Dead serious or dead rubber? Why one Super Rugby final could end up a training run
The Brumbies meet the Hurricanes in a Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final in Canberra on Saturday night, and depending on the preceding 24 hours, it could prove to be one of two things.
It could be one of the most crucial games in the club's recent history, or a mostly inconsequential dead rubber.
The unusual scenario has arisen after Super Rugby Pacific opted to put the Brumbies-Hurricanes as last of three finals on the opening weekend of the playoffs, which has been cut back to six teams this year after opposition to the previous system of eight teams in a 12-team competition qualifying.
With only three finals being played, the top-three ranked winning teams progress to the semi-finals, and so does the highest-ranked loser.
With the Crusaders (2nd) hosting the Reds (5th) on Friday night, and the Chiefs (1st) and Blues (6th) playing on Saturday afternoon, the Brumbies (3rd) vs Canes (4th) at 7.30pm on Saturday will have no knockout component if the Crusaders and Chiefs both win.
Both the Brumbies and the Canes would still progress to the semi-finals.
If either the top two-ranked sides get beaten before the Brumbies-Canes clash, however, the final will have huge ramifications. The winner would earn a home semi-final the following week, and a door would remain open to even hosting the final a week later. No Australian side has ever won Super Rugby without hosting the final.
The loser would be knocked out.
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The downsides of the sport were "so obvious they barely needed repeating", Australian Medical Association WA branch president Michael Page said in a statement before the commission's decision. "We are in the grip of a domestic violence crisis and an epidemic of drug- and alcohol-fuelled street violence," Dr Page said. "Turning the act of bare-knuckle fighting into a 'sport' sets an incredibly bad example for children and adults alike. "The physical health of the fighters involved is also of concern." Dr Page described the event as "blood sport", while state opposition spokesperson Peter Rundle labelled it "state-sanctioned violence". WA Sports Minister Rita Saffioti told reporters Perth had hosted dozens of combat sports events, with fans having flocked to UFC mixed martial arts bouts. "It's very hard to differentiate this type of event, compared to mixed martial arts and UFC," she said prior to the decision. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had expressed concern about the event. 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Dr Page described the event as "blood sport", while state opposition spokesperson Peter Rundle labelled it "state-sanctioned violence". WA Sports Minister Rita Saffioti told reporters Perth had hosted dozens of combat sports events, with fans having flocked to UFC mixed martial arts bouts. "It's very hard to differentiate this type of event, compared to mixed martial arts and UFC," she said prior to the decision. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had expressed concern about the event. "I think one of the things that might be relevant here is the concern that's there about concussion in general," he told Perth radio 6PR on Tuesday. "It's not really my responsibility as PM, but I do think that we need to be really cognisant about health advice when it comes to these issues because they are really prevalent." In 2021, fighter Justin Thornton reportedly died weeks after he suffered an injury following a knockout at a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event in the United States. 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John Aloisi in 2005. Josh Kennedy in 2013. Mile Jedinak in 2017. Andrew Redmayne in 2022. Now add Aziz Behich in 2025. Sydney in 2005. Doha in 2009. Sydney again in 2013, and once more in 2017. Al Rayyan in 2022. Now add Perth in 2025. All week, the talk was about whether Perth would get its green and golden moment, whether Tony Popovic's team would move to the absolute edge of qualification. Australian soccer fans know the story all too well; the sport in this country never does anything the easy way. The equation was win and almost definitely in, so naturally the Socceroos, and their fans with them, were dragged kicking and screaming towards a win. The 90 minutes against Japan at Optus Stadium on Thursday night simultaneously flew by and yet, also felt excruciatingly drawn out for the home side. But in the end, it was all worth it. Aziz Behich, the Melbourne City left-back, a man who has the made that role his — at times default, but certainly due to his own hard work and endeavour — scored a goal which will live long in the hearts of not just the more than 57,000 people who crammed into Optus Stadium, but everyone who stayed up into the late hours of the night on the eastern seaboard. Behich flipped the script in the final minute; there were more negatives than positives about the Socceroos' performance, as they were dominated by an under-strength Japan. But no one cares about the journey when the destination (in this case, North America) is oh so sweet. For a nation built on sporting moments, Behich's goal may have felt like the Socceroos' Steven Bradbury moment, Japan left bemused as their dominance ending in nothing. In 20 years time, when people remember the Socceroos' trip to Perth to play Japan, they will not remember the stale performance by the hosts. They will not remember Milos Degenek's dogged determination in defence, nor Popovic's questionable tactics when Australia had the ball. They might remember the way an under-strength Japan dominated and cut through Australia time and time again. You know what they will remember? Aziz Behich unmarked, altering his run, wheeling around like a full-forward playing on from 50m, and dispatching the ball with vigour and violence, around the Japanese defence, and into the back of the net.
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A 90th-minute stunner on his wrong foot by Aziz Behich has moved the Socceroos to the brink of a sixth successive World Cup after defeating Japan 1-0 in front of a sold-out Optus Stadium. In front of 57,226 fans and the largest Socceroos crowd since 2017, Tony Popovic's men soaked up 90 minutes of pressure while offering little going forward, grinding their way to full-time in ugly fashion. Bar a couple of lofted headers, the hosts offered little going forward while an under-strength Japan dominated. But cometh the hour-and-a-half mark, cometh the man; Riley McGree's grit and determination saw him cut back the ball on the stroke of injury-time and Behich, changing his run, curled the ball into the net with his unfavoured right foot. Cue bedlam in the stands, and on the pitch, the Socceroos somehow conjuring up an undeserved win — not that anyone bathed in green and gold cared. At the time of print, the Socceroos' win puts them six points clear of Saudi Arabia with one game to play in the race for the second automatic qualifying spot for next year's World Cup in Group C. With Saudi Arabia due to play Bahrain at midnight Perth time, the Socceroos will have officially qualified overnight if the Saudis fail to beat Bahrain. Even in the event of a Saudi win, they would need to thrash Australia next Tuesday in Jeddah by approximately five goals to overhaul the Socceroos' vast goal difference advantage and usurp them from second spot. The goal came out of nowhere, Australia having offered little, if anything going forward. But it was the veteran Behich, wheeling around onto his favoured right foot, who sent the Socceroos to the cusp of qualification for next year's World Cup in North America with just his third goal in more than 80 national team games and his first Socceroos goal in 13 years. It ended a night started on hope and optimism, dragging it back from the edge of despair, and delivering Perth an all-time moment in Australian sporting history. Hometown hero Alessandro Circati started alongside fellow Perth product Cameron Burgess in defence, while Popovic retained Brandon Borrello as his preferred centre forward, perhaps hoping his side could tap into his pace on the counter-attack. Conversely, the team Japan named pre-game would have soothed the nerves of every Socceroos fan, with sweeping changes made. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu left Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, Parma shot-stopper Zion Suzuki and the man dubbed 'Japanese Messi', Takefusa Kubo on the bench, fielding a relatively inexperienced 11. Any hopes of the Japanese simply acquiescing to Australia's hopes were dashed immediately after kick-off, when it became apparent Japan's supposed 'B' team were superior to Australia's 'A'. The Socceroos looked nervy and it probably was not just due to the occasion and as much down to Samurai Blue zipping the ball around, their midfield pivot of Yuito Suzuki and Kaishu Sano dominating proceedings. Australia were overwhelmed in midfield, gurt by a sea of blue shirts. While they often looking to build-up cautiously from the back, they were forced into cul-de-sacs, which precipitated the ball being launched forward hopefully and inevitably, unsuccessfully. Borrello may have been favoured for his pace, but with the ball never going in behind, his lack of physicality was exposed with Australia needing an outlet. The pre-game atmosphere fizzled out quickly as the Japanese fans were more vocal, their sharp and decisive movement with and without the ball sucking the life out of the crowd. The visitors were composed even when the ball was pin-balling around, and their physicality – often critiqued – unsettled the Socceroos. Australia had 25 per cent of the ball 25 minutes in, which felt like a gross exaggeration, but Japan's lack of clear-cut chances would have heartened the hosts. It took until 33 minutes for them to launch a meaningful shot, when they broke the lines in transition and Suzuki's swift run forward ended in his shot flying wide. One minute later, Australia touched the ball in their opponents' box for the first time, when Connor Metcalfe flicked a corner to the back post; alas, no one was there. Up the other end, Mat Ryan was then left grasping at thin air, despairing as his dive failed to glove Yu Hirakawa's shot – fortunately, it fizzed just wide and Australia survived until half-time. Three minutes after the restart, the Socceroos had a sight on goal after Japan's attempts to play out from the back went wrong, although it only ended in Aziz Behich blasting well wide. Cameron Burgess' speculative header off a long Lewis Miller throw-in raised eyebrows and backsides off seats, but it was easily claimed by Kosei Tani. The introduction of Kubo off the bench posed a new threat for the hosts, with the wily winger immediately asking questions down the right flank. Duke's arrival gave Australia an added dimension up top as he huffed, puffed and harried the Japanese defence, while putting his body on the line to win fouls. With 20 minutes to go and the score still locked at 0-0, Australia still had hope, and the knowledge a goal for them would ignite their World Cup dreams — but conceding one would put them in a world of hurt. In the 80th minute, Kubo almost sunk a dagger into Australian hearts when the ball fell to him following defensive scramble, only for his shot to whistle inches wide. The game was headed to a draw, where no one went home happy. But then, Behich had his green and golden moment.
