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Brumbies the sole representatives for Australia in Super Rugby finals
The Brumbies will gallop into a Super Rugby quarter-final against the Sharks after the besieged South African side pipped the Lions to the last spot in the playoffs.
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The Australian conference winners, the only local side to make the finals, will host the Sharks in a knockout quarter-final in Canberra at 8.05pm (AEST) on Saturday.
The Sharks booked their place in the elimination rounds thanks to a last-gasp Lukhanyo Am try that gave them a dramatic 12-9 victory over the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday night.
The Bulls’ 48-27 victory over the Lions later in the evening helped the Sharks leap-frog the latter side into the playoffs.
The Brumbies are bursting with confidence amid their best winning streak in 12 years after their 40-27 thrashing of the Queensland Reds in Canberra took the side to six straight wins.
“We’re pleased with the way we’re performing at the moment and the growth in the team has been nice,” captain Christian Lealiifano said ahead of the quarter-finals draw.
“So we’ve just got to continue to keep working hard and hopefully we’ve got another few more weeks to go.
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“Hopefully it doesn’t matter who we get.”
Unlike their upbeat hosts, the Sharks are set in a siege mentality, which could work to their advantage next weekend.
Coach Robert du Preez indicated the team’s current mindset by labelling the Durban press “a bunch of cockroaches” after their narrow victory over the Stormers.
“All the terrible press that this side and management team got over the last month or however long is a complete joke,” he said on Saturday night.
Du Preez feels his Sharks can win in Canberra as well.
“I have got no doubt in my mind. This is a fantastic team. On any given day we can beat any opposition.”
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In the other quarter-finals, New Zealand conference winners the Crusaders will take on the Highlanders in Christchurch and South African conference winners the Jaguares will take on the Chiefs in Buenos Aires on Friday night.
The Hurricanes will take on the Bulls in Wellington before the Brumbies-Sharks match on Saturday night.
If the Brumbies win next weekend, they will line up against either the Jaguares or the Chiefs in the semi-finals.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wonderful insightful interview with Crusader Johnny McNicoll. He was exceptional in the wins over the Chiefs and Rebels and I am sure he will get a contract again for 2025. He was an excitement machine for Canterbury and the Crusaders in 2011-16 and he still is. He has added to the attack particularly. Had a fine career with Wales in the intervening years.
1 Go to commentsAmazing what decent coaching can do! I always felt Folau never improved much as a player and never had a great coach using his talents. Suli seems different at qld this year.
8 Go to commentsI’m sick to death of waiting 3 years for league players to become half decent. It cripples Australian rugby in the meantime. The Reds actually looked half competent without Vunivalu not starting last week. He’s just a liability of errors. Paisami is looking better than he has in previous years but I’d have Kerevi back in a flash. A kiwi wont tho …...
8 Go to commentsExcellent analysis Nick as we have come to expect. I was not really aware that NFL strategies have been adopted by rugby teams, especially in defence. One point I would make is that the Northhampton attacking player on the end of the chain in the video examples has not maintained the correct depth to be effective. In the footage shown the outside player is too flat to make the best of the opportunity his inside players have provided. In each case they have to reduce speed and turn their body backwards to secure the ball, losing all momentum and giving the impressive scrambling defence the chance to shut down the threat.
1 Go to commentsMorning, John. Do you think that it may be a good idea to rest both teams from the Madrid comp leading in to the Olympics
2 Go to comments« I am preparing myself for much more, something much bigger. I’m focussing on the next cycle, » You don’t say…
1 Go to commentsGeez plenty of time to come right before test season starts. Dont panic mr Mannering!!!!!
1 Go to commentsGreat read Nick. The Reds really have been great to watch this year, and the improvement of not only the players you mention, but the squad in general has been obvious. The Reds 10/12 play making axis is a nice counterpoint to the 10/15 partnership at the Brumbies and Rebels. If Schmidt was to pick say, Lolesio, Paisami and Wright / Kellaway, would this be too many play makers? I notice in a lot of those clips Tim Ryan playing across the field in support of Vunivalu. Is this a feature of Kiss’s structure?
8 Go to commentsSo sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
8 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
7 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to comments