Brumbies show 'some glimpses'
Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:30
Glimpses of goodness: Brumbies coach Andy Friend
Brumbies coach Andy Friend said his team showed some glimpses of what they are capable of, when they edged the Sharks 24-22 in their Super 14 showdown in Canberra at the weekend.
Loosehead prop Ben Alexander scored both the Brumbies' tries in a display built on excellent scrummaging, unrelenting defence and providing his side with some timely turnover ball.
Despite Alexander's tries within 10 minutes either side of the break, the Brumbies trailed 13-16 at half-time, before running out two-tries-to-one victors.
Friend felt his team could do much better.
"Again, I thought we created a lot of opportunities that we didn't finish," Friend said.
"They created some good opportunities too. I thought it was a really good game of football; two teams competing hard but we managed to get across the line.
"I thought we had a fair bit of running rugby there. We need to be a bit more complete with a few options off our set piece play but we created some good opportunities from our phase play, our scrum was outstanding, and when we quick-tapped and wanted to play we put them under a lot of pressure."
Sharks flyhalf Andy Goode started the scoring with a 50-metre penalty goal in the 12th minute before doubling the advantage two minutes later with another three-pointer.
Giteau responded with a penalty of his own on the back of 12 phases in the 21st minute and locked up the score with his second in the 23rd.
The first try came in the 30th minute with the Brumbies continually peppering the Sharks' line before Alexander collected the ball from the base of the ruck and drove over for the fifth try of his Super 14 career.
Giteau's conversion gave his side a 13-6 lead that was quickly whittled away when Sharks scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar exploited a yawning gap in the ruck defence to waltz over from 20 metres out in the 36th minute. Goode's conversion and a penalty goal within a minute of half-time afforded his side a three-point lead at the break.
Five minutes into the second term, Alexander was at it again. The powerful prop again picked the ball up at the back of the ruck and charged over to advance his side to an 18-16 lead. Giteau's missed conversion – his first missed attempt at goal for the year – set up a seesawing second term with both flyhalves attempting to kick their way to the lead.
Giteau added a penalty goal in the 58th minute, but it was Goode's penalties in the 51st and 61st minutes that allowed Sharks to hold a one-point 22-21 lead.
The Brumbies went within a whisker to scoring their third try when fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper was denied in the corner in the 66th minute, before Giteau put the final touch on the scoreboard three minutes later when he added a final and deciding penalty goal.
In a near carbon copy to his try against the Waratahs last week, Sharks No.8 Ryan Kankowski intercepted a Josh Valentine pass off a line-out only to be ruled offside by referee Garratt Williamson. Giteau calmly slotted the opportunity with the Brumbies hanging on through some impenetrable defence and discipline play through the final 20 minutes.
The Brumbies now travel to Auckland to take on the Blues at Eden Park on Friday.
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