The Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies' Super Rugby Pacific season has come to an end after a 37-17 defeat to the Chiefs in Hamilton.
A try-scoring double to Corey Toole wasn't enough to send the Canberrans to the final, whilst Billy Pollard also crossed the stripe for the 11th time this season.
Head coach Stephen Larkham was disappointed with the result but praised his side for elements of their performance.
"The game was back and forth for the first 50 minutes or so. I thought our physicality was outstanding and the breakdown pressure we put on," Larkham said.
"There came a point in the second half where we were chasing the ball a bit to score and they were tough conditions to do that in.
"We'll go back and look at everything again and go through the same process as last year and hopefully we'll put in a more consistent performance for 80 minutes next year."
The match was billed as a clash of two heavyweights, a sentiment that was reflected in the opening proceedings. Both sides exchanged bruising hits, before Chiefs lock Tupou Vaai saw yellow in the seventh minute for a dangerous tackle.
Noah Lolesio was forced off the field for a HIA, testing the Brumbies’ ability to adapt on the run. He would go on to fail the assessment, leaving Jack Debreczini to fill the void.
It took a moment of Tom Wright magic to break the deadlock. A typically smooth 50/22 left the Canberrans in the prime position to strike, before the famed rolling maul took centre stage. Pollard and co. crashed over to open the scoring in the semi-final, 15 minutes in.
The Chiefs hit back five minutes later, courtesy of winger Emoni Narawa. Damian McKenzie converted, before adding three more in the 26th minute. That penalty saw the home side take a 10-7 lead, before another one eight minutes before the break pushed their lead to six.
With five minutes until half-time, the visitors adopted a crash-and-bash approach as the tryline beckoned. Penalty advantage in hand, Debreczini had hearts in mouths when he put a cross-field kick in for Toole. Thankfully, the speedster was able to gather the ball for a second Brumbies’ try of the night.
Poor discipline began to creep into the Canberrans’ game, as penalties cost them another six points off McKenzie’s boot. The Chiefs took a 19-12 lead into the break, albeit with far less possession in the first 40 minutes.
Brumbies fans could hardly have wished for a better start to the second half. Beautiful hands from several players put Toole into space, before he treated McKenzie like a speed bump en route to his second try in the corner. Ryan Lonergan, kicking in the absence of Lolesio, was unable to convert, leaving scores at 19-17 in the 45th minute.
The Chiefs responded immediately, Narawa nabbing his second try of the evening to extend the margin to nine.
A 55th-minute penalty added insult to injury for the Brumbies, the scoreboard now reading 29-17.
Death by a thousand penalties began to loom as the story of the night, as McKenzie knocked over another three in the 59th minute.
Josh Jacomb crossed for the Chiefs just five minutes later in a hammer blow to the Brumbies’ hopes. The try, which pushed the margin to 20, meant that a monumental effort was required from the visitors.
Wright appeared up for the challenge, producing a brilliant solo effort to go within millimetres of scoring. His feat was only bettered by McKenzie, who defied logic to ensure the ball was never grounded.
At 37-17, the score would not change in the final ten minutes. The loss serves as a disappointing end to an exciting season, in which several records were overturned.
The overwhelming feeling for Larkham was one of frustration. He added: "It's the same story as last year. It's not a good feeling getting this far in the competition and not getting to the final hurdle."
Captain Allan Alalaatoa credited the spirit showed by his team.
"I certainly thought we were well in the fight. We probably tried to push our hand a bit and the Chiefs capitalised," Alaalatoa said.
Attention now turns to the match against the British & Irish Lions on Wednesday 9th July, where a packed-out GIO Stadium promises another cracking edition of the famous rivalry.
