ACT Brumbies' Pete Samu's magic tries soured by hamstring injury

The Brumbies were sweating on Samu's fitness late after they beat the Durban Sharks 38-13 to advance to the next stage of the Super Rugby finals.

Samu injured his hamstring in the first half and didn't return to the field after the break.

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar was weighing up whether Samu would be fit to make the trip to Argentina on Sunday morning,

"If there's a slight tear anywhere then he won't go to Argentina," McKellar said. "You feel for Pete because he's playing really well and he's played such a big role in getting us to where we are. I know we have really good depth in the back-row and someone will step up to do the job, but players want to be playing at this time of the year and he deserves to be."

Samu was one of the most influential players of the Brumbies victory after scoring two tries in the first half.

The 27-year-old twinged his hamstring early on in the game but played through the pain and scored a second try off a rolling maul.

The Brumbies have been heavily criticised for their 'boring' style of play, but fans have finally backed the winning formula with a premiership on the line.

Samu is one of only two Super Rugby winners in Dan McKellar's squad with James Slipper. But without Slipper and David Pocock playing in Argentina, can the Brumbies afford to play without Samu?

The back-rower was replaced by Lachlan McCaffrey in the second-half, who started at No.8 in the Brumbies win over the Queensland Reds last week.

Back-row depth has been one of the Brumbies' biggest strengths this season with McCaffrey, Tom Cusack, Rob Valetini and Jahrome Brown vying for starting positions.

Everyone knew about Christian Lealiifano, David Pocock, Sam Carter, Rory Arnold and Henry Speight finishing their Brumbies careers.

There's more sad news for Brumbies fans: Josh Mann-Rea is joining the list. The likable hooker better known as "Bongo" has decided to retire after suffering a serious knee injury this year.

He walks away from the game as the oldest Australian Super Rugby player in history after turning 38 years old this season.

Mann-Rea was ready to keep playing for at least one more year, but a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament changed his plans.

He will retire as one of rugby's nicest blokes. The Brumbies also said goodbye to Jordan Jackson-Hope, Chance Peni and Ben Hyne on an emotional night.

The Brumbies pulled their second biggest crowd of the season as 11,112 fans braved sub-zero temperatures to farewell the departing players at Canberra Stadium.

"To play like that and hear the crowd is what you'll remember through all the years, Lealiifano said. "It's a different buzz and a memory that I'll cherish forever."

Sunday morning's are always easier after a win. But what about a 6am start to get a bus to Sydney?

That's what the Brumbies woke up to after beating the Sharks at Canberra Stadium. The squad will catch a bus to Sydney before flying to Buenos Aires.

It will be a marathon journey for the players, who will then either have to return to Canberra or fly to New Zealand for the Super Rugby final if they beat the Argentina Jaguares next weekend.

The game will likely be played at 8.30am on Saturday Australian time. The Brumbies had hoped the Waikato Chiefs would beat the Jaguares to book a semi-final in Canberra.

The Jaguares, however, held on and will play in a semi-final for the first time in the club's history.

The winner of the Brumbies-Jaguares match will advance to the grand final to play either the Canterbury Crusaders or the Wellington Hurricanes.

AT A GLANCE

ACT BRUMBIES 38 (Pete Samu, Henry Speight, Joe Powell, Matt Lucas tries; Christian Lealiifano 5 conversions) bt DURBAN SHARKS 13 (Andre Esterhuizen try; Curwin Bosch 1 conversion).