Match Details

Brumbies

VS

Waratahs

36

Canberra Kick off times: 7:40pm (Local) Sun 8 Apr 7:40pm (AEST) Sun 8 Apr

10

Listen to Laurie Fisher's post-match comments

Listen to Ewen McKenzie's post-match comments

The Brumbies have kept their finals hopes alive with a crucial 36-10 win against a disappointing Waratahs unit in their week 10 Investec Super 14 derby match at Canberra Stadium on Sunday night.

The importance of the match was not lost on the Brumbies' biggest home crowd of the season, and all 23,097 spectators watched on as they ran in five tries to one to earn a vital bonus-point amid a tough finals race.

The Brumbies played what was probably their best match of the season, continuing the good form they developed on the back end of their South African tour, while the Waratahs failed to recapture the spirit that saw them lose narrowly to the Crusaders last weekend.

The Stephen Larkham factor was undeniable as he created two Brumbies tries and scored two of his own, showing the form that gave him the reputation of the world's best flyhalf around the turn of the century.

The Brumbies took advantage of early possession and ill-discipline from the Waratahs to open the scoring in the third minute. Larkham orchestrated the try, swinging the Brumbies attack from right to left before he broke the Waratahs' defensive line to put winger Mark Gerrard over the line in the corner.

The Waratahs hit back with a penalty to Peter Hewat from right in front to make it 5-3 in the Brumbies' favour, but the Brumbies came perilously close to extending their lead when Larkham and Gerrard combined minutes later.

Larkham chipped over an approaching Waratahs defence and Gerrard chased the ball down but he grounded the ball down on the dead-ball line after grasping the ball during his desperate dive.

The Brumbies were able to restore the five-point buffer when fullback Julian Huxley slotted a penalty in the 17th minute.

A missed penalty attempt from Hewat proved costly for the Waratahs when the Brumbies regathered the 22-metre restart and swept 80-metres up field to score their second try of the night. 

Flanker Jone Tawake did the damage when he received a short pass from George Gregan, barging through four defenders before placing the ball over the line. Huxley added the extras and the Brumbies led 15-3 with fifteen minutes remaining in the first half.

With seconds left in the half, the Brumbies bamboozled the Waratahs' defence and Gerrard sprinted down the line to get his second try of the match.  Larkham again was central to the move, when he switched play back to the blindside, feeding Huxley the ball before Gerrard was able to finish the move and send the crowd into a good mood at half time. Huxley converted to make it 22-3 at the break.

The Waratahs responded in the second-half, using pick-and-drive rugby to score after stringing together 15 phases. The ball spread from left to right and although David Lyons appeared to be tackled out wide, he flicked out a pass to flanker Rocky Elsom, who dived over the line. Hewat added the extra two points to cut the score to 22-10.

To add extra spice to the encounter, Huxley missed two consecutive penalties from in front of the posts, but the Brumbies still went on to score a bonus-point through their fourth try of the match on the hour mark. 

Larkham turned from provider to scorer as he crossed out wide with Morgan Turinui hanging off him, and Gerrard converted to make the score 29-10.

Larkham killed off the match with his second try of the night on 72 minutes, spinning past ex-Brumby Sam Norton-Knight before crashing over the line.

The introduction of Kurtley Beale for the Waratahs sparked some excitement into the visitors attack but he was unable to impact the score line and it ended 36-10 in the Brumbies' favour.

Brumbies 36

Tries: Gerrard 2, Tawake, Larkham 2

Conversions: Huxley 2, Gerrard 2

Penalties: Huxley

Waratahs 10

Tries: Elsom

Conversions: Hewat

Penalties: Hewat

Crowd: 23,097