Brumbies vs Shorks- Canberra

[louie]

Just got back from the game. Messy one but did the job. The Brumbies answer to their discipline problem is to kick whenever they're in their own 50.

When the brumbies play up tempo and start to build the phases they look very, very lethal. But the proble is valentine can be very selfish and lazy, Gits kicks the ball far to much and mortlock is playing like dogshit. They neeed a 13 that can crash and bash but can use the ball.

good to see Frankie uppping his workrate tonight.

sidenote, paul marks had a horrible game as touchie. made a few bad calls when jugding the lengths of kicks

 

[Biffo]

GITEAU is the problem.

Fixed.

No, can't agree. Thought he was good other than a few kicks out on the full. Last week he was terrible, ok this week.

How many really bad performances does he have to put in before you accept he is playing rubbish this year?

It wasn't just the kicks. It was bad positioning, bad passing and bad timing of the pass.

 

[cyclopath]

Louie, when exactly did they look lethal? Sure they built some phases, but lethal?? Only thing they were in danger of killing was their own momentum.
Frankie was good - he has excellent leg drive for his relatively light weight (compared to some of the big munters on the wing here and there).

 

[PhucNgo]

GITEAU is the problem.

Fixed.

No, can't agree. Thought he was good other than a few kicks out on the full. Last week he was terrible, ok this week.

Think too much is being shovelled onto Mortlock. FFS he's at outside centre and hardly responsbile for the smooth floowing backline. Think you'll find the problem is more like Gits passing game. Pretty average on occasions this evening, mostly going behind the man o/side him. Agreed tho that the backline had more penetration when Smith came on. Maybe Lealifano will get arest.

 

[louie]

You're right, the lack of penetration leads to Giteau having to kick more, so not all his fault, but part of the lack of attack must be sheeted home to the 10 - that's what they are there to do - make stuff happen. Mortlock is usually the go-to man to get forward, but just isn't doing it. Plan B seems to be missing. Bit Tah-like (usually) really.

Gits is really sacred to try anything unless he's in the 22. When in midfield between the 30min to 30min zone all he does is kick it. The only time the brumbies look to attack with ball in hand is when Christian is standing at 10 or they go blind.

 

[fatprop]

Gee, they will need some improvement to get near the Blues next week

Very underwhelming performance.

Is it a pre conceived plan for the Brumbies to kick the shit out of all game. None of the backs looked to get another into a better position all night with the back three just kicking the shit out of it.

 

[Biffo]

When the brumbies play up tempo and start to build the phases they look very, very lethal.

Hello??

 

[Pfitzy]

Its interesting though that the Brumbies played the Sharks in much the same way as the Tahs, for much the same result. Both Aussie coaches have decided that the Sharks offer nothing on the counterattack and that its a fairly safe bet to kick to them and wait for crumbs.

 

[louie]

Louie, when exactly did they look lethal? Sure they built some phases, but lethal?? Only thing they were in danger of killing was their own momentum.
Frankie was good - he has excellent leg drive for his relatively light weight (compared to some of the big munters on the wing here and there).

They where moving the ball really qucikly they looked dangerous. one or to more phases and they where over.

they'll beat the blues next week

 

[louie]

When the brumbies play up tempo and start to build the phases they look very, very lethal.

Hello??

hey

 

[Pfitzy]

They where moving the ball really qucikly

Sideways.

Admittedly the Sharks seem to drag teams down to their level (the Crusaders being the exception), but if it hadn't been for the Franky and Christian show the Brumbies wouldn't have made half as many gain line runs

 

[louie]

Sideways.

No NTA i mean from the ruck to the runner. If the ball went sides it means gits had to pass it at some stage. he didn't

 

[Pfitzy]

Definitely Valentine doesn't dither in the same way that e.g. Burgess does, but its still got to be useful. It was impressive that the Brumbies didn't need to pile numbers into the ruck to secure ball, but then the Sharks were perfectly happy to let them because the Brumbies forwards were rarely bashing it through the line.

I think the Brumbies are missing a big bopper to smash the holes and let the faster men (e.g. Hoiles) run through. Chis wasn't as prominent tonight as I think he could have been.

 

[cyclopath]

You're right, Nick I noted Chis was looking sluggish in attack on the blog call. He was far more dynamic in years past. I hope it's a temporary thing. Can be a very dynamic ball carrier. Hoiles...not so much.

 

[PhucNgo]

You're right, Nick I noted Chis was looking sluggish in attack on the blog call. He was far more dynamic in years past. I hope it's a temporary thing. Can be a very dynamic ball carrier. Hoiles...not so much.

Lets not load it onto Chisholm. The elephant in the room is that Rocky was
awol tonight.

 

[Gagger]

Fuck me, lucky the Sharks contrived to lose that more than the Ponies.

1) So when did sidestepping, passing and generally dicking around with the ball around your own goal-line become a good idea?

2) Has someone ripped the 're-starts' page out of the Australian coaching manuals?

Gits is definitely not 100% fit.

With Moore on the Brumbies pack absolutely mullered that Springbok front row. Very pleasing to see. Unlucky not to get more reward from that. Hoiles was a mess at the back, can't control the ball with his feet.

Lets not load it onto Chisholm. The elephant in the room is that Rocky was awol tonight.

I thought he put himself in the right spots to get to the ball, just with atrocious body height and leg drive. How many times did he get knocked backwards? Has he been training with Higgenbottom?

 

[Spook]

How many really bad performances does he have to put in before you accept he is playing rubbish this year?

Gits was solid against Bulls and Stormers. Shite against Lions. Ok this week. Missed Force match due to injury. Oh and Gits has been carrying a quad strain all year. He acceleration has been way down.

Please try and be a little bit more analytical.

 

[Spook]

With Moore on the Brumbies pack absolutely mullered that Springbok front row. Very pleasing to see. Unlucky not to get more reward from that.

According to NTA, the Brumbies scrum was shite. :nta:

 

[Spook]

As for line breaks - can't recall the exact numbers after the game, but I think the Sharks won that (might be wrong), and certainly the Sharks were better at getting over the advantage line.

Umm no - Stats show Brumbies made more line breaks and made more running metres. 2 tries to 1 as well.

 

[Pfitzy]

The Brumbies scrum WAS shite when I made that comment after the first 20 minutes or so on the live feed. Smit is an absolute bunny at THP and should have his head stuck up his arse sideways by any of our looseheads. Alexander got the better of him occasionally, but should have been dominating him at scrum time for long periods.

As I said somewhere else in this thread, fortunately Ma'afu stood up and starting getting under the Beast's skin, and at points smacked him silly through a combination of changing his height and pissing the Beast off on the bind. The Brumbies win a points decision, only because they started too slowly to get a thumbs up, and put on a couple of good shoves here and there on Sharks ball in the second half. If they'd kept that up the whole game they'd get higher marks.