Brumbies coach Dan McKellar hails all-round performance against Chiefs

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has hailed his side’s attacking skills and defensive grit in their win over the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Brumbies fullback Tom Banks forces his way over the line to score a try against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday. Picture: AAP

While Brumbies coach Dan McKellar is increasingly talking of Tom Banks as the Wallabies’ fullback-in-waiting, he also believes Irae Simone is starting to command real respect as an inside centre after adding a hard edge to his silky skills.

McKellar was delighted with the performance of his entire side in Saturday’s 26-14 victory in Hamilton over the Chiefs, the Super Rugby competition leaders going into the weekend. It was the Brumbies’ first win on New Zealand soil since 2014, and while the victory was clinched by their sparkling attack over the first 45 minutes of the match, it was sealed by their gritty defence over the closing 35 minutes.

“Through our analysis we saw a chance to play our game,” said McKellar. “The previous week … we got some criticism of our play but we couldn’t play in those conditions. We went over there with a plan to use our skill and get our game going.”

For the first half and the early minutes of the second, the Brumbies were in total control, scoring four tries. Banks led the onslaught, capitalising on the Harlem Globetrotter skills of loosehead James Slipper to catch a craftily deflected ball and crash over. Winger Solomone Kata was over just minutes later, courtesy of equally fine hands from Adam Muirhead, while No 8 Pete Samu scored on either side of the break.

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Through it all, 19-year-old Brumbies five-eighth Noah Lolesio was running the show with aplomb, showing no signs of being intimidated by his opposite number, All Black Aaron Cruden.

“We had a clear plan and strategy that we decided to put in place and I’m just really pleased that our young playmakers went out there to back themselves and execute it, obviously on the back of a really good performance from the forwards. That was the most pleasing part,” said the Brumbies coach.

At that point, the Brumbies led 26-0, but few teams ever enjoy 80 minutes of unrivalled ascendancy, especially against an opponent as talented as the Chiefs.

Cruden and fellow All Black Anton Lienert-Brown both benefited from the swing in momentum as they crossed for tries but though the Chiefs pulled up to within 12 points of the Brumbies, they never looked like bridging the gap completely.

“We have done a lot of work on our defence,” McKellar said. “I said we would win our early games through defence and or set piece and that our attack would build as the season went on.”

Banks has been earning regular praise all season for his mature play at the back and he surely would have his nose in front of Melbourne Rebels captain Dane Haylett-Petty for the Wallabies’ No 15 jersey.

“It is not just his attacking game. His defensive game, his leadership, his voice in the team. He has really grown as a footballer,” McKellar said.

He clearly believes, however, that Simone is beginning to develop real momentum as well behind his season and if new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is to be believed, reputations will count for nothing when the Australian team is picked, only performances.

“What he’s doing really well now as well is the physical side of the game and when Irae defends well and plays physical, then he’ll do his attacking game in his sleep. He has always had outstanding skill and vision but where he has really stepped up is with his physicality, his defence, his breakdown work, his ball carrying. He is now backing up that silky skill with the hard edge to his game, and when he does that he plays well,” McKellar said. Similarly, Samu has risen to the challenge of providing a more physical presence at the back of the scrum.

“He has the pace of an outside back. He outdid (Damian) McKenzie and Cruden for speed (in scoring his second try). They were clearly surprised by his speed. As well, he is playing tough, which is the feedback we have given him over time at the Brumbies. That’s where we want him to improve. He has worked hard at it and he’s getting better and better every week.”

The Rebels, meanwhile, were left contemplating their failure to get the better of the Sharks in all the vital moments in Ballarat on Saturday, losing 36-24. Coach Dave Wessels believed some frank discussions were in order to sort out what is going wrong.

“We are not going to win too many games when you concede 36 points,” said Wessels.

In other news, the Waratahs new chief executive Paul Doorn will start work on Wednesday after leaving his previous job as boss of Venues NSW.