Brumbies outmuscle Tahs in arm-wrestle
This was intense and unrelenting. It also had moments great excitement.
It also produced a result that was much closer than 32-15, not that the partisan people of Canberra minded at all as the Brumbies notched up their second big win in the first two matches of Super Rugby 2016.
They have now scored 84 points and 11 tries in those two matches, and against strong sides – the Hurricanes and the Waratahs.
Part of the Brumby success was the power of their pack, destroying the Waratahs at scrum time – when it counted – and rushing them off their feet at mauls at times.
The Waratahs had a nightmare start.
In four minutes they had been penalised four times, spoken to by the referee three times and had a man in the sin bin, lucky not to have a second there two minutes later.
They conceded territory twice in that time for kicking out on the full.
Yet after all their potentially suicidal infringements they were only 0-3 down when the nightmare lifted.
Christian Leali'ifano goaled the first penalty when prop Angus Ta'avao was offside – not the only time he was penalised in the match. 3-0 after just over a minute.
The player sent to the sin bin was Will Skelton for a high tackle in the fourth minute, the fourth penalty against the Waratahs in the match.
Two minutes later Israel Folau was lucky not to be sent to the sin bin for another high tackle of a gross kind.
The Brumbies mauled, bashed and scored a try as the referee allowed long advantage. Leali'ifano scored the try from about 10 metres out, when his clever feet beat three Waratahs for a delightful try – 8-0 after nine minutes.
The Brumbies were penalised and Beale missed from in front, but they were gaining the benefits of greater composure.
David Pocock was penalised, Beale kicked out and the Waratahs bashed. They went wide right where Folau was his elegant self in scoring in the right corner, as Matt Toomua tackled him – 8-5.
When Toomua kicked the ball dead, there was the first scrum of the match – after 25 minutes.
The Waratahs would probably have wished it was the last scrum of the match.
A collapse gave the Brumbies a penalty and then a line-out. They mauled and raced the maul at the Waratahs' line, where it was collapsed and Dean Mumm was sent to the sin bin. The Brumbies opted for a five-metre line-out, but David Dennis stole the ball. They had another line-out, but knocked on.
There was a just a feeling that the Brumbies could be losing composure.
When Blake Enever was penalised for a high tackle on Nick Phipps, Beale made it 8-all after 35 minutes.
The Brumbies nearly scored just before Mumm returned. They peeled around the front of a line-out and bashed. Tevita Kuridrani was close and then Tomás Cubelli was actually over the line, but lost the ball forward as Michael Hooper and Dennis tackled him.
At half-time the score was 8-all.
Early in the second half the Brumbies threatened on the left as Kuridrani burst away and gave to Joe Tomane, but a great tackle by Phipps saved the day. Leali'ifano goaled a second penalty – 11-8 after 47 minutes.
Then the Waratahs lost a golden chance to score, when the Brumbies overthrew a line-out, but as they went wide right, Folau seemed to lose concentration and the ball was lost.
But they had a penalty and turned it into an attacking line-out, peeling around the back where Skelton was close, till pressure from the Brumbies on defence enabled them to clear their lines.
The Waratahs came back but were penalised near the goal-line when Leali'ifano was first to the tackled ball.
A grubber by Kuridrani set the Brumbies on the attack, there was an unedifying playground flare-up – which ended with a five-metre scrum to the Brumbies on the left. Tomane came in at flyhalf to take a pass from Cubelli and run over Beale and Rob Horne to score at the posts – 18-8 after 58 minutes.
From a line-out near the half-way line Folau, now playing outside centre, broke clean through off a sharp pass by Hooper and then, when challenged, passed inside to Phipps – who raced over for an excellent try – 18-15 after 60 minutes.
The Waratahs looked to be on a winning run, but they failed to score again.
The Brumbies did not fail.
Henry Sepight had a strong run down the right, the Brumbies bashed, the Waratahs were penalised and the Brumbies opted for a scrum five metres from the line. The Waraths were penalsied at the scrum and again the Brumbies chose a scrum. They got a strong shove on and, when the scrum disintegrated at their line, the referee awarded a penalty try – 25-15 with 11 minutes to play.
The Waratahs could have used a penalty to bring the deficit into bonus-point territory, but tried a line-out instead. They bashed and Beale dummied and went over, but TMO showed Sam Lousi obstructing Jarrad Butler and then grabbing his jersey. Instead of a try, the Waratahs were penalised.
After lots of endeavour the Waraths destroyed their own best opportunities and instead Kuridrani grubbered a long way down the left where Tomane grabbed the bouncing ball and immediately lobbed it infield, where substitute Nigel Ah Wong latched onto the ball and ran 15 metres to the posts. Toomua slippered over a drop to convert and the final whistle went.
Man of the Match: Stephen Moore despite some sloppy lineout work. His determination, ball-carrying and scrumming were remarkable.
The scorers:
For the Brumbies:
Tries: Lealiifano, Tomane, Penalty try, Ah Wong
Cons: Lealiifano 2, Toomua
Pens: Lealiifano 2
For the Waratahs:
Tries: Folau, Phibbs
Cons: Beale
Pens: Beale
Yellow card: Will Skelton (Waratahs, 4 – foul play, high tackle), Dean Mumm (Waratahs, 30 – professional foul, deliberately collapsing the maul)
Teams:
Brumbies: 15 Aidan Toua, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Christian Lealiifano (co-captain), 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Ita Vaea, 7 David Pocock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Blake Enever, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore (co-captain), 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Josh Mann-Rea, 17 Allan Alaalatoa, 18 Leslie Leulua'iali'i-Makin, 19 Jordan Smiler, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Michael Dowsett, 22 Andrew Smith, 23 Nigel Ah Wong.
Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Matt Carraro, 13 Rob Horne, 12 David Horwitz, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Jed Holloway, 7 Michael Hooper (captain), 6 David Dennis, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Angus Ta'avao, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Paddy Ryan.
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Matt Sandell, 18 Jeremy Tilse, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Wycliff Palu, 21 Jack Dempsey, 22 Matt Lucas, 23 Bryce Hegarty.
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman (South Africa), William Houston (Australia)
TMO: Ian Smith
Speight checking how Hooper's folks are doing back home #SuperRugby pic.twitter.com/385UOTgNVL
— Grit Sports (@sabeloPB) March 4, 2016
