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Year of the Brumbies not 2007
Peter Fitzgerald - The Canberra Times
They missed the Super 14 finals by two competition points but the ACT Brumbies returned to Canberra yesterday satisfied with their season's achievements.
The Canberra Times rugby writer Peter Fitzgerald dissects their year and looks at what went right, what went wrong and what cost them a place in the play-offs.
Best win
The Brumbies' most complete performance was against the Durban Sharks at Absa Stadium in round eight.
They were coming off a hiding from the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein the week before and taking on an undefeated Sharks side.
Coach Laurie Fisher planned in-your-face defence to frustrate the young and inexperienced Sharks back line. The players executed the plan to perfection, denying Durban a try until after the final siren while scoring three themselves to get their campaign on track with a 21-10 victory.
Worst loss
Their 19-7 loss to the Pretoria Bulls in Canberra in round five nosed out the 38-20 thumping from the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. On both occasions the forwards were outmuscled and the backs defensively incapable of stopping the South Africans.
Against the Bulls the Brumbies lacked basic skill and execution, slumping to 10th on the ladder.
Best forward
Mark Chisholm stepped up to take leadership in the lineout when an ankle injury sidelined Al Campbell for most of the season.
Chisholm's strength and brutality in attack coupled with a tough defensive attitude made him a dominant force.
He was among the leading players in all 13 games and, unless Australian selectors take little notice of the Super 14, cemented a spot in the Wallabies.
Best back
Like Chisholm, Adam Ashley-Cooper played every match, making more line breaks than any of his teammates.
Coach Laurie Fisher rotated the 23-year-old around the back line, playing him at fullback, outside-centre and wing throughout the season.
It didn't affect his performances, as Ashley-Cooper rose to the weekly challenge.
With Matt Giteau and Stirling Mortlock destined to be the Australian centre pairing for the Tri-Nations and World Cup, barring injury, and Lote Tuqiri assured a position on one wing, space is tight for the Brumbies utility to find himself a starting Australian jersey.
But it would be cruel if Wallabies coach John Connolly couldn't find room for Ashley-Cooper in his 22 for the upcoming international season.
Biggest surprise packet
Jone Tawake started the season as Julian Salvi's back-up at blindside flanker but gave coach Fisher little choice but to elevate him to the starting line-up with a string of dominant performances.
The Fijian-born loose forward became a crowd favourite with barnstorming runs and a fierce tackling style.
He was a key component of the Brumbies' successful South African safari, which netted two wins from three outings. Tawake has been in the starting line-up for only the past two seasons but is destined for a long and successful future.
In a nutshell
Two one-point, after-the-siren losses in the opening month threatened to sting the Brumbies at the back end of the season.
They did, costing the side a place in the finals for the third consecutive season.
In both matches - against the Auckland Blues in round two and Wellington Hurricanes a fortnight later - the Brumbies led for the majority of the contest and held on to a slender lead as the full-time hooter sounded.
But on both occasions the players failed to hold out their opponents when it mattered most.
Victory in either match would have resulted in the Brumbies playing finals rugby on Sunday.
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