PRETORIA: The ACT Brumbies are preparing for four “mini-grand finals” as they fight to keep their Super Rugby play-off chances alive in the last rounds of the season.
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The Brumbies are walking a finals tightrope and face the first threat to their title ambitions when they play the Pretoria Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday morning, Australian time.
The Brumbies’ Super Rugby title bid is precariously placed as the season enters its final stages, and the NSW Waratahs and Western Force are poised to strike as soon as the Brumbies falter.
The Brumbies could tumble to seventh on the ladder this weekend if they lose to the Bulls and other results go against them. The race for Australia’s guaranteed finals berth is the closest it has been since the Super Rugby format was transformed three years ago.
“This game is huge, absolutely massive,” said Brumbies director of rugby, Laurie Fisher.
“It’s a grand final for us, we just have win it in any way, shape or form, we just have to win the game. We’ve got to play with that amount of desperation. We’ve spoken about every game now being a mini-grand final.
“Don’t worry about next week or the week after, we just have to look at this weekend because it’s a grand final and we have to prepare appropriately. Every game is vital, everyone is desperate.”
The Brumbies are just one point ahead of the Waratahs on the ladder and four points clear of the Force.
Loftus Versfeld is one of the most-feared fortresses in Super Rugby, but the Brumbies toppled the Bulls at their home ground in the semi-final last year. It was the first time the Bulls had lost a final in Pretoria and they have not lost a home game since.
Adding even more importance to the game is the fact the Waratahs (34 points) and the Force (31 points) have a game in hand on the Brumbies. The Brumbies will play the Waratahs and the Force in the coming weeks.
“We’re a better side when our backs are against the wall as opposed to a side that’s out in front,” coach Stephen Larkham coach.
“We’ve been guilty of not putting teams away this year … We need to win every game. We lost [last weekend] and we should have won. The Cheetahs aren’t a side that should be beating us. At times we weren’t desperate enough, and we’ve spoken about we need to do whatever we can to win this weekend.”
The Brumbies haven’t lost back-to-back games this year and Larkham said they were sloppy in a six-point loss to the Free State Cheetahs last weekend. The Brumbies have scored just five tries in the past three games.
“We know we have to win every game to be in play-offs, so every game is a final for us.”
THE AUSTRALIAN CONTENDERS
BRUMBIES (2nd overall, 35 points)
Rd 15: v Bulls (away)
Rd 16: v Rebels (home)
Rd 17: v Waratahs (away)
Rd 18: bye
Rd 19: v Force (home)
WARATAHS (4th overall, 34 points)
Rd 15: v Rebels (away)
Rd 16: v Chiefs (away)
Rd 17: v Brumbies (home)
Rd 18: v Highlanders (home)
Rd 19: v Reds (away)
FORCE (7th overall, 31 points)
Rd 15: v Lions (home)
Rd 16: v Crusaders (away)
Rd 17: v Blues (home)
Rd 18: v Reds (home)
Rd 19: v Brumbies (away)
