Brumbies brush feeble Force aside

The Brumbies moved back to the top of the Super Rugby standings with an emphatic 41-7 win over the Western Force in Canberra on Saturday.

From the outset it was clear there was a chasm in the difference of the class of the two teams – the Brumbies far more clinical in their execution and also dominating territory and possession.

The only real issue for the Brumbies was their lack of discipline, which has resulted in them being the most penalised team in the competition. It ultimately saw hooker Stephen Moore being yellow carded early in the second half.

As for the Force, they were simply feeble – their set pieces mostly a shambles and their defence virtually non-existent.

The Force's scrum was so poor that even after the hooker, Moore, was off the field and wing Henry Speight pushed on the flank, the Brumbies still won a penalty by destroying the visitors' set piece.

As the game wore on the Force became more and more demoralised, looking decidedly more like rabble than rugby players. It reflected in the schoolboy type lobbing of the ball that was suppose to represent passes.

It was an error-riddled start to the game – especially flyhalves Matt Toomua and Sam Norton-Knight.

However, the Brumbies got the first score – a great set-piece try with a basic training ground move. From a line-out just inside the Force 22, the Brumbies went wide and Jesse Mogg ghosted through a huge hole to score the opening five-pointer. Christian Lealiifano pulled the conversion kick wide, but the Brumbies had a 5-0 lead.

The Brumbies continued to dominate possession and territory and it did not come as a major surprise when Henry Speight ran through another hole in the Force's porous defence in the 17th minute. It was another move that had its origins at a line-out in the Force 22. This time Lealiifano added the extras – 12-0.

Lealiifano added three more soon afterwards, as another raid into the Force 22 saw Sam Norton-Knight conceded a deliberate penalty at the tackle right in front of his uprights.

Tevita Kuridrani got the third try in the 26th minute – getting the ball from Nic White from a solid scrum and he then went past two defenders and dragged a third over the line with him. Lealiifano kicked the conversion – 22-0.

Speight got his second, the Brumbies' bonus-point try, two minutes short of the half-time hooter – despite a dodgy pass from George Smith, which had the TMO take a few looks at it and probably still got it wrong, but the score stood. The try was the result of an earlier bust in midfield Lealiifano, who also added the conversion – 29-0.

The Force was given a lifeline of some sorts early in the second half, when the Brumbies were reduced to 14 men after referee lost patience with the Brumbies' constant offending at the breakdown and sent hooker Stephen Moore for a 10-minute break.

Despite being a man down the Brumbies still found their way upfield and over the Force tryline – Joe Tomane this time exposing the leaks in a very poor Force defence. Lealiifano slotted the conversion – 36-0 after 52 minutes.

With the game long over as a contest, Brumbies coach Jake White sent on virtually his entire bench in one go.

The Brumbies, who had clearly slipped back into a lower gear after their fine first-half performance, continue to conceded a string of penalties.

Not that the Force could do much about it. They succeeded in turning over the ball repeatedly, even just metres from the Brumbies line.

It soon resulted in another try for the home team, with replacement hooker Siliva Siliva getting his first five-pointer in Super Rugby. Lealiifano's conversion attempt bounced off the upright – 41-0 after 70 minutes.

With six minutes remaining the Force eventually broke their duck – captain Matt Hodgson  sitting at the back of a maul to get a try. Jayden Hayward added the conversion – 7-41.

That is where it stayed.

Man of the match: Jesse Mogg continued to leave his mark on the game and made sure the national selectors took note of him ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour. Christian Lealiifano, apart from his goal-kicking, also constantly asked questions of a Force defence that didn't have many answers. However, our award goes to veteran loose forward George Smith, who with Robbie Deans an interested spectator, made another statement about the value he can bring to the Wallabies. And he also equalled George Gregan as the most called Brumby.

The scorers:

For the Brumbies:

Tries: Mogg, Speight 2, Kuridrani, Tomane, Siliva

Cons: Lealiifano 4

Pens: Lealiifano

For the Western Force:

Try: Hodgson

Con: Hayward

Yellow card: Stephen Moore (Brumbies, 44 – repeated infringements at the breakdown)

Teams:

Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Ben Mowen (captain), 7 George Smith, 6 Fotu Auelua, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Peter Kimlin, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Scott Sio.

Replacements: 16 Siliva Siliva, 17 Ruaidhri Murphy, 18 Leon Power, 19 Colby Faingaa, 20 Ian Prior, 21 Pat McCabe, 22 Robbie Coleman.

Western Force: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Patrick Dellit, 13 Junior Rasolea, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Ed Stubbs, 10 Sam Norton-Knight, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Richard Brown, 7 Matt Hodgson (captain), 6 Ben McCalman, 5 Sam Wykes, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Heath Tessmann, 1 Pek Cowan.

Replacements: 16 James Hilterbrand, 17 Kieran Longbottom, 18 Rory Walton, 19 Chris Alcock, 20 Mick Snowden, , 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Winston Stanley.

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)

Assistant referees: Andrew Lees (Australia), Matt O'Brien (Australia)

TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)