Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham had a
knack for pulling the proverbial rabbit out of a hat during his illustrious
playing days. He’s going to need a giant rabbit foot if his team is to make the
finals, let alone win the title. The Canberra team’s successive losses in South
Africa, including a shambolic performance against the Bulls on the weekend, are
a fair indicator of where they’re at with three games to go before the
play-offs – in an almighty funk.
Granted, it’s not easy to win in the
republic where lower to mid-table teams, so feeble on the road, suddenly become
hometrack bullies. But the Brumbies, by their own lofty standards and
aspirations, would have been bitterly disappointed by what has transpired in
the last fortnight. Their scrum, a strength for most of this season, has
imploded. The line-out has been diabolical. And, aside from winger Henry
Speight’s efforts, very little has come of the attack, and even less of the
defence. The farce against the Cheetahs (see
last week’s column) probably cost Matt Toomua a Wallaby fly-half gig for
the French Test series.
Whatever confidence the Brumbies took from
beating the table-topping Sharks barely three weeks ago in Canberra has
evaporated. The side’s shocking reversal of fortune since then from conference
leader to third – and seventh overall in the competition – was confirmed on the
weekend when the Force’s indomitable captain, Matt Hodgson, conjured a
fourth-try bonus point in the 78th minute against the Lions to snare second
place, just three points adrift of the Waratahs.
Larkham will be eyeing this weekend’s
fixtures as an opportunity to regain lost ground, with the Force and Tahs
facing difficult away assignments to the Crusaders and Chiefs respectively. The
Brumbies are back at home to host the Rebels. In current form, the Rebels would
have to fancy their chances. They’ve already beaten the Brumbies this season
(round seven), and Tony McGahan’s team have improved markedly since then,
notwithstanding a last start 41-19 loss to the Tahs. The Rebels didn’t play
poorly by any stretch. The Tahs were simply the superior team – maybe even the
best in the comp alongside the Hurricanes – with their high risk, high reward
attacking game finally clicking.
The Tahs are soaring. Their coach, Michael
Cheika, has done a magnificent job transforming the NSW side from grind
merchants to thrill-a-minute potential champions. It would have been easy for
Cheika to rein in his team’s flamboyance after the 32-10 loss to the Sharks in
round seven, when they smashed the competition leaders senseless and attacked
from all parts only to come undone by poor handling. Those passes are now
sticking. It’s all coming together.
The Tahs, however, face a tricky
three-match run to the play-offs with the defending champions the Chiefs in
Hamilton on Saturday, and the Brumbies, Highlanders and Reds to follow after
the three-week break for the June internationals. There’s two schools of
thought on the Chiefs following their humiliating 45-8 weekend loss to the
Hurricanes – 1) They’re hurting and will mop the floor with their next
opposition; 2) They’re on the ropes, fatally wounded and ready to drop. The latter
is probably more accurate. There’s blood in the water in Hamilton. If the Tahs
are genuine title contenders, they’ll get a whiff of it and make the kill.
Skelton
needs protection against France
It’s great to see Will Skelton, all 135kg
of him, named in the Wallabies squad. The 22-year-old Tahs lock is an exciting
prospect. Some might view his selection as premature. It’s a fair point.
Skelton’s body might be massive but he still looks and moves like an overgrown
teenager. The softer contours of his upper body will no doubt harden up in
coming seasons and he will develop the stamina required for repeated efforts like
the Kane Douglases and Brodie Retallicks of this world.
Skelton has clearly been selected for
future. And with NZ rugby bosses making noises about reaching out to All
Blacks-eligible players based in Australia, the Australian Rugby Union probably
had no choice but to get him signed on and capped as soon as possible.
Hopefully, the Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie adopts a cautious and graduated
approach to Skelton’s introduction to Test rugby, especially against gnarly
French forwards who’ll go well out of their way to welcome the young lad. It’s
advisable not to send Skelton out to face the French unless James Horwill and
Scott Higginbotham are riding shotgun.
No surprise to see Bernard Foley selected
as one of two fly-halves named in the Wallabies 32-man squad. However, Toomua’s
shunting to the centres in favour of Kurtley Beale as the other fly-half was
unexpected – not so much in that Beale is rated as a fly-half, but more so that
Toomua clearly is not. Toomua has supposedly been one of Australia’s premier
10s at Super level for several seasons, and considered by many to be straight
swap for the injured Quade Cooper. His placement in the centres suggests he
didn’t do nearly enough with ball in hand for the Brumbies this season.
Toomua’s snubbing for one of the fly-half spots must surely rankle given that’s
his preferred position.
Talking
points
• The Reds rarely get a mention these days
now that they’ve spectacularly bombed out of finals contention. However, Friday
night’s game against the Highlanders at Suncorp should be a goodie. The Reds,
although out of the running for silverware, will be desperate for a win to
avoid the ignominy of seven straight losses and a possible wooden spoon. The
Highlanders, unlucky against the Crusaders, quite simply need to win to stay in
the finals race.
• All the talk thus far has been about the
Tahs, Sharks, Crusaders, Chiefs and the Brumbies for the title. But, on form,
the Hurricanes are the side to fear. After witnessing the Canes destroy the
defending champs the Chiefs 45-8 on the weekend, who’d want to face them
first-up should they make the play-offs? The bookies have them at 20-1 to win
the title. It’s madness. If the Canes, second on the NZ conference, beat the
Blues on Saturday expect those odds to plummet.
Super
Rugby round 15 results: Sharks 29 d Blues 23;
Waratahs 41 d Rebels 19; Bulls 44 d Brumbies 23; Crusaders 32 d Highlanders 30;
Hurricanes 45 d Chiefs 8; Force 29 d Lions 19; Stormers 33 d Cheetahs 0.
Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24412491
Brumbies on the brink as Super Rugby play-offs approach
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