The Brumbies fairytale 2013 season will reach it’s end on Saturday when they take on the Chiefs for the Super Rugby title in Hamilton.
After defying the odds and beating the Bulls in Pretoria with a last gasp win, the Brumbies have been riding a wave of emotion this week as they try and prepare for the teams biggest game since 2004. The travel factor of coming back from South Africa and only a short preparation time weigh heavily against them but this is a team that was given little chance when they went to Pretoria.
Coach Jake White says for the team to make the final in only his second year in charge is way beyond his expectations but shows just how far the team has come under his leadership. Just two years ago they had one of the worst seasons ever finishing in 13th place and lost a whole host of players with Super Rugby experience to be replaced with fringe squad members and club rugby players.
Fast forward two years, and it’s clear to see the results of the hard work the team has put in. Back then the team had only three Wallabies representatives and now they have twelve players heading off to Wallabies camp which starts next week.
The victory over the Bulls was built on the back of a dominant scrum lead by Scott Sio and they will need to bring that same intensity to Hamilton if they are to cause an upset. The Brumbies scrum has turned into a real weapon to the point of being a source of points through penalty goals in the attacking half.
The backline with Matt Toomua in charge has been exceptional this year. They proved in the Bulls game that they can mix it up and took advantage of limited chances in the second half and didn’t panic. The back three can be as good as any other on their day but they will have to be on their game to get over the Chiefs who also possess a deadly back three.
The kicking game from the Brumbies will be crucial to give them the field position they need to get the job done. With rain expected in downtown Hamilton, the forwards battle will be one to watch with whoever gaining the upper hand in this area will go a long way to winning the title.
The Brumbies have named an unchanged lineup that includes George Smith and Clyde Rathbone, the remaining members of the last title winning Brumbies side from 2004. On the way to the title that year the Brumbies did beat the Chiefs in the semi-final so hopefully history repeats in 2013.
Standing in their way of glory are the reigning champions, the Chiefs. The home side will be raging favourites after knocking off the Crusaders in an exciting semi-final by one point and they have had the luxury of staying at home all week and the extra day of recovery and preparation at this point of the season would be like gold. The potential for back-to-back titles also adds motivation for the home side.
The home side has had some injury concerns during the week with Lelia Masaga the worst of those but coach Dave Rennie has so far named an unchanged lineup for the match. Masaga is one of many Chiefs players leaving the team after this match so there is no doubt he will be given every opportunity to make the game, especially after his devastating run that lead to a try in last weeks fixture. He has been bracketed with Robbie Robinson on the wing should he not be right for the game.
The key to beating the Chiefs, as obvious as it sounds, will be to starve them of the ball. The Chiefs tend to do a lot with very little and they scored the most points and the most tries in 2013 despite having possession of the ball the least of all 15 teams.
There are going to be some great battles all over the park, as Matt highlights in his latest article so get near a TV or fire up the IQ and put your provincial allegiances aside and cheer home the Brumbies in 2013!
It’s on in the ‘Tron!
[one_half last=”no”]
Brumbies
1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore
3. Ben Alexander
4. Scott Fardy
5. Sam Carter
6. Peter Kimlin
7. George Smith
8. Ben Mowen (c)
9. Nic White
10. Matt Toomua
11. Clyde Rathbone
12. Christian Lealiifano
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Henry Speight
15. Jesse Mogg
Replacements
16. Siliva Siliva
17. Ruan Smith
18. Fotu Auelua
19. Colby Faingaa
20. Ian Prior
21. Andrew Smith
22. Joe Tomane
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
CHIEFS
1. Toby Smith
2. Hika Elliot
3. Ben Tameifuna
4. Craig Clarke
5. Brodie Retallick
6. Liam Messam
7. Tanerau Latimer
8. Matt Vant Leven
9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow
10. Aaron Cruden
11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma
12. Andrew Horell
13. Charlie Ngatai
14. Lelia Masaga/Robbie Robinson
15. Gareth Anscombe
Replacements
16. Rhys Marshall
17. Ben Afeaki
18. Michael Fitzgerald
19. Sam Cane
20. Augustine Pulu
21. Bundee Aki
22. Robbie Robinson/Patrick Osborne
[/one_half]
Kick off: 5:35pm (AEST) Saturday
Referee: Craig Joubert
AR1: Chris Pollock
AR2: Garratt Williamson
TMO: Vinny Munro
- Last time they met: Round 4 2012 Chiefs won 29-22 at Mount Maunganui with a late try
- Overall the Brumbies hold the upper hand in the head-to-head stakes with 11-6 advantage, including one draw
- After the Brumbies play the Chiefs they would have played every team in the competition in 2013, which is rare under the conference system
- In the last four meetings, the winning margin for either team has been no greater than eight points
