The ACT Brumbies denied a clean sweep from New Zealand teams with a thrilling Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final victory over the Wellington Hurricanes in Canberra yesterday.
In an expected high-octane contest, pitting the two best try-scoring teams in the competition against each other, the Brumbies knocked out the Hurricanes for the second straight season with a 37-33 triumph to join the Canterbury Crusaders, Waikato Chiefs and Auckland Blues in the semi-finals.
The Brumbies next face the Chiefs in Hamilton after surviving a stirring second-half comeback from the Hurricanes, who overcame a nine-point hal-time deficit with 17 unanswered points. Tries to Luke Reimer and Tom Wright restored Brumbies’ lead and they held on with gallant defending in a frantic finish.
Photo: AFP
A desperate attempt by Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea in the dying moments was called a no-try with replays proving inconclusive.
“It was a 15-man effort. We wanted to bring energy and really execute our game plan,” said Reimer, with the Brumbies hoping to end a nine-year title drought for an Australian team in the competition.
The Crusaders and Chiefs gained revenge for shock defeats earlier in the season as the competition’s two highest qualifiers booked home semi-finals.
The brutally efficient Crusaders hammered the Fijian Drua 49-8 in Christchurch to set up an all-New Zealand semi-final against the Blues next week.
The top-qualifying Chiefs had to work harder in their quarter-final against the Queensland Reds in Hamilton, only pulling clear in the dying minutes to win 29-20.
Both wins had a tinge of retribution about them. The Chiefs’ only loss of the regular season came four weeks ago against the Reds, while the second-ranked Crusaders were stunned by the Drua in Lautoka in round three.
A Crusaders side chasing a seventh-successive title under Scott Robertson ensured there would be no repeat, scoring the first three of their seven tries inside the opening 14 minutes.
“We started really well, we didn’t really give them a sniff until late in the first half,” Crusaders captain Scott Barrett said.
Hooker Codie Taylor crossed twice against an outclassed Drua, who were making history as the first Pacific Island-based side to contest a Super Rugby knockout match.
Damian McKenzie proved a match-winner with the boot for the Chiefs, landing all seven of his shots at goal in a 19-point performance, denying the Reds the chance to become the first Australian side to win a finals match on New Zealand soil.
“It was an arm wrestle, we had to grind it out, but I’m proud of the way we kept our composure,” Chiefs cocaptain Sam Cane said.
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