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Brumbies rising, but still have a way to go

Australia's Brumbies Peter Kimlin is challenged by South Africa's Lions Elton Jantjies. AP Photo/Themba Hadebe
Roar Guru
4th May, 2012
13

The Brumbies are flying high on top of the Australian conference. But regardless of whether they win or lose this weekend’s crunch game against the Waratahs, they still have a way to go.

Don’t get me wrong, the Brumbies have been the surprise packet of the 2012 Super Rugby season, at least among the Australian teams.

After a disastrous 2011, which saw several Wallabies depart, not much was expected from the Canberra boys this year.

But they have refused to live up to the critics predictions.

A lot of credit has to go to Jake White; the World Cup-winning coach has been a revelation and has really marshaled a team devoid of big-name stars.

The input of Laurie Fisher has also been crucial. A former Brumbies head coach, it must have taken a lot of guts to take a demotion at a franchise where he had the top job.

Yet Fisher has done it and turned the Brumbies’ unheralded forward pack into one of the best in the competition.

The front row is firing; Ben Mowen has to be a Wallaby-in-waiting, while the likes of Scott Fardy, Peter Kimlin and Leon Power are playing like seasoned veterans.

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Their two big loose forwards Auelua and Vaea have been destructive, while Michael Hooper has further developed with each game to showcase his amazing talent.

Christian Lealiifano also is looking like potential Wallaby material, while Jesse Mogg has scored arguably the try of the season. Their Fijian wingers are flying and the loss of flyhalf Matt Toomua has not derailed them.

The no-name Brumbies have simply been great. Their use of the rolling maul, their counter-rucking and their commitment in defence has meant they are very tough to beat.

That latter attribute was on show in the Lions, where – in the 54th minute – four Brumbies players chased down an intercept from a Lions player 80 metres on.

To put it simply, they aren’t the finished article yet.

Goal-kicking has been an Achilles’ heel for the side. Better kicking in the Bulls game (and better refereeing), for example, would have led to a win.

Whether its Mogg or Lealiifano taking the kicks, there has not been enough consistency or accuracy.

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Great and successful rugby teams have an awesome goalkicker in their ranks, and it’s hard to see a Morne Steyn or Dan Carter become a dead-eye kicker in the Brumbies side.

Positional kicking in play from the Brumbies has also been erratic. Too often there have been too many kicks put out on the full or directly to opposition players.

These chances must not be wasted so easily. When it comes to semi-final times, mistakes like these will be really costly.

In saying that, it’s been great to see the progression of the Brumbies in 2012.

They have gone from cautious winners over the Force in round one to slicing South African opposition with try after try in the past two games.

The Brumbies might still have a way to come, but eight rounds remain in the competition.

With Jake White signing a four-year deal as a coach, may the good times roll on in the capital.

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