The Brumbies have rounded out an encouraging weekend for Australian Super Rugby with a 42-25 win over the Hurricanes at Canberra.
Just a week after seeing off the Highlanders, the ACT-based team seized the momentum in a seesaw contest with a trio of tries in a decisive 10-minute spell that ultimately proved the difference between the two sides.
The result completes a resurgent round for the Australian teams against their trans-Tasman counterparts, after the Waratahs stunned the Crusaders and the Force and Reds both pushed the Blues and Chiefs respectively to the limit.
They now sit just a point behind the competition-leading Blues atop the standings - five points clear of the third-placed Crusaders.
The Brumbies controlled the opening quarter of play, making the Hurricanes pay for repeated infringements inside their own red zone to kick their way to a 9-3 lead after 19 minutes.
That period was compounded by a late shoulder charge by Justin Sangster on Brumbies captain Nic White, with the Hurricanes lock earning a yellow card for his troubles.
Eight minutes later, the Brumbies copped a yellow card to flanker Jahrome Brown for playing the ball off his feet at a close-range ruck.
The Hurricanes cashed in from the resulting penalty, with Thomas Umaga-Jensen scooping up a bouncing pass and carrying defenders with him under the crossbar for the match's first try.
The Brumbies responded in the 33rd minute, when Rob Valetini kicked ahead immediately from a turnover then pinned his ears back and outpaced two Canes defenders 50m to win the race to touch the ball in the in-goal for a crowd-pleasing try.
Jordie Barrett nailed a 44m penalty as the halftime siren sounded to send his team into the sheds facing a 16-13 shortfall.
The visitors landed a body shot just minutes into the second stanza, with outstanding wing Salesi Rayasi collecting another bouncing ball off the top of a lineout and bursting through some weak defence to go in under the back dot to reclaim the lead.
A counter shot came quickly, with hooker Lachlan Lonergan putting the finishing touches on a textbook 5m lineout drive to crash over out wide.
They extended their lead minutes later with a slick setpiece scrum play that put Irae Simone through a gaping hole, with the movement capped off by Jahrome Brown to put the Brumbies up 28-20.
Tom Banks then strolled in on the back of a simple overlap to complete a brutal 10-minute stretch for the Hurricanes, as the lead ballooned to 35-20 with a quarter to play.
The Hurricanes had to be the next to score and they were, with Rayasi stepping to the fore to crave the Brumbies defence, before sending Billy Proctor loose the final 20m to score in the corner.
But with the benefit of two critical penalties, the Brumbies ensured the rest of the game was played deep in Hurricanes' territory.
Rayasi was shown a yellow card for cynical play in attempting an intercept on his own line, before replacement Hudson Creighton was awarded a dagger try in the dying stages, despite replays suggesting he'd lost the ball on the way to the line.
The Hurricanes move on to face Fijian Drua at Wellington next weekend, while the Brumbies take on the Chiefs at Hamilton.
Brumbies 42 (Rob Valetini try 33min, Lachlan Lonergan try 47min, Jahrome Brown try 52min, Tom Banks try 58min, Hudson Creighton try 78min; Noah Lolesio 4 con, 3 pen) Hurricanes 25 (Peter Umaga-Jensen try 26min, Salesi Rayasi try 43min, Billy Proctor try 66min; Jordie Barrett 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 16-13
