Brumbies v Bulls, Round 11, 6 May 2016, GIO Stadium, Canberra

[Brumby Jack]

Blow for the Brumbies with Matt To'omua ruled out meaning Robbie Coleman to 12 and Dargaville to the wing.

Moore is back and a 6/2 split on the bench

Brumbies

1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Ben Alexander
4. Rory Arnold
5. Sam Carter
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Jarrad Butler
9. Tomás Cubelli
10. Christian Lealiifano (c)
11. James Dargaville
12. Robbie Coleman
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Nigel Ah Wong
15. Aidan Toua

Reserves​

1. Josh Mann-Rea
2. Allan Ala'alatoa
3. Ruan Smith
4. Tom Staniforth
5. Blake Enever
6. Jordan Smiler
7. Joe Powell
8. Lausii Taliauli

Bulle

(15-1): SP Marais (39), Travis Ismaiel (12), Jesse Kriel (24), Jan Serfontein (44), Bjorn Basson (92), Francois Brummer (13), Piet van Zyl (61), Hanro Liebenberg (6), Arno Botha (40), Lappies Labuschagne (43), RG Snyman (8), Marvin Orie (5), Marcel van der Merwe (41), Adriaan Strauss (126, c), Trevor Nyakane (66).
Replacements: Bandise Maku (54), Lizo Gqoboka (7), Werner Kruger (116), Jannes Kirsten (8), Roelof Smit (10), Rudy Paige (28), Tian Schoeman (15), Dan Kriel (2).

 

[Highlander35]

Is Andrew Smith unfit?

 

[Brumby Jack]

Has been sighted on crutches in the last few weeks. Had a foot injury around the Force game so obviously didn't get any better

 

[mst]

Blow for the Brumbies with Matt To'omua ruled out meaning Robbie Coleman to 12 and Dargaville to the wing.s

Funny!!! No really, can we get the team without the Coleman to 12 joke.

I suppose it could be worse like being matched up against a Spingbok centre - oh wait.

I see we also get Ben "ïf a can be bothered" O'Keeffe on the whistle.

I want to, but I am struggling to muster some optimism for this one.

 

[cyclopath]

Funny!!! No really, can we get the team without the Coleman to 12 joke.

I suppose it could be worse like being matched up against a Spingbok centre - oh wait.

I see we also get Ben "ïf a can be bothered" O'Keeffe on the whistle.

I want to, but I am struggling to muster some optimism for this one.

Look, it's all very well for the Brumbies to steal the Tahs' "Head Office Clusterfuck" mantle, but you fans can't have the "Morbid Pessimism" routine as well. We have to share the traits around the franchises.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I am not so pessimistic about Robbie at 12. I think he will go better there than out wider as the opposition won't necessarily be running at him quite so hard and he will have better cover from Poey and Butler closer in as well. In attack, I hope to see a bit of his footwork coming into play and that might get the whole backline playing a bit better. But if he falls short, then Bernie will need to ask himself if it's worth persisting.

Again, I am somewhat bewildered and baffled by the 6/2 split on the bench when Ah Wong is in the starting side. Nigel is a virtual forwards reserve in any case and could move to the side of the scrum if necessary, but one reserve No 9 and one other to cover 10 - 15 is very light on imo. Can see it turning ugly if we get a couple of injuries in the backline.

 

[Slim 293]

Again, I am somewhat bewildered and baffled by the 6/2 split on the bench when Ah Wong is in the starting side. Nigel is a virtual forwards reserve in any case and could move to the side of the scrum if necessary, but one reserve No 9 and one other to cover 10 - 15 is very light on imo. Can see it turning ugly if we get a couple of injuries in the backline.

Well, they've run out of backs with Smith, Speight, Tomane and To'omua all out injured..........

The only two backline squad players left are Powell and Jooste............

On the other hand the team is overflowing with quality forwards.

 

[mst]

Look, it's all very well for the Brumbies to steal the Tahs' "Head Office Clusterfuck" mantle, but you fans can't have the "Morbid Pessimism" routine as well. We have to share the traits around the franchises.

Get off! Your hogging it - its our turn for once!!! Learn to share.

I know for you lot it was your security blanket for nearly 20 years, before you let others have a go, but FFS, we just want it for a little bit and I have had to use the black texta to fix where the bloody Reds had written their name on the label, and be buggered, then I have found the Force buggers have sewn a name label into it!

We followed the example you set from the past and one up'ed you all, raising the bar in the process with some quality "Head Office Clusterfuck" that even goes beyond us to the outside and has the "authorities" involved. So real big boy pants stuff!

"Morbid Pessimism" - look at us, we cant stop pissing millions away and the nepitism is so ridiculously out of control we are re-gifting our own Board positions to each other just to get some change.

And, what's worse FFS, is our board isn't even bright enough to waste money in a constructive way like rorting the salary cap or something to gain us, well anything. But no, we end up with nothing! Fucking sad when we have to say kudos to the Eels board when you compare it to ours for!

 

[mst]

Well, they've run out of backs with Smith, Speight, Tomane and To'omua all out injured....

The only two backline squad players left are Powell and Jooste....

On the other hand the team is overflowing with quality forwards.

Jordan Jackson-Hope as well.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Bulls: 15 SP Marais, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Lappies Labuschagne, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Werner Kruger, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Dan Kriel

 

[Slim 293]

Jordan Jackson-Hope as well.

Although he's just part of the wider training squad.........

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Although he's just part of the wider training squad...

and away with the Australian U20s

 

[mst]

Great that he is away with the U'20s. If he were available imho it could be worth taking a chance by sitting him down to watch a Damien McKenzie highlight package and then tell to lace up the boots and have at it! Coleman can at 15.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Well, they've run out of backs with Smith, Speight, Tomane and To'omua all out injured....

The only two backline squad players left are Powell and Jooste....

On the other hand the team is overflowing with quality forwards.

Surely, must be some backs in the JID who could sit on the bench and come on in a crisis? Thompson? Johnston from Royals? Others have mentioned Jooste and Jackson-Hope. Would it be timely to give one some time off the bench?

 

[fatprop]

Coleman better have his big shoulder pads ready

 

[PaarlBok]

Bulls on a high. Don't think the Brumbies can stop them.

 

[mst]

Bulls on a high. Don't think the Brumbies can stop them.

I think you could be right. I am impressed by the mobility and running game of the Bulls which I think will trouble the Brumbies defence.

I am wondering if they should be playing Wells on at 7 with Pocock at 8 to add a bit of speed and a bit more in attack.

 

[mst]

I am not so pessimistic about Robbie at 12. I think he will go better there than out wider as the opposition won't necessarily be running at him quite so hard and he will have better cover from Poey and Butler closer in as well. In attack, I hope to see a bit of his footwork coming into play and that might get the whole backline playing a bit better. But if he falls short, then Bernie will need to ask himself if it's worth persisting.

I have no doubt that Robbie will give it all and go Ok at 12, he might even add some extra spark, but based on past performances at 12 he has been patchy at best and we will need more than that. Its worth a try but I an sceptical. and happy to be wrong.

To me he is a great utility player who can play well in most positions, but he operates best when he has time and space.

 

[Blue]

The Brumbies pack are not going to get pushed around like the Force were.

It will be close.

 

[PaarlBok]

Now that Boland is going to be part of the Bulls franchise I need to get myself a pink Bulls jersey.
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/boland-bulls-set-to-join-forces-20160504

Alan Zondagh, director of rugby at Boland, confirmed to Netwerk24 that Boland will in future form a partnership with the Blue Bulls.
The finer details of the partnership are still unclear, with the Bulls yet to comment on the matter.
However, with transformation of utmost importance, it would allow the Bulls to acquire the services of several talented coloured players coming out of the Boland region.
While they were part of the Stormers franchise, Boland annually received money from Western Province and also played pre-season matches against the Stormers.
However, the annual pre-season Boland-Stormers match was not played this year, with the Stormers facing SWD instead.
WP’s partnership with SWD will see the two unions work closely together to take the Stormers franchise forward by assisting each other in player development, exchanging coaching and player resources and forging a relationship between the clubs and schools of the WPRFU and SWD Eagles Rugby.
At time of publishing, the WPRFU had not responded to Sport24’s request to confirm whether Boland was still part of the Stormers franchise or not.