The ACT Brumbies have broken a 12-year hoodoo, securing a 21-20 victory over the Blues at Eden Park.
Scrum half Ryan Lonergan kicked the winning penalty in the 79th minute, after tries from captain Allan Alaalatoa and Declan Meredith.
The win, the first for the Brumbies at Eden Park since 2013, came off the back of a colossal defensive effort that saw the away side keep the Blues scoreless in the second-half and wipe out a 10-point deficit at the break.
The Brumbies’ early defensive resolve hinted at an improved display following last week's loss to the Chiefs, with a revamped lineup including the return of Tom Hooper, proving a rock-solid response to the Blues attack.
The opening points of the match came in the form of a Beauden Barrett penalty, before Declan Meredith returned serve at the other end of the field.
It wasn’t long before the Blues talisman spotted a gap in the Brumbies defence, with Barrett slicing and dicing his way to the try line.
The Brumbies responded through Hooper, whose midfield turnover translated into much-needed territory for the Australians. He was backed up by his skipper Alaalatoa, who burrowed in for the visitor’s opening try of the match.
The game turned into an arm-wrestle for the next 20 minutes, with both defensive lines holding firm. Following opportunities at both ends, it was the Blues who launched a long-range attack through full-back Cole Forbes, finished off by Angus Ta’avao.
It wasn’t long after the Brumbies had left their huddle that the Blues were celebrating again, following an attacking masterclass started by half-back Finlay Christie. Rieko Ioane was the beneficiary of a silky move down the right-hand side, which saw the Blues take a 20-10 lead into half-time.
One of the match’s key stories proved the absence of Beauden Barrett after the break. The Blues fly-half failed to re-join his teammates with a suspected hand injury.
An early penalty in the second period from Meredith swung momentum back to the Brumbies, who closed the margin to just seven points.
That momentum saw the Brumbies inch within centimetres of the opposition line before the backline reaped the rewards of their forwards’ patience. Meredith’s try in the corner brought his side to within a conversion.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu appeared to have secured victory for the home side with a critical late turnover, seemingly ruling out the Brumbies’ hopes of an historic victory. However, a rejuvenated forward pack emerged victorious from the game’s final scrum, setting up a penalty kick to win the match.
If scrum-half Ryan Lonergan was feeling any nerves, he wasn’t showing, as the Canberra boy slotted the penalty to secure a famous victory for the Brumbies.
The Brumbies return to GIO Stadium next Friday night, taking on the Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Pacific Kids Round from 7:35pm.
