Talking Points: Brumbies v Rebels

In the past Australian derbies have not produced the best rugby in the Southern Hemisphere, but the first one of the 2019 campaign was an absolute try fest, as the Rebels beat the Brumbies 34-27 at GIO Stadium in Canberra.

The match saw the return of Quade Cooper to Super Rugby and boy did he relish playing with his old Queensland Reds partner Will Genia.

Here are some of the talking or perhaps the turning points in the game.

First 10 Minutes –Brumbies With A Solid Start

The Brumbies got off to a promising start in the first half with Christian Leali'ifano kicking things off with a massive kick to touch and setting up a 5m lineout for the ACT side.

In the third minute of the game, Leali'ifano put the Brumbies up by three points and they looked in good touch. Nine minutes later the Aussie giants scored their first try of the 2019 campaign, as they set up a beautiful driving maul.

21st Minute – Maddocks Scores After Brumbies Blunder

As the game progressed the Rebels started looking a lot more settled and were able to get the likes of Will Genia and Quade Cooper on the ball. The Brumbies were pushed back in their half on a few occasions and unfortunately, a terrible mistake from Irae Simone saw the momentum switch to Dave Wessels side.

Quade Cooper Effect

What a return to Super Rugby for this man! If you have a look at his stats for the game it may not be eye-catching but his impact and game management was outstanding for someone who has been in the rugby wilderness the past year. He made a try-saving tackle in the game and had plenty of magical touches/passes in the building up to the Rebels tries.

Rebels Missed Points

The Rebels will be glad that this point did not come back to bite them this week, but it is fair to say they missed out on three tries in the second half. The worst of the lot was a mistake from Tom English right before the line….