Slipper’s day ends in elation as Brumbies beat Chiefs
Sebastian Tan |
The ACT Brumbies have celebrated James Slipper’s milestone match in thrilling fashion, roaring back to defeat the Chiefs 33-24.
Slipper became the most-capped Super Rugby player of all time at GIO Stadium on Friday night, reaching 203 caps to move clear of former All Black Wyatt Crockett (202).
It’s a significant milestone for the prop, who debuted for the Queensland Reds in 2010 and featured 151 times for the Wallabies, before announcing his retirement from international level last year.
Wearing a new jersey with a golden No.1 on his back, Slipper registered five tackles and 12 metres in 53 minutes on the night.
But it was the typically inspirational All Black Damian McKenzie (one try, 25 passes, 70 metres) who threatened to overshadow the 36-year-old’s night as he led his team to a 17-point advantage with 24 minutes remaining.
The Brumbies then flicked a switch, scoring three tries in just over 10 minutes, before speedster Corey Toole ran the length of the field in the 79th minute to secure victory.
It came after McKenzie missed a penalty goal, which would have put the visitors back in front with less than five minutes remaining.
“The ones where you don’t win and you’ve got a milestone just don’t feel the same. It was great to see the boys play the way they did in that second half,” Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said.
“Everyone was screaming to run, and then he (Toole) almost got chased down by McKenzie.
“We’ve had a couple of those (close wins) this year, and it builds confidence.”
Victory is a modicum of revenge after the Brumbies were dumped out of last year’s semi-finals by the Chiefs 37-17.
It will also be a welcome relief for Larkham, having lost their past two clashes and sacrificing top spot on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.
“I definitely feel like we could have won the game tonight … so we’ve got to be better there,” Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson said.
“I’m pretty frustrated. We just weren’t able to build enough continuity in our attack.”
After Slipper received a guard of honour from both teams before the match, the Brumbies started hot, with Hudson Creighton crashing over the line in the fourth minute.
The Chiefs responded as winger Liam Coombes-Fabling crossed twice to help the visitors lead 17-7 at halftime.
The Chiefs’ advantage grew to 17 points after McKenzie found himself on the receiving end of some slick passing down the left flank in the 56th minute.
The Brumbies immediately answered when captain Ryan Lonergan scooped up a loose ball and flopped over the line, before Charlie Cale added another five-pointer to his season’s tally when he picked up the ball from the ruck and scored.
The Chiefs desperately searched for a winner, but Toole snatched an intercept and ran from one end to the other to seal victory.
AAP