Super XV Big Match Review - Brumbies 24 - 6 Reds

 

Over the last week we've seen some pretty weird, and occasionally shocking, stuff happen – the most bizarre of which is the Armageddon-like meteor strike that took place in Russia.  It was just one of those events that nobody could have expected and it has quite rightly sent the whole world just a little bit mad as everybody realises just how unpredictable life can be.  Conversely, when you do expect something to happen, and it doesn't, you can find yourself getting even more agitated than you would when the unexpected flies past your window at 550 km per hour.  Which is why, although the event was on a somewhat smaller and considerably less severe scale, the 17'000 crowd at Canberra Stadium on Saturday, plus the many 1000s watching on TV, were up in arms after a game that promised so much ultimately failed to deliver.

Brumbies v Reds.  The two premiere teams in the Aussie conference, with 2 extraordinarily exciting backlines, were to meet in the opening round and treat us all to an electric display of running rugby – a 100% prime-cut fillet steak of a match that would leave us all full and yet hungry for more.   Instead, what was served up was 90% horse from Tesco's that was dominated by the neighing of the bloke in the middle, who had written it down as his express objective not to allow the game to flow.  Given the penalty count against the defensive sides, it was frankly bizarre that nobody was sent to the sin bin – and it was this that unfortunately led to a match that was dominated by the whistle of the referee and the crafty defences who were doing all they could to slow opposition ball down.

Before the first ball was kicked, a special welcome went out from the fans for Clyde Rathbone, who led the Brumbies onto the pitch for his 50th appearance after a 3 year absence following a retirement due to injury problems.  It was a great moment, but unfortunately for Clyde, this was as close as he came to taking centre stage all day as he spent most of his time trying to keep warm whilst watching play unfold half a pitch away.  Despite the raucous emotion and the vociferous home crowd, it was the visitors who struck first, following a superb 45 metre penalty from Reds full back Mike Harris.  As we were to find out, the Brumbies could have done a lot worse than to take notes on how Harris hit the target; it would prove to be an awkward day for the kickers.  In fact, Harris could have done with reviewing the notes himself as he missed 2 further penalty attempts in the next 3 minutes, although both from long range.

Despite being 3 points down, the Brumbies began to hold onto the ball well, and were finding some joy around the fringes despite not getting particularly quick ball, with the likes of Gill doing their utmost to disrupt the breakdown.  With 9 minutes gone, the Brumbies had themselves a penalty advantage in the Reds 22, when Nic White took the ball out the back of a ruck and threaded through an inch perfect grubber for fullback Jesse Mogg to run onto and touch down in the corner for the opening try of the night, which went unconverted.

Slowly but surely, the Brumbies were beginning to feel the Pocock effect.  The Wallabies flanker clearly felt he had a point to prove against the young pretender, Liam Gill, and was beginning to make a real mess of the Reds' ball, making the first of his 3 turnovers on fellow Wallaby Digby Ione on 20 minutes.  Unfortunately, the Brumbies couldn't capitalise on the ball won for them, with centre Christian Lealiifano missing two penalties –one of them being an absolute sitter – before Harris and Nic White, taking over kicking duties, exchanged 3 pointers to leave the score 8-6 to the home side at the break.  It had been a scrappy half with the only real excitement coming from Mogg's try and several scuffles between two packs who were obviously fired up and frustrated at being denied quick ball by their opposite numbers.

Unfortunately, the second half yielded more of the same – with referee Andrew Lees refusing to yellow card anyone for persistent offending, Lealiifano missing another simple kick, and neither side really looking like they were going to score.  Quade Cooper was desperately wanting to get the ball in space to try and weave some magic but for the most part he was left to rely on his kicking game as the excellent Brumbies defence cut down his options.  Other playmakers for the Reds weren't faring much better.  Digby Ione had looked lively on a couple of occasions when he had the ball but had got himself isolated far too often, whilst replacement centre, the prodigally talented Chris F'Sautia, showed good power on a couple of occasions but was turned over twice in the 20 minutes he was on.

Jesse Mogg was handed the kicking tee in a further shuffle of kicking duties for the Brumbies, and this provided an instant effect as he nailed 2 of his 3 kicks, followed up by a 50 metre belter from White, leaving the Brumbies 17-6 up and in complete control with 10 minutes remaining.  This seemed to eventually stir the Reds into life as they began chucking the ball around with a bit more pace, but they struggled to hold onto the ball at key times.  Then, in the dying embers of the game, Cooper threw an ambitious pass on his own 22 which a grateful Mogg plucked out of the air, jogging in to put the icing on the cake.  Replacement Robbie Coleman – the Brumbies' fourth kicker of the day – ended the game with a 100% kicking record (1 from 1, in front of the sticks) to leave himself as statistically the best kicker on the park and the final score 24-6 to the home side.  It may not have needed anything quite as dramatic as a meteorite strike, but the bit of spark everyone was expecting never really showed up.