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How the Brumbies plan on defeating the Reds to became inaugural Super Rugby AU champions
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.
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.
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“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
Comments on RugbyPass
Anna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn 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 getting 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.
6 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.
8 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
6 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.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 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.
61 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.
8 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
61 Go to comments