Brumbies finishers set for instant impact with Super Rugby Pacific semi-final hanging in the balance

The so-called finishers helped the side score 20 unanswered points in the quarter-final win and it's that impact the Brumbies are expecting against the Auckland Blues at Eden Park.

Coach Dan McKellar has again opted for a 6-2 split on the bench, the likes of Ryan and Lachlan Lonergan and Luke Reimer eager to make the most of some tiring opposition late in the contest.

Two-time championship winner Joe Roff has watched in awe as the Brumbies substitutes have made an impact on a weekly basis and he declared their contribution pivotal to the outcome of the match.

"I would say our bench this year has probably been the most impactful of any Super Rugby side," Roff said.

"The way Dan has used them, the injection of energy and lift that our bench has given when they've come in, it could be a real point of difference as we get into the latter part of the game.

"We saw that last week, those guys made a significant difference to the outcome."

Much like the clash between the Brumbies and Blues earlier in the season, ACT are expecting Saturday's semi-final to go down to the wire.

That places plenty of pressure on the reserves to make an immediate impact with the game on the line.

While the Brumbies would prefer to avoid trailing throughout the second half, captain Allan Alalatoa said they won't panic if they find themselves in that situation given the talent waiting to be injected into the contest.

"Something we spoke about throughout the week was the importance of the second half and the important role of our finishers," Alaalatoa said. "I think that's going to be big for us [on Saturday] as well.

"We didn't want to overthink it, we wanted to make sure we learnt from the last game. We've prepared really well to put ourselves in good stead.

"There's a reason why we're here and we're going to back those reasons, back our gameplan. We'll just have full confidence and belief in ourselves and the way we want to display our rugby out there."

The Brumbies have travelled to Auckland with a siege mentality, determined to stun a star-studded Blues side.

The minor premiers have won 14 on the trot and were dominant in last week's 35-6 quarter-final victory over the Highlanders.

While the Brumbies fell short of victory just a few weeks ago, retired legend Clyde Rathbone is confident they have what it takes to pull off the upset.

"In terms of finals footy, it's expected the game's going to go for the full 80," Rathbone said. "The impact and role everyone plays, how we start the game as starters, then the impact the finishers have is so important.

"The way they add a difference, the way they feel the game out when they're sitting on the bench to then understand how they can add a difference when they come on. It's so important because these games are won at the back end."

The Brumbies are preparing for a physical contest in wet and windy conditions in Auckland.

It's a situation that plays into the visitors' favour, the side selecting an imposing pack and ready to turn to the driving maul.

It will also likely limit the impact of the Blues' star-studded backline, a situation Rathbone predicts will open up opportunities for the Brumbies to strike.

"You can almost use their attack against them in a way. Finals footy is all about pressure. If we managed to squeeze them, throttle them, they're the type of team who will back themselves to attack from anywhere.

"That type of approach is ripe to backfire in finals. Everyone steps up a fraction, defences get tighter. It comes down to apply pressure, forcing them to attack when they might not want to."

Auckland Blues v ACT Brumbies - Saturday at Eden Park, 5.05pm

Blues: 1. Alex Hodgman, 2. Kurt Eklund, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4. Josh Goodhue, 5. Tom Robinson, 6. Akira Ioane, 7. Adrian Choat, 8. Hoskins Sotutu, 9. Finlay Christie, 10. Beauden Barrett (C), 11. AJ Lam, 12. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Mark Telea, 15. Stephen Perofeta. Reserves: 16. Soane Vikena, 17. Karl Tu'inukuafe, 8. Ofa Tuungafasi, 19. Luke Romano, 20. James Tucker, 21. Sam Nock, 22. Tamati Tua, 23. Zarn Sullivan.

Brumbies: 1. James Slipper, 2. Folau Fainga'a, 3. Allan Alaalatoa (C), 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 6. Tom Hooper, 7. Pete Samu, 8. Rob Valetini, 9. Nic White, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Andy Muirhead, 12. Irae Simone, 13. Ollie Sapsford, 14. Tom Wright, 15. Tom Banks. Reserves: 16. Lachlan Lonergan, 17. Scott Sio, 18. Sefo Kautai, 19. Nick Frost, 20. Luke Reimer, 21. Jahrome Brown, 22. Ryan Lonergan 23. Hudson Creighton.

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