Calls for change after Brumby suffers serious injury in 'nasty' tackle

Hooker Lachlan Lonergan suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle in an awkward tackle by Reds scrumhalf Tate McDermott.

The No.9 grabbed his opponent around the waist before sliding down his legs to cause a significant injury.

Lonergan was carried from the field on a stretcher and was taken to hospital on Saturday night. He is set to miss the remainder of the Super Rugby season, with his Wallabies campaign also in doubt.

The incident cast a shadow over a stirring come-from-behind ACT victory over the Reds, with Noah Lolesio kicking a 70^th-minute penalty goal to secure a dramatic 20-19 win.

It was the second-straight week the Brumbies have fallen victim to a hip-drop tackle, with Super W scrumhalf Jay Huriwai fracturing her leg in a similar incident in last Friday's victory over the Melbourne Rebels.

While rugby league officials have clamped down on the dangerous tackling style in recent years, it is currently deemed legal in the XV-player game and both incidents went unpunished.

Larkham did not see the Huriwai incident and is unsure if there has been an increase in hip drop tackles this season but said officials should look into whether tighter rules are required.

"It's legal, you get your arms on first then you're allowed to trip," Larkham said. "It's nasty isn't it but there's nothing illegal about it. It's caused a significant injury so needs to be looked at. We're not citing it, it's just a rugby accident.

"If there is a trend and it's causing significant injuries, we need to look at it. I honestly haven't seen it this year in rugby, I don't know whether Tate does it on a regular basis, maybe it's just one of those [unfortunate] situations."

Lonergan's brother Ryan captained the Brumbies on Saturday and was shaken by the injury to his younger sibling.

Like Larkham, he hasn't seen a rise in hip-drop tackles, but called for officials to look into the issue to prevent more serious injuries in the future.

"It's not what you want to see but it's part of [rugby]," Lonergan said. "We know when we sign up, we can get injured. I found it tough at half-time, it was the first time I could reflect on it a little bit. After that, I was back to doing my job. I'll see him now and see how he's doing but I'm sure he'll get on with it.

"I don't think that's how Tate usually tackles, it's just an awkward incident. If it's trending, then they should do something about it."

Noah Lolesio has kicked the ACT Brumbies to a tense victory over the Queensland Reds.

The ACT flyhalf was superb as his side made a major Super Rugby statement with a come-from-behind 20-19 win in Brisbane on Saturday night.

Lolesio kicked the winning penalty goal with 10 minutes remaining before the Brumbies forwards stepped up to repel a last-gasp Reds attacking raid.

Fittingly, it was the flyhalf who booted the ball into the stands to seal the victory.

The result was overshadowed by a serious leg injury to ACT hooker Lachlan Lonergan who was carried from the field on a stretcher with a dislocated ankle midway through the first half.

The match played out exactly as billed, with both sides engaging in a fierce, physical contest.

The battle at the breakdown was intense from the opening minute as each packed looked to dominate their opponent.

The backs from both sides also posed plenty of questions, with Jordan Petaia proving a handful for the Brumbies' defence.

ACT fullback Tom Wright was at his best - dangerous each time he touched the ball and showcased his footwork and physicality with a first-half try.

The five-pointer helped the visitors draw level on the scoreboard after a slow start to the contest.

A Rob Valetini error put the Reds straight on the attack and they made the most of the opportunitiy, Josh Flook putting his side up 7-0 after just two minutes.

The hosts largely controlled possession throughout the first half, with the Brumbies tightening up their defence after the early blemish.

Queensland had more chances to score in the opening 40, however they were unable to break through a physical ACT defensive wall.

The visitors thought they had hit the front through Sefo Kautai, before the TMO ruled he had dropped the ball in the act of scoring.

Eventually Lolesio put his side up with a long-range penalty goal as the half-time siren sounded, the Brumbies heading to the sheds with plenty of confidence.

ACT dominated the early stages of the second half however they were unable to break through and the Reds eventually made them pay.

Two tries in the space of five minutes turned a 10-7 deficit into a 19-10 advantage, with Rhys van Nek sent to the sin bin in the process.

The adversity spurred the Brumbies back into action, with Wright stepping up to cut the deficit before Lolesio landed another penalty goal to put his team 20-19 with 10 minutes to play.

From there, the visitors held firm defensively to secure the win.

ACT BRUMBIES 20 (Tom Wright 2 tries; Noah Lolesio 2 cons, 2 pens) bt QUEENSLAND REDS 19 (Josh Flook, Josh Nasser tries, 1 penalty try; Tom Lynagh 1 cons). Crowd 17,782 at Brisbane.

The ACT Brumbies have sent a warning to their Super W rivals with a historic victory over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

The 31-14 domination was the team's first win over the Reds in eight meetings and showcased the visitors' title credentials.

Jemima McCalman crossed for a double as the Brumbies ran in five tries to two in the 17-point victory.

Queensland defeated the ACT in last year's semi-final, however they have now lost their first three games of the five-week season in 2024.

The Brumbies will now return home for a clash with defending champions Fijiana Drua as they chase three in a row next Saturday night.

The match will be played ahead of the men's Super Rugby derby against the NSW Waratahs, with a big crowd expected for the double header.

A win next week will effectively secure the Brumbies a place in the Super W semi-finals, with Saturday's performance proof they are a genuine title contender.

ACT burst out of the gates in Brisbane, dominating the first half in all facets of the game.

The side ran in four tries to lead 24-7 at the break after producing their best 40 minutes of the season and potentially their most impressive period in coach Scott Fava's reign.

Flyhalf Faitala Moleka directed traffic superbly, with the forwards steamrolling through the Reds pack both in general play and at the set piece.

With the forwards setting a dominant platform, Moleka was able to attack with time and space, and shift the ball wide to her lethal back three.

McCalman crossed for a first-half double while fullback Ashlea Bishop made a number of breaks and winger Biola Dawa produced multiple punishing runs.

The gloss was taken off the result for the visitors, with Bishop limping from the field midway through the second half with a lower leg injury.

The Brumbies spent the bulk of the opening stanza camped inside the Reds half and while they did not convert every opportunity, they were able to turn the territorial dominance into a big lead on the scoreboard.

The dominance continued in the second, with ACT generating multiple attacking opportunities.

This time, however, the last pass repeatedly went to ground as the Reds fought desperately to remain in the contest.

Eventually Tabua Tuinakauvadra crossed with 13 minutes remaining to put her team up 24 and seal the result before the Reds claimed a late consolation try.

ACT BRUMBIES 31 (Jemima McCalman 2, Sally Fuesaina, Siokapesi Palu, Tabua Tuinakauvadra tries; Faitala Moleka 3 cons) bt QUEENSLAND REDS 14 (Liz Patu, Carola Kreis tries; Lori Cramer 2 cons) in Brisbane.