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The Brumbies spirited yet ultimately unsuccessful Super Rugby final on the weekend showed why all teams need to have a contingency plan.
Unfortunately for the Brumbies they didn’t have a contingency plan that could be executed with any real effect.
For the second week in a row the Brumbies found themselves needing a try to stay alive at the end of the game but against the Chiefs, unlike the week before against the Bulls, they never looked like getting it.
The longer the Brumbies held onto the ball the more they lacked direction, and it seemed that if the Chiefs didn’t infringe then the Brumbies didn’t really know what else to do.
Too many times the Brumbies went blind before realising that they had no support and were forced to turn back to the open.
There were too many long passes from forwards at the base of the ruck to other flat-footed forwards that were easily picked off behind the advantage line by the Chiefs. Unlike last week the New Zealanders didn’t commit many forwards to the breakdown, instead preferring to concentrate on maintaining their defensive line.
Out wide the Brumbies didn’t ask anywhere near enough of the Chiefs’ defence.
The Brumbies backs were guilty of passing too early and thereby not drawing any defenders, running across-field, cramping their teammates and taking the wrong options.
On 10 occasions the Brumbies held possession for seven or more phases, however the majority of these were ended by indecision or taking the wrong option which inevitably caused a halt in momentum and eventually a turnover.
The Brumbies forwards were incredible, as they have been all year, but the Brumbies’ one-dimensional philosophy meant that as soon as the Chiefs led by more than three points the game was effectively over.
This Brumbies team has many similarities to the Stormers in 2011. They have an amazing forward pack that can retain possession and provide quality front-foot ball, a brilliant kicking game and game management, and gifted outside backs who unfortunately don’t see anywhere near enough quality ball.
And just like the Brumbies this year, when the Stormers came up against a Crusaders side in the semis that matched them up front, they had no alternative plan.
Now Brumbies fans are going to say that they scored the third most tries during the Super rugby season and they would be correct, however very few of those tries came in important games and there is a huge difference between scoring a try and constructing a try.
It’s one thing to have your forward pack smash their way up-field and fling it wide once the defensive line is in disarray and backpedalling, but it’s another thing altogether to construct a try when the defence is organised and not providing any holes, like the Chiefs were in the second half of the final.
While the Chiefs looked comfortable mixing it up between close-in and wider, the Brumbies never looked comfortable once the ball went wide, with the Chiefs’ defence simply drifting and allowing the Brumbies backs to cramp their runners.
Having the ability to go wide is one thing, but having the confidence to go wide when the chips are down in a big game is something that takes a lot of development and the Brumbies combinations weren’t good enough in the final.
The Brumbies played to their strengths but the Chiefs knew exactly what those strengths were. They were able to effectively manage them over the duration of the 80 minutes.
After half-time the Chiefs were very good at limiting the number of kickable penalties knowing that it was the Brumbies’ biggest scoreboard threat.
The problem with predictability is that inevitably you will come up against a team that can manage your strengths. If you can’t vary your game plan then you’re in trouble.
In this case it could be said that the inability of the Brumbies to devote enough time during the season to a contingency plan meant that when the time came to implement it, the players weren’t comfortable in its execution.
Now obviously there is an experience factor at play here, with key Brumbies backs not having played much if any Test rugby, but some of the blame must lie with the coach’s philosophy.
As good a coach as Jake White is, his refusal to play anything but his system shows that Ewen Mckenzie was the right fit for the Wallabies.
Mckenzie’s variation and unpredictability are his greatest strengths, which have allowed him to pull the opposition’s pants down on more than a few occasions during his time as a coach.
Variation and unpredictability is a must for the Wallabies, as more than one style of rugby will need to be played.
Out wide is where we need to be firing as it’s our greatest strength.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.