Brumbies get out of jail in dramatic late win as Highlanders 'visibly annoyed' by Aussie referee
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This article originally appeared on Stuff and is reproduced with permission
The Highlanders suffered another frustrating defeat as their malfunctioning scrum hurt them for a second week in succession.
The Highlanders' set piece conceded multiple penalties as the Brumbies eventually wore them down for a 34-27 win despite the visitors scoring four tries from their impressive back three.
Winger Caleb Tangitau scored twice in another excellent display, and the Highlanders had a chance to lock the game up after the buzzer but a knock-on foiled their final attack.
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Len Ikitau of the Brumbies scores a try. Getty
However, they will struggle to consistently win games until they can stop the bleeding at scrum time, with Daniel Lienert-Brown and young replacement Josh Bartlett both struggling in the absence of All Black Ethan de Groot.
Brumbies winger Corey Toole was shown a yellow card in the opening seconds after hitting Thomas Umaga-Jensen high from the kick-off.
But any hopes that would open the door for the Highlanders were dashed by a poor first half by No.10 Taine Robinson.
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A wayward pass, two restarts out on full, a dropped high ball and a missed kick for touch prevented the Highlanders from capitalising on the enterprise they showed in attack.
Robinson's performance will strengthen the claims of Cameron Millar, the promising No.10 who suffered a concussion against Moana Pasifika in round three.
Millar is set to make his return in Dunedin club rugby on Saturday afternoon and the Highlanders will no doubt be keen for a progress report.
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The Highlanders did score a beautiful try after 10 minutes, with breakout star Tangitau finishing a try created by Sam Gilbert and Jona Nareki.
No.11 Nareki was excellent throughout, beating multiple defenders with his sharp footwork.
But the Highlanders' attack was frequently foiled by the Brumbies at the breakdown, with the home side's backs and forwards both winning crucial turnovers.
The visitors were also visibly annoyed by the interpretations of Australian referee Jordan Lay, with the penalty count 9-5 in favour of the Brumbies at half-time.
The scrum, somewhat predictably, came under pressure against senior Wallabies props Allan Alaalatoa and James Slipper, with Lienert-Brown first feeling the heat and Bartlett then suffering a similar fate.
The set-piece penalties allowed the Brumbies to build pressure and front-rowers Billy Pollard and Alaalatoa capitalised with tries from close range.
The potential in the Highlanders attack was shown in tries to Gilbert and Nareki in the third quarter, with Tangitau also looking lethal every time he touched the ball.
The standout for the Highlanders, however, was No.7 Veveni Lasaqa. The 22-year-old flanker was a dynamo on both sides of the ball.
Lasaqa was a constant presence at defensive rucks and made several strong carries in the wider channels.
Captain Timoci Tavatavanawai, Nathan Hastie and Sean Withy also performed strongly, but the Highlanders' woes at scrum time allowed the Brumbies to wriggle off the hook when the home side was trailing 22-20.
Two tries in the last 10 minutes to Andy Muirhead and Len Ikitau came as a result of set-piece dominance, leaving the Highlanders with some serious work to do up front before facing the Western Force in Perth next week.
