Waratahs set up Super final showdown with Crusaders
New South Wales outfit prevail over the ACT Brumbies while Canterbury demolish Sharks
New South Wales Waratahs will play the Canterbury Crusaders in the Super Rugby final after an epic 26-8 win over the ACT Brumbies in Sydney on Saturday.
The Waratahs, who finished the regular season seven points clear at the top, needed an immense defensive effort to hold out the Brumbies in a torrid Australian derby before clinching victory with a brilliant team try in the final minutes.
The Waratahs will now take on the seven-time champion Crusaders in Sydney in next weekend’s final after the Kiwis thrashed South Africa’s Coastal Sharks 38-6 in the other semi-final in Christchurch.
We’ve talked about taking opportunities but we had to make them tonight and we came up with some tries that we built under pressure and we take that
The Sydneysiders will be fronting up for their third Super Rugby final after losing to the Crusaders in the 2005 and 2008 title deciders.
While the Waratahs out-scored the Brumbies three-tries-to-one, it was their unstinting defence which won them the titanic game after keeping the two-time winners scoreless in the second half.
The Brumbies were camped on their try line for long periods in the second half, trailing 16-8 before the Waratahs clinched victory with a try to fly-half Bernard Foley four minutes from time.
“We’ve talked about taking opportunities but we had to make them tonight and we came up with some tries that we built under pressure and we take that,” said Waratahs skipper Michael Hooper.
“They’re a tough outfit but we’re in the final and I’m stoked.”