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The Brumbies are through to the Super Rugby finals in 2014 after defeating the Western Force 47-25 in Canberra.
FINAL SCORE:
Brumbies 47
Force 25
The Brumbies and the Western Force – two Australian teams battling for that one spot in the playoff race.
Join us on The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:40pm AEST.
Right now the Brumbies are clinging to sixth spot with 40 points. The Force, with the thrilling season they have had, are just within reach of them, also on 40 points and holding down seventh. What, is separating them at the moment is the ugly points differential. In that department the Brumbies are in the green with +12 and the Force sit in the negative with -28.
If the Force can nab the win and a bonus point in the process they will, for the time being leap frog the Brumbies and will just have to hope a few results fall into their favour.
It would be a shame if they missed a chance at making an appearance in the post-season. Their performances across the season as a whole has been some of the most impressive, and has highlighted just how even the competition has been.
Sometimes they’ve been looked upon as the forgotten team of the west. Well they have certainly turned things around in 2014, making fans and critics alike stand up and take notice.
The Brumbies are the old heads in this two-horse race. They’ve been in the playoffs, they’ve won championships. They know exactly what it takes. Yet statistically speaking it hasn’t been one of their most brilliant seasons, and they are still within a shot of returning to the finals. While they do not have the same attacking prowess of some of the other teams, they earn victories by doing the hard yards. The are strong up the middle, and they dig deep. Every now and again a little flash of brilliance comes to the fore.
In their last three matches the Brumbies have racked up big margins in their victories against the Bulls and Rebels, only to have the tables turned on them by the Waratahs. In all three games bonus point tries were included.
Meanwhile, the Force’s last three games haven’t looked too great. Two weeks in a row the Crusaders and Blues left them in the dust with romping victories, before they came back last week to get a 10-point victory over the Reds.
This game will hinge on which team can hold the most possession. Brumbies can create turnovers but have struggled to convert it into pressure. The Force, on the other hand, are like a stingy cat – they don’t want to share what possession they get and hang onto the ball for a good portion of the game. If the defence on both sides can go up a few notes and the sides are willing to take points on offer the game will go down to the wire.
Tip: Brumbies.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.