The ACT Brumbies will fly the Australian flag in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals after beating the Hurricanes 37-33 in a heart-stopping match in Canberra on Saturday.
Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea was adamant he had scored the match-winner in the 85th minute but referee Nic Berry and TMO Brett Cronan ruled that Brumbies flanker Luke Reimer had got his mitt under the ball.
“I scored it, brother,” Savea told Stan Sport’s Morgan Turinui.
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“Initially I scored it and then he held me up. But hey, it is what it is, man. I’m gutted, but honestly, brother, I’m just really grateful and blessed bro to be here… it came down to that last play and as much as I disagree, that’s just the way footy goes.”
The Brumbies will now play the Chiefs in Hamilton next Saturday after the table-toppers edged past the Queensland Reds 29-20 in an earlier quarter-final.
That was a tense match but had nothing on the see-sawing late game at GIO Stadium as the brave Brumbies repeated last year’s quarter-final win over the Hurricanes.
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“One of the all-time great Super Rugby finals,” Morgan Turinui said on Stan Sport.
Super-sub Reimer also scored a crucial second half try for Stephen Larkham’s side, with backs Ollie Sapsford, Jack Debreczeni, Len Ikitau and Tom Wright grabbing the others.
The Hurricanes only scored three tries to the home team’s five but Brett Cameron’s four penalties kept them in touch throughout.
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“Lukey Reimer – it’s a 15 man effort there, but it takes one guy’s hand to get under the ball and do something special,” Wright told Stan Sport.
“But something special just looks like your job a lot of the time and he gets unrewarded on the TV with a lot of highlights.
“But he’s our go to finisher at the moment and he just did it again. I just tip my hat to Luke – big moment under the sticks against one of the best players in the world.”
It meant another week of coaching for venerable Brumbies assistant Laurie ‘Lord’ Fisher, who is stepping down at the end of the season.
“It was nerve racking, but a magnificent effort by the boys,” Fisher told Stan Sport.
“To defend your line for five minutes against a quality side like the Hurricanes is unbelievable and testament to the courage and desire to win from that group of players.”
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