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'We should have won that game': Brumbies confident of Blues boil-over

By AAP
Nic White. (Photo by David Gray/Photosport)

It’s the toughest test in rugby, but if the Brumbies want to taste Super Rugby Pacific championship success, it’s one they simply must pass.

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They’ll head to the cauldron that is Eden Park and battle the champion Blues for a spot in the following week’s final, seeking their first trans-Tasman title since 2004.

But they gave the Blues a serious push just two weeks ago, even leading as the clock ticked over the 80-minute mark before a Beauden Barrett drop goal rescued a 21-19 win for the Auckland side in their round 14 clash in Canberra.

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The Brumbies will also be boosted by the return of crucial flanker Rob Valetini, who’s missed the last month with a hamstring injury.

Coach Dan McKellar said confidence was high as his troops entered the biggest week of their professional careers.

“We’ve been here before … we had to go to Argentina a couple of years ago and play a semi over there, we go to Auckland really confident,” he told reporters.

“We felt we should have won that game a couple of weeks ago, there’s an enormous amount of respect for them.

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“They’ve got threats across the park, we feel we’ve got the game that can challenge them and we’ll prepare for that.”

The Brumbies had to dig extraordinarily deep to turn a 10-point second-half deficit into a 35-25 win against the Hurricanes in Canberra on Saturday night.

Captain Allan Alaalatoa said they headed to the semis believing they could achieve the allegedly impossible.

“There’s a huge amount of belief, and tonight’s win adds to that,” he told reporters.

“Probably a sold-out Eden Park, I mean that atmosphere is going to be unbelievable.

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“That connection and belief starts now and we’ll continue to build that up throughout the week.”

The Blues reeled off five straight tries to beat the Highlanders 35-6 on Saturday afternoon, with former NRL star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck looking the goods in scoring his first professional rugby union try.

– Alex Mitchell

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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