Richard Loe: Wasn't pretty to watch but finals football seldom is

Liam Messam led from the front all night. Photo / Getty Images

Take a bow, the Chiefs. It wasn't pretty and two or three reputations suffered as they let the Brumbies too far into this game - but they pulled it out of the fire and deservedly so.

The Brumbies got off to a good start though it was on the back of some Chiefs errors and a puzzlingly slow start from them. Having said that, I reckon the pace of this game was frantic for that first 20 minutes. I'd say it was about twice the pace of a normal Super Rugby game and maybe that put the Chiefs off their stride a bit.

Either that or it was simply the pressure of finals football - and that was what undid the Brumbies in the end. Jesse Mogg, who has been a standout player and legitimately won his way into the Wallabies, succumbed to that pressure. Missing touch from penalties and at crucial times counts for a lot in the pressure cooker of a final.

But you have to take your hat off to the Chiefs. Liam Messam - what a game. He led from the front and was involved in all phases to great effect.

It makes you wonder how many games this guy can play where he smashes the opposition and smashes his own body up.

Brodie Retallick was another hero - what a big-engined performance. Craig Clarke - ditto, he was a powerful figure in this game and led the line with Messam.

You also have to say that the Chiefs' substitutions turned the game - the right play with the right players at the right time. Bundee Aki, Ben Afeaki, Robbie Robinson and others all had an effect when they came on.

The puzzling thing was that those we expected to do well and score the points didn't. Aaron Cruden had an off night with his kicking and you had to wonder why, with his superior accuracy, they didn't let Gareth Anscombe do more of the goalkicking. It wasn't a good night for Cruden nor for Tawera Kerr-Barlow inside him - he didn't seem to cope with the way the Brumbies defence were squeezing them up out wide, as evidenced by Christian Lealiifano's try.

Augustine Pulu, when he came on, was much better. Kerr-Barlow had done the hard yards, it must be said, but Pulu was decisive and influential. Sam Cane also didn't have much of a game, I thought, and Dan Carter and Richie McCaw can rest easy as their deputies showed little signs of unseating them last night. Cruden, in particular, has been touted as ready to take over from Carter but, for me, not on this performance.

The Brumbies battled away all night - that George Smith is a very, good player. He outpointed Tanerau Latimer on a night when Latimer would normally have been praised to the skies for a good showing. Smith is that good.

They are clever, the Brumbies, and efficient and so well organised. They played good finals football. But it would have been wrong if they'd won, taken in the context of the entire season. The Chiefs have more firepower and the creative ability to win games - and give me creative winners over the efficient any day.

Robinson's try broke their backs and then Mogg cracked with his missed kick to touch. That's finals football for you.