Brumbies vs Reds, week 3 2011

[Brumbies Guy]

Shame about A Smith being ruled out because Speight needs to be dropped...

I'm hoping Lilo gets some game time at fullback and really puts some pressure onto McCabe for the 15 jumper. If Lilo can secure 15 and McCabe slides out to Speight's wing the team strengths tenfold.

I don't really like playing two opensides but I guess Chapman will be back next week...

Colby trialed at 6 for a lot of preseason and also played there in runners games and at the JWC last year. He's obviously an openside but he won't disgrace himself there. He couldn't be left out of the team on last weeks performance.

Strange that LILO is on the bench ahead of Tyrone?

It'd think, 21. To'omua will cover 10 & 12 (straight swap at 10 or by moving Giteau to 12), 22. Lealiifano covers 15 (moving McCabe to 13,14,15 where required).. I'd prefer that option as opposed to having T.Smith as our wing cover.

And is Stubbs currently injured?

Not sure, is the Sevens squad away atm?

 

[Hawko]

After this game the Reds have a bye and two weeks to get their head on straight and their crocks back before the big block of games, including three big games against the saffers two of which are away. If the pack does not perform this week I forsee radical surgery over the fortnight.

Samo would put pressure on Simmons and Humphries if fit. He is being missed. I predicted earlier that McDuling would get tried from the bench sometime after the bye and I still think this is very likely.

Daley and Fainga'a in the front row is a total mystery to me; Links a great coach but I am perplexed beyond explanation. The only thing I can think of is they are on a final warning but they are facing Holmes and Palmer. Palmer is the best scrumming THP in Australia by miles. Maybe Link thinks there won't be many scrums.

Quirk will probably go on for Houston with Higgers dropping back to 8.

After Ioane, Toua was the Reds best back last week. His reward is to be dropped from the 22. This, I think, is a worse mistake than picking Turinui on the wing to mark Habana and Link will come to regret it.

The team selection at the Brumbies mirrors the chaos this week: The two open sides strategy worked in week one but I doubt it will work this week as the Reds finally have two open sides on their list.

Colby at 6 is nonsense - one of the things about him at 7 is he needs another year of physical development. He's not a 6's bootlace yet and is not a noted jumper. Vaea is raw but looking good but I don't think he jumps either. So everything is on Hand and Chisholm, and QLD should be able to isolate and throw away from them. Poor Noodles should be contacting his agent now to look for a new team next year; he would have been a world cup bolter if he could have got a regular start, but the new guard obviously don't rate him. I reckon the Rebels or the Force would jump at the chance.

Tyrone Smith is on the outer, hard to see why. Maybe he suggested to someone in the locker room that he thought Friend was an OK coach. Speight has not covered himself with glory so far, hard to see why he retained his spot. As well as McCabe played last week I'd bring in Lilo and move McCabe to wing with Speight out and Smith T on the bench.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Poor Noodles should be contacting his agent now to look for a new team next year; he would have been a world cup bolter if he could have got a regular start, but the new guard obviously don't rate him.

Don't rate him? The guy's had a massive run of injuries but they've stuck by him over the last few years. They could have very easily sourced a fit player to cover his place if they didn't rate him.

 

[sunnyboys]

excuse my ignorance but who is Noodles?

 

[Ash]

Kimlin.

2 minute noodle. Refers to Wallaby game time.

 

[sunnyboys]

hehehehehe. nice.

 

[sunnyboys]

he can't come to the Reds. we've filled our quota of Ranga's.

 

[Lee Grant]

A very good post up there Hawko and others earlier.

Was surprised to see Toua dropped from the 22 as I thought he would start, but he knows how to deal with adversity and we'll be seeing him again and soon IMO. Why Morahan got precedence on the bench is a mystery, but I don't know what is going on up there.

Despite that it's good to see Ben Lucas get a start. The reserves bench looked a bit funny until the 5/2 split penny dropped. The versatility of Lucas, who starts, and Harris, on the bench, enables Link to play an extra forward.

It's good to see Beau get a shot too. This is the crossroads for him, and probably Lucas, for that matter. These fellows will have to be effective. Beau will have his work cut out against Salvi and Colby F - and then another fetcher, Hooper, will come from the bench.

I'll be looking forward to seeing Liam Gill run out on the field though I don't agree with a 18 y.o. forward playing Super Rugby especially one who is a bit light for his position - if he still weighs in at 94kgs. I think that we will see the rise of a star Australian player and that folks will sit up in their armchairs sometime this season and then head for the keyboard.

It's an odd balance in the Brumbies team. It derives from the flawed recruitment of 3 specialist fetchers. Now the chickens have come home to roost with the suspension of Chapman and the injury affected slow start for Kimlin. But despite the lack of balance in the side, including 3 short-arsed starting backrowers, I'll back Colby F to do OK out of position - and don't be surprised if they hoist him up in the lineout.

 

[fatprop]

Is Vanderglass injured?

I have always rated him, unlike the Brumby management

 

[qwerty51]

Awesome. The two prodigy 7s taking on each other, Hooper and Gill.

 

[Lee Grant]

Don't forget Colby. He would most likely have been a star schoolboy player in his last year too but he was injured.

I remember seeing Hooper and Colby play for the Runners last year in Huxley's comeback game. I think they played left and right like France do. Anyway, they combined a couple of times for a cracking try. Maybe we will see the same in Super Rugby.

 

[spectator]

That backrow of the Brumbies won't be as quick as the Force but will still have some speed about it. Robinson is going to have his work cut out for him but like many I'm glad to see a genuine onballer in the starting lineup. And there's one on the bench as well! We'll need them both to be in good form as we have been manhandled at the breakdown the last two games. It will take more than Robinson (or Gill) though and I hope that the Reds forwards are far more assertive and cohesive than they have been in their work at the breakdown.

There are a few Reds who might consider themselves to be lucky to be there. Hope they play out of their skins on Saturday to reward the faith by Link and his coaching staff.

 

[Slim 293]

I think it's just a bit of bad luck for the Brumbies having 3 lineout jumpers out through suspension and injury...

But as I've been saying repeatedly, it's going to be tough having lost Chapman because he's been running the lineout...

Hand will do a good job taking over from him but with only the two jumpers they're certainly not going to have that dominance they've had the past couple of weeks...

It'll also be interesting to see how the scrum goes without that extra weight packing behind Palmer...

However, Palmer should still destroy Daley and Fainga'a in the scrum...

 

[Scotty]

I've noticed that the tackler doesn't have to have as obvious release as they did last season particularly when the crack down was on. I wonder if this reverting to type of most of the refs has stuffed links ideas of how the game would be played. We certainly saw a fair bit of leniency to the likes of pocock in the reds force game.

 

[Scotty]

Seems kafer has had the same thoughts. Question is why haven't the referees enforced the breakdown the same way?

 

[Slim 293]

I just realised that Phibbs is still in the team... ugh...

 

[Spewn]

It's too soon to put Gill in. Too young. Not big enough. He is the best 7 prospect I have seen who is not playing senior football. But I am totally against this promotion of 18 year olds so soon.

 

[Dumbledore]

I reckon the Reds are going to get rolled.

 

[Penguin]

It's too soon to put Gill in. Too young. Not big enough. He is the best 7 prospect I have seen who is not playing senior football. But I am totally against this promotion of 18 year olds so soon.

Why? It didn't hurt Pocock or O'Connor or a host of others trough the history of the game. He's mixed it with the big boys in 7's and in club & academy games. If he's good enough he's old enough.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Why? It didn't hurt Pocock or O'Connor or a host of others trough the history of the game. He's mixed it with the big boys in 7's and in club & academy games. If he's good enough he's old enough.

Fainga'a and Hooper were both playing last year too. Both born in 1991, Gill born in 1992.