Qualifying Final 2: Brumbies v Chiefs. Sat. 19/07

[mst]

Or does he crack under pressure. What's he kicking at this year, 50%?

Feel free to tell yourself every things OK though.

No worries will do. I suppose recovering from a serious ankle injury is a little beyond your comprehension so of course you are right - yep cant kick under etc, so, um, who was that man who was kicking for the Wallabies at what percentage success rate last year?

 

[Slim 293]

Or does he crack under pressure. What's he kicking at this year, 50%?

Feel free to tell yourself every things OK though.

It must be the pressure........

It's not like he's ever kicked successfully in a finals series before, let alone a test match, or something as big as a Lions series..........

 

[mst]

It must be the pressure....

It's not like he's ever kicked successfully in a finals series before, let alone a test match, or something as big as a Lions series....

Yeah, sadly his career is over I think. I mean look at the weekend, missed one more than than the incumbent AB's kicker. Gooone!

 

[Braveheart81]

Leali'ifano's kicking was a bit better against the Chiefs but still nowhere near his previous form.

Whether or not he missed the final kick intentionally, there was another one earlier in the game that he missed from a similar spot. Certainly a top shelf Super Rugby kicker should be better than that.

In terms of this week's matchup, Foley is certainly prone to bad kicking days but on the whole has been better this season than in the past. What would normally be a clear advantage to the Brumbies now has to be considered pretty close to evenly matched.

 

[fatprop]

I thought the Chiefs game plan/attitude was bloody strange

Their work at the cleanout was just average against a side with extendable go go gadget arms, they weren't smashing units off the ball, they didn't add numbers and just stayed passive

They also didn't ramp up the defensive attitude until the second half

As I said very very strange

 

[Dismal Pillock]

I thought the Chiefs game plan/attitude was bloody strange

Their work at the cleanout was just average against a side with extendable go go gadget arms, they weren't smashing units off the ball, they didn't add numbers and just stayed passive

They also didn't ramp up the defensive attitude until the second half

As I said very very strange

This year they've tended to go behind and calmly claw their way back, in fact I'd say their 2 championship seasons were epitomised by that, no panic, just do the business. With TNW binned in the 3rd bloody minute and then missing 17,000 tackles in the 1st half they seemed to be sticking to no panic mode but it seeped into their gruntwork.

Still, missing 46 tackles and yet managing to be right in it at the death, goddamn amazing comeback

 

[Pfitzy]

I thought the Chiefs game plan/attitude was bloody strange

Their work at the cleanout was just average against a side with extendable go go gadget arms, they weren't smashing units off the ball, they didn't add numbers and just stayed passive

They also didn't ramp up the defensive attitude until the second half

As I said very very strange

In the period after the yellow card they were frequently in front of the offside line I thought, and got away with it. Joubert doesn't employ the "half a step" law to be sure everyone has a fair crack, so the Brumbies were doing it a fair bit too.

Once either side retained the ball, it seemed easier to play - the Brumbies because the Chiefs were so passive, and the Chiefs because the Brumbies just attacked the ruck and gave away the odd penalty but also got the odd turnover.

Once they got the ball, the Chiefs should have just used Fattyfuna and Mackintosh to hit it up in close and then covered their rucks, waiting for penalties or numbers wide. But more often than not it was someone else going into contact while one of the props was busy reaching for the oxygen mask.

 

[Brumby Runner]

This year they've tended to go behind and calmly claw their way back, in fact I'd say their 2 championship seasons were epitomised by that, no panic, just do the business. With TNW binned in the 3rd bloody minute and then missing 17,000 tackles in the 1st half they seemed to be sticking to no panic mode but it seeped into their gruntwork.

Still, missing 46 tackles and yet managing to be right in it at the death, goddamn amazing comeback

I'd have to say with the help of some favourable refereeing decisions in the last 20 minutes.

 

[Pfitzy]

I'd have to say with the help of some favourable refereeing decisions in the last 20 minutes.

Any particular examples?

Joubert was even-handed throughout I felt, and punished what needed punishing both ways.

 

[Braveheart81]

Yeah, I thought Joubert did a really good job.

I thought both yellow cards were justified. Speight was a little closer but after getting his hands on the ball he quickly went off his feet and from there he had to roll away quickly or it was all over.

I think it is good refereeing to be harsh on the defender doing something illegal at the breakdown when a big break has been made. There's a very good chance that those actions are stopping a try being scored.

The decision to award Kerr-Barlow's try was also correct. Messam was right to clean Power out. He was joined to the ruck (and if he wasn't, he was half a metre offside which is a lot when the ball is 1m from the try line).

 

[mxyzptlk]

Their work at the cleanout was just average against a side with extendable go go gadget arms, they weren't smashing units off the ball, they didn't add numbers and just stayed passive

I was asking myself the same questions by about 15 minutes in -- not a lot going on at the breakdown from the Chiefs until later in the second half. Given the way the Brumbies were running in the first half, maybe the Chiefs just didn't want to leave any holes by committing too many defenders at the breakdown. No idea. That said, both qualifier games were really competitive.

The Brumbies ran brilliantly in that first half. If they can turn out that kind of game against the Waratahs, and not go defensive too early, it should be a cracker.

 

[mst]

Any particular examples?

Joubert was even-handed throughout I felt, and punished what needed punishing both ways.

From memory, and without going back and watching to confirm the exact moments, but the ball did appear to pinball or rattle around in a ruck / breakdown once or twice, and the calls of the ball being out was marginal which was ok until the consistency went. In the end I suppose it doesn't matter, but as someone who thinks Joubert is one of, if not the best, I wasn't convinced it was his best showing. I wonder if its due to his lesser margins and harder stance on the night (not a bad thing).

 

[Pfitzy]

I wonder if its due to his lesser margins and harder stance on the night (not a bad thing).

Or the little pony sitting in the top right of your profile, hmm?

The only spot where I reckoned Joubers failed was NOT giving a yellow card to the Brumbies in the aftermath of Aki's try. Brumbies had deliberately and cynically infringed several times in the leadup, and the last ruck before scoring Fardy (or Mowen?) just dived straight in and tried to kill it.

 

[Dctarget]

I think I completely missed Allan Ala'alatoa's debut, curious to see how the guy went/goes. Does anyone have any feedback from what they saw?​

 

[qwerty51]

He got 4 minutes

 

[Dctarget]

Probably why I missed it.. Didn't run the field for a 100m try? Weak.

 

[mst]

Or the little pony sitting in the top right of your profile, hmm?

The only spot where I reckoned Joubers failed was NOT giving a yellow card to the Brumbies in the aftermath of Aki's try. Brumbies had deliberately and cynically infringed several times in the leadup, and the last ruck before scoring Fardy (or Mowen?) just dived straight in and tried to kill it.

Possibly, the the little pony sitting at the top right does draw the attention of some (and makes me do things!), but as I said, it appeared to me.... (and as I wasn't standing on the field with a whistle in my mouth so I can only give my opinion from my prospective) thus why I am giving the benefit of the doubt and why I am not complaining. As per the question, what calls could have been seen to be favourable to the Chiefs. All part of the game, Some calls you get some you don't. As for the series of infringements you refer to, I am with you there as I was waiting after every blow of the whistle after the second one for the hand to go to the pocket. If I was a Chiefs supporter I would have been questioning (and pissed off) and justifiably so.

I have to ask, from your point of view was he (Joubers) right on with the offside line or were both team offside most of the night. It seemed from the crowd it was close and players (especially the Chiefs who do it well) play in the what I call the shadow, behind the back of the referee - which is quiet smart. The touchie's seem a little timid to call it when its so close. Watch Kerr-Barlow, he is a gun at using the referee as a shield or a screen to make space or create a channel to run.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Yeah, I thought Joubert did a really good job.

I thought both yellow cards were justified. Speight was a little closer but after getting his hands on the ball he quickly went off his feet and from there he had to roll away quickly or it was all over.

I think it is good refereeing to be harsh on the defender doing something illegal at the breakdown when a big break has been made. There's a very good chance that those actions are stopping a try being scored.

The decision to award Kerr-Barlow's try was also correct. Messam was right to clean Power out. He was joined to the ruck (and if he wasn't, he was half a metre offside which is a lot when the ball is 1m from the try line).

I disagree. Henry was on his feet long enoigh to secure the ball had it been released before the support arrived to take him down. Penalty to the Brumbies.

I believe Power was standing on the try line and not engaged to the ruck; therefore onside. Messamm did not come through the gate. Penalty Brumbies. I had issues with other late calls by Joubert also, but those two certainly had immense impact on the game.

 

[fatprop]

Power was a fair cleanout

 

[Pfitzy]

I have to ask, from your point of view was he (Joubers) right on with the offside line or were both team offside most of the night.

I think I said somewhere (maybe not this forum) that Joubers is one of the refs who doesn't use the "half a step" guideline for players, so yes, in terms of strict "last feet" refereeing, I think there was a lot of offside - both ways - that went unpunished.