Reigning champions the ACT Brumbies yesterday kept alive their Super Rugby AU title defense with a tough 21-9 victory over the Western Force at GIO Stadium.
The Brumbies, the power club of the Australian competition, scored the only two tries in a hard-fought qualifying final.
They face regular-season league leaders the Queensland Reds in a grand final re-match in Brisbane.
The Brumbies outlasted the Reds 28-23 in last year’s decider, but narrowly fell short in two epic contests against the Reds in their only defeats this season.
They will be sweating the fitness of star duo Folau Fainga’a and Peter Samu, who both exited with injuries yesterday.
“It was very physical and the Force defended really well, but there is a lot we can build on for next week,” Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa said.
The much-improved Force, who were winless last year in their return to the competition, were a revelation after securing a finals berth for the first time in the franchise’s 16-year history.
They fell short against the Brumbies for the third time this season.
“It’s great to have created some history, but we’re not going to be happy with this defeat and we will go back to the drawing board,” Force captain Kyle Godwin said.
Tom Wright found a rare hole in the Force’s defence and crossed for the first try, while Tom Banks finished off a slick passing move for the second.
The Force resisted the Brumbies avalanche, but rarely threatened to make inroads.
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