The ACT Brumbies flopped in the second half against the Melbourne Rebels, leaving their season dangling by a thread after just four games.
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KEY MOMENTS HURT BRUMBIES
The Brumbies will still be shaking their heads wondering how they let the game slip when they wake up on Saturday morning.
They dominated the first half against the Rebels and had chances to blow the Melbourne side away, but lacked the killer instinct to put their opponents out of their misery.
The key moments came from kick-offs in the second half. The first was straight after the half-time break when miscommunication led to the Rebels stealing possession and scoring just 48 seconds later.
The Brumbies conceded another try, but stopped the bleeding when Rob Valetini crossed the line at the other end. The kick-off turned the game again.
The Brumbies failed to take possession, the Rebels raced to the other end and stole back momentum. Losing those little moments contributed to an overall bigger defeat for the Brumbies.
GENIA'S SCRUMHALF MASTERCLASS
There's little doubt Will Genia is the best scrumhalf in Australia and he's getting back to the form that made him one of the best in the world.
Genia took control of the match in the second half, directing play from the base of the ruck and scoring a crucial try to give his side momentum.
He was at his crafty best dealing with referee AJ Jacobs, who at one point allowed the Rebels to take a quick tap even though he had no restarted the clock.
An in-form Genia is helping Quade Cooper's transition back into Super Rugby. Cooper's involvement in the World Cup is still unclear. But Genia can be the man to ignite the Wallabies this year.
MELBOURNE DROUGHT CONTINUES
The Rebels officially have domination over the Brumbies, and they're pretty happy about it down in Melbourne.
The Brumbies are winless in Melbourne since 2016 and have lost the past four games against the Rebels, signalling a changing of the guard in Australia.
There has always been something extra in the rivalry games from the moment the Rebels joined the competition in 2011, led by Brumbies legends Rod Macqueen and Stirling Mortlock.
The Rebels' first win was against the Brumbies that year, which led to ACT coach Andy Friend being sacked the following week.
New coach Dan McKellar is safe, but it won't make the loss any easier to swallow. And it stings even more knowing how important Australian derby wins are for conference honours.
THE GOOD SIGN? KEEP THE ROLLING MAUL TRIES COMING
The knock on the Brumbies in recent years has been the team's ability to score tries from a rolling maul. It seems counterproductive to criticise a team for actually scoring tries.
It grates at the Brumbies because they know they can score from all sorts of positions. But they shouldn't be concerned at all, because their maul is a thing of beauty.
The Brumbies scored two first-half tries using the maul. The first to Folau Faingaa, who came the first forward in Brumbies history to score a try in four consecutive games.
The second was a penalty try when the Rebels failed to defend the maul legally. The challenge for the Brumbies is to hold their nerve and continue to use the effective play.
AT A GLANCE
MELBOURNE REBELS 29 (Jack Maddocks 2, Marika Koroibete, Will Genia tries; Quade Cooper 3 conversions, penalty) bt ACT BRUMBIES 26 (Henry Speight, Folau Faingaa, penalty try, Rob Valetini tries; Christian Lealiifano conversion) at AAMI Park on Friday night. Referee: AJ Jacobs.
