Brumbies bag late win over Highlanders

(AAP) - Five-eighth Christian Lealiifano landed a last-minute field goal to give the
Brumbies an amazing 33-31 opening round Super 14 win over the Highlanders in
Dunedin.

The Highlanders scored the first 19 points, but the Brumbies then piled on the next
30 to lead by 11 points heading into the final few minutes.
However, tries to reserve forwards Chris King and Jason Rutledge put the home team
up 31-30, though the missed conversion of the latter five-pointer proved costly.
With around 45 seconds remaining, young pivot Lealiifano calmly potted the decisive
score from 30-metres out to give new Brumbies coach Andy Friend a heartstopping
victory.
The Highlanders scored five tries to four, but an inspirational performance from
Wallabies captain and centre Stirling Mortlock triggered the visitors' comeback.
Mortlock powered his way over for two tries either side of halftime and set up
another for fullback Mark Gerrard with a perfect cut out pass.
His centre partner Adam Ashley-Cooper scored the other try for the Brumbies, who
trailed 19-10 at halftime.
Friend must have wondered what he had got himself into after his side conceded three
tries in the first 20 minutes to trail 19-0.
The Highlanders lost Test players Jimmy Cowan and Jamie Mackintosh to injury in the
first half, but the home side grabbed the early initiative through tries to centre
Jason Shoemark, winger Fetu'u Vainkolo and five-eighth Daniel Bowden.
The Brumbies finally turned their territorial dominance into points when Mortlock
charged over the line on an angled run after 25 minutes.
Gerrard converted and kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to nine by the break.
Mortlock spun away from two defenders and crashed through another two to score the
second Brumbies try just two minutes after the restart.
A further Gerrard penalty got the visitors to within one point.
The Brumbies maintained their remarkable resurgence to hit the front in the 48th
minute when Ashley-Cooper crossed following good work by Lealiifano after a lineout
win by lock Ben Hand.
Ashley-Cooper's try earned the Brumbies a bonus point and Gerrard's conversion
completed a 30-point blitz in just 27 minutes.
The Highlanders turned the possession and territory statistics around in the final
quarter and King and Rutledge crossed to put them within sight of an improbable
victory.
However, the Brumbies showed great composure in the dying seconds to set up
Lealiifano's drop goal.
It capped a good performance from the young five-eighth, who shone along with
Mortlock, Hand and star recruit and Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore.