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Flying ‘under the radar’: Super Rugby Pacific’s silent contenders
Wallaroo Sera Naiqama believes the Brumbies are still flying “under the radar” this season despite their impressive start which has included a drought-breaking win in Dunedin on Saturday.
The Brumbies were a bit slow out of the blocks at Forsyth Barr Stadium but a much-improved second-half saw the visitors claim a 27-21 win over the Highlanders in round four.
It was a drought-breaking win for the men from Australia’s capital as they registered their first victory over the Highlanders in the deep south of New Zealand since 2013.
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With four rounds of Super Rugby Pacific in the books, the Brumbies sit in fifth with three wins but their successes have been somewhat outshone by high-flying Aussie rivals the Reds.
“I certainly think they had. We talk about the Reds and they’re definitely becoming the best team in Australian rugby that the Brumbies have certainly flown under the radar,” three-time Super W champion Sera Naiqama said on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven.
“We forget to remember that they’re operating at (three) wins and only one loss. They’ve just gone about their business really quietly.
“What I really loved about this game is they came out in that second-half and they were just a different team. It almost seemed as though (coach Stephen) Larkham said something at half-time to fire them up.
“(Corey) Toole was just unstoppable.
“Looking at the Brumbies outfit, I was really impressed with what I saw of them.”
Wing Corey Toole appeared to be running at the speed of light down the left edge for the Brumbies which led to defensive pressure and a stunning score early in the second-half.
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With the Brumbies down by four points at the break, Toole showed a clean pair of heels to score a decisive try only a few minutes into the second 40, with momentum swinging the visitors’ way.
It was still a seesawing context until replacement hooker Lachlan Lonergan scored a try inside the final five minutes, with the conversion extending the Brumbies’ lead to nine points.
The Brumbies held on for their third win of the season, joining victories over the Melbourne Rebels and Western Force in rounds one and three respectively.
“Maybe there’s so much expectation on the Brumbies,” former Wallaby Justin Harrison suggested. “I don’t know if they’re under the radar, everyone expects them to be the standout team.
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“They’re just quietly working their way into some form. The Reds have come out of the gates strong (but) the Brumbies are starting to catch them up now, that’s a great thing too.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Misogynists have feelings too!
1 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
203 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
1 Go to commentsMad how this somehow contained absolutely zero information.
1 Go to commentsI’m looking forward to attending the Twickenham match, I don’t think it will have a bearing on the outcome of the grand prize itself but it will tell us more about each teams’ preparation and game plan. It’s hard to look past one of the big four (I’m including Canada) lifting the trophy in 2025 but sport is a curious thing, there will still be twists and turns in road ahead.
2 Go to commentsThe better side seems to be the losing side a lot these days. As far as narrative goes. Must be the big emergent culture of “participation awards” that have emerged in nanny states. ”It looked like New Zealand would take the game from there but lapses in execution let South Africa get back into the game. New Zealand’s goal kickers left five points out there, including a very make-able penalty on the stroke of half”. Sounds like a chronic problem… I wonder how the better team has lapses in concentration and execution? Or are those not important factors in the grand scheme of total performances? In 2023, the ABs at least didn’t give up a lead to lose. They just couldn’t execute to get the points and take the lead. This Baby AB result points to a choke - letting the game slip through your fingers. In the words of the great Ricky Bobby’s dad - “If you’re not 1st you’re last!” Loosely translated - if you didn’t win, you’re a loser.
9 Go to commentsWith Stuart Lancaster at the helm, Racing 92 looks more and more a mercenaries club like Toulon some years ago and they are not even performing despite all the money on offer.
4 Go to commentsCouple of things BS missed: wind was behind the Baby Blacks in the first half. Baby Boks got points from a scrum penalty in the final quarter against this ‘dominant pack’, and left three points on the park after a missed penalty.
9 Go to commentsSensible thoughts on this, Brett. Also worth considering we’ve sold 60k tickets for a game between the Rebels and the Lions next year. Got to be roughly $10m in ticket and game day revenue there.
5 Go to commentsUnsuccessful bitter ex Ulster player taking a pop shot at a side that isn't including his consistently poor mates up north
6 Go to commentsHis decision to play in France isn’t a petulant decision as this article suggests. I reckon that France is the perfect place to demonstrate that he can mix it in those battles Rassie references. It’s a good decision to try get into the squad. My personal opinion is that he wins more battles than he loses. I don’t have Rassie’s stats machine behind me, but Daymian’s is so strong moving through traffic and in the rip.
4 Go to commentsWow! Argie forward dominance is something I have not read in years….
1 Go to commentsIs the ‘snub’ really why he is leaving? He hasn’t said that has he? You don’t have to stay in SA to play for the Boks, so it’s not that he’s giving up on trying to get into the squad as the case would be in, say, England or New Zealand. Rassie made it clear that the early camps won’t feature all the players to play for the Boks this year so I can’t imagine Dayimani was too offended by being overlooked this time. It just seems like a sensationalist angle to take for a story without really knowing the player’s intentions.
4 Go to commentsWell, it is easily one of the best Irish sides, it’s just that their historical standard is very low.
6 Go to commentsThe Irish side is good. They have lost 2 games in the last 23 tests. In the last 12 months they have have a 60% win rate against the top 5 sides in the world. Over the same period south africa have a 67% win rate against the top 5 teams, and New Zealand are at 40%.
6 Go to commentsOnly 1247 days until RWC 2027 starts Bin Smuth🤣Can’t wait to see how unhinged you’re still gonna get between now & then
203 Go to commentsany chance either team will improve on their u20 world cup performances this time around? I assume both sides will be deeply disappointed with how things went.
6 Go to commentsAnother poor articles by a poor journo, nothing new from Ben, at least you are consistently bad lol, geez I will try and watch the match later, clearly Benny was only looking to one end of the pitch, hard to tell whom the Baby Blacks were playing if it wasn’t in the header 😄😄
9 Go to comments