Brumbies put boot into Canes
18 May 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes that great goal-kicking was the difference in the Brumbies’ 37-25 victory over the Hurricanes in Wellington.
How did the Hurricanes conspire to throw this match away? They scored their fourth try in the third quarter and looked to be cruising to an important win, but faded badly in the last 20 minutes and allowed the visitors to score 19 unanswered points.
It will be regarded as an ugly win for Jake White’s team even though they bagged five log points from a difficult visit to Wellington. It was also ironic that some form of kicking would propel the Brumbies to a fantastic result, as their kicking from hand was nothing short of aimless.
They controlled the earlier periods of play and shot to a 10-0 lead, but were subsequently punished for some poor tactical punts. Too often the high balls or tactical probes were too long, allowing a dangerous Hurricanes back three to collect and counter-attack with damaging results.
The Hurricanes forwards also came back strongly, and TJ Perenara scored in the 17th minute after the heavies had set a great platform. Victor Vito added the hosts’ second from a neat set-piece move, and the Hurricanes looked to have seized the initiative right before half-time.
Perenara snatched his second after the break, finishing an opportunity that was rooted again in strong forward play and poor kicking by the Brumbies.
Rookie flyhalf Zack Holmes managed to goal a penalty during this period, but the Canes kept on coming, and another strong drive from the lineout had the Brumbies defence stretched. Reserve prop Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen barrelled over from a subsequent surge, and at 25-16 the Canes were set for a fine finish.
But while the Canes had done well to win the battle for territory and punish Brumbies errors, they had failed to capitalise via an accurate goal-kicking performance. Following Toomaga-Allen’s try, they were nine points ahead, but wayward goal-attempts meant they had left a further nine points out on the field. It was this inaccuracy, as well as an unforgivable lapse in the last quarter, that would result in them losing the game.
The Brumbies were guilty of poor kicking out of hand, but they stuck to their tactics and began to enjoy the benefits in the dying stages. Their forwards also came back strongly, and it was some neat inter-passing between the visiting tight forwards that resulted in a try by lock Sam Carter.
They looked to have botched a scoring opportunity when they knocked on five metres out from the Canes’ tryline, but won a tighthead at the ensuing scrum. Michael Hooper swooped on the loose ball and emerged from a pile of bodies. The accurate goal-kicking boot of Holmes ensured that they made the lead five points instead of three.
The Brumbies flyhalf completed a memorable first start with a seven pointer moments later, and at 37-25, the game was over. The Canes attempted to close the gap in last 10 minutes but coughed up possession at the critical moment. In the end, a determined Brumbies defensive effort denied the Canes a losing bonus point.
The result sees the Brumbies consolidating their place at the top of the Australian conference and keeping the Reds at arm’s length. Following such a gutting loss at home, the Hurricanes should struggle to stay in the play-off race.
364 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] Show All
18 May 2012, 20:33 pm
@cab(cab)-350: exactly cabby
18 May 2012, 20:44 pm
@skopskiet(skopskiet)-327:
Skoppie: Crush your mother – She’s a White.
18 May 2012, 21:48 pm
What a surprise. A Jake White thread with skopshyte all over it like a rabid dog on heat.
Even more surprising, he’s repeating the same things ad nauseam as he repeated in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004. Uber yawn.
19 May 2012, 00:27 am
@skopskiet(skopskiet)-327:
I think your issue with Jake is purely in his surname…WHITE!
19 May 2012, 00:36 am
@skopskiet(skopskiet)-322:
I disagree. if the game is giving advantage to the attacking team. more rucks are looser due to attacking teams trying to recycle the ball quickly to ensure slick flow and the defending team on the back foot more. have a fetcher he will slow the ball and has more chances during the game at the the ruck to pilfer.
before it was skip and donner…kick the ball onto a player deep in opposition territory and chase him…usually these players are in the backline isolate him and get the ball back from a penalty due to the player not releasing. the tackler could get up without letting go the tackled ball carrier and go for the ball. with these laws the fetcher was more a player in the backline.
19 May 2012, 02:08 am
@cab(cab)-350:
injuries hampered the team in 2006 and SARU were trying desperately to get rid of white because he refused to budge on whio he’d pick and play. the week of the 49-0 result against Aussie the team knew what was going on. SARU, the team and the coach collectively own that result, not just jake.
19 May 2012, 02:11 am
@cab(cab)-350:
even the ABs have bad years though. remember 2009. richie and danny injured for parts of that year and they were awful (for their high standards) at times. boks clean swweeped them 3-0 in 3N and bok laden baabaas also knocked them over at end of year. Many of our boks beat them 4 times that year!
19 May 2012, 02:13 am
@wallabie.(wallabie.)-354:
he has many many unresolved issues on white. but mostly it has to do with white not rating luke watson and rating schalk burger.
19 May 2012, 03:47 am
@grant10(grant100)-33:
Jake White fan are we now Grantie
19 May 2012, 03:48 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-353:
HHAHAHAH yes yawn – I’m still waiting for him to use his bedroom wall to blog on and leave us alone.
19 May 2012, 03:52 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-313:
Couldn;t have said it better myself.
Being defending the guy since 2004 on here because idiots like Skopskiet couldn’t see a good thing if they walked right into it
19 May 2012, 04:08 am
@cab(cab)-350:
Well said as well. Trolling a bit but spent too many years writing the same thing to defend Jake. The guy took SA rugby from the mess of Staaldraad to a WC winning number 1 team in the world, and some ungrateful morons don;t appreciate it.
Saying things like Eddie Jones saved us – lol – what a joke. He helped have helped, for sur
19 May 2012, 04:09 am
Well said as well. Trolling a bit but spent too many years writing the same thing to defend Jake. The guy took SA rugby from the mess of Staaldraad to a WC winning number 1 team in the world, and some ungrateful morons don;t appreciate it.
Saying things like Eddie Jones saved us – lol – what a joke. He helped have helped, for sure. But a good coach isn’t always the one that thinks they know everything. They call on others to add value.
A head coach needs good assistants
19 May 2012, 14:48 pm
Mark Lawrence, the Ref in this Game,
gave a great display, of what positive Refereeing is, and should always be.
(Now: that is not a Post you see from the average Saffa).
8)
We lost, but I’d be happy for Mark to do all Canes games.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.