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Blues to host Super Rugby Pacific final after edging Brumbies in one-point thriller

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

New Zealand’s stranglehold on the Super Rugby Pacific will continue for another year after the Blues snuffed out the hopes of the remaining Australian side, beating the Brumbies 20-19 at Eden Park.

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The Brumbies took a 7-0 lead after three minutes only to concede the next 20 points before staging a brave second-half fightback.

Two rolling-maul tries for Brumbies’ substitute hooker Lachie Longergan created a grandstand finish, with flyhalf Noah Lolesio having a drop goal charged down in the game’s dying seconds.

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      Aotearoa Rugby Pod | Episode 17

      It clears the path for the Blues to host the Crusaders in the final next weekend, while it was a 13th unsuccessful attempt by an Australian side to win a playoff game in New Zealand.

      Flyhalf Beauden Barrett was in impeccable touch, constantly creating opportunities for the Blues while flawless in defence and running for 99m.

      The Brumbies made a flying start with centre Irae Simone bursting through the Blues’ line off the back of a scrum and running 40m to score easily for a 7-0 lead.

       

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      The Blues found their feet with two penalties and dragged the score back to 7-6, their backs catching fire and combining brilliantly to find a try for Hoskins Sotutu on 24 minutes.

      Barrett looked unstoppable and jinked his way around multiple Brumbies defenders before creating an opportunity for Mark Telea to score for 20-7, and only the crossbar denied the flyhalf a long-bomb drop goal on halftime.

      Blues’ hooker Kurt Eklund was sin-binned for a dumping tackle on Andy Muirhead and the Brumbies tried to make immediate use of the man advantage through Tom Banks, but Barrett was once again on hand to deliver a try-saving tackle in the corner.

      The Brumbies’ patient, powerful rolling maul finally broke the line with Lachie Lonergan diving over on the hour, while only some elite desperation from Tom Wright denied Barrett a Blues’ try immediately after.

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      Searching to reduce the deficit, Brumbies’ substitute Sosefo Kautai forced a penalty at the breakdown and they repeatedly threatened the line off the back of their maul, although staunch Blues’ defence somehow kept the margin at more than a converted try.

      In a thrilling finish, Lonergan barged over for his second try on 77 minutes, with Noah Lolesio’s conversion cutting the Blues’ lead to a point.

      But he couldn’t seal the deal with the subsequent drop goal attempt.

      Barrett was easily the best player on the field, constantly creating opportunities for the Blues while flawless in defence and running for 99m.

      “I’ve got a lot of trust in the lads, we’ve got to give it to (the Brumbies), they could have easily run away with that one,” Barrett told Stan Sports.

      “We knew we had to fight hard and work hard together to close that out.

      “Those sort of moments (Tuungafasi’s chargedown) you’ve just got to be alive for and look for … his edge is exceptional and we needed the big fella to stand up in that moment.”

      While the Blues were dominant in most areas, they were brutal at the scrum and their pack forced four penalties.

      They struggled with discipline in the second half, conceding eight penalties to four and they were perhaps lucky not to receive a yellow card for the repeated fouling.

      Blues 20 (Tries to Hoskins Sotutu and Mark Telea; 2 conversions and 2 penalties to Stephen Perofeta)

      Brumbies 19 (Tries to Irae Simone and Lachlan Lonergan (2); 2 conversions to Noah Lolesio)

      – Alex Mitchell

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      JW 1 hour ago
      France player ratings vs England | 2025 Six Nations

      Sorry my delivery on that joke was a bit bland. But to reply to the couple of good points you make, to me it just seemed like they had no plan with why Gatland was staying on. I mean the plan seemed to be “just get us a win against Italy and we can continue on as we are”, which is just terrible if that’s what Gatland was trying to achieve for Wales imo.


      Did it just happen to be Italy that he saw his team weren’t able to achieve his vision of success? I mean Italy are a very good side so its by no means a lost cause to not look like world beaters. Sure his focus should have been on more transient factors like growth and style for a full rebuild, not trying to avoid the wooden spoon.


      Which brings me to you main point, that would be exactly what the benefit of dropping down a tier would be. A chance to really implement something, get good at it, then take it up a level again once you’re ready. Even for Italy it must have been an incredibly brutal environment to have been trying to develop as a side.


      Not saying of course that the other EU teams would be any better, but it might be better for everyone if say ‘years of tough losses’ are shared between countries, rather than see Wales go through this journey two, three, possible four years in a row. Of course the main reason they don’t want to miss just one 6N season is because it would probably tank the game in their country missing out on all that revenue. I have always said they should look at widening the revenue share, there are plenty of competitions that have systems to keep bottom teams competitive, and the 6N would only make more money if it was a tierd competition with prom/rel.

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