The ACT Brumbies have secured a place in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals after a thrilling 35-28 win over the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium on Saturday night. Earlier the same evening, the Blues shocked the top-seeded Chiefs with a last-minute try, winning 20-19 to keep their title hopes alive.
The Brumbies scored five tries to four, with hooker Billy Pollard getting two of them from strong rolling mauls. Captain Allan Alaalatoa and veteran James Slipper also scored, helping the home team stay just ahead of the Wellington-based Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes stayed close, but a key steal in the final minute by Brumbies flanker Luke Reimer sealed the win. The Brumbies will now travel to Hamilton to play the Chiefs next weekend, hoping to reach their first grand final since 2004. No Australian team has ever won a knockout match in New Zealand in the competition’s nearly 30-year history.
“We’ve been here before, but we want to go one better this year,” said Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham. “The Chiefs are a different challenge.”
Meanwhile, in Hamilton, the Blues scored a dramatic try after the siren through replacement Josh Beehre, turning a 19-13 deficit into a 20-19 win. Beauden Barrett kicked the game-winning conversion in a fierce battle known as the “Battle of the Bombays,” named after the hills between the two cities.
Despite their loss, the Chiefs also move to the semi-finals as the highest-ranked losing team under the new playoff system. They’ll now face the Brumbies, while the Blues will take on the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu said the team had faced many challenges this season. “There’s another week for us,” he said. “But we’ve got to enjoy this kind of moment.”
