Super Rugby 2019 live: Brumbies v Blues from Canberra

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Brumbies 26 - 21 Blues

Full time - stay tuned for match report. 

82 min: The Brumbies win the ball and they kick it out! It's over, they beat the Blues. 

80 min: They win a penalty and the Blues have the lineout at the halfway line. 

79 min: The Blues win the ball back and will need to go 90m to score a try. 

78 min: Another penalty and it looks like another lineout drive for the Brumbies. 

76 min: Tom Robinson knock the ball on and the Blues are offside so the Brumbies win a penalty - huge moment. 

74 min: It's now or never for the Blues as they win a penalty. 

71 min: The Blues get their hands on the ball but will need to go the length of the field here. 

67 min: TRY - Brumbies, it's a carbon copy of his other two tries and now the hooker has a hatrick. Lineout drive easy as you like - Fainga’a scores. Kick is good. Brumbies 26 - 21 Blues. 

66 min: Good field position for the Brumbies and they win a penalty - they kick for touch again. 

63 min: Blues win a penalty and have done well to get back in front through a penalty kick . Brumbies 19 - 21 Blues. 

61 min: Powell is penalised and the Blues will kick for touch. 

58 min: Penalty for the Blues and with a man in the bin you expect them to kick the points here. It's good. Brumbies 19 - 18 Blues. 

54 min: TRY - Brumbies, wow they fully deserve this they have had all the ball this half and it's the hooker Fainga’a who scores - he now leads the competition in tries. Kick is good. Brumbies 19 -15 Blues. 

51 min: Scrum is called and Ma'a Nonu enters the scrum.

51 min: Right on cue - there's another penalty and as promised he goes to the bin - it's Ofa Tu'ungafasi 

50 min: Another penalty given away by the Blues - ref says one more and he goes to the bin. 

48 min: The Brumbies have spent a lot of time down this end - and their scrum isstarting to dominate - against a full All Black front row. 

45 min: Brumbies earn a penalty at scrum time and an oppurtunity for them to kick it out and get the lineout drive rolling. 

43 min: Good start from the Brumbies - the Blues get the ball and clear before the Brumbies pass the ball out - Blues lineout. 

41 min: Back underway for the second half. 

Half-Time

42 min: The halfback Joe Powell goes over - but some great work from Tom Robinson holds him up, it's half-time. 

41 min: The Brumbies win another penalty and they have a chance to take the three - but they kick for touch, a statement from the hosts. 

41 min: Hooter goes in Canberra as the Brumbies are on attack. 

38 min: TRY - Brumbies, a deserved try for the hosts - a backline move is a bit sloppy but there is no knock on called - James Slipper scores. Kick is good. Brumbies 12 - 15 Blues. 

36 min: Another penalty against the Blues - their fifth in a row, need to be careful here or they will lose another player. 

33 min: The Blues are penalised 10metres out for a high tackle - Gibson is the man.

31 min: Henry Speight makes a dart down the right wing and then the Blues are penalised for an offside - Otere Black again. Brumbies kick for touch again. 

28 min: The Blues go very close but knock the ball on just before the try line - Brumbies win a penalty with Otere Black being offside. 

27 min: Blues win a penalty and opt for the kick to touch. 

23 min: Another penalty against the Brumbies and Otere Black kicks his first penalty of the match. Brumbies 5 - 15 Blues. 

20 min: The Brumbies go to their trusty line out drive and it works. TRY - Brumbies, it's Folau Fainga’a who scores of the drive. Kick hits the post and misses. Brumbies 5 - 12 Blues. 

18 min: Penalty to the Brumbies and the ref blows the whistle pretty hard - a no arms tackle off the ball from Alex Hodgman and he has been sent to the bin, yellow card. 

13 min: Really good work for the Blues under advantage but Matt Duffie can't hold onto it, they kick at goal but Otere Black misses again. 

10 min: TRY - Blues, Christian Lealiifano goes for the big cut out pass but it falls to Caleb Clarke who gets the intercept and goes the whole way to score. Kick is good. Brumbies 0 - 12 Blues. 

8 min: TRY - Blues, really good work from Malani Nanai who makes the break and finds TJ Faiane who scores the opener. Kick is wide. Brumbies 0 - 5 Blues. 

6 min: Penalty won out in front for the Blues - bad kick from Black, way wide. 

3 min: Even game so far here - mistake from the Brumbies as they throw the lineout not straight. 

1 min: Kick off here in the Aussie capital. 

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Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby match from GIO Stadium. 

Pre-match chat: Blues boosted by Blake Gibson's return for Brumbies

The return of Blake Gibson will bolster the Blues for their Super Rugby contest with the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday.

Gibson hasn't played since suffering a knee laceration in the win over the Waratahs in Sydney, and should provide a welcome dose of power and leadership among the forwards.

His inclusion is one of seven changes to the side that lost to the Highlanders, with coach Leon MacDonald stacking his bench to take advantage of the travel-weary Australians.

Regular skipper Patrick Tuipulotu moves to the pine, along with James Parsons, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Dalton Papali'i and Augustine Pulu.

In the backs, Riko Ioane's All Blacks-enforced rest week has seen a few adjustments. Matt Duffie replaces Ioane, with Caleb Clarke switching wings.

Sam Nock starts in place of a resting Jonathan Ruru at halfback.

Nursing a hand injury, Akira Ioane will need to pass a fitness test at Friday's captain's run before he's cleared to start.

"We have a number of players back from injury, and others who have been performing well on the training field or with their minutes as replacements, who have earned their chance," said MacDonald.

"We did well earlier in the season with some real ammunition off the bench to add significant energy in the final quarter and we feel we have that capability with this team."

Assistant coach Tom Coventry stressed how crucial a win would be in recapturing some of the momentum lost in their previous two New Zealand derby losses.

"We were pretty disappointed in both our performances before the bye," said Coventry.

"They were close, but we were disappointed with the way we turned up for both games and the results reflected how well we played.

"It's an important time. We get an opportunity to fix up our issues we had over the last two games."

The Brumbies are on a brutal travel stretch that's seen them go from Capetown to Buenos Aires and back in consecutive weeks. They'll also be without lynchpin loose forward David Pocock, who's still recovering from a calf injury.

"We get an opportunity to fix up our issues we had over the last two games," said Coventy. "The Brumbies won't be easy, coming back from the Jaguares, where they had most of the possession, but just couldn't finish it off.

"They've got a pretty grunty forward pack - and if they'd won away against the Jaguares, they would have gone top of their conference.

"They're pretty hard to stop close to the line with the drive, they've got a good scrum and are pretty accurate with the ball. We're certainly not underestimating how tough they'll be at home."

 

Brumbies: 1-James Slipper, 2-Folau Fainga’a, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 4-Rory Arnold, 5-Sam Carter, 6-Tom Cusack, 7-Jahrome Brown, 8-Pete Samu, 9-Joe Powell, 10-Christian Lealiifano (c), 11-Toni Pulu, 12-Irae Simone, 13-Len Ikitau, 14-Henry Speight, 15-Tom Banks

Reserves:  16. Connal McInerney, 17-Scott Sio, 18-Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, 19-Darcy Swain, 20-Murray Douglas, 21-Ryan Lonergan, 22-Tom Wright, 23-Andy Muirhead

Blues: 1-Alex Hodgman, 2-Leni Apisai, 3-Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 4-Gerard Cowley Tuioti, 5-Josh Goodhue, 6-Tom Robinson, 7-Blake Gibson, 8-Akira Ioane, 9-Sam Nock, 10-tere Black, 11-Caleb Clarke, 12-Ma'a Nonu, 13-TJ Faiane, 14-Matt Duffie, 15-Melani Nanai

Reserves: 16-James Parsons, 17-Karl Tu'inukuafe, 18-Marcel Renata, 19-Patrick Tuipulotu, 20-Dalton Papalii, 21-Augustine Pulu, 22-Harry Plummer, 23-Levi Aumua

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