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Brumbies whack weak Waratahs

Brumby Jack May 6, 2012 32

No GravatarThe ACT Brumbies have cemented their place on top of the Aussie conference with a 23-6 win over the Waratahs in Canberra. The win was soured by a broken right ankle to flyhalf Christian Lealiifano that occurred after the final siren and dashed his Wallabies aspirations in 2012.

The Waratahs looked the more confident side in the opening exchanges and showed their hand early with their forwards laying the platform before attempting to go wide against the Brumbies. When the Brumbies got their first use of the ball it was kicked out on the full and it appeared it could be one of those nights for the hosts.

But as the game wore on the Brumbies seemed to settle more despite having the lesser of the possession. Lealiifano converted a penalty to open the scoring after an earlier miss by Nic White.

The Waratahs then responded with a penalty of their own through scrum half Brendan McKibbin after pressuring the Brumbies inside their own 22m area but it could have been more points if passes went to hand or better options taken in the attacking zone.

The visitors were then dealt a blow when their hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau went into a tackle like a missile on Brumbies centre Pat McCabe and was knocked out. His attempt to get back up brought back memories of Berrick Barnes stumbling around in last years fixture and things only got worse when in the same passage of play flanker Jono Jenkins clashed heads with Adam Ashley-Cooper and also found himself sprawled on the Canberra Stadium turf.

The Brumbies kicking out of hand wasn’t keeping the crowd of 19,122 excited but it almost paid off when wing Joe Tomane collected a high ball and came close to scoring the first try of the night but for a knock-on by Jesse Mogg.

Neither team could really get on top although the visitors looked the better side at times with numerous line breaks, particularly in the midfield area. In what was becoming a very physical battle, referee Chris Pollock was allowing both sides a real crack at the ball at the ruck despite what appeared to be some illegalities from both sides.

The next addition to the score came from the boot of Lealiifano with a penalty right in front after a passage that saw the Waratahs concede a free kick on their own scrum feed and then penalised from the resulting scrum.

The Waratahs defenders were doing their best as they repelled a Brumbies raid and managed a penalty of their own on their try line to relieve the pressure. At this point it was clear Polota-Nau would need to come off as he ended up on his back looking up at the sky.

With five minutes remaining in the first half the Waratahs put together a brilliant display of phase play that went through 14 phases and they should have come away with at least five points after a scrum right on the Brumbies tryline but instead settled for a three pointer to level at 6-6.

It looked like that would be the half time score, but a defensive mix up by Barnes, Ashley-Cooper and Betham right after the halftime siren saw Brumbies winger Henry Speight skip his way to the try line like sidestepping someone in a phone box and give his team the psychological edge heading into the sheds up 13-6.

The second half started with more grinding play until Brumbies scrum half Nic White launched a superb penalty kick well into the Waratahs 22m area that after a series of pick and drives from the home side forwards saw newly re-signed Brumbies centre Andrew Smith dive over after another poor individual defensive read from the Waratahs. Lealiifano’s conversion saw the score out to 20-6 and with the majority of the half remaining, the home side knew that they couldn’t shut up shop against a desperate Tahs side.

The Tahs scrambling defense was once again on show as they kept out the Brumbies and managed to turn over the ball with the Brumbies knocking on the try line.

NSW brought on some replacements to try and spark their side. Former Brumby Rocky Elsom was welcomed to the field in expected style and was ‘encouraged’ every time he touched the ball from then on. It could have been that Waratahs fans had made their way to Canberra for this exact occasion such was the noise.

Elsom tried his best to inspire his side and even went close on one occasion but couldn’t quite make the line. Things looked brighter for them when Brumbies captain Ben Mowen had to spend the rest of the match in the sin bin after not rolling away in the ruck but a poor lineout throw and poor handling struck again right on the Brumbies line and the Waratahs ended the game without being able to cross the chalk.

The victory by the Brumbies has added importance as they have the bye next week and have effectively opened up a two win gap to their nearest Aussie rivals. The Waratahs will need to regroup before taking on the Bulls in Sydney on Friday night. They can take some positives away as they looked the better of the two sides for the majority of the match but those concentration lapses cost them victory in this one.

Brumbies 23 – Speight, Smith tries; Lealiifano 2 cons, 3 pens def Waratahs 6 – McKibbin 2 pens

TAGS »
POSTED IN » ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Super Rugby
About the author: Brumby Jack View all posts by
A Canberra born and bred Rugby tragic brought up on a diet of Canberra Kookaburra and ACT Brumbies Rugby. It was a choice between politics and Rugby, with Rugby the obvious winner.

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Discussion »

  • J-Rugby

    Heart-breaking for Lealiifano… poor bloke!

  • BloodRed

    Well played by the Brumbies, pretty good right across the team. Tahs looked pretty much the opposite across the team. They are still struggling with the idea that their backs have an on field role. Can’t recall Tom Carter having ball in hand once, Kingston I did see once late in the second half and it was a shock to discover he was on the field.

    Have to disagree about the Brumbies kicking though. I thought it was spot on and actually enjoyable to watch. They found touch repeatedly when playing for field position and high balls were contested and won back. Is this the attacking kicking that Axel was suggesting the Tahs employ at the start of the year? Can nick white give Sanchez a few tips please?

    Real tragedy about Lealiifano both for the nags and the wallabies.

    • Brumby Jack

      It took a while to get settled, especially after Lealiifano’s out on the full first effort plus a few other poor kicks here and there.

      Nic White’s kicking from hand was the difference and he basically set up Smith’s try with that booming touch finder from just inside his own half.

  • Chuck

    Amazing how much the Waratahs are missing 2 of their most critically maligned players – Burgess and Waugh. Pretorious has been the dud buy of the season so far (Elsom the dud buy of the decade).

    Nic White going super for the Brumbies and just adds to the over representation of Maitland/Singleton bread 9′s over the last decade.

  • bizre mac

    Pity the Lilo injury for the Brumbies cos they now have zero homegrown players. Congrats ACT Leaches.

    • TerribleTowel

      as opposed to (off the top of my head) Robbie Coleman ‘the prince of Queenbeyan’, which, while technically not a part of canberra is close enough, Peter Kimlin, who attended *canberra* grammar school, Anthony Hegarty and Nic White who played all of his junior rugby in Canberra? also Colby Faingaa. Idiot.

  • Youngun

    brus is from melbourne anyway, sad to see him injured now

  • aussie werewolf in london

    I thought the Waratahs passing was in adequate. The Tahs’s forwards provided enough possession for a win and I think they got the better of the Brumbies pack but it matters little when the 9, 10 etc kept passing the ball behind their runners who had to stop to catch it too often. Basics! Although Barnes had his best running game this year he has still not impressed me for 3 years in a sky blue shirt.

    • Bones

      He has never impressed me at all, to be honest. At international level, an accurate defender and general play kicker, and can distribute. But we will never become no. 1 with him in midfield, and we have better 10s.

  • Bones

    I think Larkham thinks Mogg reminds him of himself at the start of his career. Larkham started as a 15 and was moved to 10.

    What price Mogg is the Brumbies 10 for the rest of the season, with Coleman at 15 and White kicking goals?

    • Larkhage

      exactly what i want to see, a new Larkham!! and to have his ‘future self’ coaching him, perfect conditions! haha

      I personally think it could go either way for Mogg and Coleman for flyhalf, they have next week and the international break to sort things

    • Brumby Jack

      Little chance.

      We have Coleman who is probably more a 12, and Zack Holmes who has played at 10 during the pre-season

      • Skopje Brumbies’ fan

        Coleman is the more natural 10, i am sure him or Zack would step up adequately. It is great being a Brumbies’ fan, again!

      • http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com Fess

        White has been consistently great at 9, has real speed and a wonderful pass. Much as I like him at 9, Pryor played well at 9 too, so… I wonder if coach considers putting White into 10 and Pryor in at 9? Must be worth a thought?

    • the realist

      yes but larkham had also played at scrum half before that. Mogg being the next Larkham is just wishful thinking!

      just keeping it real

    • Pedro

      The answer is staring everyone in the face, the Wallabies and the Brums just need bernie to suit up again. Fly half shortage ended.

      (I was thinking the same about Mogg too)

  • Bones

    I see CL’s injury is a fracture, not a clean break. Does this mean he could be back for the TN series this year?

    • Pedro

      Do you mean a non displaced fracture as compared to a displaced one?

      I think even a small non displaced fracture would still take you out for 6-9 months. The worst case scenario is if the fracture line runs through an articular surface, that could end a career.

      You never know though, things can heal at different speeds for different people. As long as no surgery is required I would say 6 months is a good conservative estimate.

  • Brumby Jack

    It’s been reported as a fracture/dislocation and probably out for 6 months.

  • johnny-boy

    I feel sorry for the Tahs players. They were having a bit of a go but are so green at it they just struggled from one place to the other. Good on Barnes for taking it to the line regularly. Great stuff. They really need to stick at it tho and the rythmn will come, in spite of the obvious poor coaching and admin staff behind them.
    The most important feature from the game for me tho was that Jake White has done Australian rugby an enormous favour by proving once and for all, that those moronic, dim witted, idiotic simpletons who say Australia has no cattle and that changing the coaching won’t matter, are moronic dim witted simpleton idiots ! Nobody could argue the ACT have recognised top quality cattle, just as they couldnt say that about the Reds a couple of seasons ago but look at what a great coach can do with committed players who may not be stars, yet, but who believe in what they are doing. We have rarely seen such committment and clear game plan strategy with Robbie bloody useless Deans in the 4 years + he has been coach of the Wallabies. Have a look at how relaxed and humoured and clearly enjoying himself he was to be at the Crusaders game vs the Reds at the weekend and how dour and dull he appears when Wallabies coach. That’s one waterless fish. It’s no wonder the Wallabies rarely seem excited to be playing under him.

  • Hillsy

    I made the trip down to the ‘Can’ as a Tahs fan, loved being there despite the chill and the result. I thought the Brumbies were clinical and thoroughly deserved the win over a hapless Tahs outfit.

    Although i have a real issue with the Booing of Rocky when he came on. But let me preface this with the acknowledgement of the frustration that Brumbies fans had with him last year, whilst frustrating, i still do not think booing him was anyway justified.

    An injury is an injury, you cant do anything about it except put it on ice and wait. It really remided me of how Quade was treated over in NZ, are we no better? I think Rocky has done enough on and off the footy field during his career to exempt him from that sort of treatment.

    • Brumby Jack

      I think the issue here is his perceived ‘behind the scenes’ work whilst here.

      I do know there were problems about some of the things that professional players have to do away from the field – dealing with sponsors etc so you can see why some people did that.

      And besides, it’s a derby match it wouldn’t be the same without some controversy.

      • Mike

        Agreed BJ. Hillsy, the perception of most fans is that senior players were involved in undermining and sacking coaches, blackmailing the organisation and generally not giving a sh*t on the field. Few have forgotten the sight of Hoiles going to the games and having a laugh with his mates while his team got trashed.

        Rocky was in Canberra for two years, played a handful of games and was perceived to be heavily involved in the background.

        Fans are starting to return now they see a coach who is in charge and a playing group who try their guts out on the field. Frankly the good results are just a bonus.

        • Hillsy

          I do recall the scandal, albeit not a clear as a Canberran would and i was disappointed aswell. I recall AAC being a serial offender in the controversy, but due to him getting more game time does that exempt him from any critisism? It would seem so.

          Im definatly not against the fans having a voice, just against the practice.

    • the realist

      I thought the booing was disgraceful and un-australian. There is no way that would’ve happened 10-20 years ago. I’m not sure what has happened to aussie rugby crowds nor what the issue with with Rocky is. He’s been a very good player for the wallabies, he had a season in Europe which they are still raving about and yet because he’s had injury problems for the past 2 years he is public enemy no 1. I don’t get it. Is it because he went back to the tahs. All’s fair in the professional age is it not? Same with the whinging by Reds fans when Genia was going to depart. At the end of the day the fans will not show any loyalty if a player has a couple of bad games or in Elsom’s case gets injured, so this loyalty thing is particularly hypocritical.

      Also the constant whinging about the referees?????????

      I do think the fans need to pick their own game up as much as any of the players.

  • RockyElboa

    I am a Tahs fan, but I still think it is awesome that you can hear the Brumbies signing in the background of this press conference
    http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/brumbies-were-patient/video-e6frf4pu-1226347895674?subcat=1111112039622

    • Brumby Jack

      Having been in that press conference, I can tell you that the Brumbies team were some 30 metres down the hallway outside the medical room where Christian Lealiifano was still on the stretcher with the team standing around him singing the team song.

      • Bones

        Awesome. Credit Mowen and White for the new culture.

  • http://Itiswhatitis It is what it is

    Spot the difference:
    The Brumbies have lots of players in motion and pass quickly in front of straight running attacking team mates right at the advantage line.
    The Waratahs have lots of players standing still, pass slowly behind cross field running team mates, and take at least 3 passes to hopefully reach the advantage line.
    If you were a forward, which team would you rather play for?
    Get your No 10 right and a lot of good flows from there.

  • Larkhage

    Step up Coleman. Keep your eyes on the ball and do everything Bernie tells you.

  • fr3ak

    …and in response the ‘Tahs replace Carter with… Halangahu? Old ‘Turnstile’ Halangahu? ‘Yours’ Halangahu …at inside centre? really? It’s not like we need to stop the rot or anything, I suppose we can be thankful he won’t be on the wing or at fullback or, god-forbid, at 10 where he and Pretorius can both look at each other while a prop runs through the middle… gah!

    • fr3ak

      Oh god, they put him at fullback…

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