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All Blacks half-back Aaron Smith orchestrates victory for the Highlanders at the Brumbies

(Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

The Brumbies have failed to take a second Kiwi scalp, disappointingly falling to the Highlanders in their Friday night Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash in Canberra. The Australian heavyweights were hopeful of backing up last weekend’s win over the high-flying Hurricanes but were outplayed 33-12.

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The bonus-point win sent the men from Dunedin to the top of the ladder, with the two leading teams at the end of the round playing off in the final next Saturday. All Blacks half-back Aaron Smith orchestrated the victory with a try in each half while he also set up another for winger Sio Tomkinson.

The Brumbies were right in the contest at half-time, trailing 12-14, but didn’t rise to the challenge in the second stanza at GIO Stadium. Smith darted across the line from the back of the scrum to inflict the first wound in the 46th minute.

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While the Brumbies pride themselves on their set-piece they were outsmarted at a five-metre lineout when the Highlanders found Billy Harmon on the short side. And then Smith, New Zealand’s most-capped halfback, threaded a pass to Tomkinson to score their fifth try of the night and crucially put the Highlanders into bonus point territory.

The Brumbies did their best to spoil their opponents’ finals hopes with a late try but couldn’t find their way to the line. Earlier Brumbies hooker Lachlan Lonergan boosted his Wallabies selection chances with a try from a rolling maul. Centres Irae Simone and Len Ikitau also combined for a first-half try to press their claims for a call-up for the Test squad to face France next month.

https://twitter.com/SuperRugby/status/1403324025665847301

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J
JW 26 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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