Reds edge Canberra clanger
26 May 2012
JON CARDINELLI reports on a fiercely contested yet error-marred Aussie derby that was eventually won 13-12 by the Reds.
The game produced one try, but the word ‘dour’ wouldn’t do it justice. The game never wanted for action but unfortunately never developed into a spectacle nor offered the high level of execution you’d expect from a top of the conference encounter.
The error count on both sides was astronomically high, and at times the ill-discipline also stunted momentum. The game ended on an error when Brumbies flyhalf Zack Holmes missed a penalty attempt. The Reds celebrated wildly as Holmes’s shot drifted wide, but coach Ewen McKenzie will be more relieved than anything else after what was an erratic performance.
It was a result they should have secured moments before. The Reds were camped on the Brumbies’ tryline, and when the hosts attempted to clear, Holmes’s kick was charged down. The clock looked to be on the Reds’ side as the teams packed down for a scrum, but incredibly the Reds failed to secure the ball and Brumbies scrumhalf Nic White succeeded in hacking it 60m upfield.
The pressure on both sides was evident, and their tactics were befitting a match of this stature. However, neither McKenzie, Jake White, nor Wallabies coach Robbie Deans for that matter, would have been pleased with the errors at the set pieces, the poor ball security at the breakdown and the lack of physicality at the collisions.
Referee Steve Walsh threatened to take charge of the breakdown early in the game, but then allowed more of a contest as the match wore on. Ball-poaching specialists like Liam Gill and Michael Hooper were influential, and with both teams allowed to forage on the ground nether attack obtained the necessary momentum to score a try.
The only try of the game was scored by Reds fullback Luke Morahan, and it was the product of individual brilliance rather than a concerted team effort.
The Brumbies employed their incessant kick-chase tactics early on, and Morahan soared to collect a high bomb before surging upfield. A neat chip over the disorganised Brumbies defensive line rolled into the in-goal area, and Morahan showed his speed to beat all Brumbies chasers for the touchdown.
The rest of the game played out in a frustrating manner, as both teams niggled at each other and attempted to stifle each other’s attack. The scrums were a mess, but the Brumbies will most lament the number of skew feeds at the lineout. It robbed them of a great attacking platform and was yet another reason why their backs struggled to get into the game.
The win allows the Reds to stay in the hunt for a play-off place, while the losing bonus point sees the Brumbies maintaining a five-point buffer between their closest rivals in the Aussie conference.
191 Comments
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26 May 2012, 12:57 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-97:
Well I actually think he is better than most on here think he is. You need to understand the pressure he was under whilst coaching the Boks to have any idea how well he really did…but hey, he only won a WC.
26 May 2012, 12:57 pm
take him off….
26 May 2012, 12:59 pm
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-101:
Correct, he won a RWC….with alot of help.
His win ratio was not that much better than PDVs.
Anyway lets not get into it, i think hes average, you like him. And good for you mate.
26 May 2012, 12:59 pm
@The Hippy Hooker(The Hippy Hooker)-92:
weak attempt but still funny…
26 May 2012, 13:00 pm
the commentators in this match seem bored!!
26 May 2012, 13:00 pm
COME ON BRUMBIES
26 May 2012, 13:01 pm
droppie timeframe
26 May 2012, 13:02 pm
@viewer(viewer)-100: That’s because they’re also still battling to understand Jake’s Afrikaans calls!!!
26 May 2012, 13:03 pm
Brilliant Gill
26 May 2012, 13:04 pm
Gill and Hooper giving us a show today.
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-103:
Fair enough.
26 May 2012, 13:05 pm
@theOracle(theOracle)-105:
I prefer this Aussie commentary to the Rugby League annoying ‘we are going to sound like we are really excited about friggen everything because they pay us lots of money and we don’t have many brain cells but we are going to patronise you by assuming that you have even less brain cells and so we need to tell you when to cheer and get excited’ commentary.
26 May 2012, 13:06 pm
@BrumbiesBoy(BrumbiesBoy)-108:
I think thats why Jake asked for EJ to can back to the Brumbies team.
Eddie the interpreter.
26 May 2012, 13:07 pm
@chch(chch)-111:
Unfair comparison, are there anything more annoying in the WORLD than those league commentators?
26 May 2012, 13:07 pm
Boring game. Endless derbies are killing Super Rugby.
26 May 2012, 13:07 pm
the Reds been all over this Fake’s wannabes, if not for Walshie giving Jakeys Fakey’s a leg up here would have been all over first 15 when Reds were on the rampage in Brumbies 22 and got blown out the red zone time and again.
Brumbies best 3 players on the park have been Steve Walsh, Quade Cooper and Luke Watson carbon copy clone Michael Hooper. If not for them 3 and Wallabie hooker Moore would have been a Reds whitewash by now… Only Walshie and Cooper keeping Brumbies in the game.
26 May 2012, 13:09 pm
@chch(chch)-111:
Most entertaining thing about the Aussie Conference and S15 veiwing in general are the Aussie Commentators
Best in business. Cant stand that idiot kiwi Nisbert
26 May 2012, 13:10 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-115: Skop did you get banned again and this is your new nick? Or is it just for trolling on Brumbies threads?
26 May 2012, 13:10 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-115:
The Reds pathetic lineouts are also keeping the brumbies in the game. And some pretty ordinary handling too.
26 May 2012, 13:11 pm
Steve Walsh must now rate the worst referee.How many more times will he allow
players majority Reds to fall sideways in loose scrums and land behind to the attacking player, sealing him off and getting penalty awarded.
26 May 2012, 13:12 pm
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-113:
There is that ‘Tommy with a forken Y’ annoying Irish twaat on ESPN
26 May 2012, 13:12 pm
So many bloodied faces
McCabe has a tendency to get nose-bleeds
26 May 2012, 13:12 pm
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-117:
Good pickup
26 May 2012, 13:13 pm
Come Mackenzie’s Reds put this Fake’s wannabes out their overrated misery already in spite of Walshie’s best wishes.
26 May 2012, 13:14 pm
@chch(chch)-120:
Don’t know him but surely he can only come second?
26 May 2012, 13:15 pm
Hand in scrum, fark, how blind can the assistant ref be.
26 May 2012, 13:15 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-123:@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-122: Confirmed.
26 May 2012, 13:16 pm
Skoppelos het jy nie ‘n bakkie om te was nie?
26 May 2012, 13:18 pm
how Walsh allow the scrummy to steal the ball from offside position typical Walsh – JW ******** going down here
26 May 2012, 13:18 pm
Desperate stuff now, cmon Reds!
26 May 2012, 13:20 pm
lol, he had to move the tee 6 inches infield
26 May 2012, 13:20 pm
Skop is secretly in love with Jake, but his love has never been reciprocated. He doth protest too much.
26 May 2012, 13:20 pm
That is justice.
26 May 2012, 13:20 pm
Watch closely Skop.
26 May 2012, 13:21 pm
Walsh disgrace
26 May 2012, 13:21 pm
wow
Brumbies didnt score a try at home, first time in 5 years
26 May 2012, 13:21 pm
Close! Well done Reds.
26 May 2012, 13:21 pm
He choked!
26 May 2012, 13:21 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-134:
why?
26 May 2012, 13:22 pm
Brumbies still with the charity quota 3rd spot
26 May 2012, 13:24 pm
Walsh has tendacy to ref in order to make a game competitive and free free flowing but translate as bias and one sided – this is reality.
showpony
26 May 2012, 13:24 pm
@fitzella(fritz ellenbogen)-123: Sheez dude, a little credit to Jake? Even the blind can see that he has done some fine work with the youngsters. He has surrounded himself with some brilliant assistants granted – but to the Head Coach go the spoils.
26 May 2012, 13:25 pm
eina, brumbies miss the kick and lose the game.
the aussie conference looking poor in terms of points.
not a great game to watch and my friend steve walsh is just the same as he always was, an incompetetnt.
26 May 2012, 13:25 pm
What a bore fest !!! Super rugby is hond piel these days…
26 May 2012, 13:26 pm
White almost rode his luck one more time in absolute brown nosed appreciation to Walshie his ******** chum. If ever there was the ultimate lucky packet coach this Fake gotta take the absolute accolade for that. Almost pulled another lucky packet win out the hat.
Thank fck destiny didn’t capitulate this time in spite of Walshies best efforts., that miss kick was the perfect result to this f’ng setup farce.
26 May 2012, 13:27 pm
Blast it!!! Well done to the Reds and also to PrickBoksgoingSouth…get u next time, mate!
26 May 2012, 13:27 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-141:
Don’t bother, skop holds a grudge like no one else…he will still be swearing at Jake on his deathbed for what he did to Looke…
26 May 2012, 13:28 pm
Hey this is news to me. I didn’t even know that Jake White was playing today. Did he miss that kick?
26 May 2012, 13:28 pm
I was wrong about the entertaining game
26 May 2012, 13:29 pm
Well, if those are the top x2 teams in the Aussie conference then they are F… ED.
Piss poor game.
26 May 2012, 13:31 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-147:
No tries scored by the brumbies, just shows the influence JW has
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