Western Force will host reigning champions NSW Waratahs in their Swyftx Super Rugby Women's semi-final after a gritty 36-20 bonus point win over the Brumbies on Sunday.
They won the right for the home game, to be played on Saturday July 18, after beating the Reds, Waratahs and the Brumbies.
They finished second with 13 points, just one behind Fijian Drua after the Reds shocked the NSW side 26-19 to keep the Force three points ahead of the Waratahs.
Force coach Dylan Parsons was on the bus with his squad heading to Canberra airport when they heard about the Reds win.
"All the girls got pretty excited by it and got around it," Parsons said.
"It's a good feeling to be able to earn the home semi and do it against a team that we've already done it against.
"It puts us in a good spot to go after them. Good stuff.
"We'll have a lighter training this week before getting into a big week going into the semi."
Parsons said there was a growing confidence in the side that had created its own history in the past two games.
They ended a run of 37 wins by the Waratahs against Australian sides and then ticked off a third consecutive victory for the first time with the battling win in Canberra.
They scored four first-half tries from prop Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, winger Adi Vani Buleki, scrum-half Sammy Wood and reserve back Atawhai Hotene to take a 24-12 lead into the break.
Force reserve forwards Yuna Sato and Taylor Waterson scored two more five-pointers in the second period, Waterson's coming after the siren. Wood converted three.
The Force beat the Reds 21-17 with a try in the dying seconds and fought back from 21-7 down at the break against the Waratahs to win by seven points.
"We've made it a bit hard for ourselves but playing under pressure is what finals rugby is about," Parsons said.
"These type of experiences set us up better for the finals.
"We knew games against the Brumbies are always gritty but we were able to stick to our game plan, we trusted it even if we left it late again.
"It wasn't pretty but that was a big win for us.
"The belief was there, it showed where we're at and can win dirty.
"To bounce back from the emotion of the win last week, cope with injuries and positional changes, shows the character of the group.
"We been thrown a few curve balls here and there but we've been able to adapt and trust what we are doing.
"That's all you can ask from the group."
The Force played 30 minutes with 14 players after a first half 20-minute red card to centre Celia Smith for a high tackle that left her with a nasty head gash and a second half yellow to prop Alapeta Nguamo for a similar offence.
"We had to work really hard for each other," Parsons said.
"We've had a big emphasis on our defence the last few weeks.
"We wanted to make the point that if we are going to win this competition it's going to be defence that does it for us.
"We value our defence. We've put ourselves in good spots on the back of our defence.
"We've got some gamebreakers and we set up our attack to give them opportunities, and we've got some really smart game drivers.
"A lot of good decision making and combinations are working and starting to click, turning moments into points."
Parsons was full of praise for assistant coach Chris Heiberg and the forwards that dominated a powerful Brumbies scrum.
"Chris has done a brilliant job with the pack particularly around scrum time," he said.
"What's more impressive is there are some pretty new, inexperienced props learning their craft but because of the work he has done, it doesn't look like it.
"Each week the scrum keeps showing up and setting the platform. Teams are starting to see that as big test."
