The top-of-the-table clash between the Reds and the Brumbies ended in a 19-all draw—but only after 80 minutes of high-pressure rugby.
As is customary when the big boys clash, the game started days before kick-off with Reds coach Ewen McKenzie saying the Brumbies were masters at illegally slowing the ball in rucks and malls.
Brumbies coach Jake White immediately responded by implying that the Reds were a dirty side, saying they receive twice as many “penalties for foul play” as any other side.
Then each accused the other of misrepresenting statistics. Both coaches are masters of media manipulation, so there would have been a plan behind their public sniping.
Tweeting about McKenzie’s gamesmanship, Brumbies forward coach Laurie Fisher, said: “No stone unturned.” The same is true of White.
Asked whether the public debate had been a distraction, White said: “There’s no distraction at all, for us.”
McKenzie responded: “Jake is spending a lot of time pouring over stats for someone who is not distracted.”
Both men are likely prospects to be the next Wallaby coach.
On the field, the antagonism expressed by the coaches was expressed physically by the players.
The two captains have contrasting personalities. Reds captain James Horwill is a blood-and-guts, lead from the front hero, whose passion is an inspiration to his players. Overall, the Reds are a passionate side, adventurous and daring, particularly at home in Brisbane in front of 38, 000 fans.
A recurring image from the game is the towering lock looming over referee Glen Jackson, imploring him to penalise some Brumbies infringement—Jackson was an outstanding flyhalf, playing 60 Super games for the Chiefs and 130 games for Saracens in the UK.
By contrast, Brumbies captain Ben Mowen is quietly understated, which makes him appear distinctive and commanding. His side is similar—low key and hard line.
Horwill captains the national side, which plays the British and Irish Lions in June. Mowen can’t even make the side, though Wallaby coach Robbie Deans watched the match and said he was impressed by Mowen.
After the game, Deans was asked about another player he has rejected, former Wallaby flanker George Smith, who played 112 games for the Wallabies before being dropped in 2009.
With the Lions looming, Deans has warmed to Smith saying he was “a class act” and “a remarkable athlete”.
At flyhalf the contest was between Wallaby star Quade Cooper, who has played 38 Tests, and the uncapped Matt Toomua. Cooper wasn’t picked in the 30-man Wallaby training squad, though both Cooper and Deans have denied there is a rift between them.
Cooper seemed likely to leave Australian rugby last year, after saying the atmosphere in the Wallaby camp was “toxic”.
Toomua is a more conservative player than Cooper—which is a strength and a weakness. He plays close to the defence, which gives his back-line time and space, and he is strong enough to hit the defensive line like a forward.
That means, when under pressure, Toomua can regain composure by returning to the most basic of plays, allowing his forwards to single-mindedly follow his lead.
Cooper will use his brilliance when under pressure, often constructing miracle plays.
The difficulty with Cooper’s style is that his team mates have to second-guess his brilliance.
By nature, Deans prefers the Toomua style of player, but he is untried; and a Lions series would be a difficult debut.
Despite the denials, there are “issues” between Deans and Cooper, so whoever is picked will have to be able to cope with the “hype” that will surround both the selection and the Lions tour.
At fullback, Brumbies Jesse Mogg returned from injury to show Deans that he may be a suitable replacement for another Wallaby bad boy, Melbourne Rebels fullback Kurtley Beale.
The Brumbies can take more from the match. They had two players sin-binned, so were reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes. Their defence was outstanding—Brian Smith, the highly experienced rugby league coach, has been added to the Brumbies staff.
After the game, Horwill complained about “cynical” slowing of contested ball by the Brumbies, but was philosophical, saying they’re “good at it—but we should have been better at taking our opportunities”.
The game was summed up by Mowen, who said: “A big part of these games is who’s going to blink first—and you saw, at 19-all, no one did.”
Peter Lalanaabaravi is a rugby writer with over 30 years experience.
