SuperRugby - Brumbies vs Highlanders - 24/03/2012

[Feicarsinn]

Canberra Stadium, Canberra - (24/03/2012, 19:40)

 

[Kiwiwomble]

sounds like we have a few injuries, fingers crossed everyone steps in and performs!

Darwin, what have you hear re injuries?

 

[Dizzy]

This is a tough match IMO. With Hardie and Thomson out, I think the Highlanders will have a huge void to fill. The amount of work they put in won't be easy to emulate. Not only that, but can the Highlanders grind out another win in the dying minutes of the game. Or can the Brumbies learn from their late defeat to the Chiefs and build on closing out the game.

I very rarely go against New Zealand squads, but, I'm going to go with the Brumbies here. Less than 7.

 

[SomeOke]

"Highlanders Named To Play Brumbies

Highlanders' Head Coach, Jamie Joseph, has named his team to play the Brumbies in Canberra
tomorrow night. He has made five changes to the run-on team that beat the Hurricanes in
Wellington last weekend.
In the forwards, Chris King comes back into the front row replacing Ma'afu Fia. Culum Retallick,
James Haskell and Doug Tietjens all make their run-on debut for the 2012 season.
In the backs, Aaron Smith returns to halfback, with Jimmy Cowan returning to the reserves and
Shaun Treeby makes his return from injury.
Elliot Dixon joins the reserves with John Hardie out of the 22 due to a foot injury.
Highlanders v Brumbies, Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Saturday 24 March, 9.40pm (NZT).
1 Jamie Mackintosh (C)
2 Andrew Hore
3 Chris King
4 Josh Bekhuis
5 Culum Retallick
6 James Haskell
7 Doug Tietjens
8 Nasi Manu
9 Aaron Smith
10 Colin Slade
11 Hosea Gear
12 Shaun Treeby
13 Tamati Ellison
14 Kade Poki
15 Ben Smith
Reserves
16 Jason Rutledge
17 Bronson Murray
18 Nick Crosswell
19 Elliot Dixon
20 Jimmy Cowan
21 Chris Noakes
22 Buxton Popoali'i
Head Coach – Jamie Joseph, Assistant Coach – Simon Culhane, Manager – Leicester Rutledge
Injured Update: Jarrad Hoeata (shoulder), Siale Piutau (ankle), Kenny Lynn (neck), John Hardie (foot), Phil Burleigh (leg) & Telusa Veainu (concussion)."

Phil Burleigh also out, how is Shaun Treeby, I have to admit I've haven't seen that much of him in action.
Highlanders still look like a class outfit, Brumbies obviously are still going to be a hard side to beat especially in Canberra, but I would still bet on the Highlanders.

Both teams have been gelling well as a unit but I have faith the Highlanders will out class them, the Brumbies have only won against the Force and the Cheetahs, arguably the whipping boys of their respective conferences and I feel that they may find the Highlanders to be too hard of a nut to crack.

Highlanders by 10.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

beat me to it, i'm pretty happy with how we have covered those injuries, bringing on an international to cover Thompson ain't bad

Treeby would have been considered first choice 2nd five before being injured so as long as he is fully recovered it should be ok

Also good to see some guys getting rotated (crosswell), learning for last year and from what i have hear Thompson has a minor neck tweek so their taking the chance to rest/recover

 

[TNT88]

Really looking forward to this game. I think it will be very close but on form the Highlanders should just come out on top. Good luck Brumbies though.

1. Ben Alexander
2. Stephen Moore
3. Dan Palmer
4. Leon Power
5. Sam Carter
6. Peter Kimlin
7. Michael Hooper
8. Ben Mowen (c)
9. Nic White
10. Christian Lealiifano
11. Henry Speight
12. Pat McCabe
13. Andrew Smith
14. Joe Tomane
15. Jesse Mogg

16. Anthony Hegarty
17. Ruaidhri Murphy
18. Scott Fardy
19. Ita Vaea
20. Ian Prior
21. Zack Holmes
22. Tevita Kuridrani

 

[Gena_ZA]

Glad to see Treeby back, most underrated centre in NZ

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Poor standard of refereeing tonight. Rucks were an absolute mess.

Got to feel pretty sad for Colin Slade, nasty injury he had there.

 

[lynam1104]

Slade is really unlucky something similar happened (not quiet as bad) to me today fortunately I didn't get injured, it just shows that something like that it just luck. On top of that he was looking good before he got injured

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Poor standard of refereeing tonight.

The Aussie commentators absolutely raved about him!.....I had to turn the sound off

 

[cyRil]

Slade in season-ending injury shocker. The guy is cursed.

 

[Larksea]

Firstly I agree with Cymro the ref had a bad night. The rucks were a lottery and it was a lottery that the Brumbies seemed to win time and time again and that decided the game IMO. The teams created the mess and the ref did a really bad job of sorting it out, really inconsistent and IMO hit the highlanders hard.

I've not been impressed with Haskell, it seems when the highlanders speed the game up when the ball gets to him it slows down or stops again. He sure isn't a good replacement for Adam Thompson.

Can't help but feel for Colin slade, if there was one guy on the park that needed some luck it was slade. Two broken Jaws, two groin operations, a hernia operation and now a badly broken Tibia all in the last couple of years. The last few years we should have seen a gifted player in the prime of his life but all we have seen is a glimpse of what he can do in some awesome ITM cup campaigns and a handful of Super games and A few tests were he stuttered after being starved of footy. Such a shame.... He was actually looking really good to and I think the highlanders would have won if not for his injury. Their game seemed to slow down when he went off.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I think Haskell is still ajdusting. I don't think he's been terrible but neither amazing. He's a different type of flanker to Thompson, brings a different set of skills to the table. I reckon by the end of his stint he will show that he is a decent player.

 

[Gena_ZA]

That Hooper young lad looks pure class

 

[Bull]

Firstly I agree with Cymro the ref had a bad night.

The ref didn't have a bad night, he is effing ****. Don't know how he got promoted to S15 level after the abysmal Currie Cup he had?!

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

I think Haskell is still ajdusting. I don't think he's been terrible but neither amazing. He's a different type of flanker to Thompson, brings a different set of skills to the table. I reckon by the end of his stint he will show that he is a decent player.

I was going to ask how he's been. From the brief 7 minute highlights I saw he's doing his usual trick of hanging out in midfield when he's needed at the breakdown. Maybe that's not a fair conclusion?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I was going to ask how he's been. From the brief 7 minute highlights I saw he's doing his usual trick of hanging out in midfield when he's needed at the breakdown. Maybe that's not a fair conclusion?

I think you're getting Haskell mistaken for Tom Croft :huh:
Haskell gets through a load of work at the breakdown.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

not for us he doesn't, neer seen him in one, normally puttin ghis hand up for the hit up but you have to win the ball first, someone of his size should be alot more use too us

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I remember in his first match he won a penalty at the death to seal the win/end the match, at the breakdown.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Depends on how you see him. In latter stages of the game the other night he was looking to carry. Where Haskell is desceptive I have found is at the breakdown, he sometimes is not always noticable but he his there. Granted the other night he was not hitting every ruck but you'r not expected to.