The new look Brumbies have opened their 2012 campaign with a tough 19-17 win at Canberra Stadium.
In a match that failed to reach any great heights in the first half, it was clear some nerves were on show from both side as they took their time to get a feel for the opposition with some less than exciting kicking. Bryce Lawrence was quick to stamp his authority on the game and it quickly turned into a stop start affair to deny either team any momentum.
The only damage to the scoreboard in the half came by the way of the respective kickers Nic White for the Brumbies and the Forces’ James Stannard as they traded penalties, including a 53 metre monster from White, to give the Force a 12-9 lead at the break.
The second half opened up a bit more for the more than 14,000 crowd and the Brumbies took their limited attacking chances in the Force 22 to score two tries in quick succession. Jesse Mogg, who was plucked from the EPS to make his debut, darted over to score on the back of a 5 metre scrum on the Force line and this was followed up by another try down the left side to Brumbies fullback Robbie Coleman who looked dangerous at times when injecting himself into the backline.
It didn’t take long for the Force to hit back and their territorial dominance was rewarded when James Stannard dived over to cut the lead to two points.
The remainder of the game was a see-saw affair with neither team able to gain the upper hand. Both teams had chances to take the lead in the dying stages but neither could come up with the points after penalty goal attempts from both sides hit the posts.
The Force had their chance to win the game in the dying seconds as a potential drop goal opportunity was ruined after a knock on was forced by some desperate Brumbies defence.
After the match Force coach Richard Graham was disappointed at the drop in intensity in the ten minute period at the start of the second half that saw the Brumbies score their two tries, which Graham said was the difference on the night. The breakdown area was also an issue that prevented them from gaining any momentum going forward. Despite the loss Graham says there are some positives to take from the game and work on some other areas, including first phase defence, before they take on the reigning champion Queensland Reds in Brisbane next week.
Brumbies coach was Jake White was mostly happy with the win and praised his teams defensive work particularly at the end when the Force could have snatched a win right on full time. He also liked the display from some of the new faces in the team including man of the match Jesse Mogg who scored a try on his debut, but now faces the possibility of missing the next game due to his contract status as an EPS player.
Despite the win, White says there are some aspects of their play that need work for future games especially general field kicking which was poorly executed at times. Goal kicking was also a problem where at least 16 points were missed and against a better side that could have counted against them and resulted in a loss.
The Brumbies have the bye in round two and White says it comes as a blessing in disguise as it gives his young side a chance to regroup after a tough pre-season that up to this point has seen a total of five matches.
Brumbies 19 Mogg, Coleman tries; White 3 pens def Western Force 17 Stannard try; 4 pens.
