HIGHLIGHTS-Super Rugby week 13

Highlights from Super Rugby week 13 matches: REBELS 30 REDS 24

The Melbourne Rebels held off a dogged Queensland Reds side in a scrappy Super Rugby contest on Friday to maintain top spot in the Australian Conference. The Rebels lost flyhalf Quade Cooper to a head-knock early in the second half. However, tries for winger Marika Koroibete, hooker Anaru Rangi, prop Tetera Faulkner and full-back captain Dane Haylett-Petty were enough to secure victory on a cold, blustery night at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

The Reds had tries from young replacements Isaac Lucas and Harry Hooper but were made to pay for their indiscipline, with captain Samu Kerevi and number eight Scott Higginbotham both handed yellow cards in the first half. The Rebels scored three of their four five-pointers while the Reds were a man down and Reece Hodge sealed the win by slotting a penalty in the 79th minute.

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'Boring' Brumbies hit back at critical mauling BLUES 12 HURRICANES 22

The Wellington Hurricanes showcased their mastery of the counter-attack to fend off the Auckland Blues at Eden Park on Friday and shore up second spot in the New Zealand Conference. The Barrett brothers proved lethal, with fullback Jordie nosing the Hurricanes in front with a first half try and flyhalf Beauden making a brilliant intercept to cross in the second as the visitors claimed their fifth successive win.

The Blues battled hard and dominated possession and territory but were denied repeatedly by dogged goal-line defence and slumped to their fourth straight loss. Scrumhalf Sam Nock and blindside flanker Dalton Papali'i grabbed tries for the Blues, with jet-heeled winger Ben Lam capitalising on a turnover and evading a nest of defenders in a scorching run to score the Hurricanes' first five-pointer. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty and Christian Radnedge)