Author: Steve Lenthall

The Brumbies roll into Johannesburg to take on the Lions this week. It’s not often you can say a team is full of confidence after a loss however the way they played against the Bulls, especially in the second half of last weeks game, it would be difficult not to be. The Lions are struggling at the bottom of the log as they say in South Africa (or ladder as Aussies call it) with a solitary win that was way back in round 1 against the Cheetahs. But they have been close in some of their losses and could prove…

The Brumbies put up a valiant display against the Bulls before the combination of poor discipline and Morne Steyn’s kicking boot saw them go down fighting 36-34 at Loftus. The Brumbies looked nervous in the big Loftus surrounds and conceded the first penalty within the first 30 seconds and of course Tuna Morne Steyn landed the opening penalty shot and things weren’t helped when Lealiifano kicked out on the full from the restart. The Brumbies had plenty of tackling to do in the early stages and conceded another penalty in the sixth minute that Steyn duly converted. After the nerves…

The Brumbies put their credentials on the line this week when they take on the Bulls in Pretoria. This tour of South Africa for the Brumbies will prove either that they are the real deal or are just the beneficiaries of a fluke start to the season. It could also answer any lingering questions about the standard of the Australian Conference which has copped plenty of criticism of late. By virtue of the conference system that was agreed to all by SANZAR partners, the Brumbies find themselves third as the leading Australian team with 24 points with the Bulls occupying…

The Brumbies have put together a scintillating first half display to defeat the Melbourne Rebels 37-6 in a five tries to nil display and put an end to their two match losing streak. The win also saw them go back to the top of the Australian conference under the watchful eye of Wallabies coach Robbie Deans. It was a game where everything seemed to go right for the Brumbies whilst very little did for the visitors. The Rebels rolled into town with their ‘rockstar’ tag but left after what coach Damien Hill described as their worst performance of the season…

The three amigos in the Melbourne Rebels team of James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Danny Cipriani head across the Rio Grande to Canberra with 19 of their mates to take on the Brumbies who are looking to get their season back on track. After back to back defeats against the Sharks and Reds, the Brumbies have made six changes to their starting side to battle with a confident Rebels side. Brumbies coach Jake White has put Michael Hooper back in the seven jersey to try and win the battle of the breakdown, an area the Brumbies were soundly beaten by…

The Sharks have put on a brilliant defensive display to hang on for a close three point win over the Brumbies and leave Canberra with a four try bonus point to kick start their tour.  It was another close game that went right down to the final whistle when the Brumbies were threatening to snatch the win from the jaws of of the Sharks but was snuffed out due to poor execution which was the order of the night for the home side. The Brumbies looked to try and play the same game that was successful over the Highlanders in…

The Shorks swim into town to take on the surprise Aussie conference table topping Brumbies on Saturday night at ‘fortress’ Canberra Stadium. The match last week against the Highlanders was a very physical affair and the same can be expected again this week against the Durban based side. The Brumbies have made some changes to their starting XV for this match with some enforced changes and some that appear to be part of a rotation policy. Last weeks two try hero Joe Tomane makes way for Pat McCabe on the wing whilst Christian Lealiifano moves out one place to inside…

An inspired performance from Brumbies flanker Michael Hooper has helped the Brumbies overcome a gallant Otago Highlanders side 33-26 at Canberra Stadium. In a match that was dominated by both sets of forwards, it would be the Brumbies who came away with the win in a match that went right down to the wire to keep the Brumbies home winning streak in 2012 intact. The Brumbies got off to a perfect start when NRL convert Joe Tomane accepted an intercept pass and ran untouched to the line to open the scoring in the 5th minute. From then on it seemed…

The Clan from the deep south come to Canberra with their undefeated record on the line against a confident Brumbies side. Buoyed by their close loss to the Chiefs, the Brumbies head into the match with minimal changes and will be looking to keep their unbeaten home streak in 2012 intact. Nic White returns at scrum half and should be over his battle with illness and his work around the back of the rucks will be welcomed. In other changes, Scott Fardy is the unlucky recipient of Jake White’s rotation plan despite a strong game last time out and will…

Dubai, Hong Kong and London may seem like your typical destination for a holiday. But for the Australian Women’s 7’s team this is where they take on the world in one of the fastest growing sports. In the lead up to this weeks Hong Kong 7’s tournament, Green and Gold Rugby were lucky enough to chat with coach Chris Lane and captain Rebecca Tavo as they took time out from their camp at the Australian Institute of Sport. Sevens rugby has been included on the Olympics schedule in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and the hard work starts now in…

The Brumbies have gone agonisingly close to leaving New Zealand with 2 competition points after going down to the Chiefs at the death 29-22. The game was headed for a draw until an error saw the home side with attacking ball inside the final minutes and the patience shown by the home side was the difference in the end. The Chiefs showed their hand early by spreading the ball wide and attempting to use their main strike weapon of Sonny Bill Williams The Brumbies opened the scoring with a Christian Lealiifano penalty from 40 metres out to give the new…

A new look Brumbies side heads across the ditch to take on a very confident Chiefs side in their first away game of the season this Friday night. The Brumbies got out of jail against the Cheetahs and that will add to their growing confidence but this task creates new challenges. The coaching dramas of last week around Jake White are a distant memory and the Chiefs bring a new style of play for the Brumbies to consider. Injury to key play maker Matt Toomua sees a reshuffle in the backline with Christian Lealiifano moving into the 10 jersey. The…

Afternoon Super Rugby returns to Canberra when the Brumbies take on the Free State Cheetahs from South Africa this Saturday afternoon. After dominating the faceless men last week, the Brumbies are keen to get back onto the park and make their play the headline after a week of speculation over coach Jake White’s future. The week off has given the home side a chance to refresh and tinker with a few things for this vital clash. The Cheetahs are coming off a hiding at the hands of the Bulls and won’t be as placid as the ones Ben Mowen and…

Speculation continues over the long term future of Jake White as coach of the Brumbies with reports in England suggesting White has been short listed to take over the helm of the English national side. White took over the reins of the Brumbies on a four year deal in July last year and since then rumours have circulated linking him to both the English and South African head coaching role. This news has raised some eyebrows amongst the Canberra community as he had barely started in that role although White has gone on record to say he still has ambitions…

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 Jake White Super era at the Brumbies begins this week when they take on the Western Force in the opening round of Super Rugby 2012. After 8 months of slogging it out on the training paddock and three trial matches behind them, a youthful Brumbies side is ready to take to the field and show the fans in Canberra what they are capable of and in the process win a few fans back. It is very much an unknown of what to expect from the overhauled Brumbies side, with six debutantes taking to the field but this is what…

2012 could not have come quicker for the Brumbies after a disastrous 2011 campaign, where everything that could have gone wrong did. The failures of 2011 have been well documented but now the Brumbies of 2012 are looking forward to showing what they can do on the field after a long pre-season that, for some, started way back in July.  There have been many changes around the club in what has been one of the biggest overhauls since the inaugural season of 1996. There have been sweeping changes with not only a new coaching staff, but also many new faces…

The Brumbies have today unveiled a four man leadership group with Ben Mowen named as captain for the 2012 season. Joining Mowen in the new look leadership group are Wallabies Stephen Moore and Pat McCabe, with Dan Palmer joining them in the vice-captain role to fill the vacancies left after the departures of Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom and Stephen Hoiles. Brumbies coach Jake White said the decision was simple and that Mowens track record of captaining of junior teams and his relationship with the other players within the squad was what he wanted as a leader and now was the…

The Brumbies have today announced the University of Canberra as naming rights sponsor for the 2012 season. In what is believed to be an Australian first, the Brumbies have teamed up with the institution and will have the University’s logo adorning their jersey throughout 2012. The naming of the major sponsor for 2012 comes at a critical time for the club after the planned sponsorship agreement with Chinese technology provider Huawei collapsed just days before Christmas. Brumbies CEO Andrew Fagan was delighted this new deal could be announced in such a short time frame since the bad news was delivered,…

The Brumbies have held a members forum to give a chance for the coaching staff to present their plans for the upcoming season and to also let members ask some questions about the direction the team is taking both on and off the field. Head coach Jake White was joined by CEO Andrew Fagan, assistant coach Laurie Fisher, athletic performance director Dean Benton, performance analyst Warrick Harrington and players Ben Mowen and Christian Lealiifano to share their vision for the future and give members an update of how pre-season training was progressing. White spoke about his overall plan to give…