ACT Brumbies fall just short of Super W upset in semi-final loss to Queensland Reds

Queensland flyhalf Carys Dallinger's 79^th-minute penalty broke the ACT Brumbies' hearts and sent the Reds into the Super W decider following a 23-20 semi-final win at Concord Oval on Sunday.

Awaiting the Reds in the final are the Fijiana Drua, who came back from 17-0 down to stun the previously unbeaten NSW Waratahs and book their place in the decider with a 20-17 win, keeping their own title defence alive.

The Brumbies fell agonisingly short of their greatest win in Super W history, only for Dallinger - who was faultless with two penalty attempts in the final 10 minutes - ended their season in heartbreaking fashion.

"We've been building each week. We've got the defence coach for the Wallaroos as our head coach [Scott Fava], so we definitely got put through our paces at trainings, but it really showed out there. We've all got so much heart for this game," Brumbies forward Grace Kemp said.

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"I'm so proud of the girls. Our aim for this season was to keep building each week and we absolutely did, so I'm so proud of them."

Few could have foreseen the Brumbies' early ambush. Tania Naden scored twice off the back of mauls to put the underdogs ahead 12-0 after as many minutes.

That lead would eventually go up in smoke as Reds winger Heleina Young scored two tries in as many minutes on the other side of the half-time break to give Queensland their first lead of the day.

When the Brumbies needed someone to get them back on level pegging, it was Kemp - the barnstorming Wallaroos No. 8 in the sights of the Canberra Raiders - who charged over off a scrum to level the ledger.

Dallinger and Brumbies counterpart Faitala Moleka traded penalties inside the final 10 minutes, but the ACT's last-ditch attempt to find a winner ended with a dropped ball.

"It just shows the calibre of player [Dallinger] is. The girls pulled through, we showed resilience, and I think we deserve to be there next week," Reds lock Annabelle Codey said.

"It's very exciting to have the grand final in Townsville."

There the meet the Drua, the defending champions who have advanced to the final seemingly against all odds.

Australia-based Fijians had to step in to provide food for Drua players in the days leading up to their 45-22 defeat to the Reds last week as Fiji Rugby Union's financial problems reached a flashpoint.

Rugby Australia will cover the Drua's expenses for the remainder of the Super W tournament after financial turmoil forced senior FRU officials to resign and saw the country's justice minister step in to administer the governing body.

The Drua's Concord boilover means the Waratahs will miss the Super W final for the first time since the competition's inception. NSW had won the opening four titles before losing last year's final to Fijiana. Now another new champion could be crowned in Townsville.

AT A GLANCE

Super W semi-final: QUEENSLAND REDS 23 (Heleina Young 2, Renae Nona tries; Cecilia Smith conversion; Carys Dallinger 2 penalties) bt ACT BRUMBIES 20 (Tania Naden, Grace Kemp 2 tries; Faitala Moleka conversion; Moleka penalty) at Concord Oval.

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