'Best halfback': The 'bold' play that helped seal SF - and rocketed bolter's Test captaincy credentials

Amid the drama and controversy of Ardie Savea’s no-try, the “bold strategy” that led to Tom Wright’s match-winning try was glossed over.

It’s no great surprise given the stoic defensive effort from the Brumbies and Luke Reimer’s ‘hand of God’.

But Ryan Lonergan’s decision-making and leadership, which has him as the biggest bolter in the Wallabies captaincy mix, is worth analysing and bringing to attention.

Having found success through their rolling maul in the 63rd minute to cut the margin to 33-30, Lonergan was faced with a tough call three minutes later as to whether level up the score or kick for touch. It’s a situation Australian rugby has often got wrong over the past decade.

“Here’s a question, (take) three or go to that maul again?” Morgan Turinui said in commentary for Stan Sport.

“Remembering the Brumbies hadn’t scored a maul try since they last played the Hurricanes in round 10. But that previous one never looked like missing.”

Former Brumbies and Wallabies lock Justin Harrison said: “You go to the line. You’ve got to go to the line. I’m a big fan of taking points when they’re on offer, and they’re on offer, they’re on offer at the maul.”

Ryan Lonergan’s decision-making came to the fore in the Brumbies’ quarter-final win over the Hurricanes on Saturday. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Just as Harrison was making his final point, Lonergan, with Jack Debreczeni holding the ball and James Slipper not far away, pointed to the touchline after referee Nic Berry asked what the Brumbies were going to do.

The Brumbies didn’t score, as Rob Valetini decided to peel off when the Hurricanes managed to deny the home side the momentum they wanted.

Soon after, as Lonergan showed off his fine pass off the deck after 69.16 seconds on the clock with a cut out pass, Du’Plessis Kirifi attacked the breakdown but the Hurricanes were penalised at the breakdown.

Lonergan was faced with another decision: take the points, work their usually excellent set-piece or play on quickly. Lonergan chose the least likely option by playing on quickly.

Seeing space outside, with the Hurricanes expecting the Brumbies to either back their set-piece play or take three, Lonergan saw two defenders out wide, two slowly getting into position in front of him and several slow forwards grouped just next to the posts.

With Tom Hooper ready and able to be a ball carrier and props Rhys Van Nek and James Slipper trailing behind, Lonergan played on quickly.

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Lonergan, as he did all evening after being injected in the 57th minute, added to that by going back and forward between the openside and blindside and therefore not being guilty of playing same-way attack.

Having got the bulk of the Hurricanes on the openside, Lonergan bounced back to the blindside where he found Noah Lolesio who smartly took the ball to the line.

Valetini then picked the ball up and attracted multiple defenders, including winger Daniel Sinkinson.

His powerful surge opened up space outside him with Hurricanes playmaker Brett Cameron urgently calling defenders to assist him on the short side.

With just lock James Blackwell able to get across, Wright, with Ollie Sapsford outside him, pinned the ears back, ran the ball in two hands and managed to get on the outside of him and find some soft shoulders and scored.

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The try, as well as Lolesio’s marvellous conversion, put the score out beyond a penalty.

“The bold strategy of the tap has worked with Wright over in the corner,” Turinui said.

It was bold but, crucially, it came off.

Nor was it the first time Lonergan’s heads up play came off.

Minutes earlier, after Reimer’s rolling maul try, the Brumbies set up for a Lonergan box kick second phase from the kick restart just beyond his own 22m line.

Instead, Lonergan switched, didn’t take a step and found Tua midfield, who in turn found Debreczeni and the Brumbies’ backline managed to get well over the gain line as Sapsford was tackled on the opposition 10m line.

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The moment not only relieved pressure, but it turned defence into attack and crucially denied the Hurricanes ball and the chance to hit back.

Lonergan then came into his own, playing either side of the ruck and was quick to the ruck.

“Nice and direct from the Brumbies there,” Harrison said. “Nothing fancy, direct and hard, good connection and carry at the breakdown.”

The movement led to an attacking scrum to the Brumbies, which in turn led to the home side winning a penalty and getting down in the Hurricanes’ attacking zone.

It also continued to show Lonergan’s growth, where the uncapped halfback, who was first included in the Wallabies’ wider squad by Dave Rennie and was one of two halfbacks in Eddie Jones’ April training squad, has shared the time with departing Brumbies No.9 Nic White.

“I really like Ryan Lonergan. I think he’s been the best halfback out of all of them in Australia,” former Wallabies halfback Will Genia told The Roar.

“His core skills are excellent. He’s an excellent kicker of the ball in general play and his box kick. He’s got an excellent pass. He’s got a big engine, he gets to the breakdown quickly and moves the ball. I like that he’s a heads-up footy player. If he sees opportunities, he backs his instincts and skills to be able to execute off the back of it. And he’s just been really, really good.

“Him and Whitey would have the best passes out of all of them [the Australian halfbacks]. The Brumbies are very fortunate they have them both. Whitey’s going to the Force, but that’s an indication of how much they rate Lonergan as well.”

Will Genia believes Ryan Lonergan has been Australia’s best halfback in 2023 and has the skill set to succeed for the Wallabies. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Asked how important it was to have a rapid pass off the deck in the international game, Genia said strong technique allowed halfbacks to execute under pressure and regularly hit the mark.

“All Test halfbacks have good passes, you’re never going to go into a Test match and see a halfback with a slow pass, but what sets the elite ones apart from everyone else is the consistency of it,” he said.

“You’re putting it out in front every single time, or 99 times out of 100. That’s what sets the elite level halfbacks from the regular Test footy players.

“He’s very consistent in his delivery and technique and that’s the thing that allows him to have a good pass. Under pressure he executes it very well and that comes back to repitition and technique and hard work.

“The biggest difference at Test match footy is you’ve got such small room for error. You’ve got to be able to execute your skills in small, tight spaces and windows and technique is king. He looks like he’s got them in spades.

“I like what I see from him. If you said to me, who am I taking as my two halfbacks, I’m taking him and Whitey – no doubt. And I wouldn’t care who started to be honest.”

Lonergan, who has regularly captained representative sides including the Junior Wallabies and Australia A but has largely played second fiddle to his younger brother Lachlan since, is growing his reputation by the day.

While Eddie Jones is likely to name his Wallabies captain focused only on the Wallabies’ World Cup, Lonergan is an outside chance should he wish to shake things up immediately.

His decision-making on Saturday in the Brumbies’ quarter-final won’t have hurt his chances either.