After a week of continuous rain and flooding, the heavens parted yesterday and granted the Nation’s Capital™ a bit of a reprieve. Today was sunny with blue skies, the field was in perfect condition for football.
During the course of the Canberra long weekend, the ACT Brumbies played host to the Cheetahs of South Africa in round three of SupeRugby at Canberra Stadium. The crowd amounted to over 12,000 (mostly Brumbies fans), and kick off was shortly after 3:30pm. My friend Bartek and I took our (excellent) seats and got comfortable as the teams got under way.
Scrums were inconsistent First try to the Brumbies!
The first half was tightly contested by both teams, with the Cheetahs slightly ahead due to some questionable decisions by the man in the middle. The lineout execution from both teams was largely quite precise however scrum performance was a mixed bag with both teams having problems.
My Sports Ears™ gave us a little more insight into the game as it progressed. The device allows you to listen to the TV commentary, the Referee/Touch Judge comms or a mixture of both. As a matter of course, I try to avoid the TV commentary, so it’s usually only set to “Referee mode’”.
Lineouts were executed pretty well Brumbies on the attack
The heat on the paddock must have been a factor by half time as the players started to slow. The last play before half time was a dubious penalty to the Cheetahs, which they converted into three points for a 13-10 lead at the half.
Discipline at the ruck was lacking Driving sky high
As the second half started the Cheetahs applied pressure and produced a very early try. The Brumbies were still victimised by some very borderline calls before hitting back with their own try. The tempo of the game changed around the 60 minute mark, as the Cheetahs pulled out to a strong lead.
Finally, some decisions went the Brumbies’ way and the team started making up ground on the scoreboard via penalty goals. The final ten minutes was a nail biting affair, as the Brumbies moved within 2 points of the Cheetahs.
Good work from our replacement Late afternoon at Bruce Stadium
Some aggressive attacking play led to great field position, but the boys were still unable to convert possession and field position into a try. With 2 minutes to play, and attacking deep in the Cheetahs half the pressure started to reap benefits.
Just on the whistle for full time the Brumbies were awarded a penalty within kicking distance. The ball was swiftly directed through the uprights and the local boys walked away with a very narrow one point victory!
Celebrations all round Game aftermath
Check back for the next match report.