Robb has now won all four encounters between the two this season after scoring with around five minutes to go to claim the points 17-11.

The momentum ebbed and flowed.

Albies scored first points  but Robb took the advantage into the break.

Their 10-3 lead then became 10-6 early in the second half.

Albies then capitalised on a Robb mistake to hit the front.

But there was one final twist, with Robb snaffling a lineout against the throw and, after several phases, scoring.

Robb co-coach Jim Boland said they played with a real passion and felt their patience and discipline to the game plan was what got them through.

“We got back to what we were six weeks ago,” he said.

One of the most pleasing things from his perspective was they turned the ball over less.

“We just held the ball a bit more,” Boland said.

“The try we got with three to four minutes to go was from nine phases.

“We haven’t got nine phases this year.”

They were also dominant in the scrum. 

“Our scrum was enormous. It was the best it’s been all year,” he said.

Both sides were strong in defence.

“Albies’ tryline defence was outstanding. We were on their line eight or ten times for two tries,” Boland said.

Equally, they held their line well.

Boland said it was hard to give out the points. Not because no-one deserved them but because everyone did.

It was hard though to go past second-rower Will Archer.

“He was everywhere,” he said.

Albies coach Tom Newsome said they made too many mistakes, and too many fundamental errors.

“They didn’t do the little things well and, as a result, we didn’t get enough opportunities to attack,” he said.

He felt it was a bit of a game of two halves.

“We were defending for most of the first half,” Newsome said.

“They were in our half for most of that first half but then it swung around in the second half.

“We probably had the best of the field position in the second half.”

But they couldn’t really make much of it.

“There were quite a few pleasing aspects,” Newsome said.

“Some of the things we worked on in our breakdown play was quite good.”

They stole a bit of Robb’s ball and secured most of theirs.

The outside backs also played quite well when they got the opportunity.

Jacob Booby topped the points followed by James Clift and Angus Howard.