Relive 1 NEWS's live updates of tonight's Super Rugby contest between the Brumbies and Highlanders in Canberra.
FT: BRU 22-23 HIG
HIG TRY! THIEVES IN THE NIGHT! Ben-Nicholas barges over the line to score near the posts and leave Ioane his best chance to win it. The youngster smacks it down the middle of the posts and WINS THE GAME!
Brumbies will be heartbroken. They were literally seconds from a win. Instead, they're left with a big what if.
Meanwhile, Highlanders scoop their first win of the season. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't clean. But a win is a win and you take those on the road.
That's it for Super Rugby action from us tonight. Have a good one.
80+2min: BRU 22-16 HIG
BRU YELLOW! Brumbies lose a player to the bin for ill-discipline near the line. This one was for an early drive on the maul. Highlanders go back to the lineout.
80min: BRU 22-16 HIG
BUT WE'RE NOT DONE YET! Brumbies try to wind down the clock but they're penalised for not releasing as the hooter goes. Highlanders opt for touch and not the scrum. 5m lineout for all the marbles coming up.
78min: BRU 22-16 HIG
And the answer to that is no. Pass sails into touch. Brumbies with a lineout for the final few minutes.
77min: BRU 22-16 HIG
Here's the moment for the Highlanders. They get a penalty after the Brumbies kill the ball at the ruck and that'll give them a lineout 10m from the Brumbies line. Can they pull it off?
74min: BRU 22-16 HIG
BRU THREE! And because bad things come in threes, the Highlanders give up a penalty in front and the Brumbies happily take the three on offer. Gonna take something special to get this upset now.
72min: BRU 19-16 HIG
And it's made absolutely worse as the dropout goes down for a knock-on. Brumbies scrum 10m inside the Highlanders' half. Eight minutes.
71min: BRU 19-16 HIG
The Highlanders get a penalty 45m out and they turn to Ioane to tie it. He steps up, strikes it true, it's got the distance but it curls to the left of the posts! Points go begging. Brumbies with the 22m dropout. Nine minutes.
69min: BRU 19-16 HIG
BRU TRY! Fainga'a gets a hat-trick! Rare for a hooker but the Brumbies know what's working and they go to it again. Set the maul, get it rumbling and Fainga'a goes over to score. Conversion pushes it to three points with 11 minutes left.
66min: BRU 12-16 HIG
Big moment in the game now as the Brumbies make their first journey to the Highlanders' 22m in what feels like forever. It's off a penalty and they get a 5m lineout to work with.
59min: BRU 12-16 HIG
Highlanders on the attack here with a lineout on the Brumbies 22m. You get the feeling a score here would be the nail in the coffin. Brumbies have had nothing this second half.
55min: BRU 12-16 HIG
Highlanders are back up to 15 men after allowing not a single point these last 10 minutes. Brumbies didn't even manage to get past halfway let alone score with some brilliant ball management from Smith.
51min: BRU 12-16 HIG
Despite the numbers disadvantage, the Highlanders have managed to keep the Brumbies away from their end of the field so far. Smith playing a tactical kicking game and keeping the Brumbies from carrying the ball over halfway.
47min: BRU 12-16 HIG
Highlanders defence holds on against the waves of attack and earn a penalty after getting on the ball. The clearing penalty gets them a lineout 10m from halfway.
45min: BRU 12-16 HIG
HIG YELLOW! Highlanders are down to 14 men after replays show Tomkinson making contact with a rival's head with his shoulder and no attempt with arms. Doesn't look good and he's given his orders. Brumbies use the penalty to get within 5m of the line.
43min: BRU 12-16 HIG
HIG THREE! Highlanders get off to a good start with the Brumbies penalised for being offside. Ioane steps up and slots it with ease.
40min: BRU 12-13 HIG
Highlanders get it going again.
HT: BRU 12-13 HIG
Both sides head to the sheds and Brumbies will be kicking themselves with that final six minutes. Had control of the game but a freak try and brain snap have seen them blow the lead they worked so hard for.
For the Highlanders, they've simply taken the chances, albeit odd ones, when they've presented themselves. They won't want to rely on that for the second half though, so expect a Mauger chat at halftime to sort things out.
37min: BRU 12-13 HIG
HIG THREE! Ioane makes up for the missed three from earlier with this attempt. Brumbies were penalised for kicking the ball through the ruck which gave the Highlanders the choice of points or attempt a try and they opted for the one-point lead. Couple minutes left before the half to either add to that... or lose it.
34min: BRU 12-10 HIG
HIG TRY! NAREKI SCORES A SOLO STUNNER. Highlanders go deep with the kickoff and Nareki is the only one giving chase. The catch is taken by Brumbies and they look to kick immediately but Nareki makes the charge down, recovers the bouncing ball and dives in to score. Try of the year contender for sure.
32min: BRU 12-3 HIG
BRU TRY! Brumbies go back to the maul and this time their over with Fainga'a getting a double so far.
29min: BRU 5-3 HIG
Brumbies earn another penalty after the Highlanders are penalised for incorrectly entering the maul. That prompts a chat from the ref and a yellow card warning.
27min: BRU 5-3 HIG
The Highlanders have coughed up another two penalties and the Brumbies are now just 5m shy of the tryline with a lineout. Discipline a real big issue for the visitors so far.
24min: BRU 5-3 HIG
The Highlanders camp out inside the Brumbies 22m for five minutes but they can't get anything from it - except a penalty... to the Brumbies. The hosts clear and find halfway.
19min: BRU 5-3 HIG
The penalty count continues to rise against the Highlanders. This latest one will give the Brumbies another great attacking platform with a lineout 40m from the Highlanders' line.
15min: BRU 5-3 HIG
The Highlanders get a chance to reply almost immediately with Ioane stepping up for a penalty but the three points go begging as his kick floats away to the right of the posts.
12min: BRU 5-3 HIG
BRU TRY! And sure enough, the Brumbies convert with a driving maul.
10min: BRU 0-3 HIG
Another two penalites for the Brumbies really have them pressuring here. 5m lineout coming up.
7min: BRU 0-3 HIG
Brumbies get their first touch of the ball in Highlanders territory after a penalty gets them a lineout on halfway. Highlanders defence has been staunch in these opening minutes and giving the Brumbies no room to breathe at all.
4min: BRU 0-3 HIG
HIG THREE! Highlanders draw first blood with Ioane knocking over an early three to take the lead. Brumbies were penalised for being offside after the Highlanders made their way into their 22m.
KICKOFF
The Brumbies get us going in Canberra.
PREVIEW
Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger is expecting the lessons learned from their first-up Super Rugby loss to the Sharks to be evident when they play the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday.
After last week's 42-20 loss, Mauger knows the Brumbies are on a 10-game winning streak at home but has confidence his side have learned from their first game.
"I think we were just a bit over eager at times last week, a couple of dropped balls with the line openm" he said.
"So we created opportunities and that's probably just a reflection of a young team, really keen, a little bit rusty so with another week of training under our belt and taking the lessons out of the Sharks game I think we'll be in a better space Saturday night," he said.
"They are a pretty physical side and tough to play at home and they are pretty successful at home as well.
"For us it is about understanding them and understanding their game. Taking away their strengths and we're going to have to be disciplined with our own plans and make sure we play in the right part of the field.
"They're a pretty physical side and that's one area we weren't quite good enough against the Sharks last week so we need to be more physical around our carry and breakdown and make sure we secure our own ball."
TEAMS
Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Solomone Kata, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Tom Wright, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Will Miller, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Murray Douglas, 4 Darcy Swain, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (c), 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Connal McInerney, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Tom Ross, 19 Cadeyrn Neville, 20 Lachlan McCaffrey, 21 Ryan Lonergan, 22 Len Ikitau, 23 Andy Muirhead
Highlanders: 15: Josh McKay 14: Sio Tomkinson 13: Rob Thompson 12: Josh Ioane 11: Jona Narkei 10: Mitch Hunt 9: Aaron Smith 8: Marino Mikaele-Tu’u 7: James Lentjes (C) 6: Shannon Frizzell 5: Josh Dickson 4: Jesse Parete 3: Siate Tokolahi 2: Liam Coltman 1: Ayden Johnstone
Replacements: Ash Dixon, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Conan O’Donnell, Jack Whetton, Dillion Hunt, Kayne Hammington, Michael Collins, Teariki Ben-Nicholas
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