Blues 11 Brumbies 16
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With their backs to the wall the Brumbies responded in the best possible manner to beat the Blues 16-11 in a Super 14 rugby match in Auckland tonight.
The Australians entered the match desperate for victory to keep alive their fading playoff hopes after losing four of their opening seven matches.
They attained the result they required after a torrid encounter at Eden Park which never rose to any great heights.
The Blues were again off their game and enter their bye next week with much to ponder after suffering their second successive defeat.
Neither side managed to gain a clear advantage but the Brumbies shaded the Blues where it counted most - on the scoreboard - after taking their chances.
They met the threat of the Blues forwards around the ruck and kept the home side's backline quiet with suffocating defence.
The Blues dominated the opening exchanges but had nothing to show for their efforts as the Brumbies defence measured up.
The Brumbies forwards, with locks Mark Chisholm and Alister Campbell prominent in general play, were proving more than a handful for the Blues, who fell 0-10 behind by the 31st minute.
Centre Stirling Mortlock landed an early penalty for the Brumbies then added a wide-angled conversion to a try from first five-eighth Christian Lealiifano.
Lealiifano's five-pointer was a testament to the Brumbies' confidence because it came six phases after they opted for a lineout instead of taking a kick at goal from a penalty.
Blues first five-eighth Nick Evans and Mortlock traded more penalties either side of the break and entering the final quarter the Brumbies were looking good at 13-6 ahead.
The Blues were poorly served by a lack of discipline, with experienced South African referee Jonathan Kaplan responding to some backchat by upgrading a free kick to a penalty on the Blues 22 seven minutes from fulltime.
Mark Gerrard happily converted that into three points, edging his side 10 points clear and ensuring the Blues needed to score twice to steal the win.
It also had the effect of finally stirring the Blues into action as they stormed on to attack, stretching the Brumbies to the left before spreading the ball to the right when winger Rudi Wulf at last found a hole to pierce en route to a try.
But the Blues' ill discipline meant they were lucky to escape with a bonus point in the end because more backchat saw Kaplan march them 10m before the ensuing scrum drew a penalty in the visitors' favour.
Gerrard could not land his penalty attempt but they were delighted with the result, no matter the margin.
"To win here at Eden Park is something special," experienced flanker George Smith said.
Brumbies 16 (Christian Lealiifano try; Stirling Mortlock 2 pen, con, Mark Gerrard pen) Blues 11 (Rudi Wulf try; Nick Evans 2 pen). Halftime: 10-3.
- NZPA
