How the Highlanders plan to beat the Brumbies ahead of must-win Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash
With a place in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final on the line, the Highlanders know what they need to do to secure victory over the Brumbies in Canberra this weekend.
Fresh off their 59-23 thumping of the Waratahs in Dunedin on Saturday, the Highlanders will travel to the Australian capital this week with the task of taking down the Brumbies to potentially book their place in their first final since 2015.
However, as was made clear over the weekend when the Hurricanes were pipped 12-10 by Dan McKellar’s side, trying to win at GIO Stadium in the depths of the Canberra winter is no easy task.
It’s for that reason that Highlanders assistant coach Riki Flutey is not putting any pressure on his team to chase a highly-valued bonus point win that would boost the Dunedin franchise’s chances of appearing in next week’s final.
“We’re not putting that extra pressure on ourselves because we want to go into the game with control, so we’re making sure that we ain’t loose with our structure, and we’ve talked over the last few weeks making sure that we’re not loose with our skill sets and ball carries as well,” Flutey said on Monday.
“A big focus for us is to keep control of the game and hopefully we play our game, put them under pressure, we’re going to score points.”
Just how the Highlanders do that will be by putting an extra emphasis on their discipline at the offside line.
He used the Chiefs’ lack of discipline in their 40-19 win over the Brumbies last month as an example of how the Super Rugby AU runners-up can make teams pay when given the chance to do so.
“Discipline has been something that we have brought up. Against the Chiefs a couple of weeks ago, we showed the boys a clip,” he said.
“The Chiefs gave away a penalty inside their 22, [the Brumbies] kicked it out on halfway, they had a scrum, they [the Chiefs] gave away another penalty, [the Brumbies] kicked it into the five metre channel, and they scored.
“So, giving them those opportunities is something that we’ve talked about.”
Flutey implored his players to be vocal about their discipline during the match given how strictly the offside laws are being officiated.
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“It’s something that everyone can drive on the field because obviously the refs and the touchies look at that pretty heavily, but we’ve got to call that, get us half-a-yard onside to make sure that we are clean in and around those ruck areas.”
The battle at the breakdown will be just as important, according to Flutey, as he highlighted that it was an area that the Hurricanes were caught out in their defeat to the Brumbies.
“Our collision detail is going to be key, the way we carry into contact. A few guys in the Hurricanes were carrying pretty high and got turned over pretty easy, so the collision’s going to be really important for us and the detail within that as well,” he said.
Currently sitting in second place on the table, the Highlanders are tied for competition points with the Crusaders, with the two teams separated by a points difference of just 11.
That means the Crusaders will no doubt be out to pile the points on the Rebels when they go head-to-head in Sydney this weekend as they aim to leapfrog the Highlanders into a top two spot.
However, Flutey said his side need to focus on executing the fundamentals if they’re to come away from Canberra with a victory and keep themselves in the running for the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final.
“As I said before, that’s around how we control the game and how we play and stick to our plans. If we do that, we know we’re giving ourselves a really good shot.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments