1. Brumbies human after all
They headed to South Africa, looking invincible but the Brumbies have been brought back to earth. While internally they might be keeping the hype down, this loss will certainly change the perception of some external observers.Their usually intimidating lineout was wobbly and they couldn't crack the Stormers pressure.
2. Control the controllables
Penalties killed the Brumbies against the Stormers and it’s not the first time they’ve finished a game with an unfavourable tally. Eight first-half infringements handed the Stormers a 9-5 opening half lead and they looked to rein it in in the second. That was until replacement hooker Josh Mann-Rea was sent off for an elbow to the head of his opponent. Coaches talk ad nauseam about controlling the controllables. This falls squarely into that category.
3. South African side the real deal
As much as the Brumbies have been hyped up, the Stormers might very well be going under the Aussie radar. There were plenty of critics in preseason about the quality and draw of the South African sides. Well, now the Stormers have shown they can shut down the standout Australian side.They look a major threat going forward.
4. Kuridrani a gun
Tevita Kuridrani is one of the most consistent players the Brumbies have. Handed Speight the Burmbies’ only try of the night and was a constant threat with the ball. The outside centre finished with 58 run metres off nine runs, along with three tackle busts.
5. Maul only as good as the territory it receives
The Brumbies’ biggest weapon is their rolling maul and they barely had a chance to implement it in Cape Town. The match was mainly played out in the Stormers’ attacking half, with the Brumbies getting just 9.4 per cent of possession in their attacking 22. Without the presence at their try line, the Brumbies couldn’t whip out their killer blow.
