ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs: Round two Super Rugby clash a chance to get jump on key rival

VICTORY over their major rival in the Australian conference is so important the Waratahs will return to Canberra with a what-it-takes mentality.

Waratahs training

THE magnitude of beating their major rival in the Australian conference will see the Waratahs return to Canberra with a ‘whatever-it-takes’ mentality on Friday night.

The Tahs will clash with the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium and though the early season rust is still being shaken off, both sides are keenly aware how crucial the result will likely prove when the Aussie conference is finalised in mid-July.

The Brumbies and Tahs have been so closely matched in the Australian conference that only two wins has separated them for the past three seasons.

Passions are always high when the Brumbies and Waratahs collide.

The chance to jump one win ahead in a derby — while the other stands still — is a big prize not lost on either side, even though it might not seem as life-and-death in round two as it would in the last few weeks.

“The last couple of years, even more so this year, those local derbies are becoming more and more important to really get momentum in your conference and with the way to competition is set up,” Waratahs veteran Dave Dennis said.

“We obviously have a bye after this weekend so we have targeted these first two games as a great opportunity for us to start the season and get ahead in our conference. It is a positive to test yourself early against, for me, probably the most consistent Australian team for the last few years.

“Even though it is the second round of the year, a win in the second round is just as important as a win in the 18th round. Everyone is aware of that.”

The Waratahs haven’t enjoyed trips down the Hume Highway in Super Rugby but last year claimed their third win in 12 games in Canberra.

The 13-10 victory saw the Tahs match the Brumbies’ stifling game-plan and they successfully shut down the hosts’ lethal rolling maul.

Israel Folau during a NSW Waratahs training session.

Dennis said post-match last year it was “a stare off”, and yesterday the back rower said while the Tahs would attempt to play with an attacking mindset, the focus wouldn’t be pocketing a bonus point.

“The priority is to win. Last year wasn’t pretty, there wasn’t a lot of points scored but we came away with a win, which was very satisfying. Friday will be no different. It is always a tough place to play,” Dennis said.

“We want to play our style of rugby, and win our way. But you have to adapt to what they throw at you. They’re a very good team in terms of disrupting what you want to do.”

Based on the past, bonus points won’t be an issue for NSW — they’ve never scored more than two tries in Canberra in 20 years.

Dennis said neutering the Brumbies’ rolling maul with a mix of aerial competition and on-ground aggression would again be a key task, after the Canberrans used it to score three tries against the Hurricanes.

“They’re probably leaders in that part of the game as far as the Australian teams, if not the competition,” Dennis said.

Matt Lucas passes during a NSW Waratahs training session.

Dennis said accuracy at the set-piece and at the attacking breakdown would also be vital under the intense pressure of the Brumbies’ on-ball pressure, which comes not just from David Pocock and Scott Fardy, but the whole team.

The NSW club captain said defence would also need to be strong against the “evolved” Brumbies, who’ve added attacking freedoms to a previously rigid structure.

Perhaps the most crucial area for the Waratahs to fix up from their round one performance is discipline.

NSW conceded a whopping 18 penalties and Dennis said a repeat of that will spell curtains for the visitors in Canberra.

“It’s not good enough. A team like the Brumbies will punish you,” Dennis said.

“They’ll either kick points in (Christian) Lealiifano, who is a great goal kicker. Or play to the touch and they like playing to structured possession off line outs. Either way we can’t be giving away that many penalties.”

Originally published as ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs: Round two Super Rugby clash a chance to get jump on key rival