The Brumbies continue their African safari with a stop in Durban to take on the Shorks in the early hours of Sunday morning. For those who’ll be up to watch the Stormers v. Crusaders clash, at least watch the first five minutes of this telecast – you can thank me later.
For the Brumbies, it will be an emotional return to Durban for members of the squad who were present two years ago and witnessed the tragic sight of team mate Shawn Mackay being hit by a vehicle.
After a disappointing effort against the Cheetahs last week, the Brumbies have once again played musical chairs to find the best combination to add to their grand total of two wins this season. In the forward pack, tight-head prop Jono Owen will make his run-on debut in place of Dan Palmer, who has a foot injury that saw him doing the moonwalk this week to prevent further harm.
The curse of the rotating openside flanker strikes again with Colby Faingaa given the start this week after filling in at No. 8 last week. Michael Hooper can consider himself unlucky after performing admirably in last week’s effort.
Ita Vaea will return to the back of the scrum after missing a week with a knee injury and could give the Brumbies some much-needed spark against a formidable opposing forward pack.
The backline has been rejigged with Matt Giteau assuming his customary role in the No. 10 jersey this week. He swaps with Christian Lealiifano (now at inside centre) and there will be a new face at outside centre, with Tyrone Smith taking the place of Andrew Smith who has been shifted out to the wing in place of Francis Fainifo. The lack of stability with these selections each week is the biggest concern for fans, as it looks like the players never get a chance to prove themselves.
Pat McCabe has been named at fullback but he has been hampered with a hamstring injury throughout the week; however, late reports suggest he has been rated a decent chance of taking his place. If he is ruled out, Adam Ashley-Cooper will move back from the wing with Fainifo a chance to start at 11.
The Shorks have suffered a setback with newly reappointed Springbok captain John Smit ruled out this week due to a calf injury, and joining him on the sideline is rampaging No. 8 Ryan Kankowski. They have had to some reshuffling of their own.
Despite a comprehensive beating at the hands of the Stormers in Cape Town last week, the Shorks are sitting second in the South African conference. They started the season off well with four straight victories but lost that momentum with back-to-back losses; now they’re in a sequence of three games surrounded the bye twice within a month. This will give them a chance to push for a wildcard position come finals time and with all their remaining games all in the Republic, this is a crucial game for them to show others they are serious finals contenders.
The Shorks have speed to burn on the wings with both wingers featuring ‘jet shoes’ capabilities. If the conditions are dry, the Brumbies could expect a tough time down those channels with the hosts to play an expansive game.
Key match-up: Stephen Moore v. Bismarck du Plessis – The battle of the line-out throwers could determine which team wins the forwards contest, with both players having a point to prove to their respective national selectors. Moore has a chance to show he should be the starting with hooker, with injuries to his main competitor Tatafu Polota-Nau causing headaches for himself and the Wallaby selectors. With John Smit out, Bismarck gets a free shot to show his worth and could go the whole 80 minutes in this match.
Tip: The Brumbies were woeful last week in downtown Bloemfontein but might have adjusted to their flash digs this week at sea level in Durban. A close-up experience with some real sharks might give them some confidence, but could only delay the inevitable. Another close loss is on the cards – Shorks by 8.
Teams:
Brumbies: 15. Pat McCabe, 14. Andrew Smith, 13. Tyrone Smith, 12. Christian Lealiifano, 11. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 10. Matt Giteau, 9. Patrick Phibbs, 8. Ita Vaea, 7. Colby Faingaa, 6. Mitchell Chapman, 5. Mark Chisholm, 4. Peter Kimlin, 3. Jono Owen, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Ben Alexander. Reserves: 16. Huia Edmonds, 17. Salesi Ma’afu, 18. Ben Hand, 19. Michael Hooper, 20. Josh Valentine, 21. Robbie Coleman, 22. Francis Fainifo.
Shorks: 15. Louis Ludik, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Stefan Terblanche, 12. Meyer Bosman, 11. JP Pietersen, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Willem Alberts, 7. Jean Deyser, 6. Keegan Daniel, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. The Beast. Reserves: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Eugene van Staden, 18. Anton Bresler, 19. Marcell Coetzee, 20. Conrad Hoffman, 21. Adrian Jacobs, 22. Lwazi Mvovo.
Referee: Mark Lawrence (SA)
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe (SA), Reuben Rossouw (SA)
Television match official: Gerrie Coetzee (SA)
