3 Nic White

2 Christian Lealiifano

1 Peter Kimlin

Wallabies centre Pat McCabe wasted no time testing out his neck in his first match since November last year. McCabe broke his neck while playing for the Wallabies on the spring tour and some feared it was an injury which could prematurely end his career. But in true McCabe style, he ducked his head and rammed into Kings defenders every time he touched the ball. It would have been easy for McCabe to shirk some of the hard yakka given the nature and seriousness of his injury. But McCabe only knows one way to play – hard and straight. It was his second attempt at a return to rugby in a month. His first comeback lasted just 30 minutes before he tore his hamstring. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was in the crowd watching and would have taken interest in McCabe’s comeback and Christian Lealiifano’s performance as flyhalf. But the Kings’ defence gave neither room to work their magic and Deans will be keen to see more.

The Brumbies are perfectly positioned after the first eight weeks of the season and the next two games could have a massive impact on their finals hopes. They play the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night followed by a blockbuster Australian clash against the Queensland Reds. The Highlanders are still searching for their first win of the season and the Reds are sitting second in the Australian conference. If they can win both of those games, they will be well clear in the Australian conference and be commanding position at the halfway mark of the season. But the Highlanders will be desperate to secure their first win and the Reds will be keen to stake their claims as the best Australian team.

The biggest question coach Jake White will face is whether he continues his rotation policy after escaping the Kings clash with a draw. So far this season White hasn’t hesitated in giving players a chance to recuperate when they have niggling injuries, even his regular starters. But after lacking rhythm in the past three weeks, White could opt to back his best XV every week to help cohesion and regain momentum. The impressive aspect is the Brumbies have still won five of seven games this season while being able to give stars a rest. It could prove valuable in a run to the finals, but the Brumbies need to lift their game to a new level.

It’s been a tough start to Super Rugby for the Southern Kings, but they’ve shown they’re no pushover with an astonishing draw at Canberra Stadium. Despite the Brumbies dominating the opening half and at one point having 65 per cent of possession, the Kings refused to fold and stole momentum at the end of the first half. It was a sign of respect when the Brumbies opted to take a penalty shot just before the break instead of going for a try. The Kings then shocked everyone when they took the lead after seven minutes of the second half and they spoiled the Brumbies’ party with a try after the siren. The Kings were playing their first match in Australia after joining the competition this year. They will end a four-week tour of Australia and New Zealand when they play the Melbourne Rebels next weekend.