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Brumbies too good for Rebels

By AAP .
23 February 2013 02:13PM EST

THE Brumbies were too good for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby action on Friday night with the defending champion Chiefs and the Bulls also recording victories.

The Brumbies proved too good for the Rebels winning 30-13 with the Chiefs early downing the Highlanders 41-27 and then in the battle of South Africa's heavyweights, the Bulls beat the Stormers 25-17.

The Brumbies added the Melbourne Rebels' scalp to their growing collection with a clinical 30-13 win at AAMI Park.

After accounting for Queensland in the opening round, the Brumbies delivered an emphatic second-half performance to stamp themselves as the Australian conference heavyweights.

The Rebels led 13-12 at halftime but they were starved of ball in the second stanza and injuries to their attacking maestros James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale cruelled their chances as the Brumbies piled on 18 unanswered points.

O'Connor was steamrolled by veteran Brumbies winger Clyde Rathbone while making a try-saving tackle and left the field to be checked for concussion.

He looked set to return at the 55-minute mark but was frustratingly over-ruled by the team doctor, who benched him for the remainder of the game.

Around the same time Beale hurt his left shoulder while making a tackle and while he played on until the final five minutes he clearly struggled.

Those two players fired in the first half as the home side matched the Brumbies across the park.

O'Connor set up the Rebels only try, scored by their new recruit Scott Higginbotham in the 18th minute, while Wallabies five-eighth Beale was a constant danger.

Brumbies fullback Jesse Mogg was just as dynamic for his team, scoring a try and setting up another in the first half.

Mogg, the two-try hero from the Brumbies win over the Reds, was first on the scoreboard in the fourth minute after Beale turned over the ball when he was crunched midfield.

The fullback showed scintillating speed when he ran on to a Rathbone pass and then he burnt both O'Connor and Nick Phipps to the ball that he had kicked into the in-goal.

Mogg also set up their second try, scored by Rathbone, who has returned to Super Rugby after four years on the sidelines with a midfield break.

The Brumbies were quick to close their one-point halftime deficit, through a penalty strike by Christian Lealiifano and the momentum of the match quickly swung their way.

As the home side's injury toll mounted the Brumbies grew in stature.

After skipper Ben Mowen showed his pace to scoop up a loose ball and charge to the line, they grabbed their bonus point with a fourth try in the 74th minute, scored by replacement back Robbie Coleman.

THE Chiefs began their defence of the Super Rugby title with a 41-27 bonus point win over the Highlanders in a thrilling clash in Dunedin.

Lightweight outside centre Tim Nanai-Williams used his blistering pace to score the first and last of the Chiefs' four tries.

The teams exchanged tries - seven in total - as play swept from one end to the other of Dunedin's enclosed stadium.

At its most frenetic, two tries and 15 points were scored as the lead changed hands three times in three minutes immediately after halftime.

THE Bulls beat the Stormers 25-17 at Pretoria with Morne Steyn kicking the home team to an opening day win in the South African conference.

Steyn landed all seven of his kicks and Chiliboy Ralepelle went over for a 68th-minute try for the Bulls, the three-time champions.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies had a bad start to his time with the Stormers and missed his first four kicks before Joe Pietersen took over.

Captain Jean de Villiers scored a 50th-minute try for the visiting Stormers and Pietersen closed it to 12-10 after the Bulls' first-half dominance.

But Steyn's accuracy was decisive and Ralepelle snapped up a loose ball close to the tryline to seal it before Andries Bekker's late try for the Stormers.

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