Brumbies: Kick-off SA tour with a bonus-point win
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The Brumbies underlined their Super Rugby title credentials with a commanding 29-10 victory over the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
The tournament leaders comprehensively outplayed the Sharks, outscoring their hosts four tries to one, and stretched their lead at the top of the overall standings.
They are now the only side in the competition yet to taste defeat and showed they will be the team to beat in 2013 after another impressive performance.
Whilst the tourists could only manage three points in the second half, the damage had already been done in the opening forty minutes and headed into the half-time sheds 26-3 ahead - leaving the Sharks with a mountain to climb.
The Australians showed no sign of jetlag and started in stunning fashion as Jake White's troops raced to a 12-0 lead in as many minutes when Jesse Mogg opened the scoring with a try in the corner, before Joe Tomane added his name to the scoresheet - both set up by bull-dozing number eight Fotu Auelua.
Christian Lealiifano was succesful with one out of the two conversions.
There was finally some respite for the hosts at the end of the first quarter when the visitors were penalised for not rolling away allowing Patrick Lambie to slot over the ball from bang in front.
But the men from Canberra continued to soar in attack and Matt Toomua was next to cross after more slick handling and superb recycling in the lead-up.
With five minutes remaining to the interval, the Brumbies secured their bonus-point try when their forwards emphatically overturned a scrum and Toomua floated a fine pass over to Henry Speight on the right to dot down in the corner.
That rounded off a superb opening showing and left the home crowd in shock as their side trailed by 23 points.
The visitors again began with some intent after the restart and twice turned down the chance to kick at goal, instead opted to set-up line-outs.
But the Sharks slowly clawed their way back, eventually scoring their only try when Ryan Kankowski picked up and carried over following a spate of penalties conceded by the Australians inside their own 22.
The Brumbies' first points of the second half eventually came from a Lealiifano penalty after Kankowski was punished for an illegal tackle and they continued to control thereafter until the final hooter sounded.
The scorers:
For Sharks:
Try: Kankowski
Con: Lambie
Pen: Lambie
For Brumbies:
Tries: Mogg, Tomane, Toomua, Speight
Cons: Lealiifano 3
Pen: Lealiifano
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Keegan Daniel (c), 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Wiehahn Herbst, 18 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 19 Jacques Botes, 20 Cobus Reinach, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.
Brumbies 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Fotu Auelua, 7 George Smith, 6 Ben Mowen (c), 5 Sam Carter, 4 Peter Kimlin, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Siliva Siliva, 17 Ruaidhri Murphy, 18 Scott Fardy, 19 Colby Faingaa, 20 Ian Prior, 21 Robbie Coleman, 22 Clyde Rathbone.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Comments
Wallaroo says...
Hey Trinats,
mate I hear you although I don't agree that you will see a demise of the Brumbies and rise of the Reds this year the way it panned out last year. Mate if a coach can do this for an Aussie franchise I'll back him all the way.
Sorry buddy but I just cannot see how you can think the Link is equal to or even better than White, and if he means the Wallabies win another world cup then bring him in.
Cheers Wally
Posted 10:57 19th March 2013
Ruggernaut says...
Brumbies to bag the 2013 title. Full stop.
Posted 15:41 18th March 2013
kpe12 says...
As I said in the first week.
Brumbies will be in the final this year. Whether they can handle the pressure of a grand final is to be seen. Also injuries will be critical, loosing Pocock was a huge loss and any more like that would cripple them.
Great system, smart rugby, tough to beat.
Posted 00:06 18th March 2013
Trinats2 says...
Wallaroo
Don't get carried away too much, early doors. Just like last year. And like last year Link got the Reds, minus a player or seven, to the top of Aus conf. But I agree, time for Deans to go.
Posted 20:30 17th March 2013
eccles says...
Chicka - can't agree that Folau is totally worthless - he was about the best Tah on the paddock on Friday. I agree with everything else, though.The NSW dominated ARU ensures the 'Tahs get first pick of any incoming players then the 'Tah structure stuffs them up. Not so sure about the no-names tag - international front row, solid back row, Smith, and White, Toomua, and Lealiifano would have played Wallabies last year if not for injuries.
Posted 12:31 17th March 2013
Wallaroo says...
This answers my question "What the hell is going on with Aussie rugby?" The Brumbies is what is going on. If Mogg is not selected for the Wallabies it will be a tragedy.
Jake White seriously needs to be considered as the next Wallaby coach, sorry Trinats, my loyalty to Wallabies takes precedence; White is a cut above the Link and the best thing that could happen to the Wallabies if he's prepared to commit to and be loyal to Aussie rugby.
Posted 12:23 17th March 2013
ADShark says...
Well done to the Brumbies. By far the best Australian team. As for the Sharks, they looked clueless and disinterested at times. No intensity at all! Its frustrating to be a Sharks supporter these days..
Posted 07:54 17th March 2013
passtheball says...
Title contenders - no doubt - but lets see how they get on in Cape Town first.
Posted 01:48 17th March 2013
kiwilad says...
Well done Brumbies, an interesting year ahead for them...
Posted 00:46 17th March 2013
Chicka says...
This trip to South Africa was always going to show whether or not the Brumbies were just Australian conference bullies in a pretty weak conference or real contenders. They have a real shot at coming back from SA with two wins - one with a bonus point. Perhaps even that clown Dingo Deans will stop talking about the much hyped but totally worthless Folau and start talking up Jesse Mogg - the real success story. And while we are on that, he should redress the imbalance of Waratahs over Brumbies in the Wallabies squad. The ARU should give real consideration to replacing the worthless and discredited Dingo with Gelignite Jake White - if he can do this with a bunch of no names, what could he do with the Wallabies?
Posted 00:18 17th March 2013
JayStarr says...
Mark my words: Jake White will turn a bunch of no-names into Wallabies... and then he will become the Wallaby coach. If the B&I Lions win the series, which is a very real possibility, then that might happen sooner rather than later. And when White does become the Australian coach, they will probably win the World Cup. You heard it here first folks!
Also, as good as the Brumbies were this week, next week their unbeaten run will come to an end. There will be no trace of complacency amongst the Stormers now - they will be shocked by the win over the Sharks, they now know what to expect, and they will be ready. And if anyone knows Jake White, it's Alistair Coetzee and JdV - so they won't do anything stupid.
I expect the Stormers to revert to type for the next phase of their competion (vs. Brumbies, Crusaders, Cheetahs & Sharks - before their tour). After what they saw this weekend from the Brumbies and Crusaders, they will probably keep it tight in those games and smother them with their defense and physicality, like they played last year. Maybe they'll continue to be more adventurous with ball in hand, but I'm pretty sure they're going to tighten up on defense for these games.
The return of the blue wall of Cape Town! Bring it on Brumbies.
Posted 21:54 16th March 2013
letsgoboks says...
two words... JAKE WHITE
Posted 21:05 16th March 2013
flyman says...
Great win by the Brumbies, they are the best Ozz team by a country mile.
Ozz scrum shoving the Saffer scrum around, ironic that the Brumbies coach is a Saffer!
Posted 21:04 16th March 2013
runnrugby says...
I take back what i said about the Brumbies selections. Havent seen the game yet but they are by far the best aussie side as the rest look pretty ordinary at the moment. The waratahs are still the waratahs and now even the reds are starting to play like waratahs lol
Posted 18:55 16th March 2013
tha_mai says...
Fantastic first 40 for Brumbies, don't know what happened in the half-time talk as they backed off with their four-try bonus already gained, but that first half totally dominant and certainly a class above what we've seen in the rest of their conference, definitely clear cut leaders now, as esp Waratahs and Reds play themselves out of a Qantas Wallabies jersey, subs contributed well too,
Posted 18:19 16th March 2013
eccles says...
A 10 point lead in the Oz conference looks a little more clear cut now, Trinats. Seriously, how good was it to see an Oz scrum shove a Saffer scrum all over the park?
Posted 17:20 16th March 2013