Brumbies will ‘go to the moon’ for Super 15 glory
Winger Joe Tomane says Aussie side happy to clock up the miles in title quest after losing last year’s final
The ACT Brumbies have little to fear from the prospect of another arduous journey to the Super Rugby final, having racked up thousands of miles reaching the title decider a year ago, according to winger Joe Tomane.
The Brumbies start the post-season with a replay of last year's final against the reigning champion Chiefs at their home Canberra Stadium in the first round of the play-offs on Saturday.
If successful, the most likely scenario is two more away matches to clinch a third title in the southern hemisphere competition, a feat not achieved since the Canterbury Crusaders beat Queensland and Otago on the road to win the 1999 crown.
We are a team that believes we can turn up anywhere, any time. It doesn’t matter if we play in South Africa or on the moon, we’re always going to turn up
The Brumbies almost matched that feat last year following a 23,000km odyssey to and from South Africa, before giving up a 10-point lead in the last 15 minutes of the final against the Chiefs in Hamilton.
"I think we've got a better run this year than last year," Wallabies wide man Tomane said. "Last year, we had the first home final and we had to go to South Africa and back. If things go our way, we won't have to do as much travelling, so it does give us a bit of confidence.
"But we're really just trying to focus on what we can control.
"We are a team that believes we can turn up anywhere, any time. It doesn't matter if we play in South Africa or on the moon, we're always going to turn up."
The idea of avenging last year's loss in the final has been played up in the Australian media in the lead-up to tomorrow's clash, as it was ahead of the teams' regular season match in April, a crushing 41-23 home win for the Brumbies.