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Final two Brumbies, Sharks hunting first Super 12 titles
Updated: Friday May 25, 2001 8:02 AM
SYDNEY (Reuters) -- Australia's ACT Brumbies and South Africa's Sharks are aiming to become the first team from outside New Zealand to win the Super 12 when they meet in the final Saturday. The Brumbies finished runners up to the Auckland Blues in 1997 and again last season when they lost to the Canterbury Crusaders, while the Sharks -- as Natal -- lost out to the Blues in the final of the inaugural tournament in 1996. While overwhelming favorites to win the final on home turf, the Brumbies have had a series of setbacks since their 30-6 semifinal victory over the Queensland Reds last Saturday. First they discovered that goalkicking Wallaby center Stirling Mortlock would be sidelined for the rest of the season after dislocating his shoulder in the win over the Reds.
Then flyhalf Rod Kafer found himself in hot water with the Australian Rugby Union after accusing the national body of treating ACT's players like second-class citizens. And on the eve of the final, Wallaby flanker Owen Finegan lost his appeal against a five-match ban for stamping on hooker Michael Foley in last weekend's semifinal. He will now miss the match. But despite these setbacks and the fact that they lost 17-16 to the Sharks when the two teams met earlier in the competition, the Brumbies remain quietly confident of winning their first Super 12 title. They earned the right to host the final after finishing on top of the standings and their side includes the core of the world champion Australia team through players such as George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and Joe Roff. They were not as dominant this season as they were a year ago before they suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to New Zealand's Canterbury Crusaders in the final. They have stuck with their expansive run-at-all-costs game but new rules on decoy runners have weakened their effectiveness and opposition teams have learnt how to counter their game. But captain Gregan said he believes his team is better for the experience of losing last year's final. "I think we've learned a lot from last year," Gregan said. "It wasn't great to go through that experience, but it's certainly made us a stronger unit." Brumbies coach Eddie Jones said: "We probably felt more pressure then. I think we're more relaxed this year." While the Brumbies reaching the final has surprised no one, the Sharks have staged a remarkable turnaround after finishing bottom last season. The Durban-based side won their first five matches this season and finished the preliminary rounds in second place, before securing their place in the final by beating the Cats 30-12 in last weekend's all-South African semifinal. Their victory over the Brumbies was played in very different circumstances to those expected Saturday. In contrast to the hot and humid Durban night in March, Canberra's Bruce Stadium is expected to experience sub-zero temperatures for the final. Sharks captain Mark Andrews conceded the Brumbies deserved to be favorites but said his team had come to Australia to win. "There is no pressure on us because nobody outside of our squad expects us to win," Andrews said. "But getting to the final is not good enough for us, second place is certainly not what we'll be happy with. People don't like losers, and the key is that we must win it. "Admittedly, we are not the favorites. But if our preparations are done properly and we are focused on the task at hand then we can upstage them."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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