Following the Brumbies’ 33-17 triumph over the Rebels in Canberra on Friday, Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the action.
Rob Valetini’s fine form continues
The Brumbies star has arguably been the Canberra-based outfit’s best player this year and is one of the standout loose forwards in Super Rugby Pacific and showed why he is so highly rated with another fantastic all-round performance.
Valetini, who played at number eight in this clash, kept the Rebels defence busy throughout and finished with 64 metres gained on attack from nine carries, which included one clean break and four defenders beaten.
The 24-year-old also caught the eye with excellent counter-rucking – especially in the second half when the Brumbies were under pressure deep inside their half – and a huge defensive effort as he completed 15 tackles.
Home Quarter Final sealed ✔️🔥
Tickets on sale Monday 2pm. pic.twitter.com/SK3tgFQ1XT
— ACT Brumbies (@BrumbiesRugby) June 2, 2023
Reece Hodge fails to fire in 100th game
Although he was accurate off the kicking tee and finished with a seven-point haul – courtesy of a couple of conversions and a penalty – the Wallabies utility back will not have fond memories of this fixture, which was his 100th appearance for the Melbourne-based outfit.
Playing at outside centre, Hodge failed to make an impact with ball in hand as he was kept in check by the Brumbies defence and he finished the match with just 22 metres gained on attack.
The 28-year-old’s discipline also let him down as he spent 10 minutes in the sin bin during the opening half for a cynical defensive foul and the Brumbies were rewarded with a Connal McInerney try shortly after he was yellow carded.
Home side’s forwards set excellent platform
While the home side’s entire team deserve credit for this victory, their forwards earn special praise as they laid the foundation for this win with a superb effort up front.
They took the fight to their opponents and held the upper-hand in most of the forward exchanges, with their set-phase play of a high level throughout. That was achieved despite the Rebels receiving a shot in the arm when they lost the services of both their hookers – Jordan Uelese and Alex Mafi – during the opening half.
That eventually led to uncontested scrums but that did not faze the home side as they continued to dominate up front and their backs could still shine as they received good front-foot ball from their pack.
Corey Toole on his way to the top
The Brumbies flyer has been in fine form throughout 2023 and caught the eye again with an outstanding attacking performance.
The former Australia Sevens representative kept the visitors’ defence on their toes as he gained 49 metres on attack from four carries which included one clean break and a couple of defenders beaten.
On one of those runs, he showed an incredible turn of speed on his way over the whitewash and he has now scored nine tries for the season, just two adrift of the tournament’s leading try-scorers.
The 23-year-old has played with a maturity beyond his years and if he continues with his current impressive form it’s only a matter of time before he makes the step up to the Wallabies senior side.
The fastest in the business, Corey Toole glides over for the Brumbies and puts first points on the board 💨
↳ Brumbies v Rebels, LIVE NOW. Every Match. Ad-free. Live & On Demand on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport.#StanSportAU #SuperRugbyPacific #BRUvREB pic.twitter.com/1fCYf5odmY
— Stan Sport Rugby (@StanSportRugby) June 2, 2023
Back to the drawing board the Rebels
For a team who came into this match with hopes of making the play-offs, the men from Melbourne’s performance left a lot to be desired as they committed a plethora of unforced errors which proved costly in the bigger scheme of things.
They showed plenty of fight during the early stages and were still in the game at half-time with the Brumbies holding a slender 14-10 lead but the visitors went off the boil after the interval.
The defeat means the men from Melbourne failed in their objective of reaching the play-offs and they finish the season in 11th position in the 12-team competition. Plenty of homework for head coach Kevin Foote to do if they want to be more competitive in 2024.
READ MORE: WATCH: Tom Wright rounds off superb team try for Brumbies against Rebels
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