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Ardie Savea had to choke back tears after being denied a match-winning try in his side’s heartbreaking 37-33 loss to the Brumbies in Canberra.
After five minutes of attacking the Brumbies’ line in search of the match-winning try, Savea was ruled to have been held up by Luke Reimer in the 85th minute.
Savea immediately celebrated the try but, crucially, referee Nic Berry saw no clear grounding and therefore sent the action up to the Television Match Official, where no compelling evidence was deemed to have been found to overturn the decision.
“Oh wow, it came down to that last play and, as much as I disagree, that’s just the way footy is and it doesn’t go your way, sometimes it does,” Savea told Stan Sport commentator and former Wallaby Morgan Turinui.
“You’ve just got to live with it. I’m immensely proud of my boys. I said in the first half we have to leave everything out and I felt like we did. But that’s credit to the Brumbies, they stuck in there and defence wins you games and that’s what happened.”
Ardie Savea celebrated after believing he scored the match-winning try against the Brumbies in Canberra. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
Asked by Turinui whether he thought he grounded the ball, Savea was emphatic that he did.
“I scored it, brother. Initially, I scored it and then he held me up. But it is what it is, man,” Savea said.
“I’m gutted, but honestly I’m just truly grateful and blessed to be here and play this game for my club and my team. It’s pretty special.”
The held up ruling meant the Hurricanes weren’t afforded another chance to break the Brumbies’ line, which had held out the visitors against the odds after a wave of pressure and penalties.
“It’s just unfortunate. We got ourselves in the right area of the field in the last 10 minutes but we just couldn’t capitalise on it. That’s disappointing, but it is what it is,” said Savea, who will join Dave Rennie’s Kobe Steelers for the 2024 League One season before returning to New Zealand in June, 2024.
“I can sit here and complain, I can sit here and sulk, but at the end of the day you can’t change it.
“I look at the positives, I’m injury free and I get to go back and spend time with my kids and family, and spend time with the boys and celebrate the season and the boys that are leaving the club.”
Ardie Savea remonstrates with the referee over the final decision on June 10, 2023, in Canberra. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
Brumbies fullback Tom Wright, who scored a crucial try to put his side in front, credited Reimer for his match-sealing effort.
“Lukey Reimer, it’s a 15-man effort there at the end but it takes one guy’s hand to get under the ball and do something special. But something special just looks like your job a lot of the time and gets unrewarded on the TV, but he’s our go to finisher at the moment and he just did it again,” Wright said.
It was the second straight season the Brumbies have knocked the Hurricanes out in the quarter-finals, having beaten the men based out of Wellington 35-25 in 2022.
The Brumbies will play the Chiefs in Hamilton next Saturday, while the wounded Crusaders will take on the Blues after smashing the Fiji Drua 49-8.
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.