Anthony Tuitavake and to dash 80m for a try between the posts.
”I’m very, very happy. The boys were ecstatic,” Otago captain Anton Oliver said. ”We’re just happy to be in front of our crowd and we managed to pull out a good victory for them. It was a great Otago win, a bit of grit, determination and a bit of heart.”
On Saturday, the Wellington Hurricanes host the Western Force, the Queensland Reds meet the Canterbury Crusaders in Brisbane, the Sharks play the Cheetahs, and the Stormers meet New South Wales. — Sapa-AP