Brumbies have nothing to fear says McKellar
SUPER RUGBY REACTION: Brumbies coach Dan McKellar says his men can overcome their taxing trip to Buenos Aires and book their spot in the Super Rugby Final.
The Brumbies won their quarterfinal against the Sharks on Saturday and fly out of Canberra at 06.00 (local time) on Sunday, bound for Argentina.
The trip to Buenos Aires to face the Jaguares includes stops in Sydney and Auckland as the Brumbies look to snap a 15-year title drought.
A win against the red-hot South American side could even earn the Brumbies a home Final if the Hurricanes upset the Crusaders in the other semifinal.
McKellar said his team is a “special group” that can deliver an eighth straight victory next weekend and a shot at the club’s third title.
“It has its challenges but we love getting on the road,” McKellar said.
“The boys just enjoy each other’s company and love being around each other.
“I’ve never seen a tighter group of footballers. There’s a special feeling and you don’t get that very often within a football team and when you do have it you’ve got to take advantage of it and cash in.
“We’ve always toured well so we won’t be looking at the travel as a negative or something that’s going to be an excuse.
“You’ve got to embrace it. Finals footy is tough and travel is part of Super Rugby. It’s not new to us, it won’t scare us.”
The Jaguares have won 10 of their past 11 games; the Brumbies have won seven straight but their most recent loss came against the Argentine side.
Brumbies skipper Christian Lealiifano said the Jaguares is the toughest road trip in the competition but believes they can get the job done.
“The group enjoy challenges and it’s a big challenge ahead of us but we relish that,” Lealiifano said.
“It’s an exciting time, we’re playing at the right end of the year. You can get caught up in the hype and the travel and all that but we’ll just enjoy it.”
