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‘It’s a graveyard for Aussie teams’: Blues brace for Brumbies’ ‘real test’
In a battle between two top-three teams in Super Rugby Pacific, Saturday’s blockbuster between the Blues and Brumbies looms as a “good test” for both teams less than two months out from the playoffs.
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Auckland’s Eden Park will host a highly-anticipated mid-season clash between two great Trans-Tasman foes with both the Blues and Brumbies currently equal on 27 competition points.
Both teams have only lost one match from their seven starts so far, but another defeat could prove costly as the race for a top-two finish and possible home semi-final continues to heat up.
Captain Ryan Lonergan returns to an otherwise relatively settled Brumbies outfit who are looking to beat the Blues in Auckland for the first time in more than 10 years. The Brums broke a similar losing streak away to the Highlanders in Dunedin earlier this season.
Without first five Stephen Perofeta or All Blacks halfback Finlay Christie, the Blues will have their work cut out for them as they look to prove to the competition that they are indeed one of the teams to beat at this stage of the season.
“This is a real test for both sides. ‘Let’s see where we’re at’, that’s what this game is. Let’s see where we’re at right now in this competition,” former Wallaby Mat Rogers said on Stan Sports’ The Night Before Gameday.
“We’ve got seven rounds to go. It’s tough to maintain that intensity for seven weeks into finals and then to taking out the premiership.
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“So, this is a good test to see where they’re at.
“Of course you want to play well but you want to be at your best in seven weeks’ time when the finals start. They’re both building but they’ve both been playing great rugby.
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
4
Draws
0
Wins
1
Average Points scored
29
16
First try wins
40%
Home team wins
60%
“Eden Park, oh geese, it’s a graveyard for Aussie teams.”
Team captain Patrick Tuipulotu and World Rugby’s 2023 Breakthrough Player of the Year Mark Tele’a have been named to return for the Blues after missing the win over the Western Force.
Coach Vern Cotter has made four changes to the starting side with Marcel Renata and Bryce Heem also joining the run-on side.
The Blues’ line-up packs plenty of punch, including the all-star backrow trio of Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali’i and in-form Hoskins Sotutu. Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane will take the field a threatening backline.
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“We need to go above and beyond that, no disrespect to the Force, but we’re coming up against a set piece-oriented Brumbies who are playing really well,” captain Tuipulotu said, as reported by Newshub.
“This is pretty much our test match.
“As we come up against these top teams we’ll really gauge where we’re at,” he added.
The Brumbies have made three changes to their First XV. Cadeyrn Neville comes in at lock, Jahrome Brown at opening flanker, and captain Ryan Lonergan at halfback.
But for the most part, this is a very consistent Brumbies outfit. Coach Stephen Larkham has selected the same front-row, and Noah Lolesio will steer the team around the park as the first-choice fly-half once again.
While the Blues are widely considered the favourites, the Brumbies will be full of belief as they look to shock the Super Rugby Pacific competition in Auckland.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments