Joe Tomane’s hat-trick of tries in the first 25 minutes set up the Brumbies’ crushing 39-19 win over the Stormers at Newlands, and a semi-final meeting against the table-topping Hurricanes at Wellington next Saturday night.
However, there’s a downside. Crack winger Henry Spieght earned himself a red card in the 73rd minute for his dangerous throw of stand-in Stormers’ skipper Juan de Jongh who was not in possession.
Dumb rugby.
Just one minute later Scott Fardy, who is just a sniff away from a yellow card every game, copped one for a professional foul.
So it seems certain Speight’s Super Rugby season is over, and Fardy could be missing for the Wellington clash as well.
Whether the Brumbies can progress without two important cogs in their machinery remains to be seen, on top of a debilitating air travel schedule from Canberra to Sydney, to Johannesburg, to Cape Town, to Johannesburg, to Sydney and then Wellington.
On the credit side, David Pocock once again stamped himself as the top number seven in Australia. He was tireless in attack and defence, despite heavy attention lasting the entire 80 minutes.
Skipper Stephen Moore was instrumental in setting up two of the Brumbies’ six tries, with behemoth lock Rory Arnold, at 208cm and 127kgs, getting through a ton of slog, as did prop Scott Sio.
Number eight Ita Vaea scored one of those tries through sheer strength, and if he plays like that next week, the Hurricanes will know they have been hit with the kitchen sink.
But halfback Nic White is a complex character.
Three times in the first half he was the only Brumby to sense danger, reading the play brilliantly to be on hand to touch down under intense pressure to force a quarter line drop-out.
Against that, White’s constant chatter, barking orders to team-mates, and arguing with the referee, keep costing precious moments to get the enterprising Brumby back-line in motion.
Less talk and more action from White will greatly improve the Brumbies chances of an upset against the Hurricanes.
So the Stormers bow out, severely missing Schalk Burger and skipper Duane Vermeulin through injury. Losing seven lineouts on their feed also stopped the Stormers from being far more competitive and dangerous deep in Brumby territory.
As a result, this will be the first time since 2000 there are no South African teams in the semi-finals.
The other semi next week at Allianz Stadium will be the defending champion Waratahs taking on the Highlanders who surprised the Chiefs 24-14.
So will it be an all-Australian final, an all-New Zealand final, or one each?
Winnie
Guest
That is the most inane argument ever and one Australian or more specifically Tahs fans bring up ad nauseum whilst forgetting or ignoring the FACT that the also lost at home in Sydney to the Stormers who just got smoked at home in South Africa. Not to mention they also lost to the Force at home and away.....
Mike
Guest
So if, as Brett points out, this is his second yellow in 17 games, then he is very very good at judging where the line is drawn. And those waiting for him to get pinged are likely to be disappointed.
Mike
Guest
Indeed, possibly they will.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
yes 2 periods of 10min if reguired 1 extra period of 10m (first points win) if reguired kicking shoot out (5 kicks each) if reguired kicking shoot out continues (sudden death) you never know, it could happen. happened in a significant club game in England a few years ago.
Birdy
Guest
Thanks, PeterK, that should be enough. If he gets an 8 week ban though (not beyond the realms of possibility) it will be an interesting call for Cheika.
Winnie
Guest
Agree it has no relevance
PeterK
Roar Guru
Speight has this final game, they may count the final as one on the chance that they qualify, then the 3 RC games, then an extra bledisloe game, and 1 game against USA in Chicago before the RWC. So either 6-7 games depending how they count the super rugby final before the rwc.
tinfoil hat
Guest
Nice story.
tinfoil hat
Guest
Watch out for the strawman stalker Taylorman.
Birdy
Guest
From what I understood, Shane D, there are only 3 games in this year's RC. If the Brumbies lose next week, then there are only 4 games Speight could play in before the first RWC game. Unless Oz have any warm-up internationals I assume that a ban longer than 4 weeks/matches would rule him out of the first RWC match. If not we've got a difference in the citing systems. There was an added complication for Lancaster. He didn't drop Hartley because he couldn't trust him, but because he would miss the first game of the RWC. That's much more of an issue for a hooker. With only 3 hookers in the squad and a need to have one on the bench in a match day 23 there was a big risk to have only 2 available for the first match as if one pulls up in the match warm-up or wakes up ill you've got a big problem. You can mix and match with wings.
Taylorman
Guest
So you think a side on the top of the table should necessarily lose to one at the bottom just cos they're playing away...please. Try the same numbers when the table positions are similar.
Muzzo
Guest
@ Ken, You have got to be joking, or is it that your limitations in regard to the game are a little out of whack? Aaron Smith is internationally as the best in world rugby, in his position. Geeeez mate, one does wonder.
etienne marais
Guest
"it’s a known fact in this competition, that the home team does have the advantage" this year, 68 home team wins out of 120 games; just slightly better than a coin toss...hardly compelling
Shane D
Roar Rookie
peter K - not sure why you need to bring what Kiwis would do up.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Birds, I believe the suspensions work the same. It's just that there are fewer games for Hartly to play so his suspension will take longer to serve & go into the RWC (mind you I thought that Lancaster ditched because of the risk he represents). Speight would have been available for selection in the RC so the RC games count as part of the suspension period (hypothetical of course until after the tribunal).
wardad
Guest
For once I can agree with you ,well on 4 games rather than 4 weeks for example . Hartly is a long term prat who has invested heavily in his latest pratfall .
tubby
Guest
Stormers werent present down their right wing to attempt a tackle in the first half so the success rate means little. We also didnt see much of the brumbies maul to see if the new focus would be significant. Or maybe they just adjusted well in their setup. Stormers are frustrating to support. They bent the line and made plenty of ground everywhere but in the red zone. 4 bonus points in 4 years would be bad at the bottom of the league let alone the top.
Birdy
Guest
If that is the case then there is considerable unfairness in the international system. It's not fashionable to defend Dylan Hartley, but he was cited for a laughable 'headbutt' that the ref and TMO reviewed at the time and saw nothing wrong. There may have been a coming together, but it was so minor that the punishment of 4 weeks was considered, even by Hartley haters, to be ridiculously harsh. The main thing in the context here, though, is that the incident happened in May, yet Hartley is out of the World Cup, because '4 weeks' seems to mean '4 games' in the NH and although an England XV were to play the BaaBaas, that was a non-cap game so Hartley only had the 3 warm-up games and would miss the first match of the WC. If there are no RWC consequences for Speight because it is based on weeks, yet Hartley is, effectively, out of the RWC for an offence committed 4 months before the RWC that would be very unfair. I'm assuming there must be some common approach across World Rugby regarding citings and international rugby, but can't work out what it is given these cases.
P55mac
Guest
It's a moot point given the changes next year in super rugby. But I don't buy into this conference system bashing - unfair etc. It makes so much sense from a broadcast / business sense and ultimately the greatest numbers of fans are involved in the finals. Other sports have similiar systems and no one even mentions it.
Grahame
Guest
Good one Sunshine. I think you were indeed taking the P155 and many bought into it. Me too. I note the first of the "powerhouse of SA" teams in the S15 were pipped by 4 NZ teams and 2 Aus teams in the points ranking.