Elsom, Giteau named in full strength Brumbies side to face Western Force

[TOCC]

sweet cheers, i ahh just got back from preseason rugby training and im royally rooted..

Ive got a birthday party on Friday night, but il definetly be chucking the rugby on and watching the games, its a bit shit that its on so late though

[James]

Although three tries to Shep didn't hurt either...

Yeah that was great wasn't it.

Not to mention that the Brumbies backline that night included AAC, Clyde Rathbone, Mark Gerrard, Stirling Mortlock. All Wallabies.

Fact is that how much of a roar we can get going at MES and how much the players want it will decide who will be the winner on Friday and I have a feeling the Brumbies expect it more than they want it.

[SleazyWineBaas]

sweet cheers, i ahh just got back from preseason rugby training and im royally rooted..

Ive got a birthday party on Friday night, but il definetly be chucking the rugby on and watching the games, its a bit shit that its on so late though

9:05PM a bit late is it?

[normie]

I don't think any player in the S14 is really match fit at the start of the season. Preseason matches are the coaches to rank the up and comers. In the end grim news is the Brumbies bench will come into play after the first 50 minutes and the points will follow.

Is that what Matt told you?

[GIGS20]

Players are only really fully match fit after the first 2/3 weeks... They may display some fitness but are not really S14 fit. The mid to late rounds are played at a much faster pace. Its the bonus points which get teams into the semis...

Bloody hell I hope Andy Friend is nothing like you!

Frankly I'm sick of the excuses you're trotting out in the leadup to this match. Giteau's Proppy, Alexander's got a boo boo on his pinky finger, Elsom's feeling a little under the weather, the players have been sitting on their asses all preseason pissing on and eating nothing but Maccas and cream cakes with the understanding that nobody bothers with fitness. It's starting to sound like the Tahs!

The Force are ready for the season, they've got a great pack, the only worry is #2, If whits gets the nod the lineout will be great, if Pekka, the scrum and field work will make moore look like a preschooler, The backs are good enough to make the most of the pill the pack gives them and Bam will separate Giteau's rib cartilege about four minutes into the match.......Unless Giteau attempts to make a tackle in which case, he'll get it wrong and play dazed for the next five minutes.

Force will win, not by many, probably by the width of a Matt Giteau missed penalty or a drop goal on the death after holding possession for like 15 phases.

[JediKnight]

Don't forget to include jetlag in the long list of excuses available to the Brumbies!

[Thequeerone]

Muddie the Brumbies are professionals - I hope - they are not little babies who need cottonwool and a wet nurse, the sun in Jupiter and plasters on their little fingers - if they aren't fit don't play - sounds like you are more nervous about the outcome than we are - to early for excuses - we're ready - our new ground may not have a scoreboard - our members may not have their cards but boy we're ready to see some action and will cheer all good play

[TOCC]

9:05PM a bit late is it?

it is when you have happyhour at 5:00pm

il still watch it, il probably just be pretty pissed by that point

[Lee Grant]

I went down to Canberra to see the Tahs play the Brumbies in a trial last Thursday night.

We all know that the Brumbies don't trial well but they looked bloody ordinary – not that the Tahs were that great either.

Their forwards were poor in the set pieces. The props were pinged all the time in the scrum and the tight five as a group were not very physical. The Tahs pinched a lot of lineouts.

In the backrow Hoiles had a commanding 1st half and had the whole Tahs team going backwards a couple of times. Googie played a bit in the curtain raiser and a bit in the main game, but he was sucking in seagulls at the end.

In the backs To'omua looked very bloody good at flyhalf on the run and Lealiifano tackled the house down at 12. I don't think that Giteau will play in Rd 1. but the two young fellows will do as well, if not better, than Bartho and Harris. Mortlock wasn't up to speed on the night but Fainifo and AAC were class.

I wouldn't bank on winger McCabe being a weakness though fullback is his best position. He plays for my local club, the Rats, and he is a good footie player wherever he plays.

The area where the Brumbies will have advantage all over the Force is in leadership on the park and especially when things aren't going well. In Moore, Harrison, Smith, Holies, Elsom, Motlock and Giteau (if he plays) they have de facto assistant coaches on the park that the Force won't have.

[travelling_gerry]

Seven managers of a department doesn't make a department seven times better.

It only gives 6 more opinions then what are needed.

Go

[Lee Grant]

Brave talk - but you had to say it.

[GIGS20]

Brumbies are on a hiding to nothing, everybody on the planet expects the superstars to trounce what the press see as a pretty good club side with some Wallabies thrown in.

Gits will play, his head's too big to let him miss it, and he's notorious for sucking when pressure's applied.......therefore the real battle's in the tight 5. I think, to be honest, the backrows cancel each other out, but whichever pack can deliver momentum will be the team to win.

Leastways, if we lose, we won't be bagged for underperforming!

[James]

If Gits doesn't play the only real difference between the Force and the Brumbies since last year is that an unfit Elsom comes in for the Brumbies while the Force lose Giteau (who wasn't that good in the game anyway) but have pumped up their scrum. Plus its a home game for us. Why do people think that the Brumbies are so wonderful all of a sudden- we had it all over them last year away and this year things aren't *that* different but we have it at home and we have a lot of people we want to give a big up yours to.

[SleazyWineBaas]

it is when you have happyhour at 5:00pm

il still watch it, il probably just be pretty pissed by that point

atta boy
Don't forget the tactical vomit

---------- Post added at 23:10 ---------- Previous post was at 23:05 ----------

The area where the Brumbies will have advantage all over the Force is in leadership on the park and especially when things aren't going well. In Moore, Harrison, Smith, Holies, Elsom, Motlock and Giteau (if he plays) they have de facto assistant coaches on the park that the Force won't have.

Giteau will have seen to the committee
They will be doing plenty of talking behind their posts too

[GIGS20]

If Gits doesn't play the only real difference between the Force and the Brumbies since last year is that an unfit Elsom comes in for the Brumbies while the Force lose Giteau (who wasn't that good in the game anyway) but have pumped up their scrum. Plus its a home game for us. Why do people think that the Brumbies are so wonderful all of a sudden- we had it all over them last year away and this year things aren't *that* different but we have it at home and we have a lot of people we want to give a big up yours to.

Essentially the journos seem to think it's the addition of Gits and Rocky (Valentine and Harrison seem to be mentioned as well but God knows why)

My money is on Gits playing exactly the type of game he did for the Force....I base that upon the well documented fact that Robbie Deans couldn't stop it, so nobody can. I seriously think the Force have done better out of the deal, I can't explain how much of a liability he is at 10!

As for Rocky, he's a rat hard bastard, who's also big and a genuine lineout option......several things that the Brumbies sorely needed last season, add that to the transformation Benny A made in the International season and you can see why I reckon our pack has some work to do.

Imho, Ben and Moore are good enough to match up Dunny and Pek, so it's down to Shepherdson and Nic in the Front row....points decision to the Force

Sharpie is twice as good as either Chis or a dinosaur in Harrison, Wykes will fill the gaps and it's probbaly even stevens in the lineout with a bit mor dynamism arounf the field, even, maybe points to Force

Backrow's where it's at. Even I reckon Rocky's better than Hodgeo, but by how much. I'm sure Bam's better than George now, but how effective will that be? Browny and Hoiles....no question Force win that match up

From a match up point of view I reckon the packs might be closer than we think...It'll be really important for us to pressure Gits, because without pressure, we know he can play a good game, it goes to shit when he has to do more than dance around tacklebags

So I reckon it's a close matchup, the Force will have to turn up and play hard to get it done (let's face it, we don't have an awesome record of that at home) In situations like this I reckon the final score isn't about anything other than heart and desire.....since I blame Gits and Mitchell for the bulk of the disharmony of last year, I reckon the Force might win that battle

There's also the little problem of Josh Valentine throwing the ball anywhere but Gits' chest, Brett Sheehan might just be the key to the whole game, Stick it on the chest Shetty, Bart can kick it into the 22 and Gits will kick it sraight back into Shep's arms..........beauty!

---------- Post added at 23:22 ---------- Previous post was at 23:20 ----------

Can't wait!