Brumbies urged to follow Chisholm spirit
Jim Morton
June 5, 2011 - 5:29PM
AAP
Coach Tony Rea has urged departing Brumbies' stars to follow the example of shattered lock Mark Chisholm and ensure their last appearances are games to remember.
Chisholm's 102-match Super Rugby career came to a painful and devastating end at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, as he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the Brumbies 22-14 upset of the Queensland Reds.
The 58-Test second-rower requires a knee reconstruction, leaving his dreams of a second and final World Cup appearance in ruins.
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An emotional Chisholm fought back tears in the dressing room after the spirited win, saying he knew instantly his Australian career had come to an end after being tackled by Anthony Fainga'a.
A former teammate, Fainga'a had been playing on with a hamstring injury at the time and was also severely upset by the injury.
"I could hear him screaming, it was so devastating," Fainga'a told AAP. "It was painful, I could hear it (the knee) go.
"Chis and I are really good mates and he's a fantastic bloke."
Chisholm must hope surgery this week is successful and he can be available to take up a lucrative deal with French club Bayonne at the end of the year.
"It's devastating, it's absolutely devastating," the 29-year-old told the Canberra Times. "I'm in shock.
"The World Cup is up in smoke now. That's a disappointing way to end - especially because of the things I wanted to achieve this year."
But Rea, who had called his team a "mob without fight" when they lost to the Lions three weeks ago, said Chisholm's last match highlighted the pride left in the Brumbies jersey.
Like the Brumbies as an outfit, the Wallabies stalwart produced his best display of a disappointing season with just local derby matches against the Rebels and Waratahs to go.
"He can take that shirt off with a fair bit of honour there," said Rea, who would be replaced next month by Jake White.
"That's what you want to do and that's the challenge for everybody else now for the rest of the season - to make sure you take the shirt off having performed like that and played particularly well."
As well as Chisholm, skipper Matt Giteau (Toulon, France), Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW), Mitch Chapman (MTT Docomo, Japan) and Pat Phibbs were all leaving Canberra and were highly impressive against the Reds.
It was just the Brumbies' third win of the year, but they celebrated like a grand final victory after Giteau slotted a post-hooter penalty goal to deny table-topping Queensland a bonus point.
"I think we probably got too carried away," Giteau admitted after winning back the Rod Macqueen Trophy.
"You don't like to carry on like that but it's been a tough year and, obviously, it was a big win for us and a bit of history we were able to hang on to."
The Brumbies will be without No.8 Ita Vaea for Friday night's home clash with the Rebels after his suspension for a high tackle on Digby Ioane.
