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He's back Larkham leads Brumbies to win against Stormers
Updated: Saturday March 24, 2001 12:25 PM
CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) -- Wallaby flyhalf Stephen Larkham made a triumphant return to Super 12 rugby on Saturday, scoring a try to help Australia's ACT Brumbies beat South Africa's Western Stormers 40-25. Larkham, playing his first game this season after a hamstring injury forced to miss the first four rounds, combined with scrumhalf George Gregan to score the decisive try 14 minutes from full-time. Percy Montgomery, who was moved to flyhalf when Robbie Fleck withdrew sick, had scored to give the Stormers a 25-20 lead with just 20 minutes to go before Larkham put the Brumbies back in front. Winger Andrew Walker then scored his second try, and his team's fourth, five minutes from the end to give the Brumbies a bonus point and cement their place as Super 12 favorites. Brumbies coach Eddie Jones was full of praise for Larkham's performance in his first match of the season since injuring himself during the trials. "It was a pretty fair performance," Jones said. "It's something like eight or nine weeks since he's last played a game and it just goes to show you what a wonderful player he is." The Brumbies dominated Saturday's match from start to finish, scoring four tries to one, but were unable to shake off the Stormers until the final quarter of an hour. The Brumbies scored two first half tries through Walker and center Stirling Mortlock but led by just 20-9 at the break after Braam van Straaten booted three penalties to keep his side in the match. Van Straaten added another three penalties after the re-start to cut the deficit to just two points before Montgomery side-stepped his way to a try that put his team five points in front after Van Straaten's conversion. But the Brumbies, Super 12 runners-up in 1997 and again last year, showed why they are this season's favorites with a typically strong finish. Gregan split the defense then offloaded to Larkham to put them back in front after Mortlock, who finished with 25 points for the match, landed the conversion. Two more Mortlock penalties then gave the Brumbies a vital eight-point lead before Walker sealed the win with a last-minute try, earning them a valuable bonus point. The Brumbies, who have won four of their five matches this season, play the Queensland Reds in Brisbane next Friday while the Stormers, who have managed just one win, have a bye. Stormers coach Alan Solomons said his team would welcome the week off after being in Australia and New Zealand for the past month. Solomons said his team had been too slow to the breakdown. "We weren't quickly enough into support. We had to stop them getting such a quick ruck ball," he said. Highlanders defeat Bulls 32-10DUNEDIN, New Zealand (Reuters) -- The Otago Highlanders dominated the first half to defeat South Africa's Bulls 32-10 in a Super 12 match on Saturday night. Brendan Laney scored two tries and three conversions for the New Zealand side. He also kicked two penalties. Danie van Schalkwyk scored the Bulls' only try, the first of the match after 10 minutes and Casper Steyn kicked a conversion and a penalty. Sharks beat Waratahs 42-17 to stay on topDURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) -- Left wing Justin Swart scored a hat-trick of tries as the Sharks of South Africa beat the Australian Waratahs 42-17 (halftime 19-3) in a Super 12 match on Saturday.The Sharks scored five tries, against two for the Waratahs, to extend their unbeaten record to five matches and to remain on top of the standings. Swart scored in the first half and then sealed his team's win with two tries in the space of six minutes to make it 36-10 with 14 minutes left in the match. However, hero Swart then turned villain when he was shown the yellow card by New Zealand referee Paddy O'Brien for tugging at the jersey of right wing Scott Staniforth on the tryline with the ball lying loose in the in-goal area. O'Brien awarded the visitors a penalty try for the transgression. Sharks fullback Gaffie du Toit had a good night with the boot, kicking four conversions and three penalties.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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