Blues
20
Match Complete
ACT Brumbies
25
| 34 |  | L. Lonergan | ||
| B. Barrett |  | 30 | ||
| T. Robinson | | 29 | ||
| B. Barrett |  | 28 | ||
| 26 | | R. Lonergan | ||
| B. Barrett | | 24 | ||
| 18 | | R. Lonergan | ||
| 17 | | A. Muirhead | ||
| B. Barrett | | 13 | ||
| R. Riccitelli | | 12 | ||
| 6 | | |||
| 1 | | R. Lonergan |
| 2 | Tries | 3 | ||
| 2 | Conversions | 1 | ||
| 2 | Penalty Goals | 2 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
The ACT Brumbies will be out for revenge of their 2022 semi-final loss to the Blues when they clash in Super Round on Sunday afternoon. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 2pm (AEDT).
The Blues won both games between these sides in 2022 and both of those were absolute belters with the combined winning margin just 3 points.
2023 has seen both sides open their season with a win, but it was the Blues who were the most impressive as they put away a hapless Highlanders side that had no answers for the star-studded backline of the Blues.
Blues winger Mark Telea had an absolute field day last week racking up stats with ease and Brumbies livewire winger Corey Toole will have to use all his tricks to keep him quiet.
Blues coach Leon MacDonald has the luxury of naming an unchanged backline full of excitement but will have to do without Akira Ioane in the forwards. Luckily for MacDonald, he can call on the equally devastating Hoskins Sotutu to make up for Ioane’s absence.
The Brumbies crashed the Waratahs party last week and are hoping to do the same to the Blues and have also named an unchanged backline from the win in Sydney.
There are changes in the forward pack as Lachlan Lonergan is back into the starting side and the comeback story of John Ulugia continues for a second week, although he’s probably hoping he only plays less than 30 minutes after more than 70 last week.
James Slipper comes in for Blake Schoupp in the front row as the only other change and his experience will be vital. The pack is one area the Brumbies might have an edge on the Blues, but they will need to get stuck in early and roll up the sleeves to nullify the Blues and avoid giving the backline space or they could find themselves in big trouble.
Game information
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Kick-off: 2pm (AEDT)
Streaming: Stan Sport
Betting: Blues $1.19, Brumbies $4.75 – odds via PlayUp
Teams
Blues
1. Joshua Fusitu’a 2. Ricky Riccitelli 3. James Lay 4. Patrick Tuipulotu 5. Cameron Suafoa 6. Tom Robinson 7. Dalton Papalii 8. Hoskins Sotutu 9. Finlay Christie 10. Beauden Barrett 11. Caleb Clarke 12. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 13. Rieko Ioane 14. Mark Telea 15. Stephen Perofeta.
Replacements: 16. Kurt Eklund 17. Ofa Tuungafasi 18. Marcel Renata 19. James Tucker 20. Adrian Choat 21. Taufa Funaki 22. Bryce Heem 23. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Keepkens
Brumbies
1. James Slipper 2. Lachlan Lonergan 3. Allan Alaalatoa (c) 4. Nick Frost 5. Cadeyrn Neville 6. Rob Valetini 7. Rory Scott 8. Pete Samu 9. Ryan Lonergan10. Jack Debreczeni 11. Corey Toole 12. Tamati Tua 13. Len Ikitau 14. Andy Muirhead 15. Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16. John Ulugia 17. Blake Schoupp 18. Rhys Van Nek 19. Darcy Swain 20. Luke Reimer 21. Nic White 22. Noah Lolesio 23. Ollie Sapsford
CW Moss
Roar Rookie
Hey Ken. My Dad's Aussie and my mum is kiwi, I'm in transition.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ Was left a very strong roster” Roster? Or culture?
PeterK
Roar Guru
Larkham is just a better coach than McKellar. Brumbies lost Sio, Faingaa, Simone and Banks from last year and yet Larkham has improved them with no big name signings.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Excellent post Faith. You can see the thinking in real time, eh? Slender margins at this level. BBBB and RTS, and Reiko to boot, look like world beaters in isolation. But there’s the rub, rugby doesn’t happen in isolation.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Ben is at least as Aussie as the phone chucker and Crowded House.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
But Peter, one player roster does not a summer make. The Brumby glue factory is in full production. Many hooves, one mind.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
OKeefe went up a lot in my estimation in that game- and I’m on record early in that match speaking highly of him long before Brummies stole the biscuits. An excellent example of strong refereeing.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
You did very, very, very well DA. Yep 15 Brum brains stayed bolted on, beautifully- and occasionally brutally.
Double Agent
Guest
I don't usually trumpet my own horn Ken, as you know, but I was asked by Rebels HQ to locate amongst the thousands of tools in my ,ah, tool shed, the location ( technically the whereabouts) of my Torque Wrench. Having found said Torque Wrench I was speeded (or sped) by Police Escort (not to be confused with a Ford Escort) to Melbourne. My on field presence has been digitally removed by the tech experts at Stan ( yeah I know - tech experts at Stan!!) but in every stoppage of play I had to put the Torque Wrench on Tom Wright's Skull and adjust it accurately. Think I did OK :silly:
PeterK
Roar Guru
weaker roster than last year
Jezdexter
Roar Rookie
So? The Brumbies discipline kept them in the game then. If they had two yellows and a bunch more penalties like their opponents they would likely have lost. The reality is that the Blues, Crusaders and Chiefs are all, on paper, better teams than the Brumbies. However the Brumbies manage to stay competitive with and rack up wins against all of those teams.
Cannonball
Roar Rookie
Agreed, I like that he didn’t take any nonsense. Both captains asked if they could chat to the lads, BOK said “nup, you already have and if they’re not getting it they can have a yellow.” My view of him went up considerably today :thumbup:
Bobby
Roar Rookie
:silly: :silly: :silly:
Faith
Roar Rookie
Lucky for them they have to meet the Canes without Ardie ...
Andy J
Roar Rookie
Yeah only recieved double the penalties should get triple if he was fair
Andy J
Roar Rookie
They’d struggle in direct sunlight
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Yes, there was the tackle, then there was the pest off the ball blocking the pass. Classy.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Okeefe missed a couple of things in that game but overall he had a brilliant game imo.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ did they think they only had to turn up? Too many reading their own press. Reiko who?” Although I did pick the Blues, I also said that it would be a battle of hubris. The Brums kept their heads a little neater than the Blues, who seemed to be reading from a different law book in the first half. (I wondered if Sean Fitz was coaching them again?) And Tom Wright, although less brilliant this week kept his brain bolted on.
FrancisF
Roar Pro
If you are right, Brumbies should have been in the SR FINAL last year, or hsd won the championship. Fastforward to today: Brumbies should have beaten the Blues by 50 points….. Instead it almost lost the game after the final whistle if not for a breakdown screwup by the Blues inside the Brumbies’s 10 m line. It was not a better team which won, but rather that the opposite team made too many unforced errors.