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Brumbies edge Rebels in pre-season blowout in Wagga Wagga

(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Len Ikitau’s second-half double was enough for the ACT Brumbies to skip clear after the Melbourne Rebels had fired their first shots ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

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The Brumbies led early but needed a second-half surge in a 35-33 win in Wagga Wagga on Saturday.

The Rebels, beaten 24-0 by Fijian Drua in their only other trial game, held sway and led 19-12 early in the second half after stalling the Brumbies’ rolling maul and finding space on the left flank.

But Wallabies centre Ikitau produced the critical plays, twice tumbling out of tackles to score his tries in the Brumbies’ comeback.

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His second put them nine points clear before the Rebels scored a consolation try after the siren.

Rugby sevens recruits Corey Toole continued his fine pre-season form with a try for the winners, while fellow sevens product and Tokyo Olympian Joe Pincus made the most of his early minutes with a first-half double.

Pincus was on after Ray Nu’u was helped of f with a right knee injury, while Rebels five-eighth Carter Gordon was also limping when he exited in the 60th minute.

The emerging playmaker was sharp before that, throwing the pass for Pincus’s first try and running at the line with confidence.

Playing fullback, Reece Hodge was also impressive while Jack Debreczeni was smooth in pulling the Brumbies’ strings in the No.10.

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Victory for the Brumbies followed a tight win over the Waratahs in their other pre-season game, returning coach Stephen Larkham to enter the season later this month with a perfect record.

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R
RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Could Jacques Nienaber be linked with Ireland job after exerting Bok influence on Leinster?

The disjointed Ireland AI matches are as a result of the imbalance between Leinsters style and Ireland's style in my opinion. Ireland probably should get Felix Jones in to work defence. With Nienaber in Leinster and Jones in Ireland, the International team would become incredibly difficult for anyone to beat. That situation is Ireland's problem now not Leinsters.

A fully loaded Toulouse team last year were saved by the width of a post from Frawleys drop and a decision not to take a scrum (Leinster were smashing Toulouse) probbaly gaining a penalty or minumim a drop attempt.

Leinster are concedeing 8 points less than last year and that is including 2 outlier matches (Edinburgh and Ulster) where high points were conceded in controlled wins.

Toulouse will have to be better than last year to beat Leinster.

I am amazed at your assessment that they are not favourites for the URC. They have a lot of clear ground leading the league. They will finish in first place and have home matches all the way. They lost last year away in Pretoria to an impressive Bulls performance. If a URC team wants to win the URC they will have to beat Leinster in the Aviva. Maybe, but Leinster are favourites surely?

Lastly you will see how the depth of Leinster is maturing. Last year the second team shipped points in SA. Its Bulls and Sharks for them this year. Lets see what happens there.

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