Match Details

Lions (SA)

VS

Brumbies

9

Johannesburg Kick off times: 5:00pm (Local) Sat 31 Mar 1:00am (AEST) Sun 1 Apr

14

The Brumbies have maintained their momentum by grinding out a tough 14-9 victory over the Lions in their week nine Super 14 match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on Sunday morning (AEDT).

Fullback Julian Huxley scored all the points for the Brumbies with a try, two penalties and a drop goal in a game dominated by rugged defence, tactical kicking and handling errors from both sides.

The Lions looked sharp with the ball in hand, spreading their attack to the wings and making plenty of half breaks, while the Brumbies made ground on the fringes of the ruck and through their elusive centres Gene Fairbanks and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

But the ferocity of the defence from both teams often resulted the ball being spilt, and the work at the breakdown, which was given a fair go by both sets of forwards, saw plenty of turnover ball to the home side and visitors. 

Huxley's penalty and a drop goal, and two penalties from Lions flyhalf Andre Pretorius saw the half-time score 6-6.

Another penalty to each in the second half saw the game deadlocked at 9-9 before Wallabies pivot Stephen Larkham combined with Huxley to score the match-winning try six minutes before full time.

The crucial victory means the Brumbies finish their South African tour with two wins and a loss, and sit in fifth place on the Super 14 ladder with five rounds to play. 

The Brumbies had the best of the start and Huxley slotted a 42-metre penalty in the sixth minute for the Lions backs being offside after missing one from similar distance two minutes earlier.

Pretorius responded in the ninth minute with an easy penalty by his standards after Ashley-Cooper was pinged for not releasing the ball.

Two minutes later, the Brumbies custodian put Jo-burg's high altitude to use by chancing a 50-metre drop goal that sailed through the posts for a 6-3 lead.

Hard-running Brumbies flanker Jone Tawake was caught with his hands in the ruck and was punished by another good penalty kick from Pretorius to level the scores in the 20th minute.

A promising backline break by Lions centre Doppies La Grange on the half-hour mark gave wing Louis Ludik a run at the corner but he was put into touch just short of the line by a brilliant cover tackle from Huxley.

Fairbanks was able to diffuse another Lions attack early in the second half when he marked a dangerous Andre Pretorius cross-field kick inside his own in-goal just in front of flying Lions winger Jaque Fourie.

Another penalty each to Huxley and Pretorius saw the score at 9-9 before Lions scrumhalf Jano Vermaak crossed the Brumbies line just after the hour mark. But the cheeky No.9 was rightly called back as two of his forwards had obstructed Mark Chisholm from making the tackle.

As the players began to tire, Fairbanks and Ashley-Cooper started making some clean breaks out wide and handed the Brumbies some momentum.

Veteran campaigner Larkham took advantage by producing one of his trademark drifting runs across the face of the defence before spiralling a pass out to Huxley, who was able to dive over in the corner despite the attention of the cover defence.

Huxley missed the important conversion attempt from the sideline but the Brumbies forwards showed great discipline to control the ball until the end of the match to claim the vital win.

Brumbies 14

Tries: Huxley

Penalties: Huxley 2

Drop Goals: Huxley

Lions 9Penalties: Andre Pretorius