Christian Lealiifano's head rocked back in an ugly first half collision with Taniela Tupou giving fans a nervous wait as he lay on the icy turf.
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It was a huge moment of the ACT Brumbies 40-27 win against the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night.
Referee Paul Williams told the Queensland prop "you're lucky to get away with a yellow card" and sent him to the sin-bin.
But was it a shoulder-on-shoulder charge that just looked ugly? The Reds will argue it was just Togan Thor 135 kilograms colliding with Lealiifano that caused the damage.
Either way it didn't look good and the decision went the Brumbies' way in a huge turning point in the match.
The Reds could have been 14-0 up if Matt McGahan's try was allowed. Instead the play went ahead and the Brumbies claimed five-point just minutes later.
Brumbies hooker Folau Faingaa may have a nervous wait on Sunday morning to see if he avoids the wrath of the Super Rugby judiciary.
Faingaa was penalised in the first half for a no-arms tackle on Alex Mafi. A penalty seemed sufficient, but the unpredictable judiciary process could throw up a finals curveball.
WALLABIES WATCH
Time is running out for Wallabies hopefuls as the regular season comes to an end. The Reds played their last match of the season on Saturday night while the Brumbies count down their chances to impress national selectors.
Rory Arnold put on another dominate performance and played with a point to prove as coach Michael Cheika watched on from the stands.
"He's probably been the form lock of Australian teams. It just depends who he partners in the first Test," Wallabies legend Tim Horan said on Fox Sports.
Robbie Valentini and Tom Banks were solid as the latter looks to replaced the sacked Isreal Folau as Australia's starting fullback.
FINALS CHARGE
The Brumbies are making more than a game of footy to lure their fans back to Canberra Stadium ahead of their finals charge.
Flame throwers, bongo drums and horns blasted through the stadium as the Brumbies pulled their second largest crowd of the season. 9751 fans braved the cold to witness the Brumbies take their sixth consecutive win at Canberra Stadium.
The Brumbies will host their first Super Rugby final in two-years on Saturday, June 22. They were hoping for an afternoon kickoff but broadcasters pushed the match to prime time television for an 8.05pm start.
SELECTION HEADACHES
Coach Dan McKellar will have plenty of selection headaches next week as Tom Cusack, Toni Pulu and Darcy Swain return to the fold.
It's never an easy task to cut down a 40-strong squad down to 23, but the Brumbies' latest victory showcased the sheer depth of their bench.
Right wing Andy Muirhead could upset Henry Speight's farewell at Canberra Stadium after he scored a sensation try in the first half. Lachlan McCaffrey looked right at home as the Brumbies' starting eight as Pete Samu was rested on the bench.
AT A GLANCE
ACT BRUMBIES 40 (Andy Muirhead, Lachlan McCaffrey, Rory Arnold, Sam Carter, Tom Wright, Murray Douglas; Christian Lealiifano 3, Ryan Lonergan conversions) QUEENSLAND REDS 27 (Bryce Hegarty, Duncan Paia'aua, Liam Wright; Bryce Hegarty 3 conversions)