Brumbies march on in the playoffs with another NZ scalp
The Brumbies will fly the Australian flag in the Super Rugby Pacific for another week after a comeback win in their quarter-final against the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium on Saturday night.
While the weekend spelled the end of the road for the NSW Waratahs and the Queensland Reds, the Brumbies recovered from a 10-point second-half deficit to win 35-25 and claim their spot in the final four.
They’ll now prepare for one of the toughest tests in rugby, a trip to Eden Park to battle the Blues for a place in the final.
The Hurricanes had led 22-15 at the half after two tries and some lethal penalty kicking from Jordie Barrett, but a rare miss from the All Blacks star turned the contest on its head early in the second.
Noah Lolesio trimmed the margin to four points with a penalty on the hour-mark and they’d grabbed the lead soon after, a barging run from Nick Frost ending with fullback Tom Banks slicing through the line and scoring.
Tom Wright put it to bed in the 74th minute, cutting through off the back of another powerful maul, with Lolesio’s sideline conversion extending the lead to the final margin.
The huge result snaps the Brumbies’ three-game losing streak and has them dreaming of their first trans-Tasman title since 2004.
It’s also the first time they’ve beaten a New Zealand-based side in a playoff match since 2014.
A not-so-secret weapon had emerged early in the contest, with Barrett drilling long-range kicks including from inside his own half, but the All Black star stepped it up further with a divine cross-field kick finding fullback Josh Moorby to score in the corner for an 11-3 lead.
The Brumbies had got on the board through a Lolesio penalty and showed intent with some big early hits but that proved a part of their undoing, with a Len Ikitau shoulder charge drilling Barrett and earning him a red card on 22 minutes.
Controversially, the Canes then lost Owen Franks from a high shot on Lolesio, b ut his was judged a yellow card rather than a red.
They did quickly break through though, driving forward from the resulting penalty for Folau Fainga’a to burrow over to make it 14-8 before Irae Simone grabbed them the lead through a powerful run.
But the visitors went to the half ahead, Moorby doubling up late, carving through the li ne and using his pace to find the corner for a 22-15 advantage.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments