The Brumbies will be out for another win when they play the Southern Kings at Canberra Stadium tonight. Join us for live scores and commentary from 7.40pm AEDT.
It’s unclear the logic behind the Kings’ promotion to the Super Rugby competition.
In replacing the Johannesburg-based Lions with the Southern Kings from Eastern Cape, the SARU have managed the insignificant achievement of replacing a plonker with another plonker.
A harsh assessment perhaps and it’s early days but if the SARU are going to make the pretty massive call of pulling the plug on rugby in their largest city, Johannesburg, well it’d want to be for a good reason.
Of course a relegation system works if the promoted team has a chance of actually achieving something.
Otherwise it’s just outright disruptive to have the players and their families in 12-month cycles of employment in Super Rugby.
Not that it’s anything new for a player to be treated like a tap: turned on and off.
On to the business of rugby and taking a look at the home team, the Brumbies.
These guys are on the top of the world, and top of the log.
Their last-ditch win against the Bulls last week was a number of things:
Lucky, ugly, incorrect. A travesty.
It was all these things, yet the Brumbies deserved their win.
They deserved it because they have developed the rare impetus that losing is not an option. It wasn’t a referee’s decision that night that cemented this win, it was the Brumbies’ desperation.
To put themselves in the position, right at the death of the game, for just the slightest opportunity.
About 12 or 13 other teams in this competition would not have managed the same thing.
Thus the Brumbies won playing some pretty average rugby.
They seemingly weren’t keen on backing themselves with the ball in hand, as though Jesse Mogg’s absence gave them the hoodoos.
With Clyde Rathbone not brought on at any time you have to wonder why they just weren’t willing to chance their arm.
Either way there wasn’t much backline play from either side.
The real business was done up front and George Smith showed again why he’s the best forward in Australia.
His call up for the British and Irish Lions tour is fait accompli.
Onto the Southern Kings who have a monopoly on bad stats when it comes to attack. Metres, runs, tries; all grisly reading.
But wait. Their tackle percentage rate is good. In fact it’s not good; it’s exceptional.
And they have the best tackle percentage rate in the comp, at 90 percent.
This is better than the world’s best provincial team, the Crusaders.
Also, their lineout is towards the upper part of the log and their scrum not bad at all. Curious.
If they can learn how to dance with the ball, they might score a try or two. Winning a game may also follow.
Perhaps tonight. To find out, join us at 7.40pm AEDT tonight on The Roar, the place to be for live scores and where you can have your say on the go.
Malo
Guest
Kings will flog the party rebels 13+
Phil Bird
Roar Guru
agreed = (
Phil Bird
Roar Guru
Daniac I'm delighted to be proved a fool on this. I have egg all over my face!
Sage
Guest
Insert Lions for Kings. Damn
Sage
Guest
I thought White was ordinary. Poor passing too many times
Sage
Guest
Don't be too hard on the Kings. Just some modern Saffa blokes who couldn't handle the physicality of Aussies and Kiwi's
Shane
Guest
Forget about the nz leg ? Really? Winning a game over here could be the difference between a home final or an away final the cheifs are now on equal points with a game in hand so I dnt think jake is going to forget about the nz leg.
Justin2
Guest
Ah another coach who should get all the positive stuff when they win but no criticism when th Rey lose...
Jerry
Guest
In 2008, the Crusaders (eventual Champs) lost to the Highlanders (11th) in round 14. In 2009, the Bulls (eventual Champs) lost to the Highlanders (11th) in round 7. Only two teams have gone through the competition unbeaten in history, and only one of those teams actually won all its matches. Any team can slip up and lose to any other team.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
How good are those loosies for the Kings. Massive show of character. Once this team learns some discipline and gets an even share of possesion, they will scare some teams.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
So were the Chiefs and they won it last year. Messam was the only big name in that Chiefs pack.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
The Brumbies slipped up against the Kings, the Highlanders could provide them with another banana skin. I think it will be a great game because both sides will be desperate. Brumbies will want to get the ship back on course, Highlanders want to get off the docks.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
"a draw is a pass mark" For the Kings yes. The Brumbies will be filthy after that draw. No Super team this year would expect anything less then a win at home against the Kings. The problem with playing so well in the early games is that people expect that benchmark every week. When you find the team that can do that, you have found this years champions.
Red Kev
Guest
Just a random note A/B means A or B, not A and B. I realise that since you didn't finish school you probably don't know the conventions of writing English so I'll let you off the hook just this once.
Daniac
Guest
@ Phil After the respect you gave the Kings pre-match, I would loved to watch your thoughts at work as you prepared for this full-time post. Mate, I don't know you and have obviously never met you, but judging by your comments, you need to seriously tone down on the arrogance and disrespect in rugby terms. Yes, the Brumbies were top of the log, and played some great rugby to get there, and true, the Kings are a team full of unknowns and knowns that have not lit up headlines recently, but clearly your disparaging comments were misplaced. ....Perhaps start the full-time post with: OK, I was wrong, they are not as useless as I thought....or something to that effect? Instead Ben Alexander gets the blame...
Straight Banana
Guest
Wow what a short sighted misplaced comment “In replacing the Johannesburg-based Lions with the Southern Kings from Eastern Cape, the SARU have managed the insignificant achievement of replacing a plonker with another plonker.” Phil, you obviously don’t have the faintest of clues about South African Rugby and how seriously the players take the game. The Lions had a lot of problems but thankfully the Kings don’t have any of those, they only have one – inexperience at SupeRugby level. The Kings are the fairy tale side of SupeRugby and are slowly stepping up week by week and the improvement in their play has been evident in bits and pieces. They are learning and they are adapting very quickly. Think they were a bit awe struck at the beginning of their tour facing the Saders but it looks like they have started to realize that they can do it and this game may just be the tipping point for them. There is a massive amount of talent on display in this team and that way they defend and take teams on it bodes very well for them in the future. What will they be like next year with a season of experience behind them? Definitely not the also rans like the Lions, Force and Rebels and by the looks of it they will turn out to be a very difficult team to beat, and this may even be realized within this year. The only way to make the step up to SupeRugby level is to play at SupeRugby level and boy o boy have they caught a lot of us by surprise including Jake Whites Brumbies. I am definitely going to take a bet on the Kings not getting the wooden spoon this year! O boy, I am licking my lips at the prospect of having 5 contending Safa sides in SupeRugby which by the look of things is going to be a reality within the next 24 months.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
OK, so as well as being a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic, you now think you're Robbie Deans. Goes hand in hand really.
Parochial
Guest
Once again our arrogance let us down.I wonder what that Parochial and Biased commentator Grudge Martin will say now about Saffa teams. We really need to show more respect to other teams
Royce, show me one post where I put down a South African poster. you talking through your behind mate. I believe in being diplomatic and curteous, got me far enough in life working to those principles, I teach my son the same way, respect every one.
Smack Down
Guest
But you'll miss. Its pretty hard to hit somebody when you've got one eye and no depth perception.