Brumbies
40
Match Complete
Reds
27
| 78 |  | B. Hegarty | ||
| 77 |  | L. Wright | ||
| R. Lonergan | | 72 | ||
| M. Douglas | | 71 | ||
| 63 | | B. Hegarty | ||
| 62 | | D. Paia'aua | ||
| 52 |  | M. McGahan | ||
| C. Lealiifano | | 51 | ||
| T. Wright | | 49 | ||
| C. Lealiifano | | 48 | ||
| R. Arnold | | 46 | ||
| 41 | |||
| C. Lealiifano | | 37 | ||
| L. McCaffrey | | 36 | ||
| 30 |  | B. Hegarty | ||
| A. Muirhead | | 18 | ||
| 8 | | B. Hegarty | ||
| 6 | | B. Hegarty |
| 6 | Tries | 3 | ||
| 4 | Conversions | 3 | ||
| 0 | Penalty Goals | 1 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 1 |
Though the Brumbies have a home quarter-final locked in, they’re chasing a crucial top two finish when they play the Reds in Canberra. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:45pm (AEST).
The Brumbies are third on the ladder, and won’t drop any positions if they were to lose. However a win, along with a Jaguares loss, would boost them to second.
History has shown that finishing in the top two is crucial if you want to win the competition, so the Canberrans will have plenty of incentive to get the job done tonight.
As for the Queenslanders, they’ve nothing left to play for, barring pride, this year, with wins few and far-between. They’ll see this game as winnable though, having beaten the ACT side in their last meeting, a round 6 thrashing, 36-14.
Last season was a six-win season, and a victory tonight ensures their best season since 2013, when their 10 victories took them to the quarter finals.
The Reds are the Brumbies bogey team, claiming three of the last four encounters dating back to round 16, 2017.
The Brumbies make four changes, with Tom Cusack being rested for this game, bringing Jahrome Brown on instead, with Lachlan McCaffrey coming in for Pete Samu.
Tom Wright will run out on the left wing, and Scott Sio replaces James Slipper at loosehead prop.
The Reds bring Lukhan Salakaia-Loto into the backrow, which knocks Angus Scott-Young to number eight, and drops Scott Higganbotham to the bench. Harry Hockings slots into lock instead of Angus Blyth, in the final starting change for the Queenslanders.
Caleb Timu returns to the 23, as does Sefa Naivalu, in a boost for the hosts.
Prediction
The Brumbies should secure the win against an iffy Reds side.
Game information
Venue: GIO Stadium
Time: 7:45pm AEST
Referee: Paul Williams
Odds: Brumbies $1.33, Reds $3.34
Brumbies
Tom Banks, Andy Muirhead, Tevita Kuridrani, Irae Simone, Tom Wright, Christian Lealiifano (c), Joe Powell, Lachlan McCaffrey, Jahrome Brown, Rob Valetini, Sam Carter, Rory Arnold, Allan Alaalatoa, Folau Fainga’a, Scott Sio
Reserves: Connal McInerney, James Slipper, Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, Murray Douglas, Pete Samu, Ryan Lonergan, Jordan Jackson-Hope, Len Ikitau
Reds
Bryce Hegarty, Jock Campbell, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Samu Kerevi (c), Filipo Daugunu, Matt McGahan, Scott Malolua, Angus Scott-Young, Liam Wright, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Harry Hockings, Izack Rodda, Taniela Tupou, Alex Mafi, JP Smith
Reserves: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Ruan Smith, Gav Luka, Caleb Timu, Scott Higginbotham, Moses Sorovi, Duncan Paia’aua, Sefa Naivalu
Geoff
Roar Rookie
Am not sure on that. Arnold was by far the best lock in last year’s super rugby and never got a run in the Wallabies. It was always 1 game. Also 2-3 years ago on the spring tour it was obvious when Arnold and Coleman put on the most dominant performance by a Wallabies locking pair in who knows how long against Wales that they were a partnership to stick with. However Cheika never game him the chance.
ethan
Guest
To me there were no obvious signs of improvement in our gameplan. Played 10 man, 1 out, rugby reliant on set pieces as per the last 8 years of failure. Hard to see where it comes from next year either with the same coaching set up and loss of top talent. They will need to recruit very well. Without Kerevi we may have finished 15. Our main hope, really, is the natural development of young talent. Feels like I've been saying that for years. Has to come sooner or later...
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Dominant Reds pack? Righto.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Yeah, he's not ready. I don't think his body is ready for test rugby yet either.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Didn't the referee say 'you could have tackled him lower'? That's fairly different to 'it was close to being high'.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
This is the joy of human interpretation, people can see the exact same thing and interpret it completely differently. To me, it looked high (although I disagree with Williams that it was almost a red). 'You could have tackled him lower' certainly implies to me that the referee thought it was high. Maybe not explicit, but it is the logical implication.
Dahl
Roar Rookie
'Dominant'. Hahahahaha
Dahl
Roar Rookie
Comes up from shoulder and goes straight into his head. Lucky not to be red. You can’t see head contact in that hit, you’re blind.
Gloria
Roar Rookie
‘This round’? The Reds are last out of the Australian teams. 14/15 overall. How hard will people try to make a Thorn look better than he is?
Gloria
Roar Rookie
I think we are going worse than the scoreboard. 14/15 and no improvement from 2018 is the best indicator of how Thorn is going. The truth hurts.
Gloria
Roar Rookie
Is that why the inept and unsuccessful coach keeps getting praised by his fan boys? Because they are afraid of him?
BigBird
Guest
Strewth Geoff, Pogo and Double Agent. Are you blokes mind readers or something? You've absolutely nailed it. Nuthin' else to say really.
Danny
Roar Pro
I suspect he inherited a losing culture and it doing his very best to turn it around.
rebel
Roar Guru
Yet ref and TMO both said he got his arms up and not a shoulder charge.
Pogo
Roar Rookie
The ref did not say it wasn’t illegal, don’t put words in his mouth
Pogo
Roar Rookie
You keep posting the same thing, it was a dangerous shoulder charge and deserved a card, but not a red
Pogo
Roar Rookie
Good teams don’t give up 6 tries because of 1 yellow card, and that was a shoulder charge. I think the refs comments were not why it was yellow, but why it was not red
Double Agent
Guest
I think that's a good call Geoff. CLL definitely proven himself to be the best 10 in oz throughout the season. Hooper's penalty options too often based on emotion and you can tell by the way he plays his blood pressure must be off the scale!! Whether CLL gets picked is another matter. If Cheika was sole selector I'd say no chance in hell. So we have to wait and see what this selection panel is all about. Will they 2-1 him? Or will they just sign off on what he wants? Or something inbetween. No one knows. But I do know one thing for sure. If Johnson and O'Connor don't have the spine to stand up to Cheika then we won't last long at RWC 2019.
Pogo
Roar Rookie
Agree no other 10 close to CLL and I would not have said that at start of season. Re captain, yes again. Hooper has never had a good captains brain. He leads with energy not with smarts
FNZ
Guest
I watched it and it wasn’t a shoulder charge. He wrapped while tackling. This is the same issue that plagued the NRL, punishments are doled out on outcomes not action/intent. There was nothing in that tackle and if it has been a 85kg scrum half it wouldn’t have registered with any official.