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Super Rugby Finals are upon us, and amidst the raft of deserved doom and gloom written on The Roar recently regarding the state of Australian rugby, we do have an Aussie team in the finals.
While one might suggest claims of a Australian side defeating a New Zealand team are fanciful, here are the five factors that will ensure the home side knocks out the defending champions.
Some of these could be interpreted as delusions of grandeur, but let’s take a look for now.
1. David Pocock returns! Australia’s talisman number 7 and all-round good guy is back from a dented eye-socket and all to the demise of the defending champs. While his modified head-gear conjures an image of Ram-Man from Masters of the Universe days, his inclusion is a massive in and immediately changes the dynamic at the breakdown.
2. Tomas Cubelli will not box kick. The Argentinian scrum-half has been a fantastic acquisition for the Canberran side this season, with a sound passing and strong running game. However, he seems to have caught the Australian rugby kicking disease – which is basically choosing the wrong moment to kick the wrong style of punt. Nothing please from the back of the ruck but an accurate pass or snipe.
3. The rolling maul is a strength, but not an obsession. In round 1, the Brumbies put 52 points on minor premiers the Hurricanes with an impressive balance of forward play and crisp back-line movement. How long ago that seems. While the rolling maul has been an effective weapon this season leading to many tries, it has been over-played in the back-end of this year.
The Brumbies need to return to their first round principles – the emphasis on support play and interchange between forwards and backs was a highlight. As has been demonstrated over the rest of the season for the Brumbies, over-structured attack spells doom against New Zealand teams.
4. The farewell factor. This is the last chance for a core group of Brumbies to crack the title. Stephen Moore (Reds), David Pocock (sabbatical), Matt Toomua (overseas) and Joe Tomane (overseas) say goodbye to the Brumbies for season 2017, and it should be motivation for this core senior group to drive the team to go out on a high.
5. Fortress Canberra – the Brumbies have won eight out of ten matches between these two sides in Canberra, including the last four. The men from Otago have not won in Canberra since 2006.
Despite the many hammerings Australian rugby has copped in 2016, particularly over the last two months, the Brumbies have had some reasonable sustained success. This is their fourth consecutive finals series appearance, and it is also the first time an Australian rugby side has swept their antipodean counter-parts in a decade. Some may argue however that this second feat is a bit of a moot point. To them I say look at the scoreboard!
So without further ado, a fearless prediction: Brumbies 22 vs Highlanders 14.
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.