All hail to the Brumbies

Ian McIntosh, Nick Mallett and Harry Viljoen, Springbok coaches all, have one thing in common – a fascination with the Brumbies.

It is an enthrallment I share. I love watching the Brumbies and it’s been one of the delights of the Super 12 to watch them and try to work out just what it is that makes them so special.

First up though, an embarrassed admission accompanied by a large slice of humble pie. I really got it wrong when I failed to even include the Brumbies in my top four before the tournament started.

But now it’s 66 games down and just three to go and the men from Canberra, who play such scintillating rugby in complete contrast to the city they represent, are top of the log and have clearly been the best team in the competition.

I had reckoned that having lost the like of Brett Robinson, Patricio Noriega and Troy Jaques and with David Giffin and Stephen Larkham injured, and likely to miss a large part of the season, the Brumbies would struggle in the primary phases and this would cause them to go off the boil.

Also, at the start of the season, one had to consider the new regulations on obstruction - that had been put in place primarily to knee-halter the Brumbies - and it seemed they might struggle to maintain the continuity that is he hallmark of their game.

Instead Australia’s Cinderella team hardly broke stride. They cut out the most blatant examples of their interference running – while continuing to complain about how unfair it all was! – Rod Kafer moved in to flyhalf to play the options, they kicked the ball more than one had come to expect but nevertheless continued to baffle the other teams with the variation and nonstop nature of their play.

The Brumbies defy convention in that they do not possess a powerful pack who make it difficult for their opponents to get their hands on the ball, but it is significant that while they seldom dominate the tight phases they are never themselves dominated.

Their focus is utterly on winning the ball cleanly and quickly and herein may lie the secret to what it is that they do… that concentration on winning, and keeping, the ball.

With George Smith the most obvious example the Brumbies’ forwards all seem to have been fitted with a honing device that is tuned in to the ball. See it, find it, chase it, win it, hold it, use it… the ball, the ball, the ball. It seems so basic but the Brumbies understand this fundamental best of all.

But there are other aspects that set them apart – not least a high quotient of genuine world-class performers in Joe Roff, Andrew Walker, Stirling Mortlock, Stephen Larkham, Jim Williams, Owen Finegan, George Smith, Justin Harrison, David Giffin and Jeremy Paul – a marvelous orchestra under the baton of the maestro himself George Gregan.

In this company players who might struggle in other teams – Graeme Bond, Bill Young, David Pusey, James Holbeck and Mark Bartholomeusz - are often inspired to play above their station.

The other characteristics that stand out are the organisation and depth of the Brumbies’ support play, their endless patience (both on attack and in defence) and their exceptional ball handling skills. Most of the players are able to execute a vast array of passes – to either side – and they very seldom drop the ball. This is not a happy co-incidence but, South African teams take heed, the result of hours and hours of practice coupled to a team code that equates dropping the ball to a deadly sin.

All this talent, of course, needs to be inspired by a sophisticated score, so enter composer Eddie Jones to meld the ensemble while leaving plenty of room for the soloists to express themselves.

The only time the Brumbies looked ordinary was when a cold wind and driving rain robbed them of their continuity against the Highlanders in Dunedin but for the rest of the time they were as good an example of a total team you can hope to find.

Thank goodness I was wrong about them because rugby needs a team like the Brumbies.