How the Brumbies have evolved to become unlikely contenders for Super Rugby title
The Brumbies are poised to again dominate the Australian conference of Super Rugby and have the potential go at least one step further and make the tournament’s final in 2020.
Despite the loss of veterans Sam Carter, Rory Arnold and Christian Lealiifano, the Brumbies squad remains one of the most potent in Super Rugby as it has a forward pack that can deliver points, but also possession to a dangerous backline that has the firepower to do the same.
Boasting a forwards contingent that comprises of Wallabies Scott Sio, Folau, Fainga’a, Alan Alaalatoa, James Slipper, Blake Enever, Pete Samu and Rob Valetini, the Brumbies will yet again be clinical and damaging at set-piece under the eye of veteran forwards coach Laurie Fisher.
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Such experience will be joined by exciting emerging talent such as the 205cm Nick Frost, who demonstrated his potential whilst appearing for the Junior Wallabies in the World U20 Championship and impressed with his try against Ireland last year.
Both Frost and fellow emerging second rower Darcy Swain will likely appear alongside Enever in the locking role during the season, and will thus provide credible lineout options, allowing the Brumbies to maintain their preference for commencing their attack with a driving maul.
Yet there will be more attacking options on offer for the Brumbies of 2020.
Club legend Christian Lealiifano has left for Japan and some may consider the Brumbies are in a similar position to the New South Wales Waratahs, who could struggle to fill the void left by Bernard Foley.
The Brumbies, however, do not need a flyhalf that will make the crunch decisions, lead the younger players around and win them the game as the Waratahs might.
All the Brumbies need is a flyhalf who can underplay his own game and put the larger forward runners, such as Lachlan McCaffrey and Rob Valetini, into the right areas of the park to breach the gain line.
That should unleash potent outside backs like Tom Banks, Toni Pulu and former rugby league player Solomone Kata, who is a proven try-scorer in that code after scoring 46 tries in 93 appearances for the New Zealand Warriors.
The Brumbies are blessed with youthful talent in the flyhalf role in particular thanks to the addition of Reesjan Pasitoa, who is a product of Nudgee College in Brisbane, which is a known Wallaby factory.
At only 18 years of age, the evidently talented Pasitoa is now a genuine contender to start for the Brumbies in 2020 as Lealiifano’s understudy Wharenui Hawera has moved to Japanese club, the Kubota Spears, and the frustrated Jordan Jackson-Hope has defected to the Sunwolves.
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Another young talent vying for the playmaking role is 21-year-old Bayley Kuenzle who represented the Junior Wallabies in 2018.
A product of Newington College in Sydney, Kuenzle is a versatile player who can also play in the inside centre position and is known as a direct ball-runner. Having such a player could open up opportunities out wide as the Brumbies will not run themselves out of attacking space with Kuenzle on the park.
A name some suggest may be a fringe Wallaby this year is Auckland-born Noah Lolesio.
A member of the 2019 Junior Wallabies who narrowly lost to France in the World Rugby U20 Championship final, Lolesio has been training with the Brumbies for at least 12 months, and appears set to have first opportunity to take the reigns when the season opens against the Queensland Reds in a matter of weeks.
Whoever gets the flyhalf spot, much responsibility will rest on their shoulders, although that player will not carry that burden alone as the attack will be orchestrated by Wallabies scrumhalf Joe Powell, who will know how to balance out the No. 10’s workload and bring him into the game as required.
The backs will be coached by former Waratahs fullback Peter Hewat, who appears to be a coach on the rise after a successful 2019 with the Australian Schools and U18 side that defeated New Zealand across the ditch.
Hewat will get the Brumbies to play a more attacking and counter-attacking brand of rugby as seen in recent years.
His inherent attacking assertiveness ensures the Canberra side have the balance to score from both set piece and broken play, which will make them an exceptionally difficult team to defend against.
Rugby should learn from Major League Baseball instead of following its path as it tries to capture the next generation, writes @bensmithrugby https://t.co/Erpp0egY7E
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 12, 2020
The Brumbies have points in them through the set piece, middle of the park and flanks which make them credible contenders for the 2020 Super Rugby crown.
Under the guidance of head coach Dan McKellar, they are in exceptionally good hands to achieve such an outcome.
Mentioned in dispatches as a potential Wallabies coach of the future, McKellar learned his rugby at the famous Souths Magpies in Brisbane, and the North Queenslander brings all the teak a former front rower should.
However, the 43-year-old is not limited by his attraction to only being physically dominate to achieve success.
He is an articulate communicator who appears to have the ability to get the most out of what he has at his disposal and is more pragmatic than dogmatic in his approach to the game plan.
Despite their prowess in the forwards, McKellar is a shrewd enough operator to know the Brumbies must be more than one-trick ponies if they are to progress deep into the finals.
Considering what the entire organisation appears to be able to deliver, 2020 may yet be the year of the Brumby.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar 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.
11 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.
54 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.
6 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
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 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
54 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.
54 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.
18 Go to comments