3 May 2012

Brumbies named to trample the hated pansies

| johnboy
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The Brumbies have announced the team to restore the ACT’s honour in the only clash that really matters in our rugby calendar, playing NSW.

Sam Carter moves back to the starting side to partner Scott Fardy at lock while Ben Mowen and Dan Palmer return to blind-side flanker and tight-head prop respectively after a week off.

The three changes have moved Peter Kimlin and Ruaidhri Murphy back to the bench while Scott Sio and Leon Power slip out of the 22-man squad.

The side is looking for a bumper crowd on Saturday night, with 20,000 predicted to turn out and see one of Super Rugby’s biggest rivalries ignite. The last two biggest crowds for University of Canberra Brumbies games at Canberra Stadium have been Waratahs clashes (2005 – sell out, 2007 – 23,000) and with the side’s good form coming into the match the club is looking for a similar turnout on Saturday.

The Riot team is certainly going.

    University of Canberra Brumbies
    1. Ben Alexander
    2. Stephen Moore
    3. Dan Palmer
    4. Scott Fardy
    5. Sam Carter
    6. Ben Mowen (c)
    7. Michael Hooper
    8. Fotu Auelua
    9. Nic White
    10. Christian Lealiifano
    11. Joe Tomane
    12. Pat McCabe
    13. Andrew Smith
    14. Henry Speight
    15. Jesse Mogg

    Replacements
    16. Anthony Hegarty
    17. Ruaidhri Murphy
    18. Peter Kimlin
    19. Ita Vaea
    20. Ian Prior
    21. Robbie Coleman
    22. Tevita Kuridrani

Here’s some fun facts from the club:

• The University of Canberra Brumbies have faced off with their greatest rivals, the NSW Waratahs on 18 occasions with the Tahs holding an advantage with 11 wins to their names.
• Of those 11 wins, two have been here in Canberra making tonight’s fixture a dangerous one for the young University of Canberra Brumbies.
• Tonight’s match will hold extra feeling for the University of Canberra Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen and Tahs winger Adam Ashley-Cooper who traded clubs at the end of last season. Tonight is the first time they will face their former team mates.
• When the University of Canberra Brumbies have managed wins over the Waratahs they have often been by convincing margins. In 1997 the score was 56-9 while in the 2002 semi-final the Tahs were pumped 51-10.
• The two teams have shared plenty of players over the years, with the likes of Justin Harrison, Dan Vickerman, Adam Freier, Mark Gerrard, Sam Norton-Knight, Ben Batger and Jone Tawake all having represented both provinces.
• The Waratahs currently have nine players in their fulltime squad with links to Canberra including two from last year’s disappointing campaign, in Rocky Elsom and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
• In 2012 both teams are fiercely contesting first spot in the Australian conference. This match shapes as season defining for both sides.
• Despite holding an advantage of wins, the Waratahs have not scored as many points as the University of Canberra Brumbies. With all points tallied, the University of Canberra Brumbies come out ahead by 21 at 440 with the Waratahs back on 419.
• This fixture is usually a high-scoring one with the University of Canberra Brumbies averaging 32 points since 1996 at Canberra Stadium.

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My blood boils just at the thought of this fixture. Haven’t missed a derby since ’03, including all the painful losses in Sydney since that yr.

Anyone remember the Ashley-Cooper ‘no try/double movement’ decision from Steve Walsh a couple of yrs back. A mate of mine had $20 on him for first try scorer. He was livid.

Horrortahs have announced their lineup too:

15.Adam Ashley-Cooper
14.Atieli Pakalani
13.Tom Kingston
12.Tom Carter
11.Peter Betham
10.Berrick Barnes
9.Brendan McKibbin
8.Wycliff Palu
7.Jono Jenkins
6.Dave Dennis
5.Kane Douglas
4.Sitaleki Timani
3.Sekope Kepu
2.Tatafu Polota-Nau
1.Benn Robinson (capt).

Reserves: John Ulugia, Jeremy Tilse, Dean Mumm, Lopeti Timani, Rocky Elsom, Sarel Pretorius, Daniel Halangahu

I’ll be making the trip down from Sydney for this one. I usually work Saturday nights, but pencilled in my leave months ago. Nothing better than watching the Brumbies smash the Tahs…

CrocodileGandhi2:11 pm 03 May 12

I would love to see us trounce them. I hate the Waratahs with a burning passion.

My hatred has always been present, but it peaked in 2007 while reading an errant copy of Stampede on gameday (do they still sell Stampede? And, incidentally, why did anyone ever buy it?). Inside that match program was an interview with Adam Freier where he said that when the Brumbies entered the competition they were something of a little brothers to the Tahs. However, in the last few years, the Brumbies had achieved enough to be considered equals. Equals?! In 2007 the Brumbies had played in five finals and had two titles. The Waratahs had nothing. Nothing!

This admission from Freier spoke volumes on everything the Waratahs are about. Despite being perennial failures and chokers, they still believe they’re the best team in the comp. Bunch of talentless pansies.

I can’t wait to see Fotu Auelua run over the top of the least successful team in the history of professional sport (or, close enough anyway)

Well we’ve shown we can stay with the best teams, and crush the crap ones.

Now’s the time to knock over a mid table plodder!

Secret Squirrel1:08 pm 03 May 12

Please Lord, let us win this one!

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