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How the Brumbies plan on defeating the Reds to became inaugural Super Rugby AU champions

By AAP
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

The Brumbies are pledging to flex their collective muscle in pursuit of the title of undisputed kings of Australian provincial rugby.

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Australia’s conference champions in three of the past four Super Rugby campaigns, the Brumbies are intent on solidifying their status with 2020 glory in the abridged version of the competition.

That means keeping Brad Thorn’s emerging Queensland Reds at bay in Saturday night’s Super Rugby AU final in Canberra.

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Brumbies coach Dan McKellar speaks to media

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Brumbies coach Dan McKellar speaks to media

To do so, Brumbies captain and Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa has identified the set piece as the area where the hosts plan to mark their territory.

“For us, physicality is going to be king,” Alaalatoa said on Friday.

“In terms of a forwards perspective, we need to make sure that we’re on, especially in and around our set piece.

“They’ve been a threat all year around set piece and they have a quality back row who is putting a lot of pressure on the breakdown.

“So I think for us forwards we need to make sure we deliver on physicality and start really well.”

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Riding a four-game winning streak, the Reds dominated at scrum time in a 26-7 mauling of the Brumbies three weeks ago in Brisbane.

But Thorn’s men haven’t tamed the Brumbies in the national capital in six years.

Alaalatoa is hoping the presence of 6000 fans, hardly capacity at GIO Stadium but the biggest COVID-19 crowd of the season, will swing the game the Brumbies’ way.

“It’s going to be awesome. The feeling when you ran out and there was 1500, it was like the stadium was full and it got better with 3,000,” the skipper said.

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“So with 6000, from a players’ view, you can tell the atmosphere is going to be unreal.

“It’s 1-1 at the moment in the Super Rugby AU comp, so you could almost call it the decider.

“They are obviously a team that’s in form at the moment. They have a lot of momentum coming into the game but, for us, we’re fresh and we are really keen to rip in.”

Although the real-deal Super Rugby crown isn’t up for grabs, as well as Australian bragging rights, the Reds are hoping to crack their first title since 2011.

The Brumbies haven’t won a championship since 2004.

Alaalatoa’s front-row partner Scott Sio is the sole forward survivor from the Brumbies’ 27-22 near miss against the Chiefs in the 2013 Super Rugby title decider in New Zealand.

“Scotty got up a few weeks ago and spoke about how long he’s been involved in the club and just fell short in the grand final,” Alaalatoa said.

“For him, who is one of our veterans, it truly means a lot for him to be part of this grand final and getting another chance of winning something special with the group.”

Stats that Matter

* Each of the last 10 Super Rugby games between the Brumbies and Reds have been won by the home team

* The only previous post-season meeting between the Brumbies and Reds came in the 2001 Super Rugby semi-finals when the Brumbies won 30-6 before claiming the title

* The Brumbies have scored 24 tries on possession begun with a lineout win in Super Rugby AU, 11 more than any other team.

*The Reds have gained more metres (476), made more clean breaks (11), beaten more defenders (25), and made more offloads (eight) per game than any other Super Rugby AU team.

Courtesy of SANZAAR

Brumbies v Queensland Reds by the numbers

36 meetings – Brumbies 26 Reds 9 draw 1

Super Rugby titles – Canberrra – 1 (2004), Reds – 3 (1994, 1995, 2011)

In Canberra, played 20 – Brumbies 17, Reds 3

Last five results

5/9/2020 – Reds 26 bt Brumbies 7

1/8/2020 – Brumbies 22 bt Reds 20

31/1/2020 – Brumbies 27 bt Reds 24

15/6/2019 – Brumbies 40 bt Reds 27

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J
Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

36 Go to comments
A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

36 Go to comments
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