In Brisbane, the Queensland Reds notched their biggest Super Rugby total, scoring 10 tries to thump Japan's Sunwolves 64-5.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
In other news:
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Chiefs looking to fix 'ridiculous' problem following shock Brumbies defeat
By Online Editors
Chiefs coach Warren Gatland has made it a priority to find out why his side have started all four of their games so slowly this season.
While they got away with a sluggish start in wins over the Crusaders and Blues, while convincingly putting away the Sunwolves, the Chiefs couldn't escape the clutches of the Brumbies in Hamilton.
They were down 26-0 before beginning their response and while they scored two converted tries via Aaron Cruden and Anton Lienert-Brown, the Brumbies showed admirable spirit to hold out for what could be a significant win in the context of the Australian conference.
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"There's no doubt we need to address why, in all four games, we haven't started as well as we'd want to," said Gatland who saw his perfect record spoiled after his return from Wales.
"So whether we need to be a little bit more pumped up coming out of the changing rooms, or whether we need to look at our warm-up and just make a couple of changes, we need to start these games a little bit better than we have been doing."
Skipper Sam Cane said of the fightback: "It's like we cranked up a notch and we were like, 'right, now we're here to play', which is ridiculous. I wish we could try and work on getting that from the first whistle, so that we had a focus.
"In a funny way it'll be good to come in Monday, nut it out together, take what we can so that it doesn't sort of just get brushed under the carpet.
"It's that feeling that you just want to get back to work and put it to bed and put it right. We'll just have to make sure we keep that in the back of our minds [ahead of the next game against the Waratahs in Wollongong on March 6]."
Beaten after the hooter a week ago at home by the Highlanders after a bout of mumps swept through the team, the Brumbies were determined to hang on this time. "We did really well to hold them out," Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa said. "The boys were just holding on to that grudge from last week."
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There is a major story unfolding around Gleeson's bar in Booterstown, South Dublin City last night. Beaudy Barrett, DMac and Cody Taylor were there. DMac was supposed to be on the Guinness 0.0 but lets just say it didn't turn out that way.
Hours later, Dmac out cold, head on the table with a long stallagtite of flem and spittle rising and falling with his breathing. There is a video apparently.
The barman barred a staggering Taylor from any more Guinness but Taylor kept pushing past him, pulled a seat up to the Guinness tap and personally pulled himself pints, claiming it was 'celebrity pint pulls mate'.
One of these celebrity pint pulls made a local paper but it's only a matter of time before the real context comes out. Dmac is out of the team for Friday due to breaking 'internal standards', Sititi starting at 10.
Go to commentsNow that made me laugh bull!
I tell you what though, the head knock from Kriel on Hugh jones in the wc that didn’t result in any card was a real mystery with the way things are now.
Also suspect the Boks will be pretty well motivated by glasgows antics in stellenbosch last week and loftus in June…
Should be a cracker hopefully!
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