Greg Growden | February 23, 2009

IT WASN'T quite as spectacular as his last-minute penalty goal that won the Durban Test and the Tri Nations for the Wallabies in 2000, but Stirling Mortlock's conversion from near the sideline that won the game for the Brumbies on Saturday night was a belter.

A fist pump and an extravagant leap into the air summed up the 31-year-old Wallabies skipper's feelings about clinching such an important win over the Crusaders at Canberra Stadium. Seasons can turn on such tight victories.

The central figure in the Brumbies' victory was fullback Mark Gerrard, who scored the last-minute try, but it was Mortlock's poise under pressure that secured all the points in the 18-16 victory.

Luck was with the Brumbies, considering the Crusaders excelled in the final 20 minutes with a mighty defensive effort. The Brumbies had the ball for minutes on end but the Crusaders kept thwarting them, until the last play of the game.

ACT coach Andy Friend was somewhat bedazzled that his team snuck home.

"A lot of people were saying that we made a lot of errors, but their defence was so good. It forced us into errors," Friend said yesterday. "You can do all the pre-season training you want, but until you come up against a fearsome defence like that, you don't know how you are going to handle it. We didn't adapt as quickly as we could have, and didn't get deep enough. It was unbelievable how they kept coming at us."

Friend believed the team's self-confidence was crucial in ensuring their second tight victory in as many weeks.

"There is a lot of belief within the group and you see they are playing for each other," Friend said. "It is the second week we've scraped home in the last few minutes, or the last few seconds."

The Queensland Reds' late revival wasn't as successful - they lost 27-24 to the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday after being behind 27-5 in the 61st minute. The Reds rallied with three tries in 14 minutes, but failed to finish off the job.

Reds five-eighth Quade Cooper again excelled, prompting coach Phil Mooney to say: "He is one of those young guys who when he has the ball, you're not quite sure what is going to happen."

The Reds have injury concerns with Berrick Barnes (corked thigh), Peter Hynes (knee) and Sean Hardman (Achilles tendon).