Luke Reimer’s late try secured a hard-fought 14–10 victory for the Brumbies over the Highlanders in Dunedin, with a controversial yellow card to replacement hooker Henry Bell proving the decisive moment in a tense arm-wrestle under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Key moments
22 mins – PENALTY HIGHLANDERS: Cameron Millar opens the scoring from 20 metres out and right in front after the Brumbies are penalised at the breakdown. The hosts have enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, with loosehead prop Ethan de Groot winning two scrum penalties in the first ten minutes. (Highlanders 3–0 Brumbies)
26 mins – TACTICAL SUBSTITUTION BRUMBIES: Charlie Cale, the Brumbies’ top try-scorer this season, is replaced by Toby MacPherson in what coach Stephen Larkham later describes as a tactical decision.
35 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Ryan Lonergan marks his 100th Super Rugby appearance in fitting style, finishing off a composed attacking sequence. The Brumbies turn down an easy three points to kick for the corner, and their captain rewards the bravery by picking up from the ruck and stretching every inch to ground the ball near the posts. Lonergan converts his own try. (Highlanders 3–7 Brumbies)
Half-time: Highlanders 3–7 Brumbies. A tight, physical opening 40 minutes with neither side able to establish dominance. The Highlanders have struggled at the lineout, losing five throws, with the season-ending loss of lock Fabian Holland continuing to cast a long shadow. The Brumbies’ forward pack grew into the contest through Rob Valetini and Charlie Cale before the latter’s early departure, while Lonergan’s milestone try came from patient phase play after turning down the shot at goal.
55 mins – MILESTONE MOMENT BRUMBIES: Billy Pollard brings up his 50th Brumbies appearance before being replaced, making way for Lachlan Lonergan’s emotional return from injury. The hooker marks his comeback with his first lineout throw in the 56th minute, having ruptured his ACL against the British and Irish Lions last July.
63 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Jona Nareki produces a moment of individual brilliance to give the hosts the lead. Cameron Millar chips over the top and Nareki claims it before stabbing his own kick through, keeping it in with his left foot, regathering and dotting down for a stunning solo effort. Millar converts from near the touchline. (Highlanders 10–7 Brumbies)
71 mins – YELLOW CARD HIGHLANDERS: Henry Bell is sent to the sin bin for head-on-head contact on Nick Frost. With the Highlanders set to pack an attacking scrum close to the Brumbies’ line, the TMO pulls play back for the accidental collision. Referee Ben O’Keeffe’s decision is met with fury from the home crowd of 12,553, who feel Frost ducked into the contact. The penalty swings momentum decisively to the visitors.
74 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Luke Reimer crashes over for the match-winner. The Brumbies steal Adam Lennox’s lineout throw and march downfield through multiple phases, with Reimer the man to find the line right under the posts after several carriers edge closer. Lonergan converts. (Highlanders 10–14 Brumbies)
80 mins – FULL-TIME: The Highlanders launch a desperate late attack but Hugh Renton commits a crucial error, allowing the Brumbies to close out the contest. Tane Edmed boots the ball into the stands to seal the deal.
Full-time: Highlanders 10–14 Brumbies
Match report
Games under the roof in New Zealand’s deep south are usually high-scoring shootouts, but this was an old-fashioned grind decided by fine margins and a moment of controversy that will be hotly debated in the coming days.
The Brumbies arrived in Dunedin with their season at a crossroads. After a glittering 3–0 start to the competition that saw them sitting atop the ladder, Stephen Larkham’s side had lost three of their past four matches, including a demoralising 30–28 defeat to the NSW Waratahs two rounds ago. They desperately needed a result to arrest the slide and breathe fresh life into their finals aspirations.
What they produced was far from championship material, coughing up 18 turnovers across the 80 minutes, but it was enough. The Brumbies showed trademark composure and grit when it mattered most, and in Luke Reimer they had a clutch closer who once again delivered in his super-sub role.
The early stages belonged to the Highlanders, who enjoyed the better of the territory and possession without being able to convert it into points. In-form loosehead prop Ethan de Groot set the tone with his physicality, winning two scrum penalties inside the opening ten minutes against Wallabies veteran Allan Alaalatoa in the latest sign that the southerners have weaponised their set-piece this season.
De Groot finished with a remarkable 16 tackles and nine passes, sparking the home side throughout. But despite his endeavour, the Highlanders had nothing to show for their early dominance. Their lineout, still suffering from the season-ending loss of lock Fabian Holland, was a persistent problem, with hooker Jack Taylor losing five throws across the first half alone.
Lively halfback Nic Shearer continued where he left off against Moana Pasifika, offering sharp feet and an attacking threat around the ruck. He looked certain to score after about half an hour when Jonah Lowe made a strong break, but the centre couldn’t find Shearer on his inside with space beckoning.
It was symptomatic of the Highlanders’ night. Cameron Millar’s 22nd-minute penalty was all they had to show for their superiority, and even that came after a promising attacking lineout went awry.
The Brumbies’ breakthrough came through the boot and brilliance of their captain. Ryan Lonergan, in his 100th appearance for the franchise, was everywhere: intercepting passes, delivering crunching tackles, and taking strong carries off the ruck. His influence was rewarded in the 35th minute when, after turning down an easy three points to kick for the corner, he picked up from the base of a ruck and stretched every inch to ground the ball.
Lonergan’s conversion gave the visitors a 7–3 lead at the break, but the Brumbies had been given a scare earlier in the half when star back-rower Charlie Cale was removed after just 26 minutes. The No 8, their top try-scorer this season and a Wallabies hopeful, was replaced by Toby MacPherson in what was later reported as a tactical decision.
The second half continued in similar fashion, with both sides showing defensive resolve but struggling for accuracy in attack. The Highlanders spent the opening 15 minutes camped in Brumbies territory but were repeatedly denied by a disciplined defensive effort.
The breakthrough required something special, and Jona Nareki provided it. The winger’s stunning solo try in the 63rd minute was the highlight of the evening. Millar sent a chip across to his left edge and Nareki claimed it before immediately stabbing his own kick through. He won the race, kept the ball in with his left foot, regathered and dotted down for a try that had the home crowd of 12,553 on their feet.
Millar’s conversion from near the touchline gave the Highlanders a 10–7 lead, and momentum was firmly with the home side. They continued to press, but ill-discipline proved costly. A free-kick at the scrum was followed by a full-arm penalty for backchat to referee Ben O’Keeffe, wasting valuable attacking opportunities.
Then came the moment that decided the contest. With the Highlanders poised to pack an attacking scrum close to the Brumbies’ line, the TMO pulled play back for head-on-head contact between replacement hooker Henry Bell and Brumbies lock Nick Frost. While Bell was upright, Frost appeared to duck his head into the collision in a dynamic movement, but O’Keeffe showed the yellow card to Bell nonetheless.
The decision was met with disgust from the home crowd, and their fury deepened when the Brumbies capitalised immediately. The visitors stole Adam Lennox’s lineout throw and went to work, with multiple carriers edging closer to the line before Reimer crashed over right under the posts with six minutes remaining.
A desperate Highlanders attack ensued, but the Brumbies stood tall. Hugh Renton eventually committed the crucial error, and Tane Edmed booted the ball into the stands to seal the victory.
For the Brumbies, it was a win built on resilience rather than fluency. Winger Corey Toole was crafty with 63 metres and three defenders beaten, while Lonergan’s 98 metres and milestone try underlined his importance to the side. The returns of Alaalatoa and Lachlan Lonergan, who made his first appearance since rupturing his ACL against the Lions last July, provided a significant boost to the squad depth.
“We’re honest with each other. We just haven’t performed against Aussie teams,” Reimer told former Highlanders lock Joe Wheeler post-match. “We’ve probably got a bit complacent, but our main goal is to take the comp out. But we’re not going to do that if we don’t keep putting wins on wins.”
For the Highlanders, it was another painful lesson in the importance of taking opportunities. Coach Jamie Joseph kept his cool post-match but claimed his side did not get the “rub of the green.” The Bell decision will be debated for days, but the hosts’ inability to convert pressure into points and their ongoing lineout woes were equally damaging.
The win lifted the Brumbies to third on the ladder behind the Hurricanes and Blues, extending their winning streak over the Highlanders to six matches. It was far from pretty, but in a competition where road wins are precious, Larkham’s men will take it.
What’s next
The Highlanders must pick themselves off the canvas for a daunting trip to Auckland to face the Blues at Eden Park next Friday, knowing they need to start stringing together consistent performances to turn their season around. The Brumbies return home to Canberra to host the Fijian Drua, looking to build momentum off the back of this gutsy victory.
Match details
Highlanders 10 (Try: Nareki; Conversion: Millar 1/1; Penalty: Millar 1/1)
Brumbies 14 (Tries: R. Lonergan, Reimer; Conversions: R. Lonergan 2/2)
Half-time: 3–7
Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Attendance: 12,553
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Todd Petrie, Warwick Lahmert
TMO: Richard Kelly
Teams
Highlanders: 15 Taine Robinson, 14 Caleb Tangitau, 13 Jonah Lowe, 12 Timoci Tavatavanawai (co-c), 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Cameron Millar, 9 Nic Shearer, 8 Nikora Broughton, 7 Veveni Lasaqa, 6 Te Kemaka Howden, 5 Mitch Dunshea, 4 Oliver Haig, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Jack Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot (co-c).
Replacements: 16 Henry Bell, 17 Josh Bartlett, 18 Saula Ma’u, 19 Hugh Renton, 20 Sean Withy, 21 Adam Lennox, 22 Reesjan Pasitoa, 23 Taniela Tele’a.
Brumbies: 15 Andy Muirhead, 14 Ollie Sapsford, 13 Kadin Pritchard, 12 David Feliuai, 11 Corey Toole, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan (c), 8 Charlie Cale, 7 Rory Scott, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Lachlan Shaw, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Blake Schoupp, 18 Darcy Breen, 19 Toby MacPherson, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Klayton Thorn, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Hudson Creighton.
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