Rugby union: Haze threat to Brumbies-Reds game

SANZAAR will employ never-before-used air quality protocols to determine whether the Reds-Brumbies match will go ahead.

Bushfire smoke shrouds the national capital ahead of the Brumbies-Reds match

As bushfires flare up around Canberra again, SANZAAR is keeping a close watch on expected conditions for the Brumbies-Queensland Super Rugby game on Friday night and will employ never-before-used air quality protocols to determine whether the match will go ahead.

SANZAAR on Tuesday night issued all clubs with its new air quality guidelines, developed in conjunction with Rugby Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and World Rugby. Details will not be released to the public until today, but the fact that a policy is now formally in place could force SANZAAR’s hand if the situation deteriorates.

No decision is likely to be made until the day of the match but, at that late stage, there would be only two possible decisions that could be made — either to go ahead with the game or to cancel it. SANZAAR abandoned the Crusaders-Highlanders game in Christchurch last year, one day after the horrific massacre at the Al Noor Mosque.

If Friday’s match was to be cancelled, the Brumbies and the Reds would split the points, taking two apiece. But it would be a deflating start to the season, especially as these two sides are widely tipped to fight out the leadership of the Australian conference this year. It would, as well, further expose the stupidity of starting the rugby season in Australia in January, when the bushfire season is at its height.

The protocols also dictate what would happen if a wind change suddenly blew smoke over the match venue, GIO Stadium, and made conditions unbearable for the players. If a match has progressed to the second half and cannot be completed, the winner would be declared the team in front at the time but it is understood if a stoppage was forced before halftime then the points again would be shared.

As it is, the maximum temperature in Canberra on Friday is forecast to be 39C, so the match already is scheduled to be played under World Rugby’s heat protocols, which allow extra drinks breaks to be taken.

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ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr on Tuesday issued an emergency evacuation warning to the residents of Tharwa on the southern outskirts of the capital, while ACT Health issued the following alert: “Due to poor air quality related to smoke haze, ACT is advising all Canberrans to avoid prolonged or heavy physical activity outside in coming days.”

It is understood there are asthmatics in both sides.

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar remained upbeat, insisting the match would go ahead on schedule. “It’s quite bizarre … the smoke from the south coast fires blew in and covered the whole city, whereas the smoke (from the present fires) is located in the area where the fires actually are.

“There is not a lot of wind around. If I look out to the right, it is crystal clear. If I look out to the left, in the distance you can see the smoke clouds. But certainly around GIO Stadium and the University of Canberra, there is zero issue.”

New Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa with coach Dan McKellar

The Reds are likely to welcome three Wallabies forwards — locks Izack Rodda and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa — back into their pack, after all three were rested for the trial against NSW in Dalby last Friday. As well, JP Smith is likely to be brought in at loosehead for his first match of the season.

It’s not clear how Reds coach Brad Thorn intends to use the Test locks in combination with Angus Blyth but all indications are that the Queensland loose forward trio of flankers Liam Wright and Angus Scott-Young and No 8 Harry Wilson — on Super Rugby debut — plus the entire Reds backline that started against the Tahs will be retained. Reserve loosehead Dane Zander and utility back Hunter Paisami, who both put in big shifts in Dalby, are likely to be retained.

The Brumbies are also likely to stick closely to their starting pack from the trial against the Melbourne Rebels in Albury last Thursday, with Pete Samu, Tom Cusack and Rob Valetini likely to make up the backrow and Darcy Swain and Murray Douglas the locks. Noah Lolesio is expected to be named for his first Super Rugby appearance at five-eighth after putting in a pleasing display against the Rebels. He might, perhaps, have been guilty of playing too much football inside his own half — although McKellar believes the senior figures in the backline should also take their share of the blame for that — but Lolesio showed enough composure in the playmaking role to almost certainly beat Bayley Kuenzle for the 10 ­jersey.