After falling agonisingly short of the grand final in 2022, the Brumbies season kicks off tomorrow night as the lads take on a much-improved Waratahs in Sydney.
I havenāt been this excited for a Rugby season in a long time, and with the backdrop of Eddieās return for the World Cup, a competitive and entertaining Super Rugby comp is vital if Rugby is to keep building momentum.
So without further ado, here's my 2023 Brumbies season preview.
What Iām excited for
The return of Stephen Larkham - Bernie has big shoes to fill after Dan McKellarās terrific stint as Brumbies Coach. But Iām excited to see what he and Laurie Fisher can do, especially after Laurie's recent sacking from the Wallabies, and Bernieās admission to being burnout last time he was Brumbies coach. Reflecting on my time playing under Bern, juggling of Brumbies and Wallaby coaching duties had a noticeable impact on him and was frequently distracted. But his recent admission of this, for me, points to huge personal growth and a sign his best coaching days are ahead.
Jack Debreczeni in Brumbies colours - Youāve heard if here first, but I reckon Jack will make the World Cup squad after brilliant year with the Brumbs where his big boot and tactical kicking game will play a huge part in the teamās success. I was impressed with his trial form, and couple that with the Brumbiesās long history of getting the best out of players, I reckon Jack will take his game to a new level. Surprised to see him starting at flyhalf, and reckon heād fit in nicely at Fullback as his height would help defuse high kicks.
Darcy Swain to fight back - Falling down the Wallaby pecking order sucks, but how playerās react is what matters most. After starting a few tests, Darcy now finds a few locks now ahead and Iām excited to see how he responds. Discipline has been a team-wide Wallaby issue, and I hope Darcyās issues with it are not the result of him trying to āprove himselfā physically because he has a lighter frame. I hope he reflects and finds the root cause of those issues, and just goes out and play, as heās a terrific lineout general who always plays with his eyes up.
The next generation of props - With Scott Sio gone and Slips and Allan likely to be rested a lot, young props Tom Ross, Blake Schoupp and Rhys Van Nek will have plenty of opportunities to show their stuff. Brumbies razzle-dazzle can only happen if we have a sturdy platform, so keep an eyeout for these blokes to dominate as Scrum coach Dan Palmer and Laurie are the best in business when it comes to developing international standard props.
Concerns
Players with one eye on the world cup - With so many players in the Wallabies, my main concern (aside from injuries) is that players pace themselves for a huge year. This is a mistake I made in 2011 as I knew I was likely to be picked, and subconsciously tried to pace myself so I would peak at the Cup. This is where RA and Brumbies need to work together to decide when to rest players, and communicate this early to them so they donāt waste mental energy guessing when theyāll get a rest.
Tom Hooperās injury - A huge talent and a massive shame heās injured again seriously hurting his foot in the trial. Hoping this is just bad luck and not a sign of things to come.
Prediction: Semi-finals.
Iām taking tomorrow off work and pulling the girls out of school to take them to the game. But who else is going and whatās your match prediction?
Iām tipping the strong Brumbies bench to dominate in the final 15 mins and get us home by 2.
Soo bummed about Hoops injury!
I'll be tuning in from home, but am excited! What better way than to kick off the season with a grudge match against the Tahs!
Good to see you taking the time off to get to the game. I predict Brumbies by 12. Was heading up for the game. However accommodation for the night was $1000 plus. Have a great night.
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