Semi Final - Brumbies vs Jaguares, Sat 29 June, 9:05 am (AEST)

[RoffsChoice]

I don't know what to put such a shift in form down to other than the home crowd. In that sense, the Brumbies lost this game back in round four when they let the Rebels come back from being 19-3 down to win 29-26; win that game, and the Brumbies were hosts.

I'm proud of the boys for getting to this stage, and I think that guys like Arnold, Sio, Valetini, McCaffrey, Powell, and Kuridrani can leave this game with some pride. I'd be critical of some of the other players, but I understand why they failed to rise to the occasion and can only hope that his experience helps them next time they get there.

Thrilled that the only real gaps in the side for next season are Swain's lock partner and the 10 jersey. At the end of 2018, we were talking about what the Brumbies might be if they play for the first ten games like they did in the last six. This year, I'll say that starting with only two wins in seven games really did make hosting a semi incredibly unlikely. If McKellar can get the team playing like this from the get-go, we could go all the way.

 

[Viking]

I don't know what to put such a shift in form down to other than the home crowd. In that sense, the Brumbies lost this game back in round four when they let the Rebels come back from being 19-3 down to win 29-26; win that game, and the Brumbies were hosts.

I'm proud of the boys for getting to this stage, and I think that guys like Arnold, Sio, Valetini, McCaffrey, Powell, and Kuridrani can leave this game with some pride. I'd be critical of some of the other players, but I understand why they failed to rise to the occasion and can only hope that his experience helps them next time they get there.

Thrilled that the only real gaps in the side for next season are Swain's lock partner and the 10 jersey. At the end of 2018, we were talking about what the Brumbies might be if they play for the first ten games like they did in the last six. This year, I'll say that starting with only two wins in seven games really did make hosting a semi incredibly unlikely. If McKellar can get the team playing like this from the get-go, we could go all the way.

Who is the 10 going to be next year? Jackson-Hope?

 

[Slim 293]

Who is the 10 going to be next year? Jackson-Hope?

JJH is off to Japan.........

 

[Gnostic]

I'll break my late viewing review down into parts.

1) Referees - lets get it out of the road. They were consistent with the rest of the season. One absolute shocking call with the missed knock on in the second half - easy to miss from Fraser given his in-field position but Jackson (AR) was in a very poor position behind the team in possession. Apart from that as all refs in Super Rugby have been all year - far too lax on the offside line at the ruck, not for any particular side but in general. Apart from that I don't think they made any significant errors and were consistent which is the big requirement. Much of the whinging from people here and from Hoiles is pretty soft and really indicates that they have never reffed even a juniors game.

2) The Brumbies finally confronted a good side playing well and they like the rest of the Australian sides showed how shallow the skill set is. A few weeks ago I was lambasted for saying they were the turd in the Australian Septic that floats. Its certainly the case.

3) The Brumbies forwards who have far outperformed in most positions all their contemporaries in Australian Rugby were absolutely bullied, the lineout was pretty poor even though the Jaguares have been very competitive all year the jumpers were off and the throwing was average.

4) The Brumbies defence - again the best in Australia, was unable, just as the Tahs were, to cope with the very simple offloading game of the Jaguares, or the fact that forwards and backs make metres in the tackle. They do not die with the ball and make slow rucks waiting for an interminable period for the next "pod" to be ready. The big break from Powell was the only piece of attacking play from the Brumbies that made the gain line on first phase, and again this is a feature of Australian play and we here the idiots from Fox continually talking about going through the phases. I wonder if they realise that it is 2019 and not 1999 when Rod Macqueen invented the endless phase game. With the improved defence and ruck interpretations that we have had for 15 years teams simply have to use the ball creatively or conservatively, the Macqueen endless league phases just does not work - but all Australian sides use to in one form or another.

5) The Puma's kicking game was perfect, they made touch, they kicked long and challenged for the ball and they had excellent special awareness as shown in the last minutes when the tackle/ruck was in the 22 as called by the ref and the ball was duely put into touch, with all the Brumbies complaining that it was carried back despite the ref clearly calling it in. They were consequently able to dominate field position, something that has been missing from Australian Rugby for a long time.

 

[Derpus]

^^^
Nit picking but Simone made the gain line multiple times with strong runs, Powell was certainly not the only player to make the gain line.

 

[RoffsChoice]

I do not believe this game is indicative of the general ability of the players or the team. The difference between the Wallabies team which should have lost to Scotland in the 2015 QF and the team which destroyed Argentina a week later is Folau and Pocock. Who knows how much impact the lack of Samu had on the performance?

Small things can change the entire course of a game.

 

[LearningCurve]

I thought that the Brumbies defence was pretty good a lot of the time but the Jaguares just kept shifting the ball and eventually through committing defenders, and then delivering those great offloads, finding the gaps. However some players like Speight were guilty of coming in and leaving overlaps out wide which were exploited.

The Jaguares kicking game was superb, the Brumbies was not. Quite why CLL tried that chip kick from his 22 I don't know - run out of ideas maybe?

 

[Brumby Runner]

I reckon Speight was defending according to the Brumbies defense strategy. I think rather than have the No 15 out wide on the end of the backline in defense, the winger (in this case Speight) was meant to be on the second widest runner and that the widest runner (usually the winger) was to be covered by the cover defense coming across. I don't recall many, if any, instances where the winger and the player inside were both drawn to the one runner.

The same pattern seemed to occur on both sides of the field, but some posters have always tended to harshly criticise Henry. Reminiscent of his time in the Wallabies where according to some Speight was entirely responsible for the poor defensive system being implemented by Nathan Grey. Funny how Grey became the culprit once Speight was dropped.

 

[Gnostic]

I can certainly agree about the structures that Grey was using and it certainly didn't help Speight's case. The problem for him as an individual though comes in the form of his decision making and worse the number of incomplete tackles he makes.

I don't know that the Brumbies structure in this game was any different to what they had run all year, what they didn't do was allow for the speed and real skill of passing and offloading that the Jaguares were able to bring, consistently. There-in lies Speight's other real issue, I don't know if it is as a result of the injuries he has had or what - he just is not anywhere near as fast as he was. More than a few of times he has been beaten on the outside and or on kick chase and he is unable to match the speed of his opponent.

 

[Derpus]

The only wingers we have that bring out and out pace are Maddocks and MK.

 

[Up the Guts]

The only wingers we have that bring out and out pace are Maddocks and MK.

I’m not sure Maddocks is that fast, Pulu is certainly faster as is Banks.

 

[Tomikin]

I’m not sure Maddocks is that fast, Pulu is certainly faster as is Banks.

I would probably say Pulu is the fast winger in oz that guy is an absolute jet, Banks would be up there too probably quicker then Maddocks.

 

[Brumby Runner]

If pace is the sole, or main, criterion for a winger, maybe Joe Powell should have a go out wide. Showed a very good turn of foot to run down the Jaguares winger on the weekend. Chances of him getting a No 9 gig under Cheika are pretty slim imo.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Pace is not the main requirement of a winger. Finishing ability and defending at the end of the line are the two most important.