The reigning premier will have to make do with the fact it will feature on the final day of the season for a second straight year, having beaten Nathalia 41-35 in the second semi-final at Echuca South Recreation Reserve on Saturday to punch its grand final ticket, putting itself in the box seat to record back-to-back A-grade flags for the first time in club history.
Having played each other in round 18, a game in which Rumbalara claimed a 47-35 victory over the Purples to seal its unbeaten home and away record, it was Nathalia that got the jump in the second semi-final, racing out to an early lead and entering the quarter-time break with an 11-6 advantage.
Despite chipping away at the lead, the highly fancied Rumbalara was unable to retake the lead in the second term, still trailing 17-20 at half-time as a determined Nathalia held on to a three-goal advantage.
But the belief the Rumba players hold never wavered, as little by little they erased the deficit, finding their rhythm and range in the third term and drawing level to enter the final change all square.
In a supreme defensive display, against the best defensive side of the season no less, Rumbalara limited Nathalia to five goals in the final term, while adding 11 of its own at the other end, blowing the Purples out of the water to storm home and book a second straight grand final appearance.
Nathalia still has a chance to win through to the grand final in this weekend’s preliminary final, where it will take on Tongala after the Blues beat Mulwala in the first semi-final at Numurkah on Sunday.
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