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'You always like going up against the best': Brad Weber's one disappointment heading into clash with Super Rugby AU finalists
The Chiefs will host the Brumbies on Saturday evening with both sides still hurting from their respective Super Rugby finals.
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Both teams had the opportunity to claim titles and were left ruing key moments in their matches.
The Chiefs missed three crucial kicks at goal against the Crusaders and ultimately failed to take advantage of the periods when the Crusaders had players spending time in the sin bin.
In the AU final, the Brumbies led from the 13th minute until the 85th minute, with the Reds scoring a post-buzzer try to steal the win.
Still, attentions have had to quickly shift from those domestic finals to the new Trans-Tasman competition and while Chiefs captain Brad Weber knows his side are in for a major challenge at Waikato Stadium on Saturday evening, there’s one Brumbies absentee that has him slightly disappointed ahead of the game.
Wallabies incumbent halfback Nic White will once again not feature for the Brumbies, having missed last weekend’s loss to the Crusaders due to a minor groin strain.
White last played in the Super Rugby AU final, only leaving the fray in the 72nd minute, and will likely make his return against the Blues in Auckland next week.
The opportunity to go head to head with some of the best players in the business is something All Blacks halfback Weber cherishes, but he’ll instead be lining up against 23-year-old Ryan Lonergan.
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“You always like going up against the best and I haven’t played Nic for a while so it would’ve been nice to go up against him again,” Weber said at Friday’s captain’s run, “but I suppose the thing about that is they’ve got two young nines coming through that look pretty sharp so we’ve got to be on our toes.
“All Aussie nines are good around the breakdown and at their running game so it’s a little bit of the unknown. At least we know sort of what Nic brings and these other two, it’s something new, so we’re going to have to be switched on so they don’t surprise us too much.”
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Perhaps Lonergan’s greatest strength is his long-range kicking game, with the youngster nailing a 55-metre penalty against the Rebels earlier this season to earn his side an after-the-siren win.
Lonergan will be backed up by 25-year-old Issak Fines-Leleiwasa.
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In 2015, the last time that Weber and White actually went toe to toe, it was the Chiefs who nabbed a last-second win after first five Aaron Cruden landed an 81st minute penalty goal.
White left the Brumbies following the 2015 World Cup and linked up with Montpellier in France before spending three years with the Exeter Chiefs.
He returned to the Brumbies in the latter stages of the 2020 season – after the international Super Rugby competition had already been called to a halt due to the global pandemic.
While the Brumbies have had the upper hand over the Chiefs in their previous two encounters, winning 26-14 in Hamilton last year and recording a sizeable 54-17 win in 2019, Weber was absent for both matches while White was overseas.
While a loss on Saturday wouldn’t end the Chiefs’ hopes of making the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final, it would likely make things very difficult for Weber’s men.
Anything other than a win won’t cut it for the Brumbies, however, who came close to snatching a draw against the Crusaders in Christchurch but Noah Lolesio’s final conversion attempt of the game narrowly missed the uprights, consigning the Australians to a 31-29 loss against the Aotearoa champions.
Saturday’s match kicks off at 7:05pm NZT.
Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets 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?
11 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.
10 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.
11 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.
24 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.
10 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 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 comments