Brumbies wary of spirit

[Burgs]

Brumbies wary of spirit

by: Aidan Brunskill
Sportal

The Brumbies are preparing to face the same kind of lift from their Saturday night opponents, the Highlanders, as they themselves received sending their outgoing players off with a home win last weekend.

This week, the Highlanders bid farewell to Josh Blackie, Carl Hayman, Filipo Levi and Anton Oliver, and the Brumbies are expecting them to lift for the occasion in the same way that they did in beating the Crusaders last Saturday to celebrate the careers of Stephen Larkham, George Gregan, and Jeremy Paul.

The Brumbies must win the match, which is their last regular-season game of the 2007 Super 14, to remain in contention for the finals, but they know it won't be easy.

The ACT-based side has never won in Dunedin, and lock Adam Wallace-Harrison said it would be an even tougher task given the Highlanders' desire to win the clash.

"The shoe's on the other foot this week," Wallace-Harrison said.

"They're sending off some of their players, I think there are six or so of their stalwarts that are playing their last game.

"We know what that's like having dealt with it last week – they're going to come out and they are going to be firing, and we're going to have to be on our game to beat them.

"The way the table is shaping up, a few results have to go our way, even if we do win, but it's certainly no given.

"We know that they are going to be very much up, just because it's the last game of the season and they're sending off some great players for the Highlanders."

The Brumbies will be boosted by the return of Wallaby lock Al Campbell who will feature off the bench having been out of action since succumbing to a stress fracture in his right foot in the third week of the Super 14.

Gene Fairbanks has been named at inside centre despite coming off in the Brumbies' tough 15-6 victory over the Crusaders with a neck injury.

Even if the Brumbies are successful at Carisbrook, they must rely on two other matches to go their way. Any two of the Blues, Bulls, and Chiefs must lose for the Brumbies to make the finals.

Wallace-Harrison said that regardless of the round's other results, the Brumbies would try to make history on Saturday night.

"Our focus is to win in Dunedin, and we've never won in Dunedin," he said.

"We're very focused on getting a result, we really want to finish on a high, in terms of getting a six-match winning streak, and obviously we want to make the finals, even though that's a little bit out of our hands."

[Burgs]

Brumbies hit from all angles

By Peter Kogoy
May 04, 2007

LAURIE Fisher has called on his Brumbies side to hold its line and its nerve against the Highlanders in the must-win game at Carisbrook tomorrow.

"We're approaching this game, irrespective of what happens with the (Western) Force in Auckland, around good variation," Fisher said. "We can't afford to approach the Highlanders with just one strategy.

"Don't expect my blokes to just kick long, nor try to bust them in the middle of the park. I've trained them this week to try to expose them out wide."

Fisher said the match in Dunedin would be similar in some ways to the emotion surrounding the Brumbies' last home game, when Canberra said goodbye to George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and Jeremy Paul.

The Carisbrook crowd will farewell the New Zealand front row of Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver and Clarke Dermody, plus Josh Blackie and Felipo Levi.

"The real pressure will be on the Highlanders, even though I will keep one eye out on the result from the Western Force game," Fisher said.

"I'd like to think having got this close to the finals that we will be around for another week or two. Surely that's motivation enough."

Fisher has targeted the need to negate five-eighth Nick Evans's speed after he was named man of the match against New South Wales Waratahs at Aussie Stadium in Sydney two weeks ago.

"Evans can do some real damage to anyone in this competition, as he showed against the Tahs at Aussie Stadium the other night," Fisher said.

"He's also got a very accurate boot, so penalties could prove critical.

"There's no way I want my blokes giving away cheap penalties. Evans is likely to kick goals from anywhere."

The Brumbies possess two of the better flankers in southern provincial rugby in George Smith and Jone Tawake.

Tawake has come on strongly this season as he has become used to the pace of Super 14.

It will be the role of Smith and Tawake to funnel Evans into the Brumbies' forwards. But Fisher also warned his charges not to underestimate the power of the Highlanders scrum.

"Their tight five is a real weapon, while I hope we can finish square in the lineouts," Fisher said.