Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen says semi-final with Waratahs will be decided by decision-making

BOTH the Waratahs and Brumbies seem intent on playing attacking rugby, but the visitors believe they hold an edge because of finals experience.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - JULY 19: Brumbies players celebrate a try by Nic White during the Super Rugby Qualifying FInal match between the Brumbies and the Chiefs at GIO Stadium on July 19, 2014 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

“WARATAHS games are the most important for the Brumbies — that’s just the way it is.”

The feeling couldn’t be more adequately summed up by Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen ahead of the biggest Super Rugby clash in NSW since 2002.

It’s the fiercest of rivalries, which dates back to 1996 when the competition first began.

The Brumbies have beaten the Waratahs only twice in Sydney since then, but one of those victories came in the 2002 semi-final. They won that 51-10.

But Mowen knows this season’s Waratahs are a class act.

“These clashes mean a lot to both sides and I think the added part to that is the Waratahs have been the most consistent side this year,” Mowen said.

“So going into the finals you want to measure yourself against the best and they’ve obviously finished first and lead the game statistically in a lot of areas.

“It would be special to knock off the side that’s been so consistent this year.”

The Brumbies travelled to Pretoria at the same stage last season, where they recorded a historic win over the Bulls.

But Mowen insists it doesn’t get any bigger than coming up against a Waratahs side that has delivered on its promises throughout the season.

“This is bigger,” he said.

“That was obviously a great milestone for the team to achieve that, but I think the way the Waratahs have played this year they’ve really stamped themselves on the competition. They’ve made no bones from the start that they’ve wanted to be where they are now and to do that at the start of the season and then achieve it is a big thing, because there’s a lot of pressure.”

The Waratahs have already claimed the minor premiership, but a potential weakness in their lineout was exposed during their last game against the Reds two weeks ago.

And it didn’t go unnoticed.

“That probably wasn’t their best night at the lineout, but I think they’ve been consistent throughout the year,” Mowen said.

“The lineout can be a factor, but it’s not going to win you a game and it’s certainly not going to lose you the game. But it’s an area we could possibly look to apply a bit of pressure.”

The only way to silence a hostile crowd — which is edging toward capacity — is by starting well and applying early pressure, Mowen says.

Both sides seem intent on playing attacking rugby, but Mowen believes the winner will be decided by who handles the pressure best on the night.

“I think it will be won or lost through decision-making under pressure,” he said.

“There’s going to be a helluva lot of pressure on both sides and it will be the side that deals with that the best. There are going to be a lot of moments where you’re going to feel like your season’s gone, or it’s hanging in the balance, and you’ve got have a cool head in those situations.

“The only result that’s important is at the 80 minute mark and the side that can manage their way best to that point will come away with a huge win.”

The Brumbies fell at the final hurdle last season, losing the final to the Chiefs in Waikato.

The heartbreak has prompted the Brumbies to finetune their preparation this time around.

“We feel a lot different this year to last year,” Mowen said.

“Last year there was a lot of excitement about being in there, a lot of enthusiasm, and we probably drowned ourselves out a little bit through the training week with being overexcited. “This year we’re definitely a lot more measured and I think we’ve seen that in our two performances so far. When you get guys with cool heads in those positions you start to get results off the back of it.”

Originally published as Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen says semi-final with Waratahs will be decided by decision-making