Standout hooker Stephen Moore and Brumbies skipper Matt Giteau both apologised for a post-hooter spat which took some attention away from a rare and spirited victory on Saturday night.

For the second time in three weeks, Giteau and Moore engaged in a heated exchange about the captain's choice of play from a penalty after time had run out.

Leading 19-14 over the table-topping Queensland Reds, Moore urged his Wallabies teammate to knock the ball into touch rather than kick for goal.

Giteau told the hooker to "shut the f... up, I'm the captain" before duly slotting his sixth goal of the match to deny the Reds a bonus point.

Brumbies coach Tony Rea backed Giteau's decision and said Moore took no time to say sorry in the dressing room.

"He's the captain and it's his call and I watched Stephen apologise to him in the sheds after so that's accepted," Rea said.

Giteau also apologised on his Twitter account, saying: "For anyone that heard swearing at the end of the game, I'm sorry! Should not b part of game so sorry lil kids/ladies that were offended."

Moore, who is tipped to take over the Brumbies captaincy next season when Giteau leaves for French club Toulon, also raised Giteau's ire against the Force a fortnight ago when he wanted to play on from within his quarter at the death in their 13-all draw.

Giteau said the hooker was so exhausted that he feared the consequences of a missed kick at goal with the Reds still within striking distance.

"He was out on his feet so he didn't want to take any chances," Giteau said in the post-match press conference.

"But these local derbies, if you have an opportunity from my point of view not to give the opposition any points I'm going to take it.

"I felt I was striking the ball well and it was pretty sweet to kick it over."

A Queensland product and former Reds player, Moore denied he wanted to allow the home side a bonus point and help their standings.

"Not really mate. I just wanted to win the game at that stage," he said.

While the incident took some gloss off the Brumbies' third win of the year, it was nowhere near as bad as a season-ending knee injury to lock Mark Chisholm, which ends his 102-match career for the ACT team.

The eight-point loss ended a 12-match winning streak by Queensland at Suncorp Stadium dating back to round one last year when NSW No.8 Wycliff Palu stole a 30-28 win with a last-minute try.

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