WELLINGTON:, ACT Brumbies flyhalf Zack Holmes gave his side a big lift toward the Super Rugby playoffs when he guided them to a 37-25 victory over the Wellington Hurricanes yesterday.
Holmes scored a try and slotted 17 points with the boot as the Brumbies seized their limited opportunities and moved to 44 points on the Super Rugby table.
They lead the Queensland Reds, who play on Saturday, by 13 points in the Australian conference.
Scrumhalf TJ Perenara, who was considered unlucky to miss out on an expanded All Blacks training squad earlier this week, scored two tries for the Hurricanes, who had a wealth of possession and territory but were outplayed at the breakdown by Brumbies openside flanker Michael Hooper.
The Brumbies had jumped to a 10-0 lead, from a Holmes penalty and converted try to big number eight Fotu Aloulua.
Perenara scored his first try after the Hurricanes had declined a kickable penalty, instead driving the ball into the corner, and the scrumhalf eventually sneaked over after a sustained attack.
The 20-year-old was heavily involved in Victor Vito’s try from a well-worked scrum move that Andre Taylor converted to give the home side a 15-13 lead at the break.
Perenara grabbed his second try, a piece of individual opportunism, early in the second half as he picked up the ball from an attacking ruck and shrugged off one defender, sidestepped a second and outpaced a third to the line.
Replacement prop Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen scored the Hurricanes’ bonus-point try from a patient buildup to give them a 25-16 lead and the momentum was seemingly with the home side.
The match turned when the Hurricanes midfield misread their defensive assignments and Brumbies lock Scott Fardy burst through and fed his second-row partner Sam Carter to crash over.
Standout flanker Hooper then sneaked over before Holmes stepped over following another long-range attack from the visitors.
FROM: REUTERS
Holmes guides ACT Brumbies to win over Hurricanes
