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Hurricanes 43 - 13 Brumbies
Ngani Laumape hat-trick sinks Brumbies
Full Time.
81 min: TRY - Hurricanes, James Blackwell gets his first try of the career, picking up the loose ball and running over, the kick is good.
80 min: One last push coming from the Brumbies.
79 min: Lots of hands on knees and heavy breathing here, the lads look knackered.
77 min: The Hurricanes have the ball here and will be looking to finish with a bang.
71 min: TRY - Brumbies, Tom Wright scores with his first touch of the ball to finish off some fantastic back line play. Kick is wide.
68 min: It's slowed down alot now, but Hurricanes are still in complete control.
Pocock is penalised from the previous play, Pocock taking out Perenara in an early tackle, YELLOW CARD.
62 min: Almost another try for the Canes, wow that was close - it's all the Hurricanes now.. Bad signs for Brumbies fans.
60 min: TRY - Canes. Three for Laumape! Proctor with an intercept and he hands it off to Laumape who runs clear and scores the third in front of his home crowd under the posts! Kick is good.
59 min: The Brumbies are trying to break through the defence but it's just not happening, great work from the Canes.
53 min: TRY - Canes, another freakish pass from Perenara, this time he finds Laumape on the right wing who has a lot of work to go, he regains the ball and busts his way through two tacklers to score his second. Kick is good.
51 min: Penalty to the Brumbies, it's time for the visitors to keep their hands on the ball, kick not finding touch is ppor though.
49 min: The Hurricanes lose the ball on the line and the Brumbies take care of the ball and kick it out.
46 min: The Canes have had all the ball, Ardie Savea has been a beast to start this half. Scrum called.
45 min: Another penalty goes the way of the hosts, great start to the half if you're a Canes fan.
42 min: Hurricanes catch the Brumbies napping at the breakdown, right out in front. Kick coming, it's good.
41 min: Back underway.
There is one change... It's the ref, Federico Anselmi will replace Nick Briant.
Half-time.
40 min: Last play of the half coming from the Brumbies. Knock -on.
36 min: TRY - Canes!! What a try, Coles has his second after some fantastic work from Perenara on the left wing who sneaks past a tackle and hands a great offload to the hooker. Try time. Kick is wide.
33 min: Laumape with some great work at the breakdown - the Brumbies were hot on the attack but it's the big back who wins the penalty.
31 min: It's a breakdown clinic here by Pocock and Ardie Savea - great to watch.
Kick is good.
28 min: Pocock again - Superb at the breakdown, winning another penalty. Out in front here. Kick to come.
25 min: Great running from the Canes here, but it's Samu again who earns the penalty for the Brumbies.
20 min: TRY - Brumbies, right on cue, a simple lineout drive for the Brumbies which has looked lethal all night, Folau Fainga’a the man who scores. Kick is wide.
19 min: Another Brumbies penalty. Kicking for the corner. Lineout drive try coming?
18 min: The Brumbies win another penalty - can they hold the ball this time?
14 min: So many turnover at the moment. TRY - Canes. Chase Tiatia makes the initial break and gives it to Vince Aso who flicks a pass out the back of the hand to Ngane Laumape who slips a tackle and scores. Kick is good.
11 min: TRY - Canes! A knock on from Pete Samu goes straight to Dane Coles who hits a very small and uses his gas to go in for the first of the night. Kick is good.
10 min: Brumbies looking for their driving maul alot. But great work at the breakdown by the Canes earns them a penalty.
7 min: Pocock wins another penalty for the Brumbies, backwards and forwards so far.
7 min: Proctor kicks a grubber through and it's more field position for the hosts.
6 min: Scrum issues here in Palmy - The Canes setting up here for a big back line move.
3 min: Penalty goes against Chris Eves - a let off for the Brumbies, as they can get out of their own half.
2 min: Great kick from the Canes, field position for the hosts. Brumbies backed into their own 22.
1 min: Kick-off here in Palmy - Christian Lealiifano gets us underway.
Just moments away from kick-off here. My prediction, Hurricanes 34 - Brumbies 28.
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Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's coverage of the Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and the Brumbies at 7:30pm NZT.
The Brumbies are coming off a very strong performance last week, thrashing the Chiefs 54-17 at GIO Stadium.
The Hurricanes on the other hand, were handed their first defeat of the season - losing to the back-to-back champs in Christchurch.
Pre-match banter: Beauden Barrett returns to Hurricanes line-up
The Hurricanes will welcome back their All Blacks talisman Beauden Barrett for Friday's Super Rugby clash with the Brumbies in Palmerston North.
Barrett has missed the first two weeks of action due to NZ Rugby's resting policies but will make his return to the field, as the Wellington-based franchise looks to bounce back from their 38-22 drubbing at the hands of the Crusaders last weekend.
Fellow All Blacks TJ Perenara and Ngani Laumape – who both came off the bench in the previous round – will reclaim their starting spots at halfback and second-five respectively.
Loose forward Vaea Fifita will also make his first Super Rugby appearance of the season with a start in the number six jersey.
Ardie Savea resumes operations from the back of the scrum after missing the Crusaders game, moving across from his regular spot at openside flanker.
The other change in the pack is at tighthead prop where Ben May starts and Jeff To'omaga-Allen shifts to the bench.
Coach John Plumtree said he didn't think twice regarding Barrett's recall.
"It's a big year for him," he said. "I think he's pleased to be back home from all his travels and he's settled back in.
"We got some good work into last week and now he's ready to run the ship."
The Brumbies are fresh off a 54-17 demolition of the Chiefs in Canberra, which Plumtree believes was built on a foundation of forwards dominance.
"I thought they were outstanding...they were impressive. Their forwards provided momentum and they've got some really good backs, and lool well organised.
"They'll want that same sort of memntum against us, and we can't afford to give them that."
TAB Odds: Hurricanes $ 1.22 Brumbies $4.15
Hurricanes: 1-Chris Eves, 2-Dane Coles (c), 3-Ben May, 4-James Blackwell, 5-Liam Mitchell, 6-Vaea Fifita, 7-Du'Plessis Kirifi, 8-Ardie Savea, 9-TJ Perenara, 10-Beauden Barrett, 11-Ben Lam, 12-Ngani Laumape, 13-Matt Proctor, 14-Vince Aso, 15-Chase Tiatia
Reserves: 16 - Ricky Riccitelli, 17-Xavier Numia, 18-Jeff To'omaga-Allen, 19-Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20-Reed Prinsep, 21-Richard Judd, 22-Jackson Garden-Bachop, 23-Wes Goosen
Brumbies: 1-Scott Sio, 2-Folau Fainga’a, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 4-Rory Arnold, 5-Blake Enever, 6-Pete Samu, 7-David Pocock, 8-Lachlan McCaffrey, 9-Joe Powell, 10-Christian Lealiifano, 11-Chance Peni,12-Irae Simone, 13-Tevita Kuridrani, 14-Andy Muirhead, 15-Tom Banks
Reserves: 16-Josh Mann-Rea, 17-James Slipper, 18-Leslie Leauluaialii-Makin, 19-Darcy Swain, 20-Tom Cusack, 21-Matt Lucas, 22-Wharenui Hawera, 23-Tom Wright
