Patrick Pellegrini brilliance inspires 14-man Moana Pasifika to farewell win over Brumbies
Saturday, 30 May 2026
At GIO Stadium, Canberra: Brumbies 19 (Rory Scott 3’, Tom Wright 16’, Luke Reimer 55’ tries; Ryan Lonergan 2 con) Moana Pasifika 21 (Patrick Pellegrini 21’, 32’, Melani Matavao 73’ tries; Pellegrini 2 con). HT: 14-14.
Yellow card: James Slipper (Brumbies)
Red card: Faletoi Peni (Moana Pasifika)
Patrick Pellegrini inspired 14-man Moana Pasifika to a memorable win by stunning the Brumbies in their last act of Super Rugby Pacific.
Moana’s first five-eighth scored twice and led the breakout for Melani Matavao’s match-winning try in the final minutes of a scrappy contest in Canberra on Saturday.
Coach Tana Umaga won’t care how, but his team stood tall after Faletoi Peni’s red card to snap a 12-match losing streak with a 21-19 success in their farewell fixture.
With nothing but pride to play for, Moana celebrated wildly once the final whistle blew at GIO Stadium.
After weeks of uncertainty once the franchise announced its plans to fold, the emotions spilled out. This victory mattered, even if they couldn’t climb off the bottom of the table.
The Brumbies were woeful as their defeat confirmed two of next weekend’s qualifying finals. Finishing sixth, they have a daunting trip to Wellington next Friday night to face the table-topping Hurricanes.
The Reds remained fifth and will face the second-placed Chiefs in Hamilton next Saturday night.
Umaga would have admired the character of his troops given the adversity they have faced with most of their players and staff not knowing their futures beyond this week.
Unless a white knight with bags of cash comes to their rescue, this was Moana’s final chapter on the field after five difficult seasons.
Financial uncertainty has been a spectre throughout their existence, but they refused to vanish without a fight in one of Super Rugby’s graveyards.
The Brumbies have nevertheless lacked their usual solidity at home this season and Moana were well in the game, even after Peni was sent off.
He blotted his impressive performance with yellow cards in each half that meant the second five-eighth was dismissed.
The first was harsh afterknocking over Andy Muirhead who was chasing a kick. The second was more reckless as Peni caught Muirhead’s head with his own. He had less control with a loose tackle while swinging his arm in an ugly movement.
Luke Reimer’s try had nudged the hosts ahead in a dour second half where neither side assumed control.
It needed Pellegrini’s chase from his own kick inside his own half to drive Moana away from their 22 and Tevita Latu was in support for Matavao to scamper clear to seal their first win since the opening round away to the Fijian Drua in February.
The Brumbies were already assured of a playoff fixture in New Zealand next weekend and played like it, short of a gallop and seemingly withdrawn.
Their lineout was shambolic and errors piled up. Coach Stephen Larkham might have been more concerned with their lack of intensity, struggling to match Moana’s energy.
The “lucky loser” concept, which gives the highest-ranked beaten team a second chance in next weekend’s qualifying finals, meant the Brumbies did have something to play for after sitting sixth in the last playoff spot come kick-off.
They had an outside chance of leapfrogging the Blues into fourth—needing a handsome win (by at least 39 points) with a bonus point—but Umaga’s battling team ensured this was a tight contest.
No 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa was excellent again, as was Peni in midfield with the surging runs of Solomon Alaimalo, who was unlucky to see a try ruled out because of a forward pass.
Tupou Ta’eiloa and skipper Miracle Faiilagi are two loose forwards destined for bright futures, while evergreen halfback Augustine Pulu, nearing the end of his career, was a constant presence with one magic offload for Pellegrini’s second try.
The Australian No 10 has shown fleeting glimpses of his talent in his two seasons with Moana and again proved he can provide moments of magic.
On his day, his kicking game complements his quick feet and direct carries to trouble any team.
They lost Israel Leota, their form winger, in the opening minutes to injury but were determined to unsettle the hosts.
Tupou Ta’eiloa jabbed one unorthodox kick in behind, Peni was rampaging with force through the middle, and they rallied from trailing 14-0 with Pellegrini’s double.
The Brumbies were subdued after Rory Scott and Tom Wright’s early tries and hanging on when veteran prop James Slipper was sinbinned.
They squandered another chance after the break when Muirhead was in space to score but thrown an obvious forward pass.
Another tossed forward denied Klayton Thorn a likely winning try, but they were undone by Pellegrini’s brilliance.
Moana could never make the playoffs but at least finished with a flourish in Australia’s capital.