For the second time in two weeks the Hurricanes scraped home by one point to deny the Brumbies after the final hooter. Trailing since the first quarter, the Hurricanes clinched an 11-10 win when No.8 Thomas Waldrom crashed over in the corner at the death.

Poor decision-making in attack and tight defence were the order of the day as both teams missed chances to score and defended ferociously. The Hurricanes dominated for most of the second half but were unable to score until the final minute.

Hurricanes’ first five Jimmy Gopperth opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a penalty goal. After Brumbies’ winger Mark Gerard claimed a fair catch, Gerard and Hurricanes captain Tana Umaga exchanged pushes before Hurricanes’ second five Ma’a Nonu shoved Gerard from behind, earning himself a yellow card.

With Nonu off the field, the Brumbies began to look like the Brumbies of old, scoring a try when lock Adam Wallace-Harrison crashed over in the corner after good forward play created an overlap, fullback Julian Huxley converting. Six minutes late, they should have had their second try when Mark Gerard dotted down on the end of another overlap, but the final pass was ruled forward.

After another Gopperth penalty narrowed the gap to 7-6, the Hurricanes should have gone ahead when their forwards drove over the line from a lineout only to have prop Nemia Tiala drop the ball. Julian Huxley extended the Brumbies’ lead to 10-6 with another penalty goal in the 68th minute.

During the final 10 minutes the Hurricanes virtually set up camp in the Brumbies’ half, and desperate attacking, with the ball recycled time and time again, eventually gave Waldrom a chance to throw a dummy and crashed over in the right corner, sparking wild celebration from Hurricanes’ players and staff. Gopperth missed the unimportant conversion.