Brumbies 2012

[mudskipper]

the biggest problem last season was they had players on the roster which didn't play the majority of the matches due to prolonged injury, such as Rocky Elsom, Hoiles, Edmonds, Kimlin...

 

[Slim 293]

The Brumbies team page on their site has been going through a very slow redevelopment...

One moment all of the players photos were updated, then they reverted back to the old ones... and the orders keep changing...

Some of the 'updated' stats are interesting too if they are accurate (or quite possibly a glitch in the development process?)...

Mowen has supposedly dropped down to 107kg, and Vaea is a whopping 119kg!

 

[Bilby]

Don't know about Mowen but Vaea is around the 110kg mark and as fit as hell

 

[mudskipper]

website isn't on the ball... Sharpen up Brumbies... your fans are watching closely...

 

[Brumby Jack]

I was talking to someone there and they said they have control over only some of the content.
Some is controlled by ARU so its out of their hands.

Having to change everything related to a major sponsor can be very tedious.

 

[Slim 293]

McCabe returns to Canberra


By Brumbies Media Unit

Pat McCabe is back in Canberra.

Pat McCabe has returned to Canberra and will undergo the remaining weeks of his rehabilitation with the Brumbies Coaching and Medical staff.

The Wallabies inside centre was one of the top performers for his country during the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, inflicting a mountain of pain with his bone-jarring defence.

McCabe suffered a shoulder injury during the World Cup and underwent surgery in Sydney six weeks ago. He is expected back playing at some point in the first half of the 2012 Super Rugby season.

While McCabe’s progress has been encouraging, there is still a long way to go and he was pleased to be home with the new-era Brumbies team.

“It’s good to be back in Canberra, I’ve been away for a few months with the World Cup and then with some rehab work in Sydney and there are quite a few changes around the place,” McCabe said.

“The club house is totally different it’s had a bit of a pick-me-up and there are a lot of new faces floating around too.

“From here I’m just working on getting my shoulder right so I can be back playing rugby. There’s a lot of work to be done between now and then but nothing we can’t handle.

“The World Cup was a great experience and one I will always remember but my focus has shifted to getting right for the Brumbies as soon as possible.”

Also finishing their international seasons on Sunday morning were Ben Alexander and Stephen Moore, who were both a part of the Wallabies team to beat Wales 24-18.

Both Alexander and Moore are enjoying some time off before returning to Canberra for the 2012 Super Rugby season.

Patrick McCabe
H/W: 186cm, 94kg
DOB: 21/03/1988, Sydney
Senior Club: Western Districts, ACT
Super Rugby Caps: 27
Super Rugby Points: 20 (4t)
Super Rugby Debut: 2010 v Force, Perth
Test Caps: 11
Test Points: 10 (2t)
Test Debut: 2010 v Italy, Florence

 

[Blue]

website isn't on the ball... Sharpen up Brumbies... your fans are watching closely...

Seriously as someone who works in the Net industry and is obsessed about sport I find it bloody inexcusable that a rugby team in a major competition has a website like that.

Ridiculous.

I guess everything happens slowly in Canberra. Are all the web developers too busy milking their lucrative government contracts?

 

[louie]

I guess everything happens slowly in Canberra. Are all the web developers too busy milking their lucrative government contracts?

hahaha have you lived in canberra blue? you have no idea how bang on the money that is.

 

[Brumby Jack]

BJ who they playing in Canberra?

ACT XV on Feb 16

 

[mudskipper]

ACT XV on Feb 16

So does the ACT XV include brumbies players (and fringe players) who fall outside the 22 during that trial match? Since they'll be playing in the John I Dent Cup.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Good question. Or it could be that they use their whole squad over 2 halves?

 

[Empire]

I believe it's only made up of the existing top players (as selected by the JID's 1st grade coaches). Unless of course they change it, I'd think say they will play the squad that's been training together over the past few months.

Might change next year, once they (the eps/outside 22 players) have a season locally under their belts.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

So does the ACT XV include brumbies players (and fringe players) who fall outside the 22 during that trial match? Since they'll be playing in the John I Dent Cup.

Last year's ACT XV was made up of ACT club players. I'd expect the same with the inclusion of the 5 EPS players (which as of today welcomes back Anthony Hegarty to bolster the hooking stock). Surely Brumbies won't be fielding a 22, more likely a 26-28, so most of the boys will get a run.

 

[Empire]

So, queanbeyan will have to trade with Whoever had Hoiles to have Hegarty play?

 

[Slim 293]

So the Brumbies now have 4 hookers in the 35?

Even though Sio is bracketed as a utility front rower...

 

[Slim 293]

Brumbies will do it tough in pre-season games

BY LEE GASKIN, RUGBY UNION
07 Dec, 2011 04:00 AM

The ACT Brumbies will have the perfect platform to assess their Super Rugby prospects when they face the defending champions in a trial game.
Jake White's second match in charge of the Brumbies will be against the Queensland Reds in Cairns on February 11.

The Brumbies open their pre-season campaign for the second straight year in Darwin against the Western Force on February 4 before rounding out preparations against an ACT XV at Viking Park in Wanniassa on February 16.

But without doubt, the hit-out with the red-hot Reds is the most meaningful and is likely going to determine several selection dilemmas ahead of the Brumbies' season-opener with the Force on February 24 at Canberra Stadium.

The Reds gave a hint of what was to come last season when they demolished the Brumbies 38-5 in the corresponding clash in Darwin.

White wants his new-look side to give a better account of itself this time around.

''They [the Reds] are the top team in the competition, so it's good to see where we're going to be,'' White said.

''I spoke to some of the players and they said they [the Reds] made a massive statement by thumping the Brumbies. I'm hoping we'll be a little bit better prepared this time.''

History shows that'll be the case.

A week after getting hammered by the Reds in what was their first match of the pre-season, the Brumbies put up a much improved performance in a close loss to the Wellington Hurricanes.

Results of trial games are largely irrelevant, with White instead focused on meeting specific objectives designed to give the Brumbies the best chance of beating the Force when the season proper kicks off.

''The Force will be a difficult one because you don't want to show much against [them],'' White said. ''The Reds, you want to make sure you use it as a benchmark to see where you are against the champions.

''The next one is about making sure whatever you've seen in the first two weeks, you can put into practice and hit the ground running by the time you get to the first match against the Force.''

A new initiative is the formation of an ACT XV, which will be drawn from the best players from the John I Dent Cup.

White hosed down fears the drop in the standard of opposition would work against his team, believing the fixtures against the Force and the Reds would leave the Brumbies in top shape.

''The competition is hard enough without having to flog yourself in pre-season games,'' he said.

''To play another Super Rugby team just for the sake of having another full-strength team, there's no merit in that for me.''



•ACT Brumbies 2012 trial games
February 4: v Western Force in Darwin

February 11: v Queensland Reds in Cairns

February 16: v ACT XV at Viking Park, Wanniassa

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/new...h-in-preseason-games/2383841.aspx?storypage=0

 

[Slim 293]

New Brumbies speedster streaks in
BY LEE GASKIN
07 Dec, 2011 04:00 AM
Every sprint test at the ACT Brumbies headquarters finishes the same way - with Tom Cox at the top of the charts.
Tom who?

It's a reasonable question given that three years ago this laid-back surfer from the Sunshine Coast had never picked up a rugby ball.

Yet he is the same 23-year-old whose jet-powered legs are set to catapult him into contention for a Super Rugby berth next season.

Cox has blown away everyone with his pure speed during pre-season testing, leaving teammates grasping at air and coaching staff in awe of what they've stumbled on.

''He's one of the quickest guys in Australian rugby at the moment,'' Brumbies assistant coach Stephen Larkham said.

''He's the fastest in the squad and is likely to play on the wing for us this year. He's got some kicking skills and catching skills he's picked up in AFL.

''He's generally about 10m a second. Hopefully we can get him some ball in a bit of space or get him in a foot race with some other guys, because he's very exciting to watch.''

Translating that raw pace into a complete rugby package is Cox's next challenge. A background in Australian rules, stemming from a childhood in Victoria, helped nurture a powerful kicking game and allowed him to be safe under the high ball.

Add to that devastating speed and he has all the ingredients to be a winger in the world's strongest provincial rugby competition.

It's a far cry from 2009 when Cox - after taking time out from sport to concentrate on university studies - took up the 15-a-side game with the Sunshine Coast Stingrays. A move to Brisbane powerhouse University last season put him in the spotlight of Super Rugby scouts, with the Brumbies inviting him to a camp.

Incredibly, Cox has never received formal athletics training and claims to have no idea how quick he is over 100m. ''Through school I did a few of the athletics days,'' he said.

''I did all right, but never took it that seriously ... more into surfing and my academic stuff. I got timed in Year 12 but I didn't look at my time. I'm not sure what I've run down here either, I just know that I did alright.''

The Brumbies have had a dearth of quality finisher options in recent years, forcing them to look outside the box for a player capable of finding the tryline on a regular basis.

Another Queenslander putting his hand up is former Reds Academy player Kimami Sitauti. The 20-year-old, who was a member of Australia's silver medal-winning Commonwealth Games Sevens team, is hoping to use his ad-lib style to full effect.

''I like to pride myself on chancing my arm and doing something exciting,'' Sitauti said.

''Every outside back has their go-to's and that can be my go-to here.''

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/new...speedster-streaks-in/2384364.aspx?storypage=0

 

[Slim 293]

Hegarty gets Brumby lifeline

BY CHRIS DUTTON
07 Dec, 2011 10:36 AM

Queanbeyan junior Anthony Hegarty has been thrown a Super Rugby lifeline by the ACT Brumbies after the club signed him in its Extended Player Squad this morning.

Hegarty’s rugby future was unclear after he initially missed out on a contract in coach Jake White’s 35-man squad.

However, with Stephen Hoiles agreeing to leave the club following a series of injuries, White had room to sign one more player.

Irish-born prop Ruaidhri Murphy has been promoted from the extended player squad into the top squad with hooker Hegarty signing a deal to join the five-man training squad.

Extended player squad players can train full-time with the Brumbies. However, they are only allowed to be included in game-day squads if players in the top 30 are injured.

Hegarty played six matches last season while Stephen Moore and Huia Edmonds were injured.

The Brumbies now have three hookers in their 30-man squad - Moore, Hegarty and Siliva Siliva.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/new...ion/hegarty-gets-brumby-lifeline/2384517.aspx

 

[Lee Grant]

As I see it: Murphy takes Hoiles vacated spot from the EPS leaving space for Hegarty there. Hoiles' bad luck works out better for the Brumbies as they had too many options at 8.

It makes sense to have both a hooker and scrummie in the EPS so they have 3 of each, though not all franchises have taken these options. In that context perhaps Jake should have sourced a 3rd scrummie and relied on Sio as 3rd string hooker but I don't know, what I don't know, about what is behind the choice of Hegarty.

So the Brumbies now have 4 hookers in the 35?

Even though Sio is bracketed as a utility front rower...

I would forget the blurb about Sio as a uility front rower - he is a LHP only at the minute.

I saw him play THP for the Junior Tahs earlier this year (and Faulkner was the LHP). He had an unhappy day. Maybe he will be able to play THP when he is older and stronger but I wouldn't think of putting him on the RH side of a scrum right now.

But when he was at school he looked so good around the park (he had been a backrower earlier) that I started writing that he should be cross-trained as a hooker. When I saw later that he had been mentioned as a prop/hooker for the 2010 U/20 team I gave a little whoop. But as far as I know he played 2nd Grade LHP for North Sydney in 2011, then moved into 1st Grade - but that he didn't play hooker. [Has anybody seen him play there?]

I hope that he keeps getting trained as a hooker at the Brumbies, just as they trained TPN. In that context I am not that pleased that Hegarty has been placed in the 3rd string position. Early days for Sio yet though; early days.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

I hope that he keeps getting trained as a hooker at the Brumbies, just as they trained TPN. In that context I am not that pleased that Hegarty has been placed in the 3rd string position.

Sio's development aside, from a Brumbies perspective I'm much more confident in Hegarty filling the 3rd hooker spot. He's still young, physically solid and hardened and has good Super experience already. Relying 2 young (and one untested) hookers in their debut season was probably my biggest concern gojng into the 2012 season with this squad. Things turned out well.