Highlanders vs Brumbies takes: Mr Clutch does it again, the Fabian Holland effect

The Brumbies have escaped Dunedin with a narrow win, thanks to a clutch showing off the bench from Luke Reimer.

Just 24 points were scored in the match, with Reimer scoring in the 74th minute to give his club a 14-10 win, which is the Brumbies’ fourth consecutive result against Kiwi opposition, their longest run since 2005.

A yellow card to Highlanders reserve hooker Henry Bell in the 69th minute didn’t help the hosts’ cause, with opportunities to seal the win late going begging while the Brumbies exploited their advantage.

The Brumbies were sitting in fourth-place on the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific table coming into the match, just one competition point clear of the Crusaders in fifth and two clear of the Reds in sixth. Those two teams square off on Saturday night, with the potential to open more of a gap between fifth and sixth place heading into round 10.

The Highlanders, who came into round 9 sitting eighth, currently own a five-point buffer over the ninth-place Force, but failed to make up much ground in the race for a playoff spot.

Here are some takeaways from the match.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored

1.6

6

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Avg. Points Scored

1.7

8

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The Fabian Holland effect

In 2025, the Highlanders’ lineout was up there amongst the best in the competition with an 86.7 per cent success rate, less than two per cent behind the league-leading Western Force.

That success rate has dropped significantly in 2026, with the Highlanders now the fourth-worst in the competition, hitting the target 79.7 per cent of the time, 10.4 per cent lower than the competition-leading Chiefs.

Tomas Lavanini’s presence helped the team operate at 100 per cent against Moana Pasifika, and that was just two weeks after the Highlanders won just eight of their 15 lineouts against the Western Force, who have been the leaders in defensive lineout nous in recent seasons.

A 204 cm lineout whizz certainly would be handy for the Southerners right about now.

It’s also worth noting that Oliver Haig has been a loose forward in his Super Rugby career until this season, putting all the calling responsibility on Mitch Dunshea’s shoulders, regardless of how well it may be going.

Against the Brumbies on Friday night, the Highlanders were guilty of three very scrappy lineout takes and two not-straight throws from Jack Taylor in the first half alone. A yellow card to their reserve hooker didn’t help in the second half, with reserve halfback Adam Lennox forced to take a throw late, which was stolen.

Brumbies bullied

The Brumbies have claimed two shaky wins in their last five outings, and a common theme throughout that unconvincing run since their strong start has been an inability to make their presence felt physically on the defensive end.

On Friday night, the Highlanders made 11 dominant tackles to the Brumbies’ three. Previously, the Drua made seven to the Brumbies’ two. The Waratahs made seven to the Brumbies’ none. Even in their win over the Chiefs, the Brumbies made just half as many dominant hits as their opponents, having trailed for much of that game.

Combined with the team’s drop-off in success at scrum time – another shortcoming in Friday night’s contest – it would be fair to say the Brumbies are lacking an intimidation factor at the moment.

Last season, Nick Frost and Tom Hooper were the Brumbies’ enforcers defensively, leading the team in dominant tackles. This year, Hooper is plying his trade in the Premiership with Exeter, and Frost had just one dominant tackle to his name coming into the Highlanders clash, claiming his second in the match.

The big lock was guilty of tackling in the air in the second half, perhaps overeager to make his presence felt.

Mr Clutch does it again

Luke Reimer has been the definition of supersub for the Brumbies in recent years, starting just one of his last 13 games and frequently making his presence felt in that impact role.

Perhaps a victim of his own success, one could argue that the 25-year-old’s classic openside flanker skillset deserves more minutes, but Stephen Larkham has resisted that urge.

That obviously isn’t sitting as well with the flanker as Brumbies fans would hope, with Reimer taking up a two-year contract with the Waratahs beginning next season.

The Tahs are well-stocked in the loose forward department as it stands, although uncertainty clouds Charlie Gamble’s future in the final year of his contract.

Regardless, Reimer has shown how effective he can be, and 2027 looms as a chance to hit another gear.

So far in 2026, Reimer is third in carries per 80 minutes and second in tackles per 80. On Friday night, he had game-defining plays at ruck time, winning a turnover and charging a kick, before scoring the match-winner.