Image: STEFAN POSTLES/GETTY IMAGES
The fairy tale is over for the Cheetahs after falling 15-13 to a resilient Brumbies in a Super 15 wild card play-off in Canberra yesterday.
The Australian side were outscored by two tries to nil but dominated territory when possession was even. They were the better team for long periods of the match. Their reward is a trip to Loftus Versfeld to meet the Bulls in next week's semifinal, whereas the Chiefs host the Crusaders in the other, all-New Zealand semifinal.
The Cheetahs came within the width of a goalpost of taking the contest into extra time but flyhalf Riaan Smit's touchline conversion of Ryno Benjamin's 80th-minute try sailed just wide and the Brumbies progressed.
Trailing 15-8 with seven minutes to play, Cheetahs' skipper Adriaan Strauss spurned a kickable penalty in favour of searching for a try.
It took six minutes for it to come, after a multiphase move allowed Benjamin enough space to tiptoe down the touchline to score, but by then there was only enough time to force a draw. In the end, Smit struck the conversion attempt well but not well enough.
Strangely, it was the Cheetahs' scrum that creaked most during the match, handing the Brum-bies an unexpected advantage.
Australian rugby needed a strong scrumming performance from one of their teams after the British & Irish Lions emasculated the Wallaby scrum in the deciding third Test. The Brumbies' pack achieved a small measure of atonement for that embarrassment.
But the Brumbies' lineout was under pressure as they lost three balls on their own throw with the Cheetahs claiming all 14 of their feeds. Neither side, though, could capitalise on numerous turnovers in a match that was strangely lacking in cohesion and continuity.
The Cheetahs also suffered at the hands of referee Glen Jackson, who made several dubious decisions against the visitors at the breakdown in the first half.
Flank Heinrich Brüssow and prop Coenie Oosthuizen were like limpets over the ball several times during the game but received no change from Jackson. With another ref on another day, it might have been different.
Ultimately, the outcome was decided at the breakdown, where George Smith and company had the better of the contest, especially in the first half.
The Brumbies had seven shots at goal with centre Christian Lealiifano slotting four penalties and scrumhalf Nick White another.
After falling behind to Lealiifano's first penalty, the Cheetahs responded with a superb try from centre Johann Sadie. He finished a move that saw wing Willie le Roux, at first receiver, draw several defenders with the help of decoy runners, before putting Raymond Rhule into a hole. Rhule was hauled down 10m short but Sadie ran an accurate support line to finish the move. Smit missed the conversion and a later penalty, which would come back to hurt the Cheetahs.
"Obviously, we're really disappointed to lose tonight," said captain Strauss. "We had a much better season this year and that's something we can definitely build on for the future."