The ACT Brumbies ground out a 24-13 victory over South Africa’s Lions in a rain-soaked Super 14 match in Canberra on Friday.
The Brumbies dominated the game but the home team’s frustrations were compounded by their inability to secure a bonus point for a fourth try despite hammering away at the Lions line for the majority of the contest.
Christian Lealiifano and Stephen Moore scored tries for the Brumbies and the team were also awarded a penalty try. Flyhalf Matt Giteau slotted over three conversions and a penalty.
Lions flyhalf Burton Francis kicked two penalties and converted Hannes’ Franklin’ second half try for the visitors as both sides struggled to cope with the wet conditions.
“A win’s a win, but we are disappointed in the last 10 minutes we couldn’t get that bonus point,” Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles said in a televised interview.
Francis had opened the scoring with a penalty before the home side replied with a 16th minute Giteau penalty and a converted penalty try that stemmed from a deliberate offside by Lions scrumhalf JP Joubert.
The Lions had already been warned by referee Steve Walsh for persistent offending that caused tighthead prop Kevin Buys to be sin binned before another succession of scrum penalties on the Lions goal-line led to the penalty try.
Francis slotted a long-range penalty early in the second half to make it 10-6 before Brumbies centre Lealiifano finished off a sweeping team movement, which Giteau converted to extend the lead to 17-6.
Lions replacement hooker Franklin, however, reduced the deficit again when he barrelled over in the 54th minute before his opposite Moore replied in a similar fashion three minutes later after a raking kick by Giteau put the Brumbies on attack.
Neither side was able to score again though Brumbies winger Pat McCabe did cross the line in the 75th minute but was held up in a sliding cover tackle by Lions winger Wandile Mjekevu. – Reuters