A stream of similarities between the Melbourne and Canberra-based sides were evident this weekend as both opened their Super Rugby campaigns with losses to (gulp) Kiwi teams.
Each were without Wallaby props, both were ripped apart by the opposition outside backs, a product of their aimless kicking games, and were equally crippled by a lack of direction provided by inexperienced fly-halves.
However the one big difference between the two Australian sides, surprisingly dependent upon which side of the ditch the players were on, was an apparent desire to be out on the pitch.
Keeping to the tradition of a tight affair, the visitors to Christchurch battled competitively throughout the night, a drive that was ultimately reflected on the scoreboard with the narrow four-point loss.
Led by a fierce backrow with a gaping Pocock-sized hole, the Brumbies wrestled tirelessly with quick line speed and brilliant support play, before defiantly taking away a bonus point loss.
While they still walked away with a loss to open the season, the vigor showed in the new look Brumbies side was enough to quell critics after losing the experience of senior players Stephen Moore (Reds), David Pocock (sabbatical), Christian Lealiifano (illness), Matt Toomua (Leicester Tigers) and Joe Tomane (Montpellier).
In comparison, as the match waned, the Rebels appeared tired and lacklustre, evidenced by a lack of accuracy at the breakdown and struggling to breach the line of defence.
Their campaign suffered a setback with the early loss of captain and halfback Nic Stirzaker, and while competitive with him on the field, the Rebels never recovered composure, nor the competitiveness and fire he brings to the side.
The Rebels were all but a pebble in a river of Blues tries as the visitors ran in six unanswered tries, finishing the night with seven.
It serves an unfriendly reminder for Australian rugby, as the wooden spooners of last year’s New Zealand conference, comprehensively trounced the Melbourne side that is hoping for a maiden finals berth.
A worrying sign consistent across all Australian Super Rugby sides that trickles to the Wallabies is a lack of more than one wrecking ball runner, seemingly able to break the line at will.
Contrastingly, the New Zealand sides are dotted with four or five spread through the forward packs and to the wings, allowing their playmakers the go forward required that the Rebels and Brumbies desperately were without on the opening weekend.
Jackson Garden-Bachop struggled to compose himself under pressure from a rushing Blues’ defence, with his side resorting to the under-10s style of play of “give it to Timani, give it to Timani.”
By the end of their 38-point smacking, the Rebels looked spent, with the final quarter of the match comprising missed tackles and slow ball play.
The side will look to be bolstered by the hopeful return of wingers Sefa Naivalu and Marika Koroibete who will give their flanks some much needed strike-power.
The Brumbies showed enough grit in their loss to the Crusaders to that show this year’s competition will not be a battle between the two traditional Aussie powerhouse states to top the conference.
Browny
Guest
If the ARU wants to cut a team they have to choose from one of the four they own.
Browny
Guest
McMahon was injured playing for the Wallabies. Toolis was out before preseason started with a back issue. Hanson hurt his back in the trial. Smith did his hamstring in the Brisbane tens. Naivalu was sick. Koroibete and Jeffries had knee and ankle injuries respectively. Inman a late withdrawal on match day. Not a single issue with preseason mismanagement there, if there was an issue you have multiple soft tissue injuries and the like but that's not the case.The only way to have prevented all of those would to have had all the boys wrapped in cotton wool after the 2016 SR season finished, no national duty, NRC, 10s, trials, or training. And kept in some kind of quarantine to prevent any kind of sickness being caught. That's hardly a recipe for any kind of success. The Rebels have just been unlucky over the last few weeks. One positive way to spin it is that due to the draw these first 4-5 weeks they weren't expected to win many, if any, so they're not that much worse off as far as the season goes. By the end of the season the team won't resemble the one from round 1. By my count there's 8 starters missing from that XV including 6 internationals and a wallaby tourist, plus multiple positional changes. Last week was a long, long way from the best XV. Here's hoping things improve from here as the troops slowly come back...
MC
Guest
For Brumbies to win get rid of Henry Speight as well. very poor play. needs to sit on sidelines to get his mojo back and not try find it in important super games like we have been trying with QC. Am losing interest in rugby due to these kind of coaching - very soft on players who the media loves. need to toughen up in a previously man's game. good to the girls playing it now but we do not have to become soft but empowered to get more tough.
Republican
Guest
........& yet this counts for diddly when push comes to shove, i.e. to say the Brumbies and as such, the ACT are to be the scapegoat for Australian Rugby when the axe finally does fall......
RedandBlack
Guest
Yeah - not a bad backbone to build on if those 2 keep their form.
Akari
Roar Rookie
Fardy and Carter talked the talk before departing for Saderland and then did the hard work to show the way for the rest of the team. That's the best I've seen of both in a long while. I'm sure that Cheika will have noticed too.
Connor McGoverne
Roar Rookie
Sorry, you're right, I should have been more specific. Tradational powerhouses = imbalanced overfunding and favouritised states despite lack of success and/or form
Mitchell C
Guest
“The Brumbies showed enough grit in their loss to the Crusaders to that show this year’s competition will not be a battle between the two traditional Aussie powerhouse states to top the conference” Brumbies are the most successful Australian Super rugby side. The reds haven't been near the top of the conference in years. Shows how much you know.
Rory Mc
Guest
Connor "The Brumbies showed enough grit in their loss to the Crusaders to that show this year’s competition will not be a battle between the two traditional Aussie powerhouse states to top the conference" The Brumbies are the most successful team in Australian Super Rugby history (not the Waratahs or the Reds)!
RedandBlack
Guest
Oddly enough I was pleased with the Brumbies showing - less so with my boys - but I never like to see a great side slip and the Brum's came out and showed that history and tradition, married with a bit of guts and determination - still mean something in rugby.
DaveR
Guest
With a large number of injuries, three significant losses under the belt ( incl. two trials), apparent lack of energy and heads in the wrong place, I wonder if the Rebel's pre-season has been badly managed? Would the boys have been better off on a beer-drinking holiday than the program they went through?
wombat
Guest
i thought Hodge was somewhere else, his head wasn't In game Debrezcini [excuse spelling] is the most over rated player in AUS super rugby I backed them thinking if they can win at home against the Blues they may finally step up! Wrong!! they will have another poor season
DH
Guest
There was a complete lack of experience and leadership on field for the Rebels. Meehan tries hard but seems to be happy to simply pass the ball to the first option which presents itself and not demand anything from his runners. Nor do any of the forwards take it upon themselves to demand the ball and when the backs demand the ball, they do it from deep, at half pace as if it's the first week of pre-season training. They need a rocket to come from within in every area of the field.
Blue Horned Mike
Roar Rookie
The biggest difference? The bonus point of course! :P
RubberLegs
Guest
When the Rebels went behind on the scoreboard they started playing like the were five minutes to go rather than 30+ minutes on the clock. Stirzaker's leadership was needed but he was off the field with a head knock.