Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has vowed to continue mixing things up at the selection table in his side’s push to top the Australian Super Rugby conference.
Despite a 28-12 win over bitter rivals the Waratahs last week, Larkham made five changes to his starting line-up to face the Highlanders who prevailed 18-13 in a tight tussle in Canberra on Saturday night.
Wallabies flanker Scott Fardy’s surprising early-season rest foreshadowed the coach’s propensity to rotate his forwards with only one unchanged Brumbies team fielded this season.
“The guys have really enjoyed getting out there for a couple of games and then letting other guys have a chance,” Larkham said.
“We want to maintain that throughout the whole year.”
The Brumbies head to the bye 2-3 but appear to be Australia’s biggest Super Rugby hope after pushing the Crusaders and Highlanders to the brink and losing after the siren to the Sharks.
Winger James Dargaville was rested against the Waratahs in favour of Nigel Ah Wong, while props Nic Mayhew and Ben Alexander have been interchanged and lock Blake Enever made his first start for the year against the Highlanders.
“The beauty of this squad is that there is so much competition for spots,” Larkham said.
“There’s been guys who’ve had their opportunity in these first five games to get into the squad. Other guys who have missed out who probably don’t deserve to have missed out.
Larkham is mindful of the tension between maintaining combinations and rotating his young squad, but is intent on sticking with changes.
“You’ve got to be very careful with who you change and when you change,” he said.
With the five-point margin put on them by the Highlanders their heaviest defeat of the year, the Brumbies could be forgiven for spending their break thinking of what could have been.
But after a brief consideration of various scenarios Larkham reached a realist’s conclusion.
“It’s irrelevant, isn’t it?”
“Our destiny, like we always say, is in our hands.
“If we make sure we win the games in front of us, the result will look after itself at the end of the year.”
Red Block
Guest
Oh no, now I'm really depressed.
Republican
Guest
.......no TWAS that hasn't been the expectation from what I have read locally and first hand from mates who support them. They really didn't expect to be at all competitive, certainly on the road so the game in Cch was almost considered a win in this context. NSW were faves to defeat a Brumbies that has lost a lot of its experienced on field personnel of recent years, so they have surprised but also disappointed when you consider the game v the Highlanders at home.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Have they though? They've beaten the Waratahs and the Force and lost 3 games. I'm sure plenty would have expected this start to the season for them.
Republican
Guest
.....not for long. The Brumbies have done better than expected but given the inevitable injuries that will happen to key players and no hope of winning on the road, especially in Saffa, they are destined to finish cellar dwellers of the Ozzie conference. The Reds are due for a win and should realise that v them next round. If they cant at least win at home then they are Buckley's & none to be finals contenders......
R2D2
Guest
Wouldn't you want to establish a platform first before you experiment and rotate players. Larkham hasn't even got a structure in place yet, get some consistent results, keep your core players in the team, yes introduce new and inexperience player when the time is right, but not a rotation system.If you are confident with your squad and believe your players are capable to fulfilling their roles, then sure ,rotate. The Brumbies are at the top of the Oz conf , but they definitely not in terms of the total comp....Larkham needs to be honest with himself and his team.
Bluetooth
Guest
its too early in the season for all this talk of doom and gloom lets see how the Aussie teams go once we get to the halfway mark of the season
Republican
Guest
.........practicing for their imminent rotation between cities, i.e. Canberra & Melbourne?
MH01
Guest
Rotate the coaches, under larkham the Brumbies have been dire in attack. Might was we'll get a coach that used to be a forward, heck bring back jack white, they played better attacking rugby under him
Old Bugger
Guest
Well, someone has to write something so I'll state what I think, is the obvious......I don't think its the team that could be under fire - I'd suggest it's the coach, who could be feeling the warmth, under his backside. And he, is the future, for the national squad.......hmmmmm!!