‘Do-or-die game’: Larkham’s message after Brumbies book playoffs spot

Coach Stephen Larkham has urged the ACT Brumbies to keep the foot on the gas after punching their ticket to the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs, holding on for a 21-14 win over the NSW Waratahs in a do-or-die Australian derby.

New Zealand sides the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Blues had already done enough through 14 rounds to secure a spot in the finals. But the rest of the playoff picture remained far from certain, setting the scene for some season-defining matches on Friday evening.

The Crusaders stunned the high-flying Chiefs 36-32 in Christchurch, which saw the defending champions lock up a top-six finish. Then it was time for a clash between two fierce Aussie rivals, with both the Brumbies and Waratahs dreaming of finals football.

It took 20 minutes for the first points to be scored, with Brumbies hooker Billy Pollard crashing over for the opening try. Cadeyrn Neville was next to strike, while the Waratahs failed to fire as they went into the break down 14-0.

Another try scored by milestone man Allan Alaalatoa set the Brumbies on course for a crucial win on the road in Sydney. While the Waratahs hit back with two late tries, the Canberrans overcame a yellow card to hold on for a narrow result.

“There was really good resilience from the boys, and what’s pleasing is we knew it was a do-or-die game. There was a lot of pressure coming in there,” Larkham told reporters.

For them to perform the way they did… putting themselves in a position to perform the way they did, there’s a lot of credit that goes to the boys for this week, particularly coming off a bye where sometimes that can derail your continuity.

“We had a win coming into the bye, and sometimes that bye can stuff up your continuity but they applied themselves really well and I thought it was one of our better efforts and performances this year, bar some of the kicks in the second half.”

The Brumbies claimed some statement wins early in the season, which included a shock upset over the Crusaders in Christchurch. But after squandering a strong lead against the Queensland Reds in March, the Brumbies were beaten by the Fijian Drua.

Sid Harvey was the hero for the Waratahs in a hard-fought two-point win at GIO Stadium on March 27, with the rookie producing some goal-kicking heroics. As these two teams prepared to face off for the first time since, the Brumbies had fallen to a 6-6 season record.

But the reserve fixture in The Harbour City was a different story, with the Brumbies proving the better side by full-time. They host Moana Pasifika in the final round of the regular season, knowing they’re still well and truly in the title race.

“We just can’t take the foot off the accelerator now. It’s an important week coming into Moana,” Larkham explained.

“We knew that it would be a tough game, a physical game up here and then we kind of get the two days to fully recover, which is what you do on an eight-day turnaround.

“We’ve just got to make sure that our preparation is as good as it was this week, if not better. I don’t know mathematically what that means in terms of, can we finish third still? I don’t know. But all we can really control is our performances going forward.

“We want to put our best performance on the field from now on.”