A bonus-point try in injury time on Saturday gave the ACT Brumbies a glimmer of hope for the Super 14 play-offs as they scored a historic first win over the Otago Highlanders 29-10.
The Brumbies needed the fourth-try bonus and at least a 10-point winning margin to get into the top four on points differential over the Waikato Chiefs who were briefly in the semis after beating the Canterbury Crusaders on Friday.
But the Brumbies’ hold on a semifinal berth may also be short-lived as they stand to be overtaken by the Northern Bulls if the South Africans beat the bottom-of-the-table Queensland Reds later on Saturday.
It was a nail-biting finish for the Brumbies who were up 22-3 inside 33 minutes and then had to wait 50 minutes to score the decisive try.
They did so in a passage of play that lasted four minutes with possession changing hands five times before Mark Chisholm crossed the line.
”Now, we’ve just got to wait and hope and the rugby gods be kind to us overnight. The Chiefs boys said it last night, ‘all you can do is put yourself in a position and see how it pans out’,” said veteran Brumbies halfback George Gregan.
”We realised we needed to score four tries and be in excess of 10 points to be a mathematical chance, that put us above the Chiefs, but now we just have to wait and see.”
For long-serving Highlanders captain Anton Oliver it was a disappointing end to his distinguished career with the southerners.
Not only was he on the losing side, but he was also sin-binned midway through the second half.
The Brumbies opened the scoring early with a Julian Huxley try converted by Stirling Mortlock, and followed up from the kick-off with a try to Adam Ashley-Cooper who cashed in on weak tackling in a 80m run to the line.
Nick Evans put the Highlanders on the board with a penalty after the first quarter, before the Brumbies came back with a penalty and converted try by Stirling Mortlock to lead 22-3 at the turn.
In a tense second half, the Brumbies threw everything they could at the Highlanders but were held back by a staunch defence.
With five minutes remaining the Highlanders made a rare foray into Brumbies territory and were rewarded with a try to Jason Kawau, before Chisholm’s Hoodini act gave the Brumbies the fourth try they so desperately sought. – Sapa-AFP