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Brumbies edge Rebels in pre-season blowout in Wagga Wagga

(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Len Ikitau’s second-half double was enough for the ACT Brumbies to skip clear after the Melbourne Rebels had fired their first shots ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

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The Brumbies led early but needed a second-half surge in a 35-33 win in Wagga Wagga on Saturday.

The Rebels, beaten 24-0 by Fijian Drua in their only other trial game, held sway and led 19-12 early in the second half after stalling the Brumbies’ rolling maul and finding space on the left flank.

But Wallabies centre Ikitau produced the critical plays, twice tumbling out of tackles to score his tries in the Brumbies’ comeback.

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His second put them nine points clear before the Rebels scored a consolation try after the siren.

Rugby sevens recruits Corey Toole continued his fine pre-season form with a try for the winners, while fellow sevens product and Tokyo Olympian Joe Pincus made the most of his early minutes with a first-half double.

Pincus was on after Ray Nu’u was helped of f with a right knee injury, while Rebels five-eighth Carter Gordon was also limping when he exited in the 60th minute.

The emerging playmaker was sharp before that, throwing the pass for Pincus’s first try and running at the line with confidence.

Playing fullback, Reece Hodge was also impressive while Jack Debreczeni was smooth in pulling the Brumbies’ strings in the No.10.

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Victory for the Brumbies followed a tight win over the Waratahs in their other pre-season game, returning coach Stephen Larkham to enter the season later this month with a perfect record.

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R
RW 2 hours ago
Leo Cullen defends his position after Leinster's Champions Cup exit

It's funny you say that boet, it's one thing to say “We are the best team in the world and yet still do no better than your predecessors” and still fail at a QF game in a RWC for instance.

It's another thing to not only say but also to show HOW you are the best team in the World by winning a RWC twice in a row which is what both NZ and RSA have done.


So yes it could be arrogance on the part of Boks and Blacks but we have a legitimate reason for feeling that way. Whereas Ireland never have. In fact in terms of WCs, they have only ever done better than Italy regarding the Six Nations teams.

England have been in at least three finals, won one.

France have been in three finals, although they lost all of them, Wales have been in at least two Semi Finals, Scotland one Semi Final.

Even amongst your peers, you guys are at the back. So I don't see what reason you have be arrogant and yet, and yet you are.


Yes you win when the ultimate pressure is not on you. Pool games, three match series, autumn series, etc, URC and EPCR pool games. But when it comes to highest tier stakes, you don't have the ability to capitalize.


It's not how you start that matters, although it does help, but how you finish. I am reminded of Munster from 2023, playing seven away games in a row and managing to win all of them on the trot including a final. That one hurt because it was against my team the Stormers.


But the stats don't even help your case. So there is a difference between “arrogance” based on fact and that based on feeling.

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