Brumbies coach in need of Moore advice
April 27, 2009 - 6:06PM
Brumbies coach Andy Friend will tap into hooker Stephen Moore's intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the Queensland pack but no one needs to tell him about the danger Digby Ioane presents to their Super 14 finals hopes on Saturday night.
Friend on Monday pinpointed tackle-shedding Reds flyer Ioane as Queensland's strike weapon after a scintillating season for the competition battlers.
Although the Reds are second last on the Super 14 table, Ioane is at the top of the statistics lists for tackles broken and line-breaks while he's also one of the leading try-scorers with six.
"We've got to control Digby Ioane, he's been a handful all year, Friend said in response to a question about the Reds main threat at Suncorp Stadium.
Ioane was nigh-on unstoppable as Queensland upset the fifth-placed Blues 31-24 in Auckland with Berrick Barnes pulling the strings at five-eighth.
Friend is attempting to put the ACT back on track for a top four berth after they blew a gilt-edged chance with a 56-7 hammering by the Hurricanes in Wellington.
The Brumbies coach has enlisted the tactical help of Wallabies hooker Moore who cut his Super 14 teeth at Ballymore for six seasons before shifting to Canberra late last year.
"He's certainly asked me if I had a few ideas to let him know and you'd like to think after that length of time at the club you knew a little bit about them," Moore said.
The 26-year-old rake will give a valuable insight into the Reds set-piece tactics and forward play but he emphasised that attitude would be the factor.
"You can think about the other team all day but after last week it's more about getting our own game right and own attitude right," Moore said.
"It was a bad loss against the Hurricanes there's no doubt about that but a week's a long time in rugby and the Reds are a good example of that."
Injured backs Mark Gerrard and Gene Fairbanks took part in a running session in Canberra on Monday but neither are certainties to be passed fit for the must-win encounter.
A confident Fairbanks rated himself over a groin niggle but even if he is given the green light, Friend admitted he had a tough selection decision with late five-eighth call-up Matt Toomua performing admirably in his run-on debut.
Gerrard is seen as more important as the Brumbies have missed his long and accurate kicking game from fullback.
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