The ACT Brumbies will avoid the powerhouse Canterbury Crusaders until the Super Rugby grand final after falling on to the other side of the play-off draw to boost their title hopes.
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The Brumbies finished their regular season in style, toppling the Queensland Reds 40-27 to secure their sixth win in a row. It's the equal longest winning streak in Brumbies history.
It was the perfect warm up for a clash against the Durban Sharks in the opening game of the finals series at Canberra Stadium at 8.05pm on Saturday.
The winner of that match will play the winner of the Argentina Jaguares' match against the Waikato Chiefs. If the Brumbies and Chiefs win, the Brumbies will host the New Zealand side in a semi-final on June 30.
If the Brumbies and Jaguares win, the Brumbies will have to travel to Buenos Aires for a semi-final showdown.
The Brumbies are considered the form team of the competition after winning eight of their past 10 games. But they haven't won a quarter-final since 2015 and are chasing their first Super Rugby title in 15 years.
BRUMBIES NEWS
The Brumbies have now won seven games in a row in Canberra and could be bolstered by the return of winger Henry Speight this week.
They scored six tries against the Reds to fire a warning about their strikepower, earning high praise from Queensland coach Brad Thorn on captain Samu Kerevi.
The Brumbies are the only Australian team in the finals after the Melbourne Rebels and NSW Waratahs bombed their opportunities.
"The thing that's great about finals is it's a brand new competition," Thorn said. "It's game on, you take one game and it's all or nothing.
"They're good people down here [at the Brumbies], we wish them well."
Kerevi added: "From here, I know they'll go well. They've got an awesome group of boys here and an awesome culture.
"I know they'll do well for Australian rugby."
Few people gave the Brumbies any chance of making the play-offs after they won just two of their first seven games this year.
A loss against the Reds in Brisbane was the turning point for their year. Since then they have won eight of 10 matches. They are undefeated in three games against South African sides so far this year, but they have not played the Sharks.
The Sharks clinched their spot in the finals when they scored a last-minute try against the Cape Town Stormers to leap to sixth on the ladder and book a match against the Brumbies.
SUPER RUGBY QUARTER FINAL
Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Durban Sharks at Canberra Stadium, 8.05pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.
Chris Dutton
Chris Dutton has been a sport journalist since 2008, covering rugby union, rugby league, basketball, cricket and soccer. He has covered World Cups and Olympic Games in print and online. Chris has had a stint as news director, but is back in sport to follow the ups and downs. Email: chris.dutton@canberratimes.com.au
Chris Dutton has been a sport journalist since 2008, covering rugby union, rugby league, basketball, cricket and soccer. He has covered World Cups and Olympic Games in print and online. Chris has had a stint as news director, but is back in sport to follow the ups and downs. Email: chris.dutton@canberratimes.com.au
