The Brumbies clinched a thriller at the death against the Waratahs on Saturday night.
What are we talking about after their 24-23 victory?
1. Brumbies never say die
The Brumbies could definitely feel like they got out of jail with that win on Saturday night but they did earn it in the end.
The momentum was against them and coach Dan McKellar stuck with bringing on his reserves and that bench worked hard to win the game.
They had two injuries early to Noah Lolesio and James Slipper and were on the back foot in the set piece.
Despite that, and a tough travel toll, they managed to outlast the Waratahs and take the chance to win when they could.
Good teams make a habit of winning even when everything looks against them and that’s exactly what the Brumbies did on Saturday night.
2. Injury sours Lolesio’s stellar rookie year
The sight of Brumbies flyhalf Noah Lolesio grabbing at his leg and writhing in pain just half an hour into Saturday night’s match was tough to watch.
Lolesio has no doubt been the standout first-year player in Australia’s Super Rugby teams this year and everyone will be crossing his fingers that it doesn't end his chances of pushing for a Test squad spot.
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar said post-match that he wasn’t sure of the severity of Lolesio’s injury but expressed his pride in replacement Bayley Kuenzle.
Aussie rugby fans will be hoping Lolesio has a speedy recovery, after an exciting start to his career.
3. Brumbies set piece losing its aura
For the second match in a row, the Brumbies’ scrum has been matched or bettered by its opponent.
There wouldn’t have been many punters predicting the Waratahs pack to clinch any scrum penalties off the Brumbies but they did more than just that.
By the 60-minute mark the Waratahs had clinched three and at pivotal times as well, giving them some handy momentum.
At lineout time too, NSW showed some strong signs where the Brumbies didn’t have the consistency they usually expect.
While set piece is far from the only strength of the Brumbies game, it is certainly a cornerstone of their identity and they will be smarting that it might just be losing some of its intimidation factor.
Scrummaging has long been the hallmark of the Brumbies play
4. Gilmore making Waratahs happy
New Waratahs defence coach Jason Gilmore is making an immediate impact on the Waratahs.
Both coaches made a mention of the Waratahs defensive effort and it was Brumbies coach Dan McKellar who was especially quick to point out the change in that department.
Junior Wallabies coach Gilmore joined the side as defence coach after part-time assistant Phil Bailey was cut amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Where the Waratahs were among the leakiest sides in the Super Rugby competition earlier this year, they now lead the competition in tackles made with 401.
A big score conceded against the Reds in round one has contributed to 70 points conceded over three weeks, the most of any team in the competition, though the Force have played just two matches.
At the moment, they're more than matching the points they concede with the points they're scoring but they're trending in the right direction without the ball.
Their tenacious defence was a big reason why it took the Brumbies until the 78th minute to clinch a win and it should be a big tick for them when it comes to improvement from the early parts of the year.
5. New interpretations still in translation phase
The new breakdown interpretations are still having some teething problems.
It was the Brumbies giving away penalty after penalty early before things evened up as the game went on.
Waratahs coach Rob Penney said his side’s scrum dominance wasn’t often rewarded through the game and though he stopped short of criticising Angus Gardner’s officiating, he and captain Rob Simmons said there were frustrating moments.
NSW ended up on the wrong end of a 13-10 penalty count, making them the most penalised team in the competition after three weeks.
If the competition follows the New Zealand pattern, expect these to die down somewhat in coming weeks but it's an area that needs to be refined on both sides.
