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John-Paul Moloney, Canberra Times | May 4, 2009 - 2:30PM
The ACT Brumbies nursed the Rod Macqueen Cup all the way home from Brisbane to Canberra yesterday morning.
And after Saturday's 52-13 win against the Queensland Reds, they have begun dreaming of bringing home more important silverware, namely the Super 14 trophy.
Having been laid out by the Wellington Hurricanes a week ago, the Brumbies are now back on their feet and talking optimistically of a first finals appearance since 2004.
Winger Adam Ashley-Cooper said the squad was buoyed by its fourth bonus-point win of the year. He believed the mission of beating the Auckland Blues and Waikato Chiefs in the last two rounds was very achievable.
"Everyone's really excited about our semi-final prospects and hopefully a final," Ashley-Cooper said. "We've always played well against the Blues at home and we're looking forward to playing in front of our crowd and then hopefully going over to New Zealand to chase another win."
It's not quite true that the Brumbies have always done well at home against the Blues. The record at Canberra Stadium stands at three wins apiece.
The Brumbies can take some confidence into the match having seen the Blues lose their past two matches, against the Reds and the Hurricanes.
The flipside is that the Blues will never have been more desperate, knowing they need two bonus-point wins to have any hope of a finals berth.
The Brumbies' finals hopes hang on them not just beating the Blues at Canberra Stadium and the Chiefs in Hamilton but also securing at least one bonus point.
With eight teams still in finals contention, there are still many possibilities for the make-up of the top four. But it seems likely 41 competition points will be the bar to clear.
Probably the Brumbies' best hope of securing a bonus point will be against the Blues, whose own need to score four tries could open them up defensively.
The Blues have scored four tries or more in eight matches this season for a remarkable 11 bonus points, leading to Ashley-Cooper predicting a "cracking-paced game".
Assuming the Brumbies take nine points from the last two games and other matches go to form, much could come down to the final match of the regular season between the Durban Sharks and Pretoria Bulls.
If the Bulls were to win that match at Durban, the Sharks would likely miss the finals, allowing the Canterbury Crusaders and Brumbies to take third and fourth spots behind the Hurricanes and Bulls. But if the Sharks win and secure a home semi, the Brumbies could be jostling with the Canterbury Crusaders and Bulls for the final two spots.
While they clawed back 39 points against the Reds, the Brumbies still have a negative points differential, which is used to break any ties for position.
The Brumbies have a clean bill of health going into the Blues match, unlike the Reds who suffered injuries to seven players before or during Saturday's match.
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...289088315.html
Have a Bex and a good lie down, hyphen.![]()
the punters friend..... stick with me and you will be wearing
Obviously I'd love for us to make the finals and either against us or in our absence I want the Brumbies to do it for Shawn Mackay.
they are in a better posistion to do it than the force, those two points they have on us at the moment could be the deciding factor
IF the Brumbies win their two matches I see the final points like this, The Chiefs lose to the Canes and the Brumbies... and the Bulls beat the Sharks, the Shark beat the Tahs,
Now the surprise the Blues players firer up to make a comeback last match playing for All Blacks jerseys and beat the Crusaders in Auckland... Saders fall short...
Hurricanes 48
Bulls 46
Sharks 39 - 40
Brumbies 40 - 41
Force 38 -39
Chiefs 37 - 39
Crusaders 37
Waratahs 36
Blues 36
I have been doing all sorts of calculations today, based on sides only winning, no bonus points and the Brumbies are very capable of making the top 4, like Jono said the 2 points they have on the Force at the moment will be a deciding factor. Their run home is not inspiring though, Blues at home for me was a 50-50 call this morning given the casulty list in Canberra at the moment, Chiefs over in Waikato does not augur well for them.
If they make it they will have earnt it![]()
Blues no Ali Williams evens things up and they've leaked 100 odd points over the last 2 matches... But its the home advantage for the Brumbies against a NZ team is the big factor… Blues confidence has to be low... And Matt Toomua is doing a excellent job at flyhalf…
The Chiefs in Hamilton is a tough one but the Brumbies do out the chiefs so I think they’re a real chance… Chiefs do the NZ choke at home in a close match…
Brumbies 9 wins 4 loses and 1 draw against the Chiefs…
How many close ones have the Chiefs had at home this year
I can only think of the game against the Lions when they came back to win
The Chiefs have lost to the Bulls, Waratahs, Sharks and Crusaders... All these teams a contenders or in the top 4....
SO I think the Chiefs aren't the big team killers people talk about... Teams which have strong records still freak them out.... The Chiefs dominate wins in 2009 have been against mid or low table teams Stormers, Blues , Reds , Cheetahs...
The Canes will do them this weekend with any luck soften them up for the Brumbies the following week...
Chiefs Lost to the Tahs in Sydney, and the loss to the Crusdaers was in Christchurch
and based on your own logic of the Chiefs beating mid to low teams the Cheifs should beat the Brumbies who are only 1 point in front of the Blues and sitting in 7th, which is mid table![]()
Last edited by jargan83; 05-05-09 at 09:45.
Well they also had a dominate win over another mid table team the Force….
nevertheless I'm not saying its an easy win but the Chiefs can be restricted they’re pack is average its their outside backs which are the issue... Both the Brumbies and the Chief are 7 wins and 4 loses...
Your definately a one eyed Brumbies supporter Muddy I will give you that, and respect it.
even when your wrong
Brumbies will not win both of their last two games, and if they do, like I stated earleir they will have earned their spot in the top 4