Two tries apiece for Billy Pollard and Corey Toole saw the Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies move into the top two of the Smartech Super Rugby Pacific table thanks to a 24-0 win over Moana Pasifika at Navigation Homes Stadium.
The bonus point victory means the Brumbies climb up to second in the standings ahead of the Chiefs’ tie with the Highlanders later this afternoon.
The doubles for Pollard and Toole take their tallies to six tries each for the season thus far, while head coach Stephen Larkham will be delighted to prevent Moana Pasifika from scoring a single point.
It was a tight start to the game and with both teams getting used to the wet and greasy conditions, there were unsurprisingly several handling errors.
The Brumbies looked as if they were going to take the lead in the 12th minute, with Andy Muirhead collecting a Noah Lolesio crossfield kick, before finding Lachlan Lonergan inside. However, the Moana scramble defence shut down the attack and they cleared the ball up field.
Halfway through the first period, the home side were looking dangerous and had an attack held up over the line by Muirhead. Second row Tom Hooper was then shown a yellow card for an indiscretion at a maul.
Despite being a man down, the Brumbies weathered an intense storm from Moana, who even had a try chalked off in the 28th minute when Julian Savea was ruled to be offside when collecting a lineout off the top.
Eight minutes before the break, the Brumbies were the ones to be frustrated with a near miss, as Allan Alaalatoa was held up over the line and denied his fifth try of the season.
Opposition fly half Patrick Pellegrini missed a penalty kick on the stroke of half-time and the visitors took full advantage to take the lead. Muirhead made a break in open play, before chipping through and Toole showed deft footballing skills himself before diving on the ball in the in-goal area, sliding through to nearly hit a spectator in the process.
Moana Pasifika came out fighting in the second half and it was the Brumbies who held the ball over the line for a second time five minutes after the break, this time James Slipper, on at half-time, and Tuaina Taii Tualima with their hands under the ball.
The Brumbies extended their lead in the 55th minute, with Pollard’s first, the hooker on the end of an unstoppable driving maul.
The front row combination of Slipper, Pollard and Feao Fotuiaka all made a huge impact after coming on in the second period, with the away side claiming a string of scrum penalties.
And Pollard claimed his second seven minutes after the hour mark, when another driving maul was pulled up short, the hooker showed immense power to carry two over the tryline with him to dot down.
Toole then scored the fourth six minutes from time. Replacement scrum half Harrison Goddard with an exquisite flick pass to Tom Wright, who found Toole with a looping pass and he had an easy run-in to the line for his second.
Wright was shown a yellow card for playing the half back two minutes from time, but that wasn’t enough to prevent a shut out for the Brumbies.
They take on the Hurricanes next Saturday in Round 11 as part of Smartech Super Rugby Pacific’s Anzac Weekend Round (kick-off 7.35pm, GIO Stadium). Tickets are available here.
