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There were not too many people at Canberra stadium that did not feel some sense of loss and sorrow for the family of Shawn Mackay and the Brumbies players.
As the team stood huddled together before the start of the game, the 14,000 strong crowd joined with Brumbies and Stormers players in a minute of “applause for a cause” where we all stood, clapped and cheered in his memory.
Players were obviously emotional and some were quite visibly shaken by the moment, none more so than Stirling Mortlock. But during the first half, it may have been something that helped their semi-final cause.
They maintained field position through a number of clever kicks and ground the Stormers down with a dominant display in the forwards, driving their scrum back a number of times.
It seemed that the turmoil and the stress of the last four weeks had finally taken its toll on the Brumbies players in the second half.
Players seemed tired, and going through the motions rather than trying to crush the Stormers. To their credit, they held on for a hard fought 17-10 victory to keep their semi-final aspirations alive.
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.