Late heartbreak for the Auckland Blues against the ACT Brumbies

The Auckland Blues let a late lead slip in Canberra, falling to the ACT Brumbies 30-27 in a gripping Super Rugby Pacific contest.

After a physical arm-wrestle marked by momentum swings and flashes of backline brilliance, the Blues were unable to close it out in the dying stages on Saturday night.

The ACT Brumbies struck eight minutes into the first half, in an unorthodox fashion. A Blues kick ricocheted loose, allowing veteran prop James Slipper to show rare finesse with a clever pick-up and kick ahead. The ball sat up perfectly for Declan Meredith, who finished well to open the scoring.

The Auckland Blues hit back almost immediately. Winger Caleb Clarke read the play superbly, pouncing on a floating Brumbies pass for an intercept before sprinting away to score under the posts. With the conversion successful, the scores were locked at 7–7.

Sustained pressure from the Brumbies soon followed. Their forward pack asserted control, forcing a penalty directly in front of the posts, which was calmly slotted to edge them ahead 10–7.

The Brumbies doubled down on their physical approach, camping deep inside the Blues’ half. That dominance paid off when their rolling maul proved too powerful, allowing hooker Billy Pollard to burst through the defence and score.

The Blues responded with composure. Off the back of improved continuity and multiple phases with ball in hand, they earned a penalty opportunity and converted to narrow the margin to 15–10.

Momentum swung again just before the break when AJ Lam exploded through the defensive line with a barnstorming run, breaking tackles and crossing for a crucial try. The conversion levelled the scores at 15–15 heading into halftime.

A physical, high-quality opening stanza, forward power versus backline strike, setting the stage for a cracking second half.

The ACT Brumbies picked up right where they left off, starting the second half with authority through their forward pack. Sustained pressure inside the Blues’ 22 forced an early penalty, which was converted to push the Brumbies ahead 18–15.

AJ Lam, right, exploded through the defensive line with a barnstorming run, breaking tackles and crossing for a crucial try. Photo/AAP Image/Lukas Coch/Photosport

The Auckland Blues threatened to strike back immediately. Silky passing and sharp interchanging from the Blues backline had the defence scrambling, but a crucial handling error let the Brumbies off the hook at a key moment.

Relentless Brumbies forward pressure followed, coming agonisingly close to producing another try as the Blues scrambled desperately to hold the line and dodge a bullet. That defensive stand proved pivotal.

Quick thinking from Blues halfback Finlay Christie sparked a momentum shift. Taking a rapid lineout, Christie moved the ball wide, finding Caleb Clarke, who powered through to score his second try and silence the Canberra crowd. The Blues jumped back in front, 22–18.

Clarke continued to be a wrecking ball with strong carries that ignited further Blues attacks. However, concern followed as he showed signs of injury during contact and was forced to leave the field with 20 minutes remaining — a major moment in the contest.

Blues skipper Dalton Papali’i celebrates with teammates after scoring a try in his 100th appearance for the club. Photo/AAP Image/Lukas Coch/Photosport.

The Blues then struck again. A huge line break from winger Codemeru “Cody” Vai split the defence open, setting up a try for Blues captain and centurion Dalton Papali’i, extending the lead to 27–18.

At that point, the Blues appeared to have taken control, lifting the intensity and tempo. But the Brumbies refused to fade. A yellow card to Stephen Perofeta swung momentum, and the Brumbies capitalised through Luke Reimer, cutting the deficit to 27–23 with seven minutes remaining.

Then came the sting in the tail. After a barrage of late attacking phases, the Brumbies broke through with a last-minute try to Charlie Cale, stealing victory in a Super Rugby classic.

A super thriller. The Brumbies found a way. Final score 30-27 to the Canberra-based team.

After that loss, the Blues’ next assignment doesn’t get any easier, hosting the Crusaders at Eden Park next weekend. The Crusaders are coming off an emphatic win over the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Earlier, the Fijian Drua secured their first win of the 2026 season with a gritty 25-20 victory over the Hurricanes in torrential, mud-soaked conditions in Lautoka, sealing the result late after surviving a series of missed chances from the visitors.

The win sees the Drua head to the bye in round four, while the Hurricanes face a short turnaround against the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on Friday 6 March.