Quarter Final - Brumbies vs Highlanders, 22 July 2016 @ 6:00pm

[Marcelo]

And this is how it ends a sh*t year for Aussie conference

 

[Brumby Runner]

I see, media hype around running rugby is ridiculous. In Australia.

It absolutely is Seb. Running rugby is what the NZ sides play. All Aus sides including the Wallabies want to run the ball but they start too far behing the gain line, can't off load in the tackle, and repeatedly get caught by the first defender. Running rugby in Aus is a myth - a bigger myth than Tony Woodcock.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Brumbies had them there, wft happened. Spinning it wide and deep just let the Landers push up on D, probably coulndt believe their luck. Needed to persevere with up the guts.

then A.Smith goes to hoof it into touch, misses, knocks it on, back under the kosh

wayyy too much wendyball bleating to the ref. Aaron Smith screaming his wee nads off at him was embarrassing. Hilarious end to it though

ref: "...scrum or lineout option blah blah....."
AS: "So that's it then!
ref: "Oh yeah, that's it!"

 

[Brumby Runner]

Is the weather that bad? Really disappointing crowd for a finals game

Weather was atrocious. Gale force north westerly winds and torrential rain.

 

[ACR]

I also think it shows that the highlanders aren't Good enough to go all the way. Only just put the brumbies away and let's face it the brumbies don't have much of a game at the moment.

Aron and Ben smith are freaks. Made all the difference and it's all about his kicking at the base and Ben's return kicks.

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Bah. If this game was played in NZ as it should have been it would have been a walkover. The game was played in a bloody storm, total equalizer and completely benefitted the Brumbies 'style'.

The highlanders haven't beaten every decent team in the comp for nothing. 4 games lost all season by 11 points COMBINED.

Lucky to get away with this one but they'll be tough to beat on a dry track.

 

[Shiggins]

Bah. If this game was played in NZ as it should have been it would have been a walkover. The game was played in a bloody storm, total equalizer and completely benefitted the Brumbies 'style'.

The highlanders haven't beaten every decent team in the comp for nothing. 4 games lost all season by 11 points COMBINED.

Lucky to get away with this one but they'll be tough to beat on a dry track.

As it should of been ? Why? It's the way it is. Get over it

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[Brumby Runner]

To be fair the weather is moving the ball making line-out calls to the back almost impossible. So it's easy to predict jumpers will be at the front of the line-out.

That's true but only half the story. Moore's throwing has been very flat allowing the Landers' jumpers to get up in front of ours. Move on Squeaky.

 

[Upthenuts]

lucky they had A smith as head ref there right at the end

 

[ACR]

As it should of been ? Why? It's the way it is. Get over it

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Shiggins Shiggins Shiggins. The finals system is a joke, like your opinion of the Highlanders. Giving a home final to a team like the Brumbies. I do not aplogise for whinging about that.

 

[Shiggins]

Jeez. Berny wasn't happy. Called the ref Strait out hahaha

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[Brumby Runner]

Players were ok. Game plan was deficient. WTF would you throw a lineout 5m from the try line to Michael Wells, the smallest man in the pack apart from Makin when Carter is just about the most successful catcher and maul initiator in the whole of Super Rugby, and then at the end why would you have Wells at No 8 when he manifestly can't control the ball at the back of the scrum and you have Pocock there who was enormous at the RWC.

Bernie, I sincerely hope you take up the offer of full time backs coach for the Wallabies and we can then get on with playing some intelligent rugby.

And to the Tahs, you are welcome to Wells. Pity you didn't take him before this game.

 

[Shiggins]

Shiggins Shiggins Shiggins. The finals system is a joke, like your opinion of the Highlanders. Giving a home final to a team like the Brumbies. I do not aplogise for whinging about that.

I hope you didn't say that into a mirror

No its not. It's good to have a split of games across the conferences in the finals. Highlanders didn't finish top of their conference so bad luck. Get over it. You sound like a whinging girl.

We will see how my opinion on the highlanders plays out next weekend.

Highlanders were lucky to win in the end. It was very close and that try that was not awarded was 50 50.

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[ACR]

So what are you actually basing your opinion on? This one game? Explain.

 

[dru]

This one game was the most important this season for the Landers. They were the least shit team. Not good for advertising Super Rugby.

But they get to play again. Who knows next week.

PS I know it was shit weather and a too-early time slot, but the lack of home crowd does it for me. The Brumbies fans dont think they deserved a home QF either.

 

[ForceFan]

A bit tragic that no Australian teams left in the Super Rugby Finals.

Also tragic, despite the weather, that such a small crowd turn out to support and watch the top team in the Aussie group.

Says a lot about the general growing lack of interest in attending matches.
The Brumbies attendance has steadily decreased from >17,000 in 2009 to about 11,500 in 2016.
The drop-off for other Aussie franchises, over the same period, show a similar trend:
Waratahs - 24,000 to <20,000 (down to 17k in 2013)
Reds - >30,000 - 17,000
Force - >17,000 - <11,000
Rebels - >17,000 - >10,000 (only since 2011)

I'm looking forward to watching the remaining Super Rugby Finals as they well be free of the diabolical Aussie Fox Sports commentators.

 

[Blue]

Brumbies and Sharks play EXACTLY the same rugby. I thought Larkham was some sort of messiah? One off runners trying to muscle across the advantage line. Awful stuff.

 

[mst]

Players were ok. Game plan was deficient. WTF would you throw a lineout 5m from the try line to Michael Wells, the smallest man in the pack apart from Makin when Carter is just about the most successful catcher and maul initiator in the whole of Super Rugby, and then at the end why would you have Wells at No 8 when he manifestly can't control the ball at the back of the scrum and you have Pocock there who was enormous at the RWC.

Bernie, I sincerely hope you take up the offer of full time backs coach for the Wallabies and we can then get on with playing some intelligent rugby.

And to the Tahs, you are welcome to Wells. Pity you didn't take him before this game.

I agree with most of what you have said, but in regards to Wells, he is not an 8 and has suffered playing there. There were better options as you identified.

As for the line out, the Highlanders knew with the weather conditions and the Brumbies being so predictable thy just kept jump at the front and turned us over repeatedly.

Just dumb rugby from a team that looks like they regressed as the season went on. We just don't learn the lessons.

I also think there are one or two players that need to go.

 

[mst]

A bit tragic that no Australian teams left in the Super Rugby Finals.

Also tragic, despite the weather, that such a small crowd turn out to support and watch the top team in the Aussie group.

Says a lot about the general growing lack of interest in attending matches.
The Brumbies attendance has steadily decreased from >17,000 in 2009 to about 11,500 in 2016.
The drop-off for other Aussie franchises, over the same period, show a similar trend:
Waratahs - 24,000 to <20,000 (down to 17k in 2013)
Reds - >30,000 - 17,000
Force - >17,000 - <11,000
Rebels - >17,000 - >10,000 (only since 2011)

I'm looking forward to watching the remaining Super Rugby Finals as they well be free of the diabolical Aussie Fox Sports commentators.

A lot of the crowd issues relates to the venue and the lack of cover. Pregame over 10000 tickets had been sold, so a lot just didn't turn up with the weather being so bad.

You know its bad when the a Kiwi bloke from Wellington who was at the game was saying he could no believe how bad the weather was and how much the wind was swirling, how strong it was and how it changed directions during the game!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Match review is up already.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/highlanders-hold-brumbies/#disqus_thread

Definitely worth giving it a click.

 

[ACT Crusader]

The 6pm start on a Friday night is not great by any stretch, add the shocking weather and its the perfect storm for not attracting the crowd.

The icy wind tunnel that swirls over Bruce with torrential rain rushing from work isn't an attractive proposition....