Super Rugby
Southern Kings draw with Brumbies
April 5, 2013
Date/Time: Apr 5, 2013, 19:40 local, 08:40 GMT
Venue: Canberra Stadium
Brumbies 28 - 28 Southern Kings
Half-time: 19 - 14
Tries: Speight, Tomane
Pens: Leali'ifano 5, White
Tries: du Preez 2, Ferreira, van der Walt
Cons: Catrakilis, Whitehead 3
Cornell du Preez scores for the Southern Kings, Brumbies v Southern Kings, Super Rugby, Canberra Stadium, Canberra, April 5, 2013
Southern Kings' No. 8 Cornell Du Preez scored after the siren to see the spoils shared
© Getty Images
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An after-the-siren try by No.8 Cornell du Preez has lifted Southern Kings to a 28-all Super Rugby draw against the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium.

It was the second week in a row the Brumbies were outscored in the tries department by a South African side and the visitors will walk away from the game with a sense of victory.

They were the only team to claim the four-try bonus point as the Brumbies blew an early 13-point lead.

It looked like the Brumbies had the game wrapped up when they earned a penalty after the siren. But the TMO ruled prop Ben Alexander had put a shoulder charge on Steven Sykes and the visitors earned another bite at the cherry. They didn't falter, with du Preez scoring his second try of the match near the posts.

The Brumbies missed the composure of rested five-eighth Matt Toomua, with the backline not looking as crisp as it had in recent weeks.

Despite dominating both possession and field position, the Brumbies handed over the ball throughout the match with handling errors, aimless kicking and poor passing despite a blistering 20-minute opening performance.

The Brumbies flew out of the blocks, with an early penalty to Christian Lealiifano and tries to unmarked wingers Henry Speight and Joe Tomane.

The Kings hit back after the restart in the 22nd minute, stringing together about a dozen phases before loosehead prop Schalk Ferreira burrowed over next to the posts.

Kings flanker Wimpie van der Walt then crossed the line from the back of a rolling maul in the 33rd minute after five-eighth George Whitehead put a penalty kick five metres out from the Brumbies' line.

The visitors were the first to score again after the break when the Brumbies lost possession five metres out and the Kings went the length of the field to put du Preez under the posts for his first try.

Ignoring booing from the crowd, the Brumbies took three points whenever on offer throughout the match to keep the scoreboard ticking over, with Lealiifano kicking five from five penalty attempts and Nic White one from three.

A yellow card to Ferreira for not rolling away from the ruck gave the Brumbies the numerical superiority for the majority of the last 13 minutes, but White hit the post with the resultant penalty from long distance.

Lealiifano made no mistake with his attempt in the 70th minute to stretch the lead but it was still precarious as the clock ticked down.

Whitehead then missed a sitter of a penalty with seven minutes to play after the Brumbies were penalised for offside, before White also saw a penalty attempt miss the target. But the trusty boot of Lealiifano was back in evidence in the final moments with his fifth successful shot at goal.

The Kings had the final word, however, crossing over after the full-time siren. The Brumbies' defence was put under severe pressure and it finally buckled in the 84th minute as the Kings drove to the line and Du Preez was credited with his second try.

Demetri Catrakilis added the conversion amid a chorus of boos to earn a draw for the visitors.

"We are a team who pride ourselves in our defence and fronting up to whoever we play against," Kings captain Andries Strauss said. "We were a bit disappointed at the start of the game, we gave away too many penalties and we allowed the Brumbies to play in our half. But all credit to the boys, they fought back in the last 10 minutes and we go out with a few points."

Apart from the two points from the draw the Kings also picked up a bonus point for scoring four tries, while the Brumbies only added two points to their tally.

"Our mindset wasn't right from the start, we got a good start and then we turned off," Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen said. "Inconsistency has cost us but certainly it was a very spirited Kings' outfit and they threw everything at us and the result shows that."

Mowen is expected to be fit for the Brumbies' trip to Dunedin next week, despite injuring his right ankle in the draw, while the Kings will continue their Australasian tour against the Rebels in Melbourne.

Southern Kings came away from Canberra with a last-gasp draw (video only available in Australia)
© AAP and Sportal

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