Brumbies hammer horrendous Lions
27 Apr 2012
JON CARDINELLI reports on the Brumbies’ 34-20 lashing of a rudderless Lions mob at Ellis Park.
How deep does this hole of despair go? With a testing tour of Australasia looming, Lions fans may find out soon enough.
The downward spiral continued on Friday with the most insipid of performances, the Lions’ complete tactical naivety was only overshadowed by a hopeless defensive effort. The Brumbies may have come to Ellis Park with a sound game plan, but the manner in which the Lions played into the visitors’ hands was beyond stupid.
34-20 is a scoreline that flatters the Lions. The Brumbies missed a series of penalties and conversions over the course of the game, forgoing 14 points in all. The Australians also conceded two tries in the final quarter when the win and the bonus-point try were both secured. In short, the Lions deserved to lose by more.
There is absolutely no consolation in losing in this manner. The Lions have had their injury problems, but playing at home they would have been expected to produce a braver showing. It wasn’t so much a disappointment from a skills and tactical point of view as it was a depressing display of defence. At times, the Lions simply waved a hand as a Brumbies player breezed over the advantage line.
It took some time for the Brumbies to get going, but they deserve credit for sticking to their game plan. The tourists used the altitude to great effect, launching accurate high bombs and raking kicks which ultimately pinned the Lions in their own territory.
The Lions’ response was unforgivably poor. They attempted to counter-attack, but that only played into the Brumbies’ hands considering the visitors’ powerful breakdown players. They tried to kick it back but only succeeded in kicking it down the throat of the Brumbies’ back three.
They coughed up possession when jumping for the high ball. There were instances when they missed the garryowen altogether and allowed the ball to bounce free. Embarrassing is too kind a word. Humiliating is closer to the mark.
While the Brumbies failed to realise the full value of these tactics early on, they kept the Lions under pressure. Their goal-kickers may not have been on song, but their forwards dominated the collisions and their backs showed terrific skill in the tackle to create linebreaks and tries on the outside.
The visitors were helped by a woeful Lions defence. The hosts started poorly in this area, and by the end of the game it was clear that they had lost all interest. Spare a thought for the hapless few Lions fans who forked out good money to see their team raise the white flag early in the second half.
The result sees White’s Brumbies finishing their South African sojourn with seven log points, a great haul considering one of their matches was played at Loftus Versfeld. Friday’s bonus-point win also ensures that they consolidate their position at the top of the Australian conference.
By stark contrast, the Lions’ performance showed why they are they are at the bottom of the South Africa conference, and barely above the Blues at the foot of the overall log.
They face a long and potentially torturous journey Down Under unless they can find a means of improving their porous defence. They will also need to adopt a more territory-based game plan if they are going to have any success at the back end of the tournament.
226 Comments
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28 Apr 2012, 00:59 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-199:
Stupid Auckland gangster. Go back to your island and dance around a fire with mickey mouse painted on your ugly face, blowing smoke through your nostrils, pulling funny faces.
Primitive man.
Hehe.
28 Apr 2012, 01:47 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-197: dont know if i agree 100% but you made me laugh!
28 Apr 2012, 03:39 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-178:
You answered your question!
28 Apr 2012, 04:00 am
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-201: its not face paint bru, its a tattoo.. but its not mickey mouse, I can understand your confusion though, what with Mickeys colouring
it is simply the charred remains of the once legendary Springbokke pummelled into our earth ovens..
as we have done for the last twenty odd years, its pretty easy to bliksem them with the simple maori sidestep and poesklap…
e noho ra, mamparra…
28 Apr 2012, 05:44 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-95:
“Jackson undoing ALL of Jonkers jokes from last week., poor Lions on the receiving end of a get the japies backlash in full 180 degree right about turn swing”
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-116:
“Lions been out reffed this game, Jackson fckd them outa sight, same as Jonker did the reverse last week”
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-118:
“One thing is for sure. Jackson is the new Lawrence.”
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-137:
“Jonker saved Bulls bewildered arses last week.. make no bones about it.. this week Jackson did the entirely 180 degree right about turn opposite… if Jonker would have reffed tonight Lions would have won.. thats how stupid the refereeing shenanigan issue actually IS..”
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-148:
“One thing I will say though: I haven’t watched this game yet. Jackson is yet another in a long line of kak Kiwi referees – despite the Kiwis’ best efforts to blow hot air up his ***. It would not surprise me if he played a starring role in the Lions’ loss – especially to make up for last week. All of the referees are ******* kak this year.”
NO WONDER noone listens to you DUMB STOOPID WHINGING YAPPIES whenever you WHINGE about the ref.
Glenn “Jackson”, an excellent young referee with playing pedigree, was the Assistant Referee at Eden Park last pm for Blues vs Reds. The same Glen “Jackson” you numbskulls have been bagging throughout the entire game.
So why should anyone listen to one dumb stoopid thing you numbskulls EVER say about referees ?! Word of advice – be careful who you make death threats to in future, dipsh*ts.
28 Apr 2012, 07:46 am
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-201:
I’ve worked it out: You are an expat living in Texas. Your wife divorced you and your kids don’t want to speak to you. A Tea Party Bulls supporter with an apartheid tendency. Right? Do you wear golf shirts and Cargo pants. Sounds like
issues.
28 Apr 2012, 08:11 am
Morning kiwis
28 Apr 2012, 08:19 am
Jinne Prickboks do you always have your head in a bag of angry squirrels.
Even Pops is serene compared to you.
28 Apr 2012, 08:34 am
Warra warra warra yap yap so early in the morning
28 Apr 2012, 08:40 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-209:
DOPPIES!
28 Apr 2012, 08:41 am
Was that the most inept showing by the Lions ever in Super Rugby? There have been some bad ones let’s face it. At Home!
What is this tour going to be like? The Lions need Wikus; Doppies; Maku and Bondesio urgently.
Johann Ackermann must either play or leave now.
28 Apr 2012, 08:44 am
This Brumbies team looks very good with a natural attacking flair something you just dont see in sa teams.Aus teams starting to pick themselves up and with bulls yet to travel and stormers suffering injuries we could be the country struggling at the back end of the tournament.
Its imperative the stormers win tonight to keep up with the pack,I am a sharks supporter but will be throwing my weight behind the stormers and bulls if sharks lose 1 more game(effectively shutting them out of conference honours).
I would rather see any sa team win before an Aussie or kiwi team.
28 Apr 2012, 08:46 am
I thaught the ref had a pretty good game,not sure what everyone is complaining about.
28 Apr 2012, 08:49 am
Here comes the TPP… Tour of Pain and P@esklappe. Eish
28 Apr 2012, 08:54 am
@4moreyears(4moreyears)-213:
When 1 team outplays another by this much any talk about a poor ref is plain stupid. At one point in the 1st half the stats indicated the Lions missed 40% of their tackles! That has nothing to do with the ref…
28 Apr 2012, 08:57 am
Lions had a good tour last year and I reckon they will this year too.
28 Apr 2012, 08:58 am
Where’s this prick gone to now
28 Apr 2012, 09:12 am
Why couldnt Jake bring this attacking flair to the Boks,reckon the Brumbies are probably the best team to back winning the comp if they dont win conference honours and have to do it via wild card entry.
Heard Plumtree say sa was the hardest place to tour in s15 comp I reckon Saders,chiefs and brumbies would disagree so far.
28 Apr 2012, 09:50 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-205: Hehe, indeed. Okes even did not care the ref they whinge about is not even reffing. And why would they such a small matter of facts stand in the way of a good traditional whinge. 8)
28 Apr 2012, 09:50 am
“And why would they let”
28 Apr 2012, 11:52 am
@Nils(Nils)-219:
it would almost be possible to excuse them if they were man enough to acknowledge their mistakes. So consumed are the Yappies to find reasons for defeat,other than being completely sh*thouse, that the default option of blaming the ref lobotomizes any resemblance of grey matter left over.
Glenn Jackson, from a quick look at his credentials, played provincial rugby, Super rugby, NZ Maoris, and was Eng Prem Player of Year when playing for Saracens. Hes now showing signs of being a very good young ref, what the sport desperately needs.
And in 1 blink of a red raged loser lobotomized fcukwits’s desperation for excuses – just like at the RWC – a referee has his reputation slandered. Meanwhile, he’s 10,000kms away from the scene of the crime.
These armchair geniuss, meanwhile, are heroes of their own bathroom w@nkers XV, waiting to be subbed off the tissue mountain.
28 Apr 2012, 13:06 pm
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-221:
28 Apr 2012, 14:37 pm
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-221:
I think Jackson is proving to be a good ref. showing some technically good officiating at the breakdown and scrum.
Ignore most posters here as they mostly watch the EPL.
28 Apr 2012, 16:29 pm
Woza EP Kings Woza
28 Apr 2012, 18:10 pm
Lions stats for last 10 years:
2002 2nd last
2003 Last
2004 Last
2005 2nd Last
2006 2nd Last
2007 3rd Last
2008 Last
2009 2nd Last
2010 Last
2011 2nd Last
2012 Definitely last
Shame…….
28 Apr 2012, 22:50 pm
I know the backs get the praise for the fancy tries, but must give credit to JW and the Brumbies forward pack. They shouldnt be that good on paper if we are to be fair in our assessment v Blues on paper, but then again, what do we know? Mowen, Carter, Moore, Alexander, young Hooper, Aeolua, Vaea, are playing mongrel type rugby for a “lightweight” pack. Hurricanes and Brumbies ran a Dyson Vacuum cleaner through the playing squad and some left on own accord and look where the teams that picked up the bad apples are on the table? Elsom, played one game I believe in two seasons and the Blues, my beloved Blues, well… We’ll leave them alone until next zzzzzz game.
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