The dominant lineout beat the dominant scrum as the Highlanders sent the Brumbies packing in a wet and windy Canberra.
A bitterly disappointed Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham had a good old whinge post-match, about virtually everything: the ref not awarding replacement outside back Lausi’i Taliauli a try on full time; not being better rewarded for his team’s scrum dominance – even the six-day turnaround.
“It’s really difficult to not comment on some of those referring decision… we did everything right to win that game,” Larkham lamented.
Not quite Stephen.
For a start your boys were out-scored two tries to none (the replays definitely showed Taliauli was short of the line).
You barely won your own lineout ball with the hair trigger reactions of the Highlander jumpers pinching six Brumby throws – including Elliot Dixon’s doozy five metres out from his own line. You aimlessly kicked away far too much pill and your defence was too passive for all of the first half against a mob who rushed up to gang tackle for the full 80.
Including the last ten when you lived in the Highlanders’ 22m for scrum after scrum and wave after wave of attack. And you were awarded a bagful of penalties for having the superior scrum throughout the match.
Oh, and your opponents also had a six-day turnaround, and a much tougher one at that, backing up from having to subdue the Chiefs in an epic tussle last Saturday while your boys only had to deal with the lowly Force at home.
Not to mention the ‘Landers having flown around the world with games in Argentina and South Africa on consecutive weekends prior.
Aussie fans have no one left to cheer for in Super season 2016. A five-nation comp has been whittled down to two.
Will it be whittled further down to just the one before the weekend’s end, when the result of the Lions v Crusaders clash in Jo’Burg reveals itself.
Back to the game in Canberra, although the result was tight, with less than a converted try the difference in the end. The visitors got there by playing smarter as well as better.
They negated the severe wind shear by throwing short, flat balls mostly to the front of their lineout. Working out that the Brumbies probably wanted to do the same, their two pods of lifters and jumpers worked overtime in defence at the front and the near front of Brumby lineouts, to either cut off their throw or force it long; never a great option in the treacherous conditions.
Putting backrower Luke Whitelock into the utterly unfamiliar position of lock proved a masterstroke as he was able to use his fleet of foot to quickly get into position and his relatively lighter frame for easier hoisting to win his own ball and pinch the opposition’s, which he did on a few occasions.
Near the end of the game, with his team under all sorts of pressure, Highlanders’ blindside Elliot Dixon epitomised his side’s street smarts when he went into contact a bit isolated but milked a penalty by slyly holding down his tackler Scott Fardy to confuse the ref into thinking it was he who was getting interfered with on the ground.
And are there two players that sum up situations quicker and almost always come up with the right answer better than the two All Black Smiths in the Highlanders’ backline? Ben especially was operating on another plane last night with his positional play, kicking, running, passing, tackling, backing up and friendly yet searching, chats to the ref. In between them, Lima Sopoaga’s not bad either with a largely controlled display in demanding conditions.
For all that, the Brumbies went within a few millimetres advancing to the semi-finals.
Larkham called for “crazy line speed” from his troops at the break and he largely got that in a much improved second half performance, right up until the 83rd minute when they were hot on attack.
But it wasn’t to be their night, so no fitting finale for their departing champions Stephen Moore and Matt Toomua.
Once the bitter pills of frustration and disappointment wash through his system, Larkham will see the silver lining from his perspective of assistant Wallabies coach. He, Michael Cheka and co now have the best part of a month to put their plan of beating the All Blacks into action with their full cohort of players available and surely desperate to put things right.
Meanwhile, the Kiwis could well be belting seven shades out of each other for two more weekends. It’s not all bad.
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.
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