The ACT Brumbies Super W have gone down 36-12 against the Melbourne Rebels in the club's second Buildcorp Super W trial at McDonald's Park in Wagga Wagga.
The Brumbies started strong in the searing heat, front-row Iris Verebalavu causing havoc at the scrum, with both teams adjusting to the difficult conditions in the first of four 20-minute periods.
It would be the visitors who would open the scoring, the Rebels touching down off the back of a rolling maul. The conversion flashed wide making it 5-0 to Melbourne.
After the break, the Brumbies kicked into gear. Replacement flyhalf Gabby Petersen stepped her way through the Rebels defence inside her own half, broke through to find Harmony Gilroy streaking through the middle of the park.
The centre couldn’t quite find the line, but had the presence of mind to offload to fullback Faitala Moleka who touched under the sticks, making her own conversion a simple task.
The Rebels responded however, with a couple late tries in the first stanza, making it 17-7 at half-time.
After a string of scrums in their own 22, Melbourne muscled their way over the line scoring first in the second half. The conversion hung right making it 22-7.
A yellow card left Melbourne down to 14 players, with Brumbies winger Sammie Wood capitalising on a gap and breaking through to score on the edge. Just sweeping the posts, the conversion was unsuccessful leaving it 22-12 at the end of the third quarter.
As the contest entered the final 20 both teams started to show signs of fatigue, with the visitors splitting the defence and going over for another try in the centres. Sending it through easily, the conversion extended Melbourne’s lead 29-12.
Maintaining a physical battle until the end, The Rebels pushed over the top in the dying minutes to score between the posts, slotting the conversion from in front, making a final score of 36-12.
