The ACT Brumbies are finals bound, but will anyone be at Canberra Stadium to see it happen?
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The Canberra side has charged into the play-offs, winning its past five games to celebrate the longest winning streak since 2007 after beating the NSW Waratahs 35-24.
They will play the Queensland Reds in Canberra next weekend, finishing the regular season with an Australian derby at home.
But the club is in serious danger of recording the lowest average crowd figures in 23 years if they don't get a decent turnout to the game
Here are the reasons why you should go:
- A chance to farewell Henry Speight, David Pocock, Rory Arnold and Sam Carter among others;
- The Brumbies have won six in a row at Canberra Stadium;
- They've won seven of their past eight games this season;
- Because if you don't it could seriously put the Brumbies' long-term future in jeopardy;
- They're actually playing the attractive rugby Canberra fans crave, and;
- The Brumbies are serious this year. They buried a Kiwi curse, they won in South Africa and they could go all the way.
FAINGAA ON VERGE OF HISTORY
Folau Faingaa was back at it on Saturday night doing what Brumbies hookers do best: scoring tries.
He scored from the back of a rolling maul in the first half to give the Brumbies a 28-3 lead. It was his first try in three weeks and his 11th of the season, putting him within striking distance of setting a Super Rugby record.
Johannesburg Lions hooker Malcolm Marx holds the record for scoring the most tries by a forward in a single season. The number to catch is 12 and Faingaa will fancy himself when the Brumbies play the Reds.
REBELS GIFT TO BRUMBIES
The Brumbies were in a perfect position for finals before they even ran on to the field at the new Parramatta stadium.
The Melbourne Rebels capitulated in New Zealand, losing against the Canterbury Crusaders 66-0 in Christchurch.
It meant the Brumbies were five points ahead of their nearest Australian rival before kick-off against the Waratahs and virtually guaranteed a play-off berth.
The Rebels are now fighting to secure a top-eight spot to give them a chance to play finals for the first time in their history.
NEW STADIUM VIBES
Almost everything about the new $350 million venue in western Sydney was perfect. The fans love it, the players love it and the sponsors love it.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr sat in a plush dinner with Brumbies and Waratahs officials on Saturday and got the ins and outs of what it took to build the start of the art stadium.
The Canberra Raiders were vocal in their support of the venue after they played at the same ground less than 24 hours earlier.
Both the Super Rugby and NRL fixtures attracted modest crowds on a long weekend, but it's obvious it's the blueprint for a new stadium in Canberra.
Barr is weighing up his options and waiting for Sport Australia to make a decision on the future of Canberra Stadium. But the answer is obvious: build a boutique stadium in Civic.
BRUMBIES WIN WALLABIES DUEL
The team win was sweet. The individual triumphs were the icing on the cake. Almost every Brumby out-pointed his direct opponent in Sydney in a perfectly-timed reminder for Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.
World Cup selection is looming and players are competing for a ticket to the tournament in Japan.
The Brumbies-Waratahs battle was littered with individual contests for gold jerseys. Christian Lealiifano and Joe Powell outplayed Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps, although Phipps gave the Waratahs hope in the second half.
Tom Banks and Kurtley Beale were virtually equal, with neither having massive impacts on the game.
Michael Hooper stood tall for the Waratahs, as he always does, and Adam Ashley-Cooper gave Brumbies powerhoues Tevita Kuridrani a run for his money.
Cheika would have also been pleased to see Rob Valetini make a successful return to the starting XV for the first time since March. The coach has a soft spot for NSW players, but given the Brumbies have been so dominant it will be hard to overlook their stars.
AT A GLANCE
ACT BRUMBIES 35 (Rory Arnold, Andy Muirhead, Irae Simone, Folau Faingaa, Tom Cusack tries; Christian Lealiifano 5 conversions) bt NSW WARATAHS 24 (Nick Phipps, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Curtis Rona tries; Bernard Foley 3 conversions, penalty) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: Ben O'Keeffe. Crowd: 12,016