Match Updates from the Force-v- Brumbies Top End Trial

[GIGS20]

I take a lot of heart from that article muddy. It's quite obvious now that the result was way down on the priority list for the Force. Lines like "obviously we want to win, but we wanted to play as much rugby as we could" and "we wanted to put our young front row under pressure and see how we attack and defend off that" contrasted to "all these little wins are important" and the fact that any time they were within kick able range they took the points, means that they were hot for a win at all costs and we weren't. I wonder whether the Reds game will be fought hard by both teams, but I suspect it won't, somebody will probably still be foxing.

[Rex Messup]

32 - 28 to the Allstars. Not a bad game either. They used an interesting rule variation. Instead of blowing penalties for PTB infringements the refs called "zero tackle" and re-started the count. The match flowed pretty nicely as a result.
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Good rule that. That will stop the PTB infringements for sure

I'm not a huge fan of the power play with one team down to 11. That's a massive w@nk

13 on 13. May the best team win. I like taking out all the cheating and cynical stuff that slows down the game

Rugby needs to look at it

The Brumbies have UC on their jerseys but yet again, the bogans are leading the way in game development and increasing the entertainment value. Rugby is run by the old farts.

The Darwin penalty-a-thon could have been used to trial rule variations

The bogans put on a big draw fixture and had the bollocks to try some new rules

Dead set

[Rex Messup]

I will still happy peg money on the Brumbies for the wooden spoon. Save your gibber jabber for after the first game of the season Rex.

lets have a lazy hundred on it

put your money where your dribble pools

[James]

No problem.

Just for arguments sake, so we can look back at the end of the season and laugh at you, who do you think will take the wooden spoon?

[Rex Messup]

This is called managing expectation.

You said you would be happy to bet money the Brumbies would come last

I am saying I am happy to bet money that the Brumbies don't run last

The deal is that if The Brumbies run last I owe you $100. If the Brumbies don't run last, you owe me $100.

Are we clear on that?

For the record, since you asked, picking the winner or loser in super rugby in any fixture is like trying to predict your wife's mood when she wakes up.......I've given up trying

My only prediction is that Tah supporters will gloriously predict their team to win it.........and they won't

[James]

This is called managing expectation.

You said you would be happy to bet money the Brumbies would come last

I am saying I am happy to bet money that the Brumbies don't run last

The deal is that if The Brumbies run last I owe you $100. If the Brumbies don't run last, you owe me $100.

Are we clear on that?

For the record, since you asked, picking the winner or loser in super rugby in any fixture is like trying to predict your wife's mood when she wakes up.......I've given up trying

My only prediction is that Tah supporters will gloriously predict their team to win it.........and they won't

Haha. When you said lets have a lazy hundred on it I thought you meant the TAB. Why would I bet with you at 2:1 when I could get 6:1? I am confident, not stupid.

[Rex Messup]

I will still happy peg money on the Brumbies for the wooden spoon. Save your gibber jabber for after the first game of the season Rex.

So you are not happy to put money on it? This was gibber jabber?

Gotcha

[shasta]

I like taking out all the cheating and cynical stuff that slows down the game

Rugby needs to look at it

Yep the only thing that shits me more than that wrestling crap is the media types calling it a ruck "contest". Anything that helps take the ref out of the equation and shifts responsibility back to the players is a step in the right direction. If only the Rugby ruck were so simple.

The area where Rugby can improve with little effect on the flow of the game is the brief of the TMO. Review the phase immediately leading to a try and IMMEDIATE & COMPULSORY review of yellow and red cards for foul play.

[Rex Messup]

Shasta has the mungo mania

How's your Red V ?

[mudskipper]

sounds like the brumbies are going to be the team that always goes for penalties, and im assuming they'll love droppies too

and playing to win.... early days... new squad... its start...

[Ham105]

Anyone who watched the trial who can comment on this?

"The Force's front row of former Brumby Salesi Ma'afu, Nathan Charles and Pek Cowan was dominated by Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Anthony Hegarty and Jono Owen."

Not sure how long these front rows would have gone head to head before subs came on, but interested in hearing how they went.

[travelling_gerry]

Yes, far from dominated. The Force scrum was pushing the Brumbies scrum back and turning them 90 in the early part of the game. Then the ref started to give penalties against the Force for unknown reasons. At one engagement the Brumbies scrum was pushed so far back at the engagement the ref penalised the Force for some reason. It was also out of that scrum or the next that Gerry Y come up and took one step left, one step right and fall over in the arms of the trainer.

Contrary to unpopular opinion there was not 2 different Brumbies sides trotted out for the night. Both sides had unlimited substitutions and the Brumbies recycled players out of the ice baths all night. It was difficult to tell who was where as the Brumbies had no numbers on their jerseys and the match day program was just a re-print of both sides entire squads from their web pages.

The conditions were not "wet and windy" but showers just before the start of the game made the ball slippery and both Brumbies tries came from balls popping up at the right time for the Brums and the wrong time for the Force.

The Brumbies played plenty of set moves...the Force..NONE>

[GAFFA]

So TG anything we should be worried about or was this to be expected?

[Sheikh]

From Graham's comments before the match, and from talking to the players afterwards, the Force did not play any set moves from training.

What was unsettling from the match was that the boys weren't organised and the tackling suffered as a result. Also, a lot of kicking errors (although both sides were guilty of this).

The ref was a joke, loving the sound of his own whistle, and constantly looking to penalise the Force. For instance, at Brumbies breakdowns he was constantly checking the Force for creeping offside and not watching the breakdown itself. At Force breakdowns he was watching the breakdown for not releasing and not watching the Brumbies line up 2 yards offside.

That said, the Brumbies didn't need the ref's help. They looked organised, we looked like uncoordinated.

Not happy about kicking for points, though, even if the Brumbies kickers do need the practice - they missed about half their kicks. It's a trial match FFS!

The Force boys were jealous of the Brumbies' ice-bath, though. A kiddie's paddling pool with several kilos of ice added. Must have been so good, even Jake White had a go in it!

[Ham105]

Many thanks, TG and Sheikh. Yeah, I was dubious about the quote as that Brumbies front row is not that well credentialed. Ma'afu was also scrummaging well for the Wobs last year.

Sounds like the Force need to get themselves a kiddie pool now.