An emotional Ardie Savea says the Hurricanes were robbed of a famous Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final win against the Brumbies after falling in a 37-33 thriller at GIO Stadium.
The Brumbies kept their season alive and will fly the Australian flag in a semi-final against the Chiefs next Saturday, digging deep and scoring the game’s final two tries to pinch a thrilling win.
But All Blacks star Savea was controversially denied a try with the final play of the game, diving over the line and appearing to ground the ball among a sea of Brumbies bodies, only for video review to support the on-field decision of no try due to inconclusive evidence.
Savea said he had “100 per cent” scored before Brumbies flanker Luke Reimer got a hand under the ball, with one camera angle appearing to show conclusive grounding.
“”I can sit here and argue but it’s done now so it’s one of those things … (I’m) gutted,” he said.
“The journey this team has been through and I think it all hit me at once just reflecting on the relationships that you build and the season that we’ve had and it just all came down to a moment.
“A moment that didn’t go our way and I just feel for the boys … it’s heartbreaking.”
Hurricanes coach Jason Holland said it was “pretty obvious” Savea had scored and suggested officials were influenced by the Canberra crowd in not awarding the try.
“You look back to qualifying (fifth) … part of the battle around coming to Canberra is the 50-50 calls don’t go your way here,” he said.
“You just bite your tongue when journalists ask you questions straight after the game because that’s just the way it is.
“There’s not much to be said about it, Ardie’s just said he scored the try.”
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said the officials had made the right decision not awarding the try, although he conceded emotion might have clouded his initial judgment.
“The boys are pretty confident … ‘Lukey’ had his hand under it and obviously the TMO had no other decision when you look at the angles … there is no clear and obvious grounding of that ball,” he said.
“From the box we were just screaming hold-up tackle … you could probably see the emotion in the box at the end of the game, with the banging on the glass and the fists raised in the air.”
Back-to-back tries for Reimer and fullback Tom Wright allowed the Brumbies overturn a 33-25 deficit with 20 minutes to play, having conceded 17 straight points after a sumptuous first half to fall behind.
No Australian team has progressed further in the competition than the Brumbies since 2018, and they’ll finally get the chance to exorcise the demons of last season’s one-point semi-final loss to the Blues in New Zealand.
They’re off to New Zealand to battle the Chiefs in a semi-final in the biggest test in rugby, needing to avenge a 31-21 defeat from last month in Canberra.
Territory was evenly split early on Saturday night but the Brumbies looked dangerous anywhere near the try-line, their left-hand side slashing through for three first-half tries with centre Len Ikitau involved in two of them.
Five-eighth Jack Debreczeni had his best game for the Brumbies and justified his selection in the starting side ahead of Wallabies prospect Noah Lolesio, repeatedly threatening the line and scoring a try to go with a strong kicking display.
By Alex Mitchell in Canberra
