Injured hooker Stephen Moore says Brumbies learned a lot from grand final loss to Chiefs

THEY weren’t good enough to win the title last year but the Brumbies are a better finals side for losing the 2013 decider, believes Stephen Moore.

ACT Brumbies' Nic White (centre) is tackled by Waikato Chiefs' Andrew Horrell (left) during the Round 11 Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Chiefs at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Friday, April 25, 2014. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

THEY weren’t good enough to win the title last year but the Brumbies are a better finals side for losing the 2013 decider, believes Stephen Moore.

The ACT side host the Chiefs on Saturday night in a re-match of the two teams in last year’s final, in which the Brumbies led 22-12 but ended up losing 27-22 to the Kiwis.

The Brumbies starting side this weekend will likely contain 12 of the starters from last year’s final, and Moore believes the experience of a heartbreaking night in Hamilton will stand them in good stead.

“When you get to the finals, every team has a chance. Last year highlighted that for us, so there certainly is that belief there that we can do it,” Moore said.

“When you are talking about games like that, you’re probably talking about having been there before, and that gives that belief, when guys have been there before.

“It gives you an understanding about what you have got to do to get there. We have a lot of guys who were there last year, we didn’t get where we wanted to do but we can take confidence from it and having been in this situation.”

An important qualification for Moore, however, is understanding the team were beaten by the Chiefs when it counted.

“We were in a good position after 60 minutes but the last 20 showed we weren’t good enough. We were really found wanting in that last 20 minutes,” he said.

“There are any number of excuses people will find but at the end of the day no-one cares, it’s what you do on the day that matters.

“As a year goes on you probably feel like you’ve learned more, and you’re ready if that opportunity comes again.

“At the end of the day, what’s important is that 80 minutes, and going out and playing well. The team that will do well is the team that sticks to what they’ve been doing all year.

“If we can bring our intensity and replicate what we did last week, that’ll be important.”

Injury to JP Smith saw the Brumbies call up rookie prop Allan Alaalatoa to the bench for a potential Super Rugby debut in the playoff, just a week after old brother Mike made his debut for NSW.

Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher said he believed 135kg 20-year-old had the size to cope with the job.

“I reckon he’ll do a fantastic job. Allan is not small, he won’t lack for size. He will lack for experience, but not size,” Fisher said.

With Pat McCabe and Joe Tomane on their bench, Ben Alexander said the last quarter strength of the Brumbies would be better than last year’s final.

“It helps having internationals on your bench. Looking back to the final, the intensity their bench players brought in the last 20 minutes was probably the deciding factor of the game. We just couldn’t live with the pace,” he said.

Once you get into the finals, anything can happen. The Chiefs definitely a side who can just turn it on. You don’t know.”

Originally published as Injured hooker Stephen Moore says Brumbies learned a lot from grand final loss to Chiefs