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'They just had no answer for it'- The Brumbies' 'ruthless nature' turns heads after win over Waratahs
The Brumbies made a statement on Saturday night, recording an emphatic 51-point win over rivals the Waratahs.
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The reigning Super Rugby AU champions were simply unrelenting with their performance, appearing to give it their absolute all right until the very end. Even though they were up 47-10 at the time, the Brumbies went on to score two converted tries in the last nine minutes.
They piled on nine tries to one, which included a hat-trick to winger Mackenzie Hansen. Hansen scored his first Super Rugby try in the 12th minute, before adding to his tally twice in the second half.
It was a near faultless performance, from a team who appear as if they’ll be very hard to beat to the title this season.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, former Blues hooker and captain, James Parsons, spoke highly about the “ruthless nature” of the Brumbies, as seen in round two.
“I mean the Brumbies are good and they will be tough to beat don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t like the Waratahs weren’t giving it their all,” Parsons said on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. “They’re a slick operation the Brumbies.
“They were just relentless and they [the Waratahs] just had no answer for it. The ruthless nature, the Waratahs were still attacking on the 80-minute mark, and the Brumbies were flying off their defensive line.
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“It was 61-10. You could forgive them for just being relaxed a little but they were flying defensively, you could hear them all calling their defensive calls, and they were just not going to let the Waratahs score.
“It’s their attitude and the ruthless nature in their standards and their culture, they’re just relentless in their preparation during the week and it goes through until the weekend.”
Crusaders scrum-half Bryn Hall was asked by host Ross Karl about the pressure that Waratahs coach Rob Penney is now under.
Penney coached Hall at the New Zealand Under-20s level, and does have some other notable experience in the sport.
The Waratahs have lost back-to-back matches to open their season, by a combined 85-points. But assistant coach Chris Whitaker has called for “patience” as the young side look to improve.#superrugbyau #WARvFORhttps://t.co/wW9Jl44md3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 1, 2021
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But his job is under pressure at the moment, with their points differential at the moment currently -85.
“He’s a guy that was a mentor to Scott Robertson as well so his coaching credentials and the way he is as a coach, he’s a really good coach,” Hall said on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. “ But unfortunately it takes a bit of time to build on all these young guys, especially at Super Rugby level.
“Rob’s a great coach and again, you’ve just got to go through some teething problems unfortunately, the Waratahs supporters probably don’t want to hear that again but again it’s really early in the comp.”
For the Waratahs, their focus now shifts to the Western Force in Western Sydney (Bankwest Stadium) on Friday night. Both teams will be looking for a much-needed win to get their seasons back on track.
If the Force do manage to win on Friday night, then it’ll also be their first win in Super Rugby since returning from rugby exile at the start of last year’s Super Rugby AU season.
For the Brumbies, they’re set for a tough test against the Melbourne Rebels at GIO Stadium. The Rebels themselves are coming off an agonising 23-21 loss to the Reds in Brisbane, where Matt To’omua missed what would’ve been a match-winning penalty attempt after the siren.
“It was a great game, it was actually a tight-fought game. Although there were penalties here and there, it was entertaining footy,” Parsons said.
Round three of Super Rugby AU kicks-off on Friday night.
Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below or find it on your preferred streaming service.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments