Brumbies
61
Match Complete
NSW Waratahs
10
| R. Lonergan |  | 78 | ||
| T. Banks |  | 76 | ||
| R. Lonergan | | 72 | ||
| M. Hansen | | 70 | ||
| R. Lonergan | | 63 | ||
| L. Lonergan | | 62 | ||
| N. Lolesio | | 57 | ||
| M. Hansen | | 55 | ||
| N. Lolesio | | 44 | ||
| N. Lolesio | | 42 | ||
| N. White | | 42 | ||
| C. McInerney | | 41 | ||
| 30 | | W. Harrison | ||
| 29 | | H. Johnson-Holmes | ||
| N. Lolesio | | 26 | ||
| N. Lolesio | | 24 | ||
| M. Hansen | | 11 | ||
| N. Lolesio | | 8 | ||
| R. Valetini | | 7 | ||
| 3 |  | W. Harrison |
| 9 | Tries | 1 | ||
| 8 | Conversions | 1 | ||
| 0 | Penalty Goals | 1 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
The ACT Brumbies will be strong favourites to maintain an undefeated start to the Super Rugby AU season as they welcome the NSW Waratahs to Canberra in Round 2. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of what promises to be a thrilling match starting from 7:45pm (AEDT).
This rivalry goes back many years and even though they suffered a brutal loss in the opening round, the Tahs will come back swinging hard.
The Brumbies had a solid start to the competition with a controlled away win over the Western Force. They didn’t set the world on fire by any means but the win was never really in doubt. The key partnership of Nic White and Noah Lolesio worked well, with some lovely moments that cut the defence open.
The team for this week is almost exactly the same as the one that started things off in Perth. There is one change up front as Connal McInerney replaces Folau Fainga’a because of a toe injury.
With this settled side we should look for the key combinations to develop further, especially the centre pairing of Len Ikitau and Irae Simone. They looked good in Round 1 and could become a scary proposition if they keep developing.
For the Waratahs, there’s a bit more change for fans to get their heads around. Sadly for the club, skipper Jake Gordon is out for a while and will be replaced by 27-year-old Tahs debutant Jack Grant. Grant and flyhalf Will Harrison will get a lot of attention from the fans, the pundits and the Brumbies’ back row and it could be a very difficult night for them.
Harrison – who came up through the representative ranks with opposite number Lolesio – had a disappointing game last week. He played too deep and he seemed very passive for the whole game.
Other changes for the NSW men include the arrival of Mark Nawaqanitawase and Tepai Moeroa to the back line and the movement of Alex Newsome to centre. Newsome will also wear the captain’s armband.
Up front the Tahs will need to really step up their performance if they want to compete with the home side.
The return of Lachie Swinton in the back row will bring some aggression that could put the Brumbies off their game, but he can’t do this alone and the whole pack will need to support him on his mission to wreck and destroy.
Prediction
It doesn’t look good for the Tahs. In the previous 17 games when the Brumbies have been at home, they’ve won 16 of them, and in the previous two, they’ve won by an average of over 30 points.
Add in last week’s form and the lack of first-choice players and Saturday night could get very ugly for them.
Brumbies by 15.
Game information
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 7.45pm (AEDT)
Betting: Brumbies $1.12, Waratahs $6.80
Teams
Brumbies
15. Tom Banks, 14. Andy Muirhead, 13. Len Ikitau, 12. Irae Simone, 11. Mack Hansen, 10. Noah Lolesio, 9. Nic White, 8. Pete Samu, 7. Jahrome Brown, 6. Rob Valetini, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 4. Darcy Swain, 3. Allan Alaalatoa (c), 2. Connal McInerney, 1. James Slipper.
Replacements: 16. Lachlan Lonergan, 17. Harry Lloyd, 18. Tom Ross, 19. Nick Frost, 20. Tom Cusack, 21. Ryan Lonergan, 22. Reesjan Pasitoa, 23. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa.
Waratahs
15. Jack Maddocks, 14. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13. Alex Newsome (c), 12. Tepai Moeroa, 11. James Ramm, 10. Will Harrison, 9. Jack Grant, 8. Jack Dempsey, 7. Carlo Tizzano, 6. Lachie Swinton, 5. Jack Whetton, 4. Sam Caird, 3. Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2. Tom Horton, 1. Angus Bell.
Replacements: 16. David Porecki, 17. Te Tera Faulkner, 18. Sio Tatola, 19. Jeremy Williams, 20. Hugh Sinclair, 21. Henry Robertson, 22. Tane Edmed, 23. Triston Reilly.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Dunno about Rennie to keep picking Hooper. This year maybe but I think he will select a new captain. Understand your point of Hooper and his stupid over the top contract.
Laith
Guest
How can the tahs be so insipid soft weak and clueless? They have so many capped Wallabies Dempsey Swinton Bell HJH Maddocks .Also wallaby squad members Ramm Horton Harrison and Wunderkid Tizzano.Maybe they are not that good?
Marto
Guest
Lol :laughing: :laughing: Nevermind Chookster the pain will ease to ecstacy in a couple of months as you will still get an unjustified and unprecedented number of your tahs in the Wallabies 23. Chin up son.
Tezza
Guest
and Brumbies..very few Tahs..
Ace
Guest
id have pistol Pete as Wallaby 7. He is far superior to Hooper.But unfortunately Hooper has to be picked as his contract is worth 6 Million.Rennie hasnt got the ticker to not select him. I thought Rennie would be his own man and select on form.So far he has failed cataclysmically.
BlouBul
Roar Rookie
For some reason; maybe the exchange rate maybe the skills level, you don't often find AU players in SA.
Adsa
Roar Rookie
Matt Toomua is getting a bit of praise for his game, but the other side of the ledger shows no tries by the Rebels. The Rebels under Toomua's direction did not even look close to scoring through a back line play.
wahwah100
Roar Rookie
No,Dempsey for a player of his experience should have been leading the forwards on. I am not sure who was.
wahwah100
Roar Rookie
Muirhead/ Banks
jeznez
Roar Guru
He fires into rucks but I’d say he’s a tackler first, runner second and ruck cleaner third. Haven’t noted a jackal from him yet.
Oblonsky’s Other Pun
Guest
Is Carlo not? Same problem the Wallabies had last season then.
Double Agent
Guest
Rennie still coaching the Wallabies in 2200? I hope I'm still around to see that.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Campbell runs the ball really well but he doesn’t tackled . Petaia does . You may be right.
jeznez
Roar Guru
There is no naturally ruck focused player in the trio.
jeznez
Roar Guru
It's all good Pete - I'm just excited that half the entire Wallabies squad are going to be Tahs. The improvement that means we are going to see from our players is going to be huge!
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Most successful wallabies team had a majority of Reds.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
He didn't get results until they brought McKay in. Thorn is just a figurehead.
egbert
Guest
True, but before Super Rugby we used to get NSW v QLD games on the ABC, so they've been shown before, but the Brumbies (and Rebels and Force) have never been live on free to air -- good point Fr4d.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Well last week was. This was the second time.
Steven Harris
At least I don't have to suffer through another Tahs game on gem this week Brumbies v Melbourne