The Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies have fallen short against the Crusaders 31-33 in the final match of the regular season, ensuring a third place finish with a home qualifying final next week.
Tries to Feao Fotuaika, Andy Muirhead, Rhys Van Nek, and Len Ikitau saw the Brumbies come from 14 points behind to lead by three with less than 10 minutes to go. Noah Lolesio was peerless with the boot, kicking all five of his attempts and putting us ahead with a penalty in the closing stages.
Head coach Stephen Larkham was disappointed to miss out on the top two but praised his finishers and encouraged fans in Canberra to come and supporrt his side next weekend.
"We've missed an opportunity there again. We look at our last couple of seasons and we've had a chance to put ourselves into that top two position and we've not grabbed it. It makes it a little bit harder for us now," Larkham said.
"If you just look at the game and talk about the game, I thought it was a really good fight back in the second half. Our finishers, when they came on the field, did a fantastic job.
"We've got a qualifying final next Saturday at 7.35pm. We're going to need heaps of support here at GIO Stadium and that will hopefully spur us on to a victory. We'll see what happens after that."
The importance of a fast start clearly wasn’t lost on either side, as Brumbies prop Fotuaika wasted no time in burrowing over for his first try for the club in his first start, proving too much to handle close to the line.
The early euphoria was short-lived, as Christian Lio-Willie hit back for the Crusaders in the seventh minute. In similar fashion to Fotuaika, Lio-Willie proved unstoppable from close to the line.
The visitors stole the lead three minutes later, courtesy of a Rivez Reihana penalty from just over 40m out.
A second 50-22 of the match paved the way for Ethan Blackadder to extend the margin to eight points.
At 15-7 down, the Brumbies displayed silky skills to send Len Ikitau in for his eighth try of the season. Rob Valetini’s ‘tip-on’ pass was a timely reminder of the skills possessed by the imposing back-rower.
The home side did well to stop a 24th minute rolling maul, but the Crusaders’ fly half Reihana was able to make the most of the opportunity to re-instate their lead of eight.
Winger Sevu Reece would then knock over a drop goal in the shadows of half-time as both teams headed into the sheds, with the Brumbies trailing by 11.
In the second half, Reihana took early points on offer as he slotted an early penalty to bring the score to 28-14 in the 46th minute.
Van Nek was the next to cross the stripe, scoring mere minutes into his stint on the park. The 50th-minute try closed the deficit to seven.
The Brumbies' backs, not to be outdone, chimed in just five minutes later as centre David Feliuai produced a picture-perfect pass linking with Tom Wright and Corey Toole to send Muirhead over for a try in the 55th minute, his ninth of the campaign.
Mounting pressure with just 10 minutes remaining, eventually the whistle would blow and Lolesio kicked the Brumbies into the lead with a penalty.
That lead wouldn't last long, as the Crusaders scored from a rolling maul in the 77th minute, proving to be the final points of the match.
Brumbies 31 (Tries: Fotuaika, Ikitau, van Nek, Muirhead; Cons: Lolesio 4/4; Pens: Lolesio 1/1) def. by Crusaders 33 (Tries: Lio-Willie, Blackadder, Reihana, Bell; Cons: Reihana 2/4; Pens: Reihana 2/2; Drop Goal: Reece 1/1)
