Brumbies’ hooker crisis sees prop Ruaidhri Murphy forced into No.2 jersey for Waratahs clash

THE Brumbies will field a hooker who has never played the position in 15-a-side rugby when they take on the Waratahs on Saturday night.

Jacques Potgieter during the Waratahs line-out practice at training ahead of huge game against Brumbies on Saturday. pic. Phil Hillyard

The Brumbies will field a hooker who has never played the position in 15-a-side rugby when they take on the Waratahs tomorrow night.

But despite respectful words from the Tahs about converted prop Ruaidhri Murphy and canny ACT lineout general Ben Mowen, NSW appear set to literally jump all over the novice Brumbies hooker.

After injuries to Stephen Moore, Siliva Siliva and Josh Mann-Rea, Murphy only began practising lineout throwing three weeks ago ahead of his first games in the No. 2 for the Singapore Tens.

“It’s a tough ask but Ruaidhri is a very solid human being, he has played prop his whole life, I don’t know the physics so I am sure he can adjust into hooker quite well,” Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said.

“Technically with his throwing, I was very impressed with his throwing in Singapore and the boys have full confidence he is going to be technically astute at lineout time”

No doubt sensing an opportunity, however, the Waratahs engaged in a lineout session yesterday focusing heavily on defensive work.

“They’ve had a lot of synergy between Stephen Moore and Ben Mowen in recent years, so that’s a loss for them,” Dave Dennis said. “We’ll both be looking to pressure each others lineouts but Mowen is a smart operator, they’ll have been training ways to avoid that pressure.”

A greenhorn at hooker may also present a Brumbies vulnerability against an all-Wallaby front row, but NSW prop Sekope Kepu added: “If they have enough faith in him to start him (Murphy) this weekend, obviously he has the goods. To be honest our preparation this weekend is worrying about what we’re going to do.”

Originally published as Brumbies’ hooker crisis sees prop Ruaidhri Murphy forced into No.2 jersey for Waratahs clash