Rnd 18: Brumbies v Reds

[VassMan]

Is Tate injured?

 

[Scoey]

I like that side. Would much prefer Hegarty/Stweart as 10/15 but still lots to like. Plenty of impact coming off the bench (if Thorn actually uses it). Any word on Tate? That ankle must've been worse than first thought to miss two weeks?

 

[Ignoto]

No Tate or Stewart and Sefa from the bench? I would have thought having Sefa instead of Jock would give them some extra speed and a third ball crasher.

 

[Scoey]

I prefer Jock to be honest. Seems to put in way more than Sefa who has looked a little lazy or uninterested at times. We have plenty of crash ballers with CFS and Kerevi.

 

[RugbyReg]

Tate still recovering.

Hopefully Stewart plays club footy.

Jock doesn't deserve to be dropped.

 

[Finsbury Girl]

I'm firmly in the Hegarty/Stewart camp as well. I think this is the area Brad needs to improve, we had a combo that was starting to look cohesive. Stewart must be thinking "what the hell have i done?" ditto Moses. Not happy Brad.

Jock has more than enough toe, he will be hard to dislodge from the starting line up now.

 

[Derpus]

Jock has been solid but Naivalu is definitely the better player.

 

[TSR]

IMO Campbell has been better than Naivalu this year. It’s the last game in a season where Naivalu is leaving and Campbell is staying and where the team can’t make finals.

I’m happy to see Campbell retained in the starting line up.

Edit: and agree on the comments re Stewart. Would have like to see him there.

 

[dru]

What happened to Blyth?

 

[Slim 293]

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6213995/brumbies-reunite-to-remember-macca/?cs=14280

The ACT Brumbies will be aiming for their seventh consecutive win at home when they play the Queensland Reds on Saturday night in the last regular season game before the finals.

But up in the stands a group of Brumbies old boys will gather to reflect on something much more important than wins or losses. The 2009 Brumbies will come together for the first time since Mackay died 10 years ago after being hit by a car in Durban.

Mackay's family will be there, too, joining 15 former Brumbies players and 10 staff members who could get back to Canberra.
.........

Brumbies captain Christian Lealiifano and team manager Garry Quinlivan are the only remaining links to that team 10 years ago.

But while Mackay only played a handful of games for the club, he has never been forgotten.

The Brumbies still set up his locker every year at the closest home game to the anniversary of his death as a tribute to Mackay's life.

"It's still raw. I don't think I will ever get over it, I'm always going to miss him," Phibbs said of his Waverley College schoolmate.

"Guys are coming from everywhere. Mark Chisholm is flying down from Brisbane, Guy Shepherdson is flying down, Gene Fairbanks is driving in from Goulburn. Ben Hand has been organising it, the Brumbies have been great as well.

"I'm sure we'll talk about how everyone is going. But the reason we're there is because of Shawn and a chance to show our respect."

 

[Braveheart81]

"Gene Fairbanks is driving in from Goulburn"

Is this a gee up to pay out the guy living in Goulburn? Aside from those living in Canberra, he'd be travelling the least distance to get there.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Brumbies

1. Scott SIO
2. Folau FAINGA’A
3. Allan Ala'alatoa
4. Rory ARNOLD
5. Sam CARTER
6. Rob VALETINI
7. Jahrome BROWN
8. Lachlan MCCAFFREY
9. Joe POWELL
10. Christian LEALIIFANO
11. Tom WRIGHT
12. Irae SIMONE
13. Tevita KURIDRANI
14. Andy MUIRHEAD
15. Tom BANKS

REPLACEMENTS

1. Connal MCINERNEY
2. James SLIPPER
3. Leslie LEULUAIALII-MAKIN
4. Murray DOUGLAS
5. Pete SAMU
6. Ryan LONERGAN
7. Jordan JACKSON-HOPE
8. Len IKITAU

 

[Sully]

What happened to Blyth?

Injured Shoulder.

 

[KOB1987]

"Gene Fairbanks is driving in from Goulburn"

Is this a gee up to pay out the guy living in Goulburn? Aside from those living in Canberra, he'd be travelling the least distance to get there.

He must have moved down the highway, he was coaching the Bowral Blacks a couple of years ago.

 

[Brumby Runner]

No Speight or Pulu. Will be missing a bit of quality on the wings. As they say, it will be another opportunity for Tom Wright to show what he's got. I think he has sufficient pace to play there, his stepping ability is good and he doesn't mind a bit of hard contact. It's his handling skills that worry me a bit.

 

[emuarse]

No Speight or Pulu. Will be missing a bit of quality on the wings. As they say, it will be another opportunity for Tom Wright to show what he's got. I think he has sufficient pace to play there, his stepping ability is good and he doesn't mind a bit of hard contact. It's his handling skills that worry me a bit.

Worry not. He probably won't get a chance to see the ball.
But his defense, he'll need to be good at

 

[RoffsChoice]

I know Speight is a Brumbies fan favourite, but he has not been up to his historic standard since 2017, and I'm perfectly fine with Muirhead starting ahead of him for any reason. I know this is his first pro season, but Wright needs to commit to a position if he wants to nail a starting spot in the team. We have good wingers, and he's good enough to push Simone for a start, but he could well be a good winger.

I guess we're going for the continuity approach, otherwise I don't know how we could justify not starting Swain, Lonergan, or Ikitau. Besides the pride of a win against Aussie rivals, there's nothing to gain from this game: a win alone will be enough to finish above the Jaguares if they (somehow) lose to the Sunwolves, but, chances are, we're 3rd and that's that. Chances are that we'll have to travel a lot in the finals if we go all the way, so resting players here would have been really valuable.

Anyway, Brumbies by 20. Hopefully to nil.

 

[Jets]

I'll just put this here.

 

[Shaker]

No Speight or Pulu. Will be missing a bit of quality on the wings. As they say, it will be another opportunity for Tom Wright to show what he's got. I think he has sufficient pace to play there, his stepping ability is good and he doesn't mind a bit of hard contact. It's his handling skills that worry me a bit.

FORWARDS BATTLE

 

[Slim 293]

So Cusack and Pulu have been rested - Cusack has started every game for the Brumbies this year.............

Not sure if it was reported whether Speight was still recovering from injury or was being rested as well?

Surprised to not see Swain there though....... thought that Arnold or Carter might come off early and give him some extra minutes.