By Louis Anderson-Rich
Hello and welcome to Canberra where the Brumbies are hosting the Blues in this afternoon’s Super Rugby action.
The Brumbies top the Australian conference while the Blues are at the bottom in the NZ conference. But you can never count out the hot and cold Blues especially with a free licence.
We’ll bring you video live updates throughout the match, including video highlights of all the big plays and tries.
Make sure you refresh your page occasionally. We’ll add VIDEO COMING SOON when we’re cutting the highlights and VIDEO UP when it’s ready to be viewed.
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LIVE COMMENTARY: Brumbies 16 – 30 Blues
80 Min: That’s fulltime in Canberra!
80 Min: Blues win an important lineout and look to run it out of their half and eventually win a penalty which is kicked for touch. Siren goes and the Blues will close this one out, possibly denying the Brumbies a chance remain top of the Australian conference.
77 Min: Hobbs lands it.
76 Min: Now Mathewson to Braid on to Hobbs who loses it, ref comes back for the penalty though which will be kicked by Hobbs.
75 Min: Blues win a lineout against the throw five metres from the line after Liaki Moli got up well…Pass goes out to Stowers who hits the ball at pace, he almost gets through the line! Just held up. Woodcock tries to burrow over now but can’t find a way…Mathewson with a loose pass that’s hacked away by Sam Carter but is fielded to Piatau who brings it right back up to the five metre line…Brumbies hanging on here…Mathewson with a pick and go comes very close…
69 Min: Brumbies with a break now after some sloppy work from the Blues defence it’s Tevita Kuridrani…now Holmes swings it wide, White back with it Brumbies looking to work fast ball…Brumbies go the other way to Speight who drops it cold, pressure off the Blues.
68 Min: Brumbies working through their phases…Blues turn it over though and now Piatau goes on a dash. He’s up to the halfway mark until Mathewson gives away a penalty.
66 Min: Brumbies coming close to the ine now, ball’s with Stpehen Moore 5 metres out but the Blues defence is holding up very strongly…Brumbies look to go in-field now and it’s White, to Speight who loses it backwards after pressure from Luatua…Brumbies regather though and they’re back in the same spot this paragraph began….
64 Min: White lays it off for Mogg who is smashed by Hobbs…manages to retain the ball though but the Blues have earned themselves a penalty to get them out of danger.
63 Min: Loose lineout from the Blues is judged to have not gone straight, that’s McCartney’s first touch of the ball…Brumbies with a lineout on the 22.
60 Min: Stowers gets crunched in a tackle from Speight as he goes up to catch a high ball, but he’ll be alright.
59 Min: Bad miss from Holmes.
58 Min: Brumbies win the lineout and push their way into the Blues 22 and ein a penalty for their efforts which they will kick at goal.
57 Min: Weepu gets the ball away from danger successfully as the rain begins to fall in Canberra.
55 Min: Brumbies with a break now after winning the lineout against the throw it’s Speight down the right wing…He’s held up and the Brumbies go back in field, Holmes tries to nudge it ahead but it finds touch.
54 Min: Blues working through thir phases as they slowly edge up the field…but Weepu is wrestled into touch and Brumbies take a quick throw and kick it ahead…taken well by Stowers who kicks it right back and now Nic White…he also kicks it right back, on the full as well. Blues lineout on halfway.
53 Min: Brumbies need to get there act together if they have any hope of retaining that top Aussie conference spot…Blues with a scrum on halfway.
51 Min: Weepu lands the three.
50 Min: Blues eventually earn a penalty which will be kicked at goal by Weepu.
49 Min: Scrappy stuff from the Blues but it’s made it’s way to Parkes who goes inside to Piatau who was seemingly held in a tackle but he slips through! Piatau in space! Drops it on his foot for Parkes who is in pursuit, but he is brought down…Blues 5 metres out from the line…
47 Min: Weepu with a kick at goal for three…and he gets it.
46 Min: Stowers fields a bomb from in his own half, and runs right through the centre of the Brumbies! Fantastic running from him and he eventually wins a penalty.
45 Min: Jesse Mogg lands this one, 3 more for the Brumbies.
44 Min: Brumbies can’t find a way through at the moment…but their persistence pays off as they win a penalty, and they will take another kick at goal.
43 Min: Penalty for the Brumbies and Jesse Mogg will have another go from halfway and this one is well wide and well short. Know when to quit Jesse…
42 Min: Nonu with a big tackle on Holmes, they’ve both gone down and gotten up pretty groggily.
41 Min: Both teams are back out and Jesse Mogg gets us underway.
40 Min: Brumbies win a penalty and they will take a kick at goal to end the half. Jesse Mogg with the kick…kick doesn’t have the legs and the Blues put it into touch. That’s halftime.
39 Min: Blues on the attack again from inside their own half…looking to just close the half out. Braid with nowhere to go…
36 Min: Hobbs gets the 2.
35 Min: Numbers for the Blues out on the right from inside their own half, Piatau fields a low pass and gets up to beat two players, offloads to Nonu, who offloads to Weepu who offloads brilliantly to Daniel Braid! Blues in the Burmbies 22 now! They shift it out over to the other wing and it’s Hadleigh Parkes who goes over the line! TRY! VIDEO COMING SOON
34 Min: Mowen off the back of the scrum goes blind to Speight who hacks it down field but it’s fieldedby Piautau, who kicks it right back on the full. Good territory for the Brumbies.
33 Min: Nonu turns a loose ball over on halfway…but the Blues are then pinged for not releasing. Referee keeping a tight grip on his whistle.
31 Min: Coleman has found a gap down the right for the Brumbies, he makes it into the Blues 22 but then knocks it on in the tackle.
28 Min: Stowers catches it on the sideline and takes a quick throw in to Piatau, he’s drifted right through the middle of the Brumbies defence! Tackled on the Brumbies 22…and the Brumbies eventually win a penalty. Blues lose their momentum.
27 Min: Holmes puts it over.
26 Min: Brumbies with a lienout on the Blues 22…Home crowd starting to get into it…Peter Kimlin feeds Stephen Moore…Sam Carter tries to go quickly but knocks it on. Nope Blues hand was in the ruck which knocked it out of his hand so it will be a Brumbie penalty which Holmes will kick for three more.
24 Min: Holmes adds the extras.
23 Min: Hobbs goes long with the drop out and it’s Smith who fields it, he puts in a big up and under and the Brumbies have won it back inside the Blues 22…now it shifts out to the right for Henry Speight, he’s right on the touchline, he beats one, he beats two! TRY! VIDEO UP
22 Min: Jesse Mogg with this kick and he drags it away to the left.
21 Min: Weepu gives the ball away about 30 metres out from his line from a failed pick and go…Blues look to turn it back over though, but are penalised…kick to come.
20 Min: Daniel Braid has gone to the bloodbin so Peter Saili is on.
19 Min: Brumbies finally have the ball in the Blues half…they earn a penalty and it looks like they will take a shot at goal…Zack Holmes pushes it through.
17 Min: Weepu with the conversion…puts it through the sticks.
16 Min: Weepu to Hobbs to Nonu who gives it to Saili with room to move, he’s busted through the gap down the left! Offloads to Daniel Braid! Braid still has one to beat! He goes over the line! TRY! VIDEO UP
15 Min: Lineout for the Blues on the Brumbies 22…Woodcock with a pick and go…Brumbies have turned it over though, goes back to Zack Holmes who boots it downfield but can’t find touch.
14 Min: Parkes now with a dummy, finds a gap but is just dragged down at the last moment…Weepu with a good kick into touch…
12 Min: Hobbs get the extra two.
11 Min: Weepu off the back of the scrum to Hobbs back inside to Nonu…Faumuina dummies past one but goes down now Liaki Moli with a quick pick and go and a TRY! VIDEO UP
10 Min: Long phase of play from the Blues and they get a penalty, which Weepu takes quickly…goes at the line but tackled by Fardy well, Blues push at the line…play comes back to the initial penalty, which will be a scrum.
8 Min: Blues push for the first turn over and get it and now it’s Francis Saili, he bumps off one and makes it over halfway…quick recycle ball from the Blues, Weepu fires it to Hobbs to Nonu who dances a bit and then goes down in a tackle…Faumuina now quick hands from him to Parkes quick hands again to Piutau, they’re working the left wing well…
5 Min: Now Nonu with a decent effort, he fends off one man and makes some good ground….Blues 5 metres from the line. Knocked on by Faumuina though.
4 Min: Blues come back with the ball they’re looking pretty strong in the early exhanges…Piatau now down the right wing he slips away from one and almost gets the ball back inside but it’s knocked on by Hadleigh Parkes.
2 Min: Early run from Sherwin Stowers he’s made it up to the brumbies 22…Weepu tries to go himself but gets wrapped up. Blues grab a penalty and this will most likely be a kick at goal….and Hobbs misses his first attempt.
1 Min: Michael Hobbs of the Blues gets us underway!
So both teams out on the field now and we are about to get underway.
While you wait for kickoff, watch highlights of the Blues match last week.
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Teams
Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Zack Holmes, 9 Nic White, 8 Ben Mowen (c), 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Peter Kimlin, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Scott Fardy, 3 Dan Palmer, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander.
Replacements: 16 Anthony Hegarty, 17 Ruaidhri Murphy, 18 Leon Power, 19 Fotu Auelua, 20 Ian Prior, 21 Tevita Kuridrani, 22 Robbie Coleman.
Blues: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Lachie Munro, 13 Francis Saili, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hadleigh Parkes, 10 Michael Hobbs, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Luke Braid, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Chris Lowrey, 5 Steven Luatua, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu (c), 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Andrew Van der Heijden, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Orene Ai'i, 22 Sherwin Stowers.
Pregame banter:
Brumbies coach Jake White says Pat Lam's fight to retain his job as Blues coach provides another hurdle for the lowly ranked Super Rugby outfit as they prepare to meet the Australian Conference leaders.
Lam will stay behind to interview for his position on Friday along with the other candidates, then catch a later flight to rejoin the team in Canberra.
White said it clearly put the Blues on the back foot heading into Saturday's final round clash at Canberra Stadium.
"It can't be advantageous to have your coach staying behind and not flying over with the team, and obviously the uncertainty," White said.
"And to be fair to Pat, he's probably had to present something and prepare something."
It's just another obstacle the Blues have to overcome to notch a victory over the Brumbies amid injury concerns and the travel disadvantage.
Highly rated at the start of the season, the struggling Blues sit in last place in the New Zealand Conference, as opposed to the Brumbies, who lead the Australian table and are on the verge of making their first finals appearance since 2004.
Five points clear of Queensland Reds, they need just a bonus point to secure top spot.
And even a heavy loss would still require the Reds to score a four-try victory over NSW Waratahs - something they've only accomplished once in the 17-year history of Super Rugby.
Heading into their final regular season match-up, White said the Brumbies' destiny is where they like it: in their hands.
"The thing we've got in our favour this week is we play first," said White.
"We don't have to worry about (other teams') results."
The Brumbies will be buoyed by the return of winger Joe Tomane and big No.8 Fotu Auelua, both who have missed the past several weeks with injury.
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