Herr Brumbies!
I have been a fan of the A.C.T. Brumbies since they formed in 1996 for the Super 12 (now Super 14) provincial rugby competition. Thanks to the wonders of the internet and the help of some of my friends in Australia, friends in the U.S., and Mrs. BBQ, I was able to watch my first game of Rugby Union in over two years: the Brumbies versus the Cheetahs from South Africa.
The Brumbies won the match 53-20, moving into third place on the competition ladder. I noticed that the Brumbies still play the same style of attacking rugby that they have played since entering the competition. George Gregan and Stephen Larkham looked just as good during the match as they did when they led Australia to a win in the 1999 World Cup, and in 2001 and 2004, when the Brumbies won the Super 12 competition. Over the last few years, I have been reading in the news that Gregan is past his prime and should no longer be in the Wallabies squad, but from what I saw, he still deserves his spot. His playmaking skills haven’t gone, and his combination with Larkham couldn’t be reproduced by any other halfback Australia has to offer.
This was also the first time that I had seen Matt Giteau play, and he lived up to the hype that I had heard. Some of his attacking play was fantastic, and the cover tackle he made when it looked like a Cheetahs player was going to score had me cheering like I haven’t done in ages.
What happened to annoying refs? I thought Steve Walsh did a really good job officiating the game - he was very clear to the players and warned them before penalising them. What happened to the likes of Andre Watson and Tappe Henning who both officiate poorly and think they are bigger than the game?
Why were there so many empty seats at the game? I was expecting Canberra Stadium to be packed. Also, I think it was nice of the Brumbies to grant a make-a-wish dream for a special young man - that’s the only reason I can think that Adam Ashley-Cooper would be on that team. His attempted grounding of the ball was one of the worst blunders when scoring a try that I have seen.
Angelo and myself were at the game to ensure the Cheetahs felt the Power of Canberra (http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/Hansard/1998/week04/1158.htm).
The crowds are traditionally lower in Canberra against the South African teams, but there was still over 17 000 at the game which isn’t too bad.
That was Gitau’s first game back from injury, wait till you see him fit and in form!
He’s a speedy little bugger isn’t he?! I thought for sure Darko would have been at the game considering how Australian he is!