Brumbies Player Ratings (v Force)

[louie]

1. Ben Alexander 6.7
Good around the ground. Off at scrum time.

2. Stephen Moore 9
Top Class performance. Had a big hand in first two tries. Showed world class skill

3. Guy Shepherdson 6.8
Nice and Physical

4. Mark Chisholm 7
Worked hard.

5. Justin Harrison 8.2
It was said at the Begining of the year that his leadership and expereince would help them in tight spots. This was one of them. Gave the team fantastic leadership. So glad to have them. He was a massive factor tonight

6. Mitchell Chapman 7
Worked hard


7. George Smith 4
look unfit and out of time with what was going on very poor.

8. Stephen Hoiles 6.8
Worked hard

9. Josh Valentine 8.5
Showed some real class today. An awesome pass. He really gave the Burmbies direction in attack

10. Matt To'omua 6.8
Thought he was a big off tonight. Some nicely kicking here and there but nothing to write home about.

11. Francis Fainifo 6.6
Not really a wingers game but it what was needed when called upon

12. Christian Lealiifano 8.4
I told you he was a 12.Some really flair and did some special things tonight. Fantastic game

13. Stirling Mortlock 7
Was a passanger until the last twenty when he, like JH, really help us through a tight spot.

14. Pat McCabe 6.8
I thought he showed pefect technique at times. Enough to get me excited. Could be fantastic in Super Rugby

15. Adam Ashley-Cooper 5.8
Poor. Kicking and running game was off. Didn't look as fit. A break and some air work was all he really offered. We need more from a 15.


16. Huia Edmonds 7
Great try. Made a match winning impact. What we need from the bench

17. Salesi Ma’afu 6.6
don't pass him the ball.

18. Ben Hand 6.6
Nothing to say

19. Henry Vanderglas

20. Patrick Phibbs
Help to pump the troops up and made an impact. Like Edmonds a great bench player.

21. Tyrone Smith
Nothing special.

I was very dissapointed with the Steve Walshes handling of the new approach to the rule. When compaired to Stu's handling of them in the NZ game it seemed as if he had almost forgotten about them. I thought the force were lucky to get as many shots on goal as they did.

Not the Best start from the Brumbies but they showed some world class moments. Andy Friend is really starting to make an impact.

 

[Wazimba2K]

George Smith might need a few more games off. He was just out of the game. All the Wallabies were. Mortlock looks like the chic next door. Just fat and unfit. He did come through in the last minutes but Tyrone Smith is dying on the bench. I am glad Lealifano is playing great at 12 but what happens when Giteau returns. The wingers showed a little pace but no flare.

Mortlock should be relieved off his kicking duties. It reminds me of the RWC 2007. His prime is aging. I eagerly await Gerrard's return to 15. Ashley Cooper has a great hand-off but he is just too comfortable at 15. All the Wallabies need to sit the next game out regardless of the team we play. 14 points ahead and we almost lost the game.

It was a Turnover mayhem. We could have bagged a bonus point that would be handy in the later stage when we start losing to mediocre teams like the Lions and Cheetah's. Moore reminds me of Jeremy Paul. Very aggressive.

Mark Chisolm was quiet but I hope all the Wallabies are used as impact players next time. Justin Harrison was great. He should take over from Hoiles.

For a fly-half, Tomua's passes are just floatiing and both scrum halves need to improve their passes.

 

[louie]

I am glad Lealifano is playing great at 12 but what happens when Giteau returns.

10. Giteau
12. Lealiifano

Both Matts are similar to be a 10/12 combo.

 

[JJJ]

I'm gutted that Ben Alexander has gone back to loosehead. Tighthead is a very technical position and how is he meant to grow into it if he spends most of his season playing a different position? Fair enough if he were a bench player for the Wallabies, but he's the starting tighthead ffs! He should really switch to a different team if he can't be guaranteed the #3 jersey by the brumbies. Possibly the Rebels?

 

[Zinzan]

:yay Nice Posts 'Louie' you should get a job at the Canberra Times. Enjoyed your player ratings over the rubbish Peter Fitzgerald gets published every week.

:thumb

 

[fatprop]

:nta: Just what did Harrison do?

He called the lineouts - fantastic.

But didn't call himself and did a lot of pointing; didn't look like he was working hard at scrumtime and didn't do much around the field etc etc He looked off the pace for most of the game.

Chislom on the other hand was hitting rucks with gusto and hurting players trying to tackle him

Very disappointed in Mortlock's game as well, he should have been the leader out there, but the Brumbies backs had no shape of direction against a pretty terrible backline

Sheperdson was average at scrum time as expected, the Brumbies scrum will need to do a lot of work

Touma was struggling to find runners for most of the game

 

[aussie1st]

Agree with those ratings. The big problem was the breakdown where the Force were in total control and turning or disrupting our ball at will. George Smith was no where to be seen and his handling was well and truely off and there seem to be no urgency when our halfback wasn't there.

To'omua was off from his last year form, put some nice kicks in, had one or two nice runs but picked the wrong time to run at times. Backline wasn't organised which could in part be due to the slow ball from the breakdown.

Mortlock was MIA big time, that was not the Mortlock we have come to know. When Tyrone came on we started to look so much better.

 

[Spook]

Agree with most comments. Pretty shite. Was happy with Chis who looks to have worked hard over the offseason. Pocock as well fucking owned the breakdown. Love watching him play. Brumbies Wallabies look very underdone to me.

 

[GC]

I though Valentine was terrible. Running backwards from the ruck before every pass, which totally screwed the timing of the players outside him, meaning no one was ever running onto the ball. Things seemed to improve when Phibbs came on.

 

[Pfitzy]

So to important matters: what happened at scrum time?

I would expect Alexander might have a good contest with Dunning, but Henderson for the Force starting at loosehead shows how big an idiot John Mitchell is, when Fairbrother is on the bench.

 

[en_force_er]

Harrison looked like someone's aging uncle had wandered onto the pitch.
Surely 1 or 2 line-outs against the head a week isn't worth a dead weight?

On the plus side Sharpe looked pretty classy.

 

[waratahjesus]

i thought harrison looked the goods, he has just had a rather long lay off so a few games to get up to speed isnt really something to bitch about.

but its been along time since an australian team had a real antaganist and its great to see one back, every time the force got a roll on, harrison held onto someone, niggled, sparred and sledged and broke it up. thats the mark of a trully great man and i for one hope he is a wallaby again by the end of the season.

 

[fatprop]

So to important matters: what happened at scrum time?

I would expect Alexander might have a good contest with Dunning, but Henderson for the Force starting at loosehead shows how big an idiot John Mitchell is, when Fairbrother is on the bench.

Both tightheads in the first half, Shep & Dunning both got done for collapsing; 2 each I think. Force got a good tight head.

Second half was more stable and even with Fairbother & Ma'fu

 

[louie]

i thought harrison looked the goods, he has just had a rather long lay off so a few games to get up to speed isnt really something to bitch about.

but its been along time since an australian team had a real antaganist and its great to see one back, every time the force got a roll on, harrison held onto someone, niggled, sparred and sledged and broke it up. thats the mark of a trully great man and i for one hope he is a wallaby again by the end of the season.

for once waratahjesus i agree with you. my hat goes off to you

 

[Brumby Jack]

I think those ratings are fair. Some of the senior Brumbies were seriously MIA last night. The Smith v Pocock battle failed to live up to expectations and I would go as far as saying it was one of Smiths worst games ever. Mortlock seemed to be going through the motions but only did what he had to with nothing more. he did kick the goals and pased 1000 points but that was about it. Maybe Lealiifano should have had some shots at goal since he's done it at club level. But once Giteau is back, I suspect he will take the kicking duties.

Harrison brought stability to the lineout with the Brumbies claiming 15 of their own and pinching 2 off the Force, which was about a 1000% improvement on last week. But the scrum still needs plenty of work. :nta:

 

[Ishmael]

Think you're being a bit harsh on AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). His work in the air was top notch and he looked dangerous whenever he got the ball.

The big problem for the Brumbies was the fact that the To'omua-Lilo partnership was poor. Lilo looked really good at times, and certainly agree that 12 looks like his position, but there seemed to be a real lack of communication between the two of them, resulting in way too many of To'omua's passes bouncing along the ground in front of his backs. Lilo didn't really step up as a playmaker unfortunately, and actually played more of a T. Smith style game at 12 I thought. As a result the outside backs didn't see a whole lot of ball and when they did it was static. The Brumbies really need Gits back for next week.

 

[louie]

Ishmael I thought To'omua wasn't direct or composured enough. He seemed to go missing alot and hios timing was very off. nice kicking. I think he's going to have a very 2nd years blues type of year. maybe a fraction too much hype around him.

Brumbies played a very direct and one off attacking game. Thats the sort of game it was. Not very much football played. But did what was needed and that is key for a good year

 

[Scotty]

but its been along time since an australian team had a real antaganist and its great to see one back, every time the force got a roll on, harrison held onto someone, niggled, sparred and sledged and broke it up. thats the mark of a trully great man and i for one hope he is a wallaby again by the end of the season.

Yep, give me Justin Harrison over the pretender John Eales any day.

 

[Ishmael]

louie, agreed. Neither Toomue or Lilo managed to really steer the Brumbies around the park properly. I think maybe they were both unsure of how much to take control and how much to let the other guy run things.

Speaking of Justin Harrison, I loved his comments in the pre-game Hoiles' Heroes thing. You could hear the other players cracking up whenever he spoke. He's a total plank on the field but sounds like a great guy to have a beer with. His little run-in with Sharpe was pretty funny too.

 

[Scarfman]

Huge Googie fan. More NSWRU stupidity to not get him back.

Also huge Shep fan. But that - surely - marks the end of his Wallaby career. Tragic for a guy who is every bit as good as Joe Roff when fit.