Brumbies craving break after brutal battle with Blues

Tue, May 2, 2017, 6:13 AM
Sam Phillips
by Sam Phillips
The Brumbies have their last three matches but still sit on top of the Australian Conference. Lolo Fakaosilea admits the bye has come at a good time for the side who will hope to have a strong finish to the season,

After battling away for no reward against the Blues, Tom Banks and the Brumbies are craving a well-deserved bye.

The Australian Conference leaders blew the chance to open a significant gap on the Waratahs and Reds when they fell short against the Auckland outfit but they now get the chance to re-group before launching into the final seven games of 2017.

There are some sore and sorry bodies in Canberra that need the spell and a frustrated Banks said the team's review session focused on little things that cost the team four points.

"We put together some good phases in attack and D but those little things just hurt you," Banks said.Tom Banks and the Brumbies couldn't keep up with Melani Nanai's Blues. Photo: Getty Images"He (Stephen Larkham) was harsh on some bits but the thing is, in those contests, it comes down to really little things.

"Errors from players just hurt you and a few of the tries they scored just came off our mistakes."

Banks' first start at fullback was an eye catcher.

He made a pair of blistering line breaks in which he spotted space and quickly accelerated into top gear to squeeze through the Blues' defensive line, leaving several defenders clutching at air in the process.

"There were a few good things but there was also a lot to work on," he said of his own game.


"Reviewing the tape there is a lot of stuff there to improve in attack and defence so I will be looking to address those."

The Brumbies now enjoy a week off before launching into the back half of the season.

They will return to rugby in round 12 when they host the Lions.

The Lions are the best team in South Africa but they struggled to sustain any momentum against an injury-ravaged Force side at the weekend.

That bodes well for the Brumbies, who look to be in better knick than the Force at present.

"We really need to, from now on in, take the wins that we can get and really grind away as we look towards the finals series," Banks said.

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