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If you are a NSW supporter then you should have taken this week easy, as the importance of the clash between the Waratahs and Brumbies this weekend cannot be underestimated. We’ll have live scores and commentary from 7.40pm AEST.
Win this and you keep the mathematical dream alive, lose and the challenge might become insurmountable.
To qualify for the playoffs, the Waratahs need to collect a win in every game and a bonus point in every match will secure a spot, so it isn’t going to be easy, but as JFK said famously all that many years ago, “We do this not because it is easy, but because it is hard”.
The Brumbies on the other hand is now playing catch up, by winning last weekend’s clash against the Sharks the Reds are now three points ahead of the Brumbies in actual log points earned and one win ahead of the Brumbies who has been top of the Australian Conference for the most part.
The previous results between the Waratahs and Brumbies does not tell us much:
– March 2011 Brumbies 22-29 Waratahs
– June 2011 Waratahs 41-7 Brumbies
– May 2012 Brumbies 23-6 Waratahs
– July 2012 Waratahs 15-19 Brumbies
– March 2013 Brumbies 35-6 Waratahs
From this we can see that previous results have gone to form, in 2011 the Waratahs had a good season and the Brumbies a poor one, in 2012 it was reversed.
Even though the Brumbies managed a convincing win over the Waratahs earlier in the season the reality is the Waratah team now would put 30 points on the Waratah team of March this year and that is why this match will be extremely difficult to predict.
Are the Waratahs really on a comeback or have they just hit a rich patch which in years to come might just be called another false dawn?
Although I still don’t believe the Waratahs will make the play offs, I believe they can win this one, playing at home and having built continuity and momentum in the past few weeks, the Brumbies have been lounging around and losing momentum, so this one is there for the Tahs to lose.
Folau is in great form, Adam Ashley Cooper is in great form, Hooper is on fire and will meet George Smith head on, Cam Crawford has been coming through strongly in the past few weeks and even though Bernard Foley was not at his best this past weekend he is still in my view second best to only Quade Cooper this season in the Australian conference.
We know what to expect from the Brumbies, they won’t play in their half, they will ensure their tactical kicking keeps them in the right area of the pitch.
It is likely we will see a similar pattern in this match as when the Reds played the Brumbies last time round.
Christian Lealiifano will take any points that are on offer, they are very reliant on their forward pack and will be dangerous in the red zone, but for me, Foley, Betham, Cooper and Folau are the danger runners for the Waratahs, if they can manage to build pressure and Hooper can keep George Smith in check.
The game is there for the taking, granted of course the Tahs play it tactically in the right areas of the field.
For the Brumbies to take this match, they will have to strike first and build a lead, something they have managed to do in most games this season.
Photos: LookPro
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