Second-half masterclass stuns Brumbies in Christchurch
The ACT Brumbies were brave, but sometimes bravery isn't enough. Especially when you're trying to break a 19-year hoodoo against the most successful team in Super Rugby history.
The Brumbies will limp back to Canberra with their season in serious danger after losing to the Canterbury Crusaders 36-14 in Christchurch on Saturday afternoon.
Few people gave the Brumbies a chance of being competitive let alone winning given they were without Scott Sio, David Pocock, Folau Faingaa and Rory Arnold.
They shocked everyone when they held a one-try half-time lead and played some impressive rugby, but they couldn't maintain the pace and were overrun on the road.
Their pursuit of victory was hindered by Toni Pulu and Sam Carter both being sent to the sin bin in the second half for separate high tackles and they conceded three tries in the 20-minute period after the half-time break.
"It's hard enough playing them with 15 men let alone 14," said Brumbies captain Christian Lealiifano.
"It was disappointing, just one of those things when tackles slip up high. We've got to be better at adapting in those situations."
The 22-point loss was far from a disaster in context. The Crusaders have now won 23 games in a row at home and the Brumbies haven't won in Christchurch since 2000.
But the bigger picture is the impact the result has on the Brumbies' hopes of being a finals contender this season.
The Brumbies are now second last in the Australian conference and could slip further behind depending on results in the NSW Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels games on Saturday night.
The Brumbies will play against the Johannesburg Lions in Canberra next weekend before a two-game tour of South Africa and Argentina.
Beating the Lions is an absolute must after losing the past two games and winning just two of the first seven matches of the year.
It is hoped Pocock will be fit to play next week and the return of Sio, Faingaa and Arnold will help, but it might not be enough to stop run of defeats if the Brumbies can't find their groove.
They certainly looked like a different team in the opening exchanges of the clash against the Crusaders, setting a blistering pace in the first 20 minutes in a free-flowing contest.
The Brumbies had the better of the exchanges and looked certain to score when Murray Douglas put his head down and tried to burrow over from the base of a ruck.
But replays showed he dropped the the ball, denying him the first try of the match and a perfect start for the Brumbies.
The Brumbies turned down the chance to slot three easy first-half penalties and had a one-man advantage when Owen Franks was sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge on Henry Speight.
The Crusaders' defence held strong until Christian Lealiifano threw a dummy and stepped through three defenders to give the Brumbies a 7-0 lead.
The try was a reward for the Brumbies' dominance in the opening 30 minutes, controlling possession and territory against a powerful Crusaders side.
The challenge was always going to be trying to maintain the frenetic tempo and starving the Crusaders of the ball, and the home side finally broke through when gaps opened up after half-time.
The Crusaders scored just three minutes after the break when some quick hands gave Sevu Reece a chance to race 15 metres to level the score.
It was the worst possible start and the Crusaders looked like they had two tries in four minutes when Quinten Strange went over the line, only for replays to show he dropped the ball.
The resistence was only temporary, though, and the Crusaders muscled up at scrumtime before sending the ball wide for Will Jordan to give his team the lead for the first time.
It was a double blow for the Brumbies after Toni Pulu was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Jordan as he attempted to stop the try.
Jordan has his second in two minutes when the Crusaders went the length of the field from the kick-off and all of a sudden the floodgates opened.
Referee Jaco Peyper made a controversial call to award the try given Jordan promoted the ball underneath three tacklers, but at the same time Tom Cusack could have been sin-binned for another high tackle.
The flow of the game went from the Brumbies leading 7-0 to trailing 19-7 in the blink of an eye and the Crusaders could sense blood in the water.
It got even worse from the Brumbies when Sam Carter was sent to the sin bin for another lazy tackle which caught Ryan Crotty high.
The Crusaders landed the killer blow in Carter's absence, Jordan Taufua scoring an easy try and then Reece making an intercept to put the icing on the cake.
AT A GLANCE
CANTERBURY CRUSADERS 36 (Will Jordan 2, Samu Reece 2, Jordan Taufua tries; Richie Mo'unga 3, Brett Cameron conversions; Brett Cameron penalty) bt ACT BRUMBIES 14 (Christian Lealiifano, Tevita Kuridrani tries; Christian Lealiifano 2 conversions) at Christchurch on Saturday. Referee: Jaco Peyper.