IT WAS the homecoming the ACT Brumbies had hoped to put off for at least one more week.
But after what most players described as their toughest season, they were just happy to be back in the company of family and friends last night.
When the Brumbies lost to the Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday night they still held slim hope their season was alive.
They momentarily jumped to fourth spot on the ladder after earning a bonus point for losing by less than seven points and the players went through their normal recovery process to prepare for a game this week.
However, the majority of the squad were in bed when the NSW Waratahs' bonus-point win against the Johannesburg Lions pushed the ACT out of the Super 14 final's race.
The Waratahs missed the semi-finals when the Canterbury Crusaders and the Wellington Hurricanes both posted victories yesterday.
The Brumbies' mood was buoyant while the group waited to pick up its bags after arriving in Canberra.
The disappointment had sunk in and it was time to move on.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times
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