Brumbies off to winning start

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A late try ensured the Brumbies started their 2011 Super Rugby season positively with a 28-20 win against the Chiefs on Saturday.

Brumbies vs Chiefs

R1 - 19/02/11

Canberra Stadium

Full Time

Brumbies BRU28 - 20CHIChiefs 3 Tries 3Robbie Coleman 13'Sitiveni Sivivatu 52'Francis Fainifo 22'Tawera Kerr-Barlow 57'Salesi Ma'afu 72'Lelia Masaga 80'2 Conversions 1Matt Giteau 13'Stephen Donald 53'Matt Giteau 72'3 Penalties 1Matt Giteau 3'Stephen Donald 38'Matt Giteau 10'Matt Giteau 60'0 Drop Goals 0

Replacement prop Salesi Ma'afu crossed in the last 10 minutes with captain Matt Giteau converting to place the home side out of reach of their New Zealand opponents at Canberra Stadium.

Giteau, the man of the match, kept the scoreboard ticking over with three penalties and two conversions for 13 points while directing the Brumbies' backline.

The five-eighth scored two penalties in the first 10 minutes, with the second coming after referee Jonathan Kaplan sent Chiefs prop Nathan White to the sin bin for repeated infringements at the breakdown by the visitors.

Shortly after centre Robbie Coleman took advantage of the extra man to score his side's first try of the Super Rugby season.

The 20-year-old collected the ball 35 metres out, sliding past two Chiefs players before a right step wrong-footed All Black fullback Mils Muliaina and enable him to score under the posts.

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Fortune favoured the home side in the opening stages as the Chiefs bombed three tries in three minutes, including one with captain Muliaina dropping an pass with the tryline begging.

Francis Fainifo made the Chiefs pay for their profligacy, scoring in the left corner after Stephen Moore and Mitchell Chapman created an overlap for the 21-year-old to cross untouched.

With four minutes left of the first half, the Brumbies were offside at the tackle and Stephen Donald kicked the penalty for the Chiefs to cut the host's lead to 18-3 at the break

But a comeback by the Chiefs started in the 52nd minute, with winger Sitiveni Sivivatu scoring in the left corner after four passes, followed by a try to replacement halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow.

Lelia Masaga scored a consolation try for the Chiefs after the final siren.

Brumbies coach Andy Friend said his men started the match with the required intensity but lost their way in the early part of the second half.

"I thought our first 20 minutes were pretty sharp," Friend said.

"We seemed to drop away a bit there when the game got a bit scrappy where we seemed to lose our legs a tad."

"...When we came out we did not keep that same intensity that we started the first half with."

Friend was impressed wih the effort to hold the comeback by the Chiefs.

"What I was pleased with was how they fought back and obviously finish on top."

Captain Matt Giteau said the team showed character as the flow of the game changed.

"Your first game, things aren't going to click," Giteau said.

"We probably played 20 minutes of good rugby and still managed to get the win.

"That showed the attitude was right and that is all you can ask for in round one."

His coach said Giteau had a great game.

"That was Giteau back to his best," Friend said.

"We now just need to get people running off him because he has that magic little offload.

"If we can get runners working off that, we will make more linebreaks."