The Brumbies were heroic to the end of their 2022 season with a huge comeback at Auckland’s Eden Park where so few Wallabies sides have managed the same thing.
The final score, 20-19, was still all heartbreak after a rally from 20-7 down in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-final.
So what did we learn?
1 THE FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT
It’s not the reason that the Brumbies lost the game but goes to the heart of where Noah Lolesio is at as a decision-maker as a young flyhalf.
His decision to snap at field goal from 40m out at the death was premature.
The situation called for the Brumbies to rumble on for a few more phases to edge him closer to 30m out. At the same time, it would have put more pressure on the Blues defence when they feared giving away another penalty.
It was pelting rain and tricky footing. On balance, he should have made a different call.
It’s tricky to assess Lolesio. He’s an excellent prospect but you do need a flyhalf to provide a little more in a semi-final. His halfbacks and inside centre Irae Simone are meant to run a lot of the play and they did.
2 SET PIECE BOUNCEBACK
The Brumbies made the perfect start when centre Irae Simone bumped off Stephen Perofeta and ran in a fine solo try from midfield.
No one should forget the chance came from a rock-solid scrum. It was one of the few for the Brumbies in the first 50 minutes.
Four scrum penalties were conceded in that time. It really ripped a big platform away from the Brumbies. There was a bit of trouble on prop James Slipper’s side and he looked appropriately dirty when replaced just after half-time.
Rain made the final stages extra tough in difficult conditions. Credit to replacement hooker Lachlan Lonergan. He scored two tries from rolling mauls off lineouts. They were only possible because of his pinpoint throws.
3 THE FAREWELL FOUR
The Brumbies farewelled Irae Simone, Folau Fainga’a, Scott Sio and Tom Banks, four stalwarts who have all produced memorable moments for the club.
Centre Simone’s try to open the semi-final was a beauty and he leaves in top form. It was a classy encore to beating Jordie Barrett for this excellent quarter-final try against the Hurricanes because he evaded brother Beauden for this one.
Fainga’a had one surge off the back of a lineout drive but was tackled 2m out. An errant throw 20m out in the first half was a miss from the hooker.
Fullback Banks found little open space against the Blues. When the Kiwis were down to 14 men, he pinned his ears back and it took a try-saving Barrett tackle to deny him a five-pointer. He caught a high kick under huge pressure and was constantly looking to be involved.
Prop Scott Sio played his 143rd and final game of a devoted Brumbies career. He ploughed in for the final 34 minutes.
All four were drained and emotional at full-time.
4 SALUTE THE BRUMBIES
This was a fine Brumbies campaign. They won four games against Kiwi sides and took the Blues to the absolute brink in two games.
Australian rugby should take great heart from how the Brumbies played. It wasn’t by accident. They set a plan to take on and beat Kiwi sides and proved they could. Contesting far harder at the ruck and disrupting the opposition there was a big part of it.
Full credit to coach Dan McKellar, who now moves to the Wallabies full-time.
5 BIG MOMENT BLUES
Huge credit to the Blues. They produced some super plays.
Beauden Barrett made a try-saving tackle on Banks, Stephen Perofeta held up Tom Wright over the tryline and they counter-rucked and scrummaged like demons in the first half.
Biggest of all was redhead Tom Robinson stealing a lineout throw 5m out to delay the Brumbies’ final try by four minutes.
Flyhalf Barrett was elite. His timing, his ability to take a gap, his workrate, his role in the Mark Telea try and so much more were all class.
Bring on the final...Crusaders v Blues, Barrett v Mo’unga. A classic
