But all of a sudden the reality of their Super Rugby season is that being close enough could clinch them a spot in the finals for the first time in seven years.

Despite losing to the Queensland Reds on Saturday night, the Brumbies held on to the Australian conference lead by five points.

The reason they're still at the top is simple - their losses.

In their five defeats this year, they've recorded a bonus point in every one for losing by fewer than seven points. It's those five bonus points which separate them from the Reds on the table.

And with just four games remaining in the regular season, tight defeats could be the catalyst for ending the club's finals drought.

No other team in the competition has been able to get a bonus point in all of its losing matches.

The most admirable quality of the new generation Brumbies is that they've fought to the end in every game they've played.

Zack Holmes's heartbreaking penalty miss against the Reds in the dying seconds was the first time the team failed to take its opportunity to snatch a win.

The only match they haven't had a shot at victory in the final minute is their loss to the Pretoria Bulls. But in that game the Brumbies got a bonus point for scoring six tries and their last-minute five-pointer got them another bonus point for losing by fewer than seven points.

They take on the Melbourne Rebels on Friday night in a match they should win. But even if they lose, their superb bonus-points haul will keep them just ahead of the Reds in the race to a guaranteed finals spot.

Brumbies fans only have to think back to recent years to know how crucial bonus points can be. Five times in the past seven years - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 - too few bonus points ended the Brumbies' title hopes. In 2006 they won more games than the team that took fourth place, but were relegated to sixth because they had just four bonus points. This season, the Brumbies already have nine extra points. The club has only reached that mark twice in its history. The only year the Brumbies have recorded 10 bonus points was in 2002 and most of those were for convincing wins.

It all comes back to Jake White's structured game plan. It's not complicated and it doesn't rely on one player to break the game open.

For proof of that you need only look at Holmes and the Brumbies' use of three playmakers this season.

Each player knows what his role is during the game. If he does his job, the team wins.

The Brumbies' five losses this season have been by an average of just four points. If they are in the contest often enough, they'll win more games than they lose.

The talk at the pub after the loss to the Reds was about whether the Brumbies could continue their rise or if they would suffer a let-down following an intense two months.

Expectations have changed. They started the season with most predicting they should be happy to finish 10th. But, against all odds, they are on the verge of a surprise finals berth.

White won't accept close enough as good enough when finals spots are up for grabs. But in the end it might be close enough losses which lift the Brumbies to unlikely success.