The ACT Brumbies consolidated their semifinal play-off chances in rugby’s Super 14 competition on Saturday, beating the third-place Wellington Hurricanes 21-16.
The win left the Brumbies with 32 points in fourth place, two behind the Hurricanes. The Canterbury Crusaders lead the competition with 42 points while the New South Wales Waratahs, who had a weekend bye, are in second place with 38 points.
The Brumbies now have a five-point buffer over fifth-place Waikato with three matches to play in the round-robin.
The Brumbies, who led 15-6 at half-time, lost chief playmakers Stephen Larkham and Matt Giteau in the lead-up to the match. Giteau confirmed on Saturday he had accepted a multimillion-dollar deal to play with the Perth-based Western Force beginning next season.
ACT captain Stirling Mortlock combined with centre partner Joel Wilson to cross next to the posts in the seventh minute and converted for a 7-0 lead before adding a penalty goal 11 minutes later.
David Holwell replied with a penalty goal in the 32nd minute to get the Hurricanes back to within a converted try. But the Brumbies’ second try, by halfback George Gregan, three minutes later had the home team in control leading 15-3.
Holwell’s second penalty at half-time left the Hurricanes trailing by nine at the break, and the Brumbies maintained the advantage in the second half. — Sapa-AP