The ACT Brumbies seized control of Super Rugby AU with a clinical 24-0 win over the Western Force on Saturday for a third successive victory that propelled them to the top of the table.
Tom Wright, Irae Simone, Will Miller and Connal McInerney all scored tries for the Brumbies to take them to 14 points, four ahead of the Queensland Reds in the domestic competition.
The Perth-based Force, who were invited back into the competition after being dumped from Super Rugby following the 2017 season, were competitive throughout but remain winless after three games of the 12-week competition.
The Brumbies, who needed a late try to beat the New South Wales Waratahs last week, did not make the same mistake and jumped out to an early 12-0 lead following long-range tries for winger Wright and inside centre Simone.
Flyhalf Bayley Kuenzle was only able to convert Simone's try and the match then became something of a tussle as the Force attempted to recover from the early setbacks.
They had three attempts at scoring from attacking lineouts, but the Brumbies, arguably the best club side in the world at executing the tactic, were able to halt them every time.
The Force, however, were also able to keep the Brumbies at bay for the rest of the first half and the Canberra-based side went into halftime with their 12-0 lead.
The Brumbies repeated the pattern of the first half when flanker Will Miller scored in the corner just three minutes into the second half to extend the advantage to 19-0.
Despite controlling much of the territory and possession it took them until the 66th minute before they drove McInerney over -- from an attacking lineout drive -- and then kept the Force out for the final 15 minutes.
(This story corrects points advantage in second para)
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Ken Ferris)
