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Sam Wykes - www.seiserphotography.com

The second part of our look back at 2011 for the Western Force is with lock Sam Wykes. After a couple of seasons of false starts hampered by shoulder injuries, he got his chance in Round Two after an injury to David Pocock and not only did he take it, he ran with it to such an extent that many were talking him up as a potential bolter for the Wallabies World Cup squad. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen but another year of consistently high performances in Force colours should see the 24yr old knocking on the door in increasingly louder tones. He takes us through weeks seven to twelve…

Week Seven – Force 25 Rebels 26

RuggaMatrix: You’d just come back from South Africa and a heavy loss to the Stormers so, despite the inconvenience of the journey home, you would have been keen to atone for that defeat and would have fancied your chances against the Rebels, who were yet to win outside Melbourne. It must have been a big disappointment not to?

Sam Wykes:“Absolutely and there’s no excuses coming back from South Africa, we had some recovery time to help get the body clock right again. We started so well and got out to a great lead but I don’t know what happened and it was probably the story of our year really. It was either start well and not come away with it or start poorly and finish well so it was definitely a disappointing loss, that’s for sure.”

RM: Obviously, you want to win every game but there must be certain games that are targeted over the season as ‘must wins’ and I would imagine this was one of them?

SW “Yeah, we definitely needed to win those type of games and we definitely want to win all our home games because we are a good footy team and if you win all your home games, you set yourself up nicely for the end of the season. We were also hoping to get that victory because it was a local derby and Australian teams want to beat Australian teams all the time, so that was disappointing too.”

RM: You wouldn’t single him out for blame because he’s a great player who had a fantastic season but James O’Connor’s four misses from his eight kicks – including a potential match winning conversion at the end – made life a little bit harder didn’t it?

SW: “From memory, it was a pretty tough conversion actually, from close to forty-five metres out on the sideline. We definitely had our opportunities and I guess if we’d got a few more penalty kicks over, we would have been in a better position but we can’t pin it down to that last kick because it was a tough ask and we shouldn’t have been in that position.”

RM: One positive from this game was your first Super Rugby try. Do you remember much about it?

SW: “I think there was a line break from Gene Fairbanks and he gave an inside ball to Cameron Shepherd who’s gone through and I just came off the back of a pick and drive and crashed over about a metre out.”

RM: So, you don’t remember it at all then!

SW: “ Ha – it was pretty exciting!

Week Eight – Force 3 Waratahs 31

RM: This was only the second time across the season where you failed to cross the tryline and it was a second home loss in a row. Was this the lowest point of the year for the side looking back?

SW: “Definitely, that and the Stormers game were our worst performances. We just defended for that first twenty minutes, we didn’t see any ball at all and the Waratahs just outclassed us. We just weren’t there mentally.”

RM: The loss meant that you were still yet to reward the fans with a victory at nib Stadium in 2012, which ramps up the pressure a little bit more doesn’t it?

SW: “Yeah absolutely, we’ve got some of the best supporters in Australian rugby and they come week in and week out and I guess we’ve kept them on the edge of their seats so many times with nail biting losses and nail biting victories. It was disappointing to let the fans down but also to let ourselves down because we’re a far better team than the one we showed that night.”

RM: Willie Ripia made his first start in the fly-half spot, a position James O’Connor had been filling for the previous seven games. As good a player as Ripia is and as versatile a player as O’Connor is, did that unsettle the combinations a little bit?

SW: “Yeah, maybe a little bit but also, Willie was coming in off a pretty serious foot injury and hadn’t played for about twelve weeks and even then I don’t know if his foot was quite right. He had a pretty tough ask to direct the troops around and James O’Connor is a quality player who can play anywhere so, I don’t think that was an excuse for us playing that poorly, that’s for sure.”

Week Nine – Brumbies 19 Force 27

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RM: A great turnaround from the previous week with your first win over an Australian side in the season and the first win on Australian soil for the year. It must have been a happy dressing room afterwards?

SW: “I think it was just relief to get that win and to get that monkey off the back because it was getting a bit too much and losing really has an impact on your mind. It was really good to win away from home, especially against the Brumbies who always play well at home and it has been a bit of a fortress for them over the years. It was definitely a good victory for the boys even though it wasn’t the most entertaining game.”

RM: The Brumbies were going through a pretty rough time of it themselves going into the game and you sensed that a victory was hugely important for both sides?

SW: “Absolutely, both teams were really desperate for a win at that time and it was one of those games where, whoever converted the most opportunities came away with the victory. We did that, we turned some of their errors into points and that was the game.”

RM: There were many matches across the season where you snatched defeat from the jaws of victory but this was one where you stayed focused and composed and played smart, match winning rugby wasn’t it?

SW: Yes, which was very pleasing. I think one of our stats across the year was that we were leading nine out of sixteen games with ten minutes to go and we lost. Knowing that we were leading in the sixty-fifth minute that often and not actually coming away with any wins was a pretty big stat and a pointer for the future.”

RM: We’ve spoken about the problems the team had scoring a home win but this was the second of four away victories you achieved during the season. Do you play with a bit less pressure outside of Perth and perform better as a result?

SW: “Yeah we did but I don’t know if it was the pressure. I can’t really put my finger on it because playing in front of our fans is one of the best feelings you get from the game. They’re vocal and they always give us one hundred percent support and I tell you what – winning away is pretty sweet but winning at home is even sweeter – so yeah, I don’t know what the reason is for winning more away games.”

Week Ten – Force 26 Bulls 21

RM: Well, how sweet was this win then? Your first in front of the home fans and against the reigning champions as well. It was a great result and a big boost for the side?

SW: “Absolutely, we had to really step up in that game and I think it was the best game I’ve ever prepared for because all the boys were so up for it. Everyone was pretty excited during the week at training and you just got a feeling in the camp and at the final captain’s run. It just felt like everything clicked together and we knew it was going to be a good game.”

RM: Discipline was crucial because – apart from a yellow card for James O’Connor – you held yours far better than the Bulls, whose frequent indiscretions allowed you to stay with them during the match before you finally came over the top of them. Were there any other key issues?

SW: “I think it was just about putting an eighty minute performance together. From memory, I think we had a scrum feed in the eightieth minute and all we had to was hold onto it but we gave a penalty away and had to defend for an extra five minutes after the bell, so it was good to see the boys really dig in, stick to the system and trust it and each other to get the victory.”

RM: A win of such magnitude against a reigning two-time champion side that also contained a number of World Cup winning Springboks must stand you in good stead for future battles against lofty opposition. You can now say ‘We’ve done this before boys’ and go in with more belief?

SW: “For sure, and we nearly did it against the Crusaders a week later but it wasn’t meant to be and we just got dusted at the end. We nearly did it against the Reds twice but lost in the last two minutes I think, at home and in the last five minutes over in Brisbane, so we definitely know we can match it with the top four. We do have that belief and I think a time will come when all our younger players have had that bit more game time and got that experience and it’ll really click.”

RM: Given your position in the second row, coming up against Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha – the most highly revered locking partnership in world rugby for many years – must be a great learning experience?

SW: “Definitely. I’m lucky enough to lock with one of the best players in that position in the world in ‘Sharpie’ and I think it was time for us as a pair to really step up against those two in this game. Bakkies Botha is a very intimidating man and definitely has a presence on the field so, for me personally, it was a big challenge physically and mentally to prepare myself as best I could and I feel I played a pretty good game that day”

RM: Was that the pinnacle of your career so far, to come up against that sort of quality and come away with the win? You’d have to be pleased?

SW: “Yeah, I pinch myself all the time when I come up against players of that sort of status. When you’re out on the field, you see them and you play hard against them and when you finish the game, you shake their hand and they acknowledge your efforts and that’s really pleasing.”

Week Eleven – Force 30 Crusaders 42

RM: Another champion team comes to town and you actually led 30-25 at one point before two late tries saw them home. You were obviously gutted not to see it through but presumably proud to have pushed them so hard?

SW: “Definitely more gutted to lose. Close enough isn’t good enough and if you think it is, you’re never going to create a winning culture in the club so, we were definitely gutted to lose that game because it was there for the taking against a quality side in the Crusaders. They can tear you apart from anywhere on the field and they have a winning culture where – even if they’re twenty points behind with only ten minutes to go – they’ve still got a belief that they’re going to win and that’s something we need to grow because it was what let us down on the night.”

RM: A lot of teams may have collapsed if they’d gone 12-0 down to the Crusaders as early as you did, because they really know how to turn the screw and apply pressure and they have the weight of history behind them. The team showed good mental resolve to come back from that and push them to the wire didn’t they?

SW: “They definitely did. There were a few times where sides got out to a lead against us and you thought ‘Oh s**t, here we go again!’ but to the boys credit, we stuck to the task, stuck to the game plan and put the pressure on and came up with some points.”

RM: David Pocock returned from injury in this game and obviously, having a player of his calibre on board was a welcome addition to face such a quality opponent?

SW: “Without a doubt, he’s just one of those percentage players that you need at times. Somebody can make a line break from the opposition and they’ll usually score a try but with Pocock on the field, he can pull a rabbit out of the hat and chase them down, tackle them, pilfer the ball and get a turnover. That’s the kind of player he is and he’s done that a few times for us and when you know you’ve got him on your team, you want to do everything you can to help him out because he definitely puts his body on the line every game.”

Nathan Sharpe wins lineout - www.seiserphotography.com

Week Twelve – Waratahs 20 Force 15

RM: This wasn’t one of the most awe inspiring games in Super Rugby history with both teams kicking the leather off the ball and the Tahs sneaking home with a late try. Was that kicking chess a specific game plan and was it the right tactic on the night?

SW: “I don’t think it was and we probably did kick too much pill away. It wasn’t a pleasing game to be a part of because we didn’t really see too much of the ball and to be honest, I don’t remember too much of that night because it wasn’t the type of game that people want to watch or play in. Sometimes, you’ve got to play footy like that to get the win but we didn’t win and it wasn’t a good result all in all.”

RM: It comes down to the ‘win at all costs or entertain’ argument again that was an accusation thrown at the Waratahs during the year?

SW: “We always want to play running rugby but sometimes, you do have to play territory. Looking back at this one, I think we probably played a little bit too much territory and should have chanced our arm a bit more. With the players that we had on the night – such as James O’Connor and David Smith – who can unleash from anywhere, we probably should have tested them out a bit more.”

RM: Ignoring the aesthetic arguments, you still could and perhaps should, have won the game. Were you disappointed to come away with only a losing bonus point?

SW: “Definitely. When you’re leading a game and you let Ryan Cross get a try from a rebound off the upright to put them ahead, it’s very frustrating. All year we’d talked about covering the posts from penalties and making sure we’re aware of any situation and it came back and bit us on the proverbial but, to the Tahs credit, they were very good defensively and when we did run it, they put a lot of pressure on us in defence. That probably forced us to kick a little bit more than usual and I think that worked in reverse as well.”

Reflections

RM: After three seasons of playing a bit part role at the Force, you finally got your chance to shine and started all fourteen games after that. Do you feel like you’re an established Super Rugby player now?

SW: “I think that’s exactly right, I needed to establish myself as a Super Rugby player and not just a number out there and I felt I did that this year in a lot of games. It was a good stepping stone for me to build from but I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

RM: What was the difference in approach this year – what helped you to finally breakthrough?

SW: “I learned a lot from the previous years where I was in and out – I think I only started one game in my first year – and then I had a couple of shoulder reconstructions back to back and was probably lacking a bit of confidence. I really knuckled down in pre-season and talks with my manager, with Richard Graham and also with former rugby league great Daryl Halligan as well, about preparation and about using your abilities really helped me. They reminded me that I wouldn’t be here unless I wasn’t a good football player and they told me to believe in myself. It gave me a lot of confidence hearing it from those sort of blokes.”

RM: As well as the obvious playing qualities of guys like Nathan Sharpe and David Pocock, do you learn as much from them in terms of how to conduct yourself as a professional because they appear to epitomise what a model pro should be?

SW: “Yeah and that has probably been one of my downfalls in previous years. I definitely worked hard when it came down to the physical side and maintaining fitness etc but the off-field stuff, such as recovery and watching vision and knowing our game plan, I think I fell short. If you watch how they prepare for every game, they’re the best because of how they prepare and that’s definitely something I’ve taken from both those guys.”

RM: There was talk around the traps towards the end of last season of possible Wallaby recognition, was that something that ever registered with you or were you happy just to play and let things take care of themselves?

SW: “I think that’s one thing that came out in those pre-season meetings as well, my aspirations not just to be a Super Rugby player but to be an international. In every game this year, I was aspiring to play for the Wallabies and I felt I could have been a shot for the initial forty man World Cup squad but I knew that with Dan Vickerman coming back and bolters like Hugh Pyle from the Rebels and Sitaleki Timani from the Tahs playing really well, that it would be hard.

“I definitely gave myself every chance to be a part of that green and gold squad but I wasn’t disappointed when I wasn’t named, it just gave me more motivation to realise that I’m not quite there yet and that I need to work on other parts of my game to get there.”

RM: What are your personal hopes and targets for 2012?

SW: “I want to be starting every game with the Force and continuing from where I left off last year and I want to help the team to a top six finish and bring finals footy to Perth. I also want to be playing in a Wallaby jersey.”

Force scrumhalf Brett Sheehan - www.seiserphotography.com

The Western Force went into the 2011 season with a fresh lick of paint as Richard Graham moved up the ranks to replace departing foundation head coach John Mitchell in the hot seat. For scrumhalf Brett Sheehan, the year was a chance to cement his starting spot, hopefully push the Force towards their first tilt at finals football and maybe make a late charge into Robbie Deans’ World Cup plans as a result and despite only fulfilling the first part of his mission, he took plenty of positivity from a season that was a whisker away from being a very memorable one. He takes us through weeks one to six…

Week One – Reds 21 Force 20

RuggaMatrix: The season started on a scorching hot day in Brisbane, where the Force backrow dominated large parts of the game but two late tries saw the Reds snatch the win by a point at the end. Was one that you let go?

Brett Sheehan: “Oh yeah, definitely. We had a really tough pre-season and we pointed out things that we wanted to achieve during the year and beating the Reds was definitely one of those, especially after the embarrassing loss the year before. We performed really well but then one little slip up in the game pretty much ended up costing us. It was definitely one that got away, we were the better team on the day, our play proved that but that one slip saw us lose by a point.”

RM: It was an impressive performance against a side heavily favoured to do well in the competition. Even though you didn’t get the win, did the performance give good reason for optimism for the season ahead?

BS: “Definitely, as I said we’d set out a few goals for the season and everyone stood up in at that game and that was very optimistic for us. We knew we could match up with any team and to start off with the Reds and play like that against them, left us quietly confident for the rest of the year.

RM: The Force backrow is often described as one of, if not the best in the competition and on their day, they’re very hard to contain. That was certainly the case in this match wasn’t it?

BS: “We had a specific plan to try and nullify some of the Reds players – especially Will and Quade – and I think our backrow definitely did that on the day as they didn’t have as big an influence on the game as they usually do. We’re very blessed to have that backrow but in fairness, everyone executed the plan one hundred per cent in that game for pretty much 75 minutes and we still came up short.”

Week 2 – BYE

David Pocock - www.sesierphotography.com

Week 3 – Force 12 Sharks 39

RM: You were down 7-3 when Rory Sidey was sent off for a dangerous tackle in the 18th minute and you also lost David Pocock and Mitch Inman through injury and Nick Cummins got a yellow card. A tough night at the office all round?

BS: “Obviously, it was a big loss losing Mitch Inman right from the start but to then lose Rory a couple of minutes after that made it very difficult. Even so, for most of that game, we were very competitive and it was only towards the end that they started to run away with it when we got another yellow card. When you’re playing with only thirteen players for periods in a match, it’s obviously not ideal but the encouraging thing was the fact that we never gave up, we always had belief in ourselves. Yes, we were on the wrong end of the scoreline but again, we took confidence from the way we played and how we hung in there, that was a very encouraging sign for us.”

RM: Playing with only 14 men for an hour was always going to be tough against a side as good as the Sharks but was that red card a fair call?

BS: “I thought he was very unlucky, it was possibly a yellow card but to get a red card I thought was a bit over the top. It was really tough on Rory, especially given the fact that he’d only been on the field for two or three minutes at the time and it just ruined a game of footy. It was in the heat of the moment, it was an opportunity to put a hit on and it just went a bit wrong, I don’t think he meant to hurt the guy.”

RM: At that early stage of the season, the Sharks were running red hot and they were yet to concede a try so their defence was pretty impressive but they had some points in them too didn’t they?

BS: “Yeah, they did and we knew that, the Sharks have always been a dangerous side. We actually planned for a different type of game plan from them but they came out and showed a bit of attacking flair right from the start. We quickly changed our approach and we nullified it for a good part of the game but playing with fourteen men, eventually you run out of legs and it becomes very tough.”

RM: You play one round and then have the bye. Is it that difficult to manage – did you come into this one a bit rusty?

BS: “I don’t think we were rusty but it’s certainly not ideal. You psyche up and you’re ready to go for the season and then bang – you’ve got the bye. I think it’s almost better to have the bye in the first week so you don’t lose momentum. It’s just annoying because you’re ready to play rugby and then you find yourself with a week off but you actually end up training harder in that bye week because the coaches can justify it as you don’t have a game. Still, they were the cards that were dealt.”

RM: You lost David Pocock with a serious knee injury, how much of a mental effect did that have on the season, to lose him at that point?

BS: “It’s obviously hard to lose a guy of that quality but that’s why we train with an extended squad. You can’t replace David Pocock but we had guys training with us like Jono Jenkins who I thought came in and did a really good job. It is rugby and you’ve got to deal with injuries – yes, it happened to one of our main players and it hurt – but as a player, you’ve just got to keep the job going and keep to your plans and strategies and deal with it.”

Week 4 – Force 22 Blues 22

RM: You were 22-12 ahead with 10mins left in this one, you must have been disappointed to let the Blues back in to share the spoils?

BS: “That one really did hurt, that was probably the most painful game of the year. We played brilliantly, we stuck it to them and we targeted the players that we wanted to target and we stuck to that for about seventy-two minutes of the game but crucial mistakes and a bit of immaturity at times cost us. We’re a relatively young team and it’s just about finding a way to grind out the wins when you get the lead.

“We try to play a bit too much football at times and give opportunities to the other team when we make mistakes in our own half so it was very frustrating. The Blues – like the Sharks – were in red hot form at the time and we had a chance to knock off one of the better teams but unfortunately, we let it slip.”

RM: A newspaper quote after this game read: ‘The Force again showed they have enough talent to beat just about any team in Super Rugby on attack but not yet enough experience in defence to hold out for the victory’. Does that enforce your previous answer?

BS: “I suppose so, especially in regards to that game. They were picking and driving with about two minutes to go and Keven Mealamu – who scored the try – did it perfectly. He saw a couple of our players talking to the referee instead of looking at the ball, picked it up and drove over the line so it’s about showing a bit of maturity and playing for the whole eighty minutes. Don’t worry about the referee, if he’s going to pull it up, he’ll pull it up, just keep your focus. It’s about playing and concentrating for eighty minutes and unfortunately, against the Reds and the Blues, we didn’t do that.”

RM: Despite your obvious abilities as an attacking outfit, you scored only your second try in three games in this match. Was that down to poor execution in the red zone?

BS: “We were making the breaks, it was just the last passes or trying to make a fifty/fifty pass that was costing us. One thing about Richard Graham, he always says he wants footballers in his side but sometimes, players take that a bit too far. He wants us to use our natural ability but it’s about being smart in using the ball and sometimes, we just got carried away and threw a miracle pass or a pass that went behind the runner. Execution did let us down and we had plenty of opportunities to score tries – especially against the Reds – but again, it’s about remaining focused in those critical moments, especially in the attacking zone. We just need to grow as a team and those things will come.”

RM: There was another red card issued – this time for Jono Jenkins – was discipline an issue at all?

BS: “It was another tough one and I know that when we did the post match review, it seemed to be a very harsh call. Jono thought he had the rights to go in there at that time, unfortunately, the referee didn’t see it that way. No, I don’t think discipline was a problem. I think in specific parts of the field, it probably let us down and if you’re giving away shots at goal inside your twenty-two, that costs you. We did work pretty hard at that in training and it got better towards the end of the year.”

Matt Hodgson - www.seiserphotography.com

Week 5 – Lions 15 Force 27

RM:This was a game played in very slippery conditions after heavy rain and the Lions took a lot longer to adapt than yourselves. Was that a key to victory?

BS: “I honestly think that if we’d had dry conditions, we probably would have put on more points because at certain points in that game, we played really well but the conditions didn’t help us. There was a really good feel going into this game coming in off that draw with Auckland and heading off to South Africa. We knew we were playing good rugby, we just needed to execute properly.

“We knew right from the start how they were going to come out and we targeted specific players in the team because we knew what they were going to do. They’re a pretty expansive side and they play quite a bit off their backrow in terms of the seven linking with the backs so we targeted the players we needed to, nullified their threat and that gave us a chance to get on the board and get some momentum. We were camped down their end a few times and we probably should have got a few more tries but again, execution let us down a bit and a bit of impatience in the red zone cost us some points but we got away with it.”

RM: As a rule, you generally have to come away with one win from your South African trip if you want a sniff of finals footy so – at that stage of the season – to get that in the bag in the first week must have been pleasing?

BS: “Yeah, it was and as I said before, we knew we were playing good rugby and we knew that if we hung in there and kept playing the style we were, then we would come away with the win. It’s hard travelling to South Africa and you do have to try and come away with some type of points from there so it was good to do that against the Lions.”

RM: A sub-plot to this game was that you were facing a side led by former Force coach John Mitchell. Was that an inadvertent focus for any of the guys and maybe for different reasons?

BS: “It’s a professional sport and people do what they think is best for them and John left on good terms. There were certainly no bad feelings on my part or for most of the boys and to be honest, it wasn’t even a big talking point during the week before the game. The focus was on getting to South Africa, really targeting a game that we thought we could go out there and give it our best shot in and getting a win on the board. It was a bit bittersweet for a few of the guys I suppose, John’s a great guy but it’s always good to get one up on your old coach!”

Week 6 – Stormers 51 Force 16

RM: Unfortunately, it was back down to earth with a bang a week later. Nathan Sharpe broke the Super Rugby appearance record in this match but it wasn’t the result he – or the team – would have wanted to celebrate it with?

BS: “No, definitely not. That was probably our worst performance of the year and it wasn’t taken well. There are no excuses, we were disappointed in our performance, they just came right at us from the start and I don’t think we were expecting it to go that way. We did have three guys pull up crook with a bad case of food poisoning, two of them were actually on the field, the third had to miss the game but as I said, no excuses, you still go out there with twenty-two blokes and we just got blown off the park that day. Sharpie got that awesome record and we let him down as a team and paid for it with the result.”

RM: Conceding a try after only 92 seconds wasn’t the best way to start was it?

BS: “No, it wasn’t and that was a case where our communication broke down right from the kick-off. We turned it over straight away and got swept off our feet and it was really disappointing – you can’t start a game like that. I don’t think we gave up, they were just in red hot form and everything we tried in attack or even defensively, they were wise to it and we just got beaten all around the park. It was a really disappointing game from us.”

RM: Up until that game, the Stormers points – and wins – had come mostly from the boot but they outscored you six tries to one and kept you scoreless in the 2nd half. You said that it wasn’t exactly the game plan you were expecting from them?

BS: “No, it wasn’t but we always knew that they had the potential to do that with so many internationals across the park. It’s not that we didn’t expect them to play an attacking game, we just probably went in with the wrong focus at the time. They got the bounce of the ball and everything went right for them on the day and unfortunately, we had a real off day. It was a real tough one to take to be honest, especially after a good win against the Lions and it was a really bad way to end the South African trip.”

Force scrumhalf Brett Sheehan - www.seiserphotography.com

Reflections

RM:The team led many games across the year but lost them and also had a few narrow defeats. How far off was this season from being a very successful one – it was a matter of small margins wasn’t it?

BS: “It certainly was. We had two draws, we lost two games by one point and a couple by less than a try so we weren’t far off at all and a couple of those results go our way and we’re probably in the semi-finals. We took a lot of hope from that and we can take that into this season but it’s about growing up and being a bit more mature because most of those games that we lost by a narrow margin, we were in complete control of and it was a lack of experience and a failure to play for eighty minutes that cost us. It’s a good platform for us to learn off and hopefully, those players that played in those games will be that bit better for the experience and there’s no excuses going into the season ahead.”

RM: Not playing for eighty minutes can be down to fitness, concentration, attitude, experience or a combination of all four. Which of these was most applicable to the Force?

BS: “Definitely not fitness, we had a really good off-season, we trained really hard and the players were in the best physical condition that most of us have been in for our careers – it was a really good program and everyone bought into it. Mentally – yeah, we had a few problems there at times, we had a young squad that lacked the experience required to see out tight games, you’ve got to realise that you can’t switch off and you can’t be talking to the referee at certain times and you’ve got to learn that.

“If you look at the good teams, they know how to nut out the close wins. We’re building to that and we got better at it during the season – the win over the Bulls later in the year proved that – but it’s about getting the mixture right, getting our heads around playing for the whole eighty minutes and being smart about it.”

RM: Richard Graham made the sometimes awkward move from assistant to head coach. Was it a smooth transition?

BS: “Every coach has got their different styles and it was a bit of a culture shock for some boys. Richard wasn’t backwards in coming forwards and he was right on top of us from the start and I don’t know if that’s a historical thing from his background in teaching but it’s been good for the club. We’ve got a lot of young guys and I think they needed a bit of a shake up and a reality check and he’s certainly done that.

“He is a disciplinarian and a very strict head coach and I think he took a few boys by surprise but we all sat down and nutted things out from the start and he told us what he expected of us and we told him what we expected of him. It was a bit hard for the first couple of weeks but once he found his style and people got used to it, I think he’s on the right path towards leading the club into a good era.”

RM: You’re about to start your third season at the Force since leaving the Waratahs, are you still happy with the decision to come to Perth?

BS: Yeah, very happy. I had five great seasons at the Waratahs and some of my best mates were there such as Phil Waugh, who I grew up playing with from the age of twelve, but it was just something I had to do. I wanted to do something different and experience a different place and it was hard for the first six months but now I’ve really settled into Perth and learned to love the place.

“It’s an outstanding place to live, there’s a great culture over here and it’s probably the closest bunch of team mates I’ve ever had. We all stick together and there’s a really good feeling about the place, we’ve just got to take that onto the field now. It’s a perfect place to play rugby and I really enjoyed my first two years and that’s what made me re-sign for 2012.”

RM: As a no.9, you must appreciate having the likes of Pocock, McCalman, Hodgson and Brown cleaning out in front of you?

BS: “It’s awesome, I’m really blessed to have those type of players around to give me quick ball. I think our whole forward pack in terms of that is great and when they all work together as an eight, it makes my job a lot easier. We get criticised a bit sometimes in terms of the way we play – the one out type of stuff – but we obviously play to a specific game plan and we always try to win that breakdown and be competitive. If we do that well, then we do get good front foot ball, if not, we’re like any other team that doesn’t go forward, we struggle to get momentum.”

RM: Have you given up hope of any further Wallaby involvement?

BS: “It’s always a dream and a hope but unfortunately, it hasn’t come to fruition yet. I was really happy with my season last year, happy with my contribution to the Western Force and I felt that I played some of the best rugby I’d played for a long time. Obviously, the selectors didn’t see that and maybe at this stage in my career, they’ve gone with a youth policy or it’s down to people’s perceptions of me but it’d be great to get back in there. It just wasn’t to be but in terms of rugby and life, I’m really happy with where I’m at.”

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Pat McCabe - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

The final part of our ACT Brumbies 2011 season review is with utility back and Wallaby hero Pat McCabe. The 23yr old backed up his stellar first season in Super Rugby with a year of consistently high performances which saw him move from full-back to inside centre and earn a World Cup spot in the process. Playing with a severely damaged shoulder, he earned the admiration of many for his courageous display against South Africa in the Quarter-Final, fighting through considerable pain to help the Wallabies into the last four. His bravery came at a cost however, as reconstructive surgery will see him miss the first few rounds of the new competition. He takes us through weeks thirteen to the end of the season…

Week 13 – Brumbies 20 Lions 29

RuggaMatrix: This was Matt Giteau’s 100th game for the Brumbies but not the way the team would have wanted to celebrate it?

Pat McCabe: “Not at all and I think, looking back, that was probably one of the most disappointing losses of the year. Somebody like ‘Gits’ had so much respect within the team and we all spoke about playing well for him and dedicating the win to him so, to let it slip was incredibly disappointing. After the game was when Tony Rea gave everyone a pretty stern spray and I think we all knew that we deserved it because it was a pretty ordinary performance.”

RM: You were 10-0 up and then the Lions lost a man to the sin bin but instead of taking advantage, you actually dropped off and let them back in. Was there a bit of complacency there?

PM: “I don’t think so, when we’d lost as many games as we had up to that point, I don’t think anyone was thinking ‘We’ve got this one, let’s relax a bit’. I think we just switched off a bit mentally and when you drop even one or two percent against a team like the Lions – who had pushed a lot of teams close during the year – it gives them a chance and they took it and they were too strong.”

RM: The team had just returned from South Africa, a trip deemed to be one of the hardest on the body – was that a factor in the loss?

PM: “It’s hard to say, it probably was to an extent but at the same time, everyone has those games during the year and most teams perform pretty well. Having had such a good start, I don’t think we can use that as an excuse at all.”

RM: Given the paucity of wins across the season, did it make this loss harder to swallow, given the opposition and their lowly ladder placing?

PM: “Absolutely, anytime you lose games that you probably should win, it hurts even more – especially when you haven’t been playing well up until that point and the team desperately needed to win. Yeah, that one definitely hurt a lot.”

RM: You mentioned Tony Rea’s infamous post-match spray, how did that go down in the dressing room at the time and how do you look at it now?

PM: “Initially, maybe I thought it was a little bit strong. I agreed wholeheartedly with the fact that we hadn’t been playing tough enough and that we’d let each other down in that sense but I remember at the time not agreeing that we wouldn’t win another game for the rest of the year and we went on to prove that right, but I think that most of the guys probably knew that what he was saying was true.

“It was a little bit hard to swallow initially but when you know it’s true, it’s very hard to be too pissed off in any way. I think we all knew that he was coming from the right place, he didn’t say it to embarrass anyone, I think he just wanted to put out there how he felt.”

www.seiserphotography.com

RM: Despite not pulling off the win, this was a great defensive display and a marked improvement on the previous weeks wasn’t it?

PM: “Definitely, our attack still wasn’t clicking well by any means but defensively, to hold out the Force – who are a good attacking side – I think we definitely took a step in the right direction. Having let a lot of people down – including each other – the week before, it meant a lot to put in a good defensive performance. It wasn’t a win but it was definitely a step in the right direction.”

RM: Considering the media attention regarding the post-match spray the week before, were you still happy to only get a draw – you would have taken any signs of improvement at that stage wouldn’t you?

PM: “Yeah, it didn’t have that feeling of a win, we weren’t cheering or yahooing in the sheds afterwards, but I think we knew that the Force had had so much possession, that we’d done well to keep it to a draw. It wasn’t a win but it was pretty close.”

RM: One player that seemed to come through the season relatively unscathed in terms of criticism – certainly in Tony Rea’s eyes at least – was Matt Giteau. It was his kick that earned the draw and gave another example of how big a loss he’ll be in 2012 won’t he?

PM: “Massively. A lot of the time when the team wasn’t playing well, a lot of the good players were hanging off of him and I thought he had a great year. He played well pretty much every week and the fact that he dominated our ‘Best and Fairest’ award by so much was a testament to that.”

Week 15 – Brumbies 3 Stormers 16

RM: You only had a Christian Lealiifano penalty to show for your efforts in this one and despite getting through 32 phases inside the Stormers twenty-two in the closing minutes, you still couldn’t break through. Was this the best defence you faced all year?

PM: “Yeah, I think it probably would be, looking back. They’re just so effective at what they do at the breakdown, they continually present a solid line and they’re very tough to break down and even when they do present opportunities, they scramble so well that it’s very hard to score.

“I think we had a couple of chances in that game where we really did need to take them and the fact that we didn’t, hurt us pretty badly. We dropped one almost over the line in the corner in the first half and because they’ve got such a good defence, you can’t really afford to not take those chances.”

RM: Considering you stopped the rot a little bit the week before and got the draw, it must have been a disappointment not to back that up with another good result?

PM: “A little bit, but while we didn’t get the result, I think it was a much better performance than the one against the Lions for example and some of the poorer ones that we’d put out there – especially considering we were without ‘Gits’. Obviously, we didn’t win but I thought we competed well against one of the best sides in the comp.”

RM: Unfortunately, it was another home loss, which is tough to take for the fans in particular?

PM: “I think we broke a few records last year for the number of home losses that the Brumbies have had and it’s always a terrible feeling. It definitely hurts more losing at home and to know that people have come out in what is – more often than not – pretty average weather in Canberra and then you’ve let them down, is not a good feeling.”

Week 16 – Reds 14 Brumbies 22

RM: It’s probably a no brainer but was this the best win of the year?

PM: “Absolutely. That was one that I think we circled about three weeks out as being an incredibly important game for us to show what we could do as a group and how we wanted to be remembered as a group. We’d had a rotten season up to that point and we wanted to remember it for positive reasons and I think we were the most physical we’d been all year and attacked the Reds and they weren’t one hundred percent on their game. We just bashed them for the majority of the eighty minutes.”

RM: Do you think the performance and the result was a little glimpse of what might have been for your season?

PM: “Yeah, I guess it’s both a positive and a disappointment to look back and say ‘we beat the top team, look at what we could have done’ but at the same time, I think we were just happy to put out a performance we could be proud of, something we didn’t do too many times throughout the year.”

RM: Do you think the relative ladder positions of both sides actually worked in your favour for this one because you went in as underdogs and seemed to play with less pressure and more purpose as a result?

PM: “I think so. We struggled a lot this year against teams that we should have beaten or that we fancied our chances against, we didn’t play nearly as well. Against the Reds, there was no pressure on us and we could just go out there and enjoy it and that’s what we did it and it was by far our best win of the year.”

RM: One of the talking points after the game was Matt Giteau’s penalty after the siren which denied the Reds a losing bonus point. It was reported that team mates ‘pleaded with him to kick it out’. Is that true and if so, were you one of them?!?

PM: “I think I might have been – I don’t know! It was widely reported that Stephen Moore disagreed with it but it was just one of those things where a lot of us wanted the game to be over. We were pretty happy with the result at the end and supported Gits’ decision one hundred percent.”

Pat McCabe - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

Reflections

RM: A nice way to send Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Pat Phibbs out in their final home match and some payback for the Round Two loss to the Rebels which kick-started the downward spiral of the season?

PM: “It was and it was one that we knew we should probably win if we played well but I think we only played well up to about the sixty minute mark and then relaxed which is something we did throughout the year. We ended up getting away with the win but we still didn’t really hit our straps for any consistent period of time.”

RM: The win gave you your first back-to-back victories for the season and it was also important to get a win in front of your own fans and give them something to smile about and offer some renewed hope to take into this year?

PM: “Definitely. They’ve been great fans down in Canberra and they’ve been very supportive. Obviously, it was a pretty tough year last year so to send them out on a winning note was a nice feeling and for the boys playing their last game in Canberra for the Brumbies, it was nice to send them off with a win. Hopefully, we can put it down to just one of those years where we didn’t play anywhere near our potential and it won’t happen again.”

RM: This game also saw you playing at inside centre – your second game at 12 since making a positional change the week before against the Reds. Given that you’d played full-back for most of the year and on the wing throughout 2010 – how did the switch come about?

PM: “I spoke to Steve Larkham in the week leading up to the Reds game and he said that I might be playing inside centre and I remember not being sure if he was serious or not as I’d never played there before, but I ended up moving there and really enjoying it. It’s just the fact that you’re in the game a bit more, make a few more tackles and you’re a bit closer to the ball. I enjoy it and it has obviously paid dividends since then.”

RM: Given that you’d never played there – not even as a junior – were you pleased with how you went, because Robbie Deans clearly was?

PM: “I think defensively I was pretty strong but attacking wise I still wasn’t used to thinking about when and where to be but each week from then, I’ve improved a little bit and I’m starting to feel reasonably comfortable there. I think from each game I’ve learned a bit more and hopefully, I can keep doing that in the future if I continue to play there.”

Week 18 – Waratahs 41 Brumbies 7

RM: I think it goes without saying but after two wins on the trot, this was a very disappointing way to finish the season?

PM: “Absolutely, it was a game I think that we thought we were up for and it’s pretty hard to pinpoint exactly what happened but it just felt like we were pretty low out there. Obviously, they were really up for it as they were hoping to get into the finals and they were by far the better team.”

RM: They certainly appeared to have the greater desire on the night and they really smashed you at the breakdown didn’t they?

PM: “Yeah, in the physical confrontations, they were really dominant and pressured us for the whole game and they ended up putting on some good tries. At the end of the day, we just weren’t good enough.”

RM: Obviously, you wanted the win for a positive end to the season but was there any added incentive because you had the chance to knock your local rivals out of finals contention in the process or did that not figure?

PM: “One hundred percent it figured! We’d spoken about putting in a good performance and anytime you come up against the Waratahs, you want to win and you want to win well. Going into the game, it felt like we would do that but I’m not sure what happened, we just didn’t perform well.”

RM: After the game, coach Tony Rea said that it was the same sort of errors and mistakes that had plagued you all year – your whole season’s problems encapsulated in one eighty minute performance – fair comment?

PM: “Yeah, that probably sums it up pretty well. Going into the game, we had all the plans, we knew what we had to do, we just didn’t execute it and it was just little lapses of concentration where we let each other down.”

Stephen Larkham - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: Have the last two seasons of underachievement for the Brumbies been exacerbated by the ‘Real Madrid of rugby’ tag that was placed upon the squad in both pre-seasons – was there too much pressure?

PM: “I don’t think so. I guess when you’re in there, it’s hard to gauge whether there’s pressure or not on the whole team but I never really felt like we were favourites. I never thought that had affected our preparations or the things that we did but I think that in a sense it hurts more when you don’t meet those expectations, whether they’re realistic or not. If you put in a poor performance and everyone expects you to win it, it hurts the team and obviously the fans a lot more.”

RM: Across the season, you had one game from Rocky Elsom, Stephen Hoiles missed the whole year and Stephen Moore missed a few games. Is it fair to say that a lack of leadership across the park cost you during the year?

PM: “I think so. Losing ‘Hoilesy’ and Rocky for essentially the whole year hurt us a lot. Those two guys provide a lot of leadership and a really good link between the forwards and the backs as well which is an area where we didn’t gel too well so those guys were a massive loss.”

RM: It was another successful season for yourself following on from your Rookie of the Year performance in 2010. You consolidated your Brumbies spot, broke into the Wallaby side and went to the World Cup. So, definitely no hint of second season syndrome, can you have asked for much more?

PM: “Not at all, it’s been a pretty amazing couple of years.  I think regarding second season syndrome, while I was lucky enough to win a couple of awards in 2010, I wasn’t overly happy with how I played in a lot of those games and I wasn’t by any means satisfied with what I’d done for the Brumbies the year before so I don’t think there was any complacency going into last season and that helped me have – not a great year – but an ok year for the Brumbies and to break into the test arena has been pretty surreal.”

RM: That desire to constantly improve is a great quality, is it something you’ve always had?

PM: “A little bit. I think that’s what’s driven me since I started wanting to take rugby seriously and – I don’t think I ever pictured myself being with the Wallabies – but I just knew that I wanted to keep improving and keep trying to be the best that I could possibly be. That’s taken me into the Wallabies so far but I’m still not one hundred percent happy with the player I am and I still have a lot of improvements to make.”

RM: Did you set yourself goals at the start of the year and did you match them?

PM: “I didn’t really, I’m not a huge goal setter in terms of achievements but I set some small goals in my mind about what sort of skills I’d like to develop and what attributes I’d like to develop over the year and some of those I think I’ve started to improve on but in terms of progressing to play for different teams, I don’t do a whole lot of that.”

RM: You played a lot at full-back for your club side Warringah, won Rookie of the Year with the Brumbies from the wing in 2010 and were the starting inside centre at the World Cup for Australia. Do you have a preference?

PM: “I don’t really, I think the one that you’re playing at the time – if you’re playing ok – then you feel like that’s your position but at the moment I feel like twelve suits me pretty well. I like to carry the ball into contact and I like to make tackles so I think in the long term, it suits the things I like doing so I think the centres will be, hopefully, where I stay for a while.”

RM: Are you happy to be known as versatile or would you like to nail down one position and master it?

PM: “Yeah, it’s a good and bad thing, I’d like to specialise in one position and really work on the skills you need for that particular position but at the same time, I’m pretty happy at the moment floating around. With the Brumbies this year, there’s going to be a really good ten and twelve with Matt To’omua and Christian Lealiifano so I could very easily find myself somewhere else. That’s fine and I think all you can do is try and play your best in whatever position you get put in.”

RM: The team has lost a lot of Brumby stalwarts in the off season – Matt Giteau, Mark Chisholm, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Patrick Phibbs, Josh Valentine etc – but is it a chance to wipe the slate clean and start a new era?

PM: “I think we definitely needed some change and to lose that much experience obviously hurts, they’re really quality players that we’ll miss but the future’s exciting as well. It’s a young group with a new coaching staff and a different feeling around the place and hopefully that translates into better results on the field.”

Ben Hand - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

The second part of our look at the ACT Brumbies 2011 season is with lock Ben Hand. A consistent performer, the hardworking 29yr old featured in every match across the season, taking his Super Rugby caps tally over the half century mark. Having started his rugby journey at the Waratahs, a successful year in Italy saw him called home to the nations capital in 2009 and his passion for Canberra, it’s people and their team shine through in his no-nonsense review. Understandably disappointed and frustrated with the way the year panned out, he still takes positives from it that point to a healthier future in Brumbyland. He takes us through weeks seven to twelve…

Week 7 – Highlanders 26 Brumbies 20

RuggaMatrix: One of the stories of the Brumbies season was a failure to turn dominant possession and territory into points and this match was another example wasn’t it?

Ben Hand: “Yeah, it was but I think that was the first game as well that we tried the three fly-halves combination where we had Matty To’omua, ‘Gits’ [Matt Giteau] and Christian Lealiifano rotating. We had a lot of possession but I think those combinations still took time to click. I remember quite clearly at the end of that game that the issue we talked about was the fact we were waiting until we were behind on the scoreboard and it wasn’t until we started chasing teams that we started to play some football. It was as if what we needed to kick us into gear was to fall behind.”

RM: The Highlanders were a much improved side last year and their enthusiasm at the breakdown was the key to a lot of their success wasn’t it?

BH: “Yeah, we pinpointed prior to the game that their back row was very strong at the breakdown so although we had a lot of possession, it may not necessarily have been quick possession, which obviously helps them defensively. They were definitely one of the big improvers last season and I think their back row was one of the contributing factors behind that.”

RM: This defeat meant that it was just one win in six matches – the Brumbies worst ever start to a Super Rugby season. How did that register with the players, was it discussed as an incentive tool or did you just focus on winning the next game and ignoring the statistics?

BH: “I think at that point of season, the way in which we were playing was alright. We’d just lost this one narrowly down in Invercargill; we’d only just lost to the Waratahs; we’d scored four tries to one against the Reds but unfortunately couldn’t get home and we’d lost in the last minute to the Rebels, so I think there was a feeling that, once it clicked, we were gonna kick in to gear and there was still a fair bit of optimism in the squad.

“We didn’t really take any notice of prior history and what the history books were saying, we were more focused on getting our combinations down in training and getting ready for the next week. We had a feeling within the playing group that it wasn’t far away from clicking.”

Ben Hand - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: It’s an oft used cliché but ‘winning ugly’ is still a win – did this game personify that?

BH: “It definitely did. It was a performance from two teams that weren’t having great seasons and were more scared of losing than trying to take the game by the scruff of the neck and win it. I remember it was a very physical game as well, it was very physical up front and it may not have been pretty but I think it was more of a weight off our own shoulders to finally get a win under our belt. We thought at that point that we could take that win forward and kick start our season a little bit and gain some momentum.”

RM: It must have been a huge relief to get that first win in five matches – especially in front of your home fans?

BH: “Our home record last year was very poor and it’s something which we’ve always prided ourselves on – making Canberra Stadium a fortress and a place where teams didn’t want to come. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of ground there in that regard so it was good to pick up a win in front of our home supporters and as I said, at that point of the year, we probably thought we could kick on and have a good back end of the season.”

RM: The Hurricanes – although far from their best last year – can still be explosive and unpredictable  through their backs and you contained them pretty well. Did you take heart from the defensive effort?

BH: “Our defence through that mid part of the year was fairly strong. It was well documented how explosive their back line was but I think, as a team, they had some issues internally which meant they weren’t really playing with any confidence at that point of the season. We probably got them at a good time when they weren’t really clicking, particularly their backline.”

Week 9 – Brumbies  19 Force 27

RM: A very good start that frittered away to what must have been a very frustrating loss. Was it one that got away?

BH: “Yeah, that was one of the lowest points of the season. Considering we’d been toiling for so many weeks and had got the win against the Hurricanes the week before, we were sort of looking for that as a springboard. We were going to Africa the week after so putting on a performance like that – it was a Sunday afternoon game as well which was promoted as a family day – in front of our home crowd was really disappointing.

“We dominated the first half but that try just before half time from James O’Connor really sent us into the sheds with our heads down. Then, I suppose in the second half we got the jitters a little bit, we were thinking we should’ve been further in front. It was a very disappointing performance that one.”

RM: It’s amazing how many times you see that happen. A side that has dominated concedes in the shadows of the break and it just takes the wind out of their sails and changes the dynamic doesn’t it?

BH: “Exactly right. When that try was scored, I think we were up ten-nil and we kicked to the corner and were on the attack in their twenty-two so potentially, we could have gone to the sheds fifteen or seventeen nil up as opposed to only ten-seven ahead. It was definitely the pivotal point in that match I think.”

RM: The possession and territory stats for the Brumbies across the year were impressive but the conversion rate into points wasn’t and that was the case again here wasn’t it?

BH: “Yeah, but those stats can sometimes be misleading. That game in particular, I remember the post match review noted that the ball that we had – although we held on to it – was very slow and that our attack wasn’t great because of it – it gave their defence a lot time to realign. Having said that, our line breaks throughout the year were outstanding but it was just that ability to turn them into tries that was lacking. It was something we were all aware of and we tried to work on throughout the year at training but, for some reason, it didn’t click.”

Week 10 – Bye

Week 11 – Cheetahs 47 Brumbies 36

RM: 83pts and nine tries, this was a terrific game of running rugby – at least for the neutral – where defence went out of the window. What was it like to be a part of?

BH: “We wanted to start well, so to concede three tries in the first ten minutes really blew us away but in fairness, we hadn’t touched the ball in that ten minutes so you have to take your hat off to the Cheetahs – they attacked really, really well. We knew that as soon as we got our hands on the ball that we could test them because we didn’t think their defensive structures were that strong and we managed to claw our way back by half time but it was just ill discipline in the second half which was probably the most frustrating thing.

“Considering we’d worked so hard to get back into the game, to then let it slip in that way was really disappointing. I think after that game, there was probably the realisation that the season was over. It was one loss too many and it really meant that the season was done and dusted for us.”

RM: Have you been involved in another game where both teams had four try bonus points by half-time?

BH: “Not at that level, I think may be in some club games but not at Super Rugby level I don’t think. It was a pretty crazy old night on the high veldt there!”

RM: Despite their recent improvement, the Cheetahs were still regarded as one of the two weaker South African teams. Did they surprise you when they scored four tries in 27 mins or did you think they were capable of it but just couldn’t stop it?

BH: “We knew that they were capable of it. I think the Cheetahs were one of the most improved sides last year, they beat the Crusaders in Bloemfontain as well and some of their attack last season was first class. There was never a case of us underestimating them as such, we knew playing them in their own backyard, that they’re a tough team to beat at the best of times. Credit has to go to their attack – especially in the first half – but in the second half, we thought we’d come over the top of them, as we believed we were the fitter team, so to not do so was disappointing.”

RM: Ironically, it was perhaps the first game of the season where all of the great build up play in attack was actually executed and turned into points – you just couldn’t stop them going in at the other end?

BH: “Yeah, and it was discussed after the game. There were some decisions made during the match which were pretty soft decisions and ultimately ended up with penalties being given away.”

RM: And with a boot as deadly as Cheetahs kicker Sias Ebersohn’s, you don’t want to be giving penalties away anywhere on the pitch up on the high veldt?

BH: “Yeah, you can’t really afford to give away penalties within your own sixty over there! He slotted everything in the second half and that proved to be the difference.”

Ita Vaea - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: You were 16-6 up at half-time in the Shark Tank and must have been very pleased with the opening forty minutes before it all started to unravel?

BH: “We were and considering the disappointment of the week before, we had another strong focus on our start and we went out and executed what we said we were going to do so the first half was great. Defensively, we knew we had to get off the line and knock over some of their bigger forward runners, particularly their back rowers. We did that really well in the first half but then the start of our second half was just abysmal. We fumbled the restart and then there was a scrum which was turned over – we had three or four consecutive turnovers in the first ten minutes – and that just gave them the chance to get on top of us.”

RM: What was the half-time focus – more of the same and keep the concentration as you would have been expecting them to comeback at some point?

BH: “It was about starting the second half well but then we didn’t go out and execute it and I think that was one of the biggest issues that we had last season. We were very good at saying what we wanted to do but actually executing it and going out and delivering what we said we were going to do was a big failure at the Brumbies across the year.”

RM: Expecting a team to comeback is one thing, preventing it’s another and the Sharks are a hard team to stop when their tails are up, particularly at home?

BH: “Yeah, that’s right. We sat down and spoke in the sheds afterwards and we felt that across the eighty minutes, we played quite well but I think they scored one try in each ten minute stanza of the second half; they scored between forty to fifty minutes, between fifty to sixty minutes and so on and it was just lapses at crucial times again which got their tails up and they scored some opportunistic tries.”

RM: Matt Giteau said afterwards that it was a question of not playing for the full 80mins and that can be a mental, physical or attitudinal problem. Which do you think it was?

BH: “I think it was a concentration thing and concentration probably relates to attitudinal stuff and it was lapses there that caused us to give up some pretty soft tries in the second half.”

RM: Given the problems the team had already experienced and the need for some kind of positive boost, to score five tries against the Cheetahs and lead the Sharks by 10pts at half-time yet come home with only a single point to show for your efforts must have been a harsh reality to accept?

BH: “It was, and at that point of the year, everyone was pretty low after that South African trip. We thought we’d get away and spend some quality time together but it didn’t turn out the way we’d envisaged so we then turned our focus onto coming home well. We knew we had four of the Australian teams to play on our return and we switched our focus to them.”

Matt Giteau - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: You’ve been at the Brumbies for three seasons now, the results and the ladder position speak for themselves but how hard was last year to go through and experience as a player?

BH: “It was hard. Results wise it was very disappointing but it was more the frustration that we created so many opportunities but then silly lapses or moments of ill discipline really cost us. We trained probably as hard as I’ve ever trained throughout the week between matches and we were conditioned quite well by the end of the season to win those games but it was our inconsistency throughout the year that made it disappointing.

“With all the trials and tribulations that were going on around the place, probably the most pleasing thing was that as a playing group, we stuck together whereas, I think a lot of teams would have fallen apart. We stayed really strong and despite the results, it’s one of the tighter knit teams I’ve been involved with.”

RM: The Waratahs finished 13th in 2007 and made the final a year later and the Reds have gone from cellar dwellers to champions in a little over 2yrs. Looking for positives, do you think there could be a case of learning more from last season’s adversity than when you’re flying high and that – in a perverse way – it could benefit the side in the long term?

BH: “Yeah, it can be a positive thing. We haven’t made the semi-finals since 2004 when we won it and since then, we’ve been one game out from the semis or haven’t had enough bonus points and there was almost a feeling of ‘near enough is good enough’ within the organisation. There was always an excuse at the end of the year such as ‘if we’d won this game’ or ‘if we hadn’t let them getting a winning bonus point, we would have made the semis’ whereas in reality, we weren’t performing.

“There’s only so long you can hang onto the history of those previous Brumbies sides of ’01 and ’04 and we can go around saying that we’ve been the most successful Australian Super Rugby franchise because we’ve won two titles but in my view, that’s history. To go as low as we did last season, it’s brought about a major restructuring of the organisation and I think you’ll see a different team in seasons to come. It probably took that season of poor performances to really turn things around.”

RM: On a personal level, losing fellow second rowers Mark Chisholm and Justin Harrison from their playing and coaching roles respectively, removes a lot of experience from the squad but also opens the door for you to step up into a more senior role doesn’t it?

BH: “Exactly. ‘Goog’ [Harrison] was someone to whom I have looked up to throughout my years in rugby, having managed to spend a bit of time with him at the Tahs as well early in my career. He was someone I respected and obviously, ‘Chis’’ [Chisholm] record speaks for itself. He’s still a good mate of mine and with him moving on as well, we lose a lot of experience in terms of those guys but it does provide an opportunity for me.

“I’ve had a leadership role in prior teams coming through the ranks such as the Waratahs development squad and the Western Rams in the short lived Australian Rugby Championship so I’m no stranger to that extra responsibility and it’s something which I really want to embrace. It excites me to be in a role such as that this year in what is effectively a new start for the Brumbies.”

Ireland and France on hold - Image by Michael Paler

We catch up with Les Kiss over the Ireland v France freeze out and the ramifications for the Six Nations. Super Rugby and plenty more.

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Ben Alexander - Image by Djuro Sen

The ACT Brumbies came into 2011 with high hopes of a finals charge but a poor start – which brought about a coaching reshuffle – and key players missing through injury, all conspired to leave them at the wrong end of the ladder. Part One of our look back at their ‘annus horribilis’ is with Wallaby prop Ben Alexander. The 27yr old was one of the few highlights in a year of underachievement in Canberra, culminating with his starting role in the Australian front row at the World Cup. In a refreshingly honest critique, he takes us through weeks one to six…

Week 1 – Brumbies 28 Chiefs 20

RuggaMatrix: It wasn’t the best performance but it’s always good to start the season with a win, especially at home, isn’t it?

Ben Alexander: “Definitely. Our trial form wasn’t great, we got touched up by the Reds in Darwin and we’d put on a similar performance against the Hurricanes the week after as well. We’d got out to a good start and built up a lead and then sort of lost our way a bit and ended up tying the game and this match was almost the same. We got another good start and Robbie Coleman’s try was one of the highlights of the year but we always knew that with the attack they had, we had to keep playing and there were periods where we switched off and they punished us.”

RM: Given that it’s the first hit-out, is the performance as important as the result?

BA: “It is, but obviously, you wanna get results to get the ball rolling, get the momentum going and get the competition points on the board early, which makes it easier towards the back end of the season. A lot of the New Zealand sides don’t start their first game or two real well, they tend to build through the season and then peak towards the finals – the Crusaders are a great example – so a win against a New Zealand side, especially early on, is always good. You always want the performance to be good but at the start of the season you’re never gonna be great, you just want to get away with the competition points and then build on that the following week.”

RM: Over a club rugby season, coaches will sometimes say that they look at performances rather than results as an indicator of progress but you don’t have that luxury in Super Rugby do you?

BA: “No, the club rugby season is a bit longer and if you do get off to a slower start, you have the chance to catch up, whereas in the Super Rugby competition, if you fall behind you don’t get a good spot leading into the finals. Take the Crusaders; they finished third and look at all the travel they had to do at finals time because of it. It’s a pretty tough competition, so you need to be winning consistently and especially winning all your home games, in order to set yourself up nicely for the back end of the season.”

RM: You mentioned that terrific try from Robbie Coleman – on his Super Rugby debut as well – there’s not a lot of him but he’s going to have a lot to offer the Brumbies and maybe at a higher level in the years to come?

BA: “Definitely. He’s a gutsy little player, the week before he marked up Ma’a Nonu in the Hurricanes trial and he was awesome. He defended well, played really well and earned his spot in the starting line-up for Round One. He’s got a promising future ahead of him.”

Week 2 – Rebels 25 Brumbies 24

RM: You were 16-9 up at half-time, against a side that shipped forty-plus the week before – you must have been confident of going on with the job in the 2nd half so, what happened?

BA: “We played well in the first half, we didn’t play great but we felt in control of the game for the most part. We played a lot of rugby but didn’t capitalise on the many opportunities that we had and that sort of set the tone for our season – we created a lot of chances, we just didn’t finish them. Ill discipline cost us and what happened against the Chiefs and the Hurricanes happened again, where we fell away for a period in the second half and let them gain some ascendancy.

“You can’t allow sides to get momentum, especially when you are playing away from home, because they become extremely hard to stop and the Rebels just hung in there. They’d had a tough opening game where they were beaten extremely comprehensively and we knew they’d bounce back. We didn’t underestimate them at all, it was their second game at home and they came out all guns blazing.”

RM: Was it a case of taking your foot off the pedal a little bit after half-time and expecting them to fold?

BA: “We were definitely guilty of that. We got in a bit of strife and had to work hard for that last minute Henry Speight try. We were all saying ‘We’re in a bit of trouble here’ and we upped the tempo, got that try, got in control of the game and got the lead but if you don’t build a substantial lead, the slightest little mistake could mean you forfeit it. Because we didn’t build a substantial lead, it only took a penalty to cough it back up.

“We’ve got no one to blame but ourselves for that game and it was full credit to the Rebels. It was a historic night for them with their first win and a pretty tough pill to swallow for us because it was a game we thought we should’ve won.”

RM: Even so, the penalty awarded for their winner was controversial to say the least wasn’t it?

BA: “Well, the scrum collapsed before the incident and he could’ve pinged us for that so, look, Jonathan Kaplan is a great referee, we had him the week before and he’s fine. Referees have it extremely hard, you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t and if he hadn’t awarded the penalty, you’d have had Melbourne fans blowing up about what happened and vice versa, so you can never win. He did well and we can’t blame him for the result, we should have taken more opportunities throughout the game to not allow it to come down to that – we can only blame ourselves.”

Ben Alexander for Australia - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: Obviously, this match was prefaced by the departure of coach Andy Friend from the club. Did it come as a surprise to the playing group?

BA: “It was extremely disappointing and no-one likes to see those sorts of scenes – it’s not good for the club. You feel sorry for ‘Friendy’ who is a good guy and you don’t wanna see that happen to anyone, how it all ended.”

RM: It’s an old adage but it’s a results business unfortunately, isn’t it?

BA: “It is, we’d had a pretty strong side for the previous few years and hadn’t really got results and we didn’t start well this time around either. I’m not too sure exactly what happened in those board room meetings but regardless of whether it was the right or wrong decision, it was still sad to see it end like that and not let ‘Friendy’ finish out the season.”

RM: Going into the game, were you motivated as a result and wanting to impress the new guy or was there a bit of disillusionment around the whole affair?

BA: “No, we put it behind us extremely quickly. Tony Rea is a good friend of Andy’s but he just sat us down and said ‘let bygones be bygones, it’s happened now’. He said we had to live in the here and now and he was really good at shifting our focus to the weekend and to the season ahead. We put it behind us very quickly and it wasn’t a factor for the game, what was a factor was that we’d never lost to the Reds in Super Rugby but they had beaten us comprehensively in a trial about a month earlier so we knew it would be a very tough game.”

RM: And it was, but you outscored them 4 tries to one on the night, which would ordinarily win most rugby matches. Did you let this one go?

BA: “It doesn’t matter how many tries you score as long as you win and that’s especially true when you’re away from home – all you want is a win, you don’t care how you get it. You don’t have to please the opposition crowd, you just need to win and they did what it took to break what was a pretty big hoodoo for them so, well done to them.”

RM: Discipline let you down again with Quade Cooper bagging 7 penalties, a few of them awarded for scrum offences. Was that a problem on the night or did you think you copped a raw deal from the officials?

BA: “No, the referees made it clear how they were interpreting the scrum and I thought we scrummaged extremely well. We seemed to get the shove on them but the referees wanted to clean up the scrum area and have less collapses and we probably didn’t adapt quickly enough to the way they were interpreting it. We gave away a couple of penalties but we got a couple of turnovers as well so I don’t think that was the deciding factor.”

RM: It did end up as the Brumbies first loss to the Reds – not a piece of history you’d want to be associated with I guess?

BA: “We were gutted. The Brumbies have got a proud history – that’s one of the reasons why I came to Canberra – so, to be a part of the first side to lose at home to the Reds, it hurts. You feel hurt for the team and hurt for the club and for the previous players and fans. The Reds started off really well and they took all their chances and maybe we were a bit slow out of the gates but they deserved the win, that can’t be denied.”

Outgoing Andy Friend - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: The Crusaders had ridden a wave of emotion following the terrible earthquake in Christchurch to towel up the Waratahs the week before. The question prior to this game was whether they had anything left in the tank to do it again and they answered in pretty emphatic fashion didn’t they?

BA: “We weren’t good enough and they were very good, from one to fifteen. Obviously, they were still very emotional from what had happened a few weeks prior and they were much better on the night in all aspects and they really showed their class. Having gone through that adversity, it really seemed to steel them as a group, strengthen them and harden their resolve and they played like men possessed. They were incredible, both physically and in the skill they displayed – they were just too good.”

RM: It was still fairly close at half-time but that first 20 minutes after the break must have been a blur, they were electric?

BA: “Not so much of a blur but I just remember spending a lot of time behind the goalposts!”

RM: Their centre pairing of Sonny Bill Williams and Robbie Fruean were very damaging but they had a hardworking pack to thank for their opportunity to shine didn’t they?

BA: “Their whole forward pack played very well, especially at the breakdown, and they were able to generate quick ball for the centres as well as for guys like Israel Dagg and Sean Maitland – who scored four tries that night. They just outplayed us – and that was minus Richie McCaw as well – and their young number seven, Matty Todd, played tremendously well. They were pure class.”

RM: They get a lot of plaudits for their counter attack and running game but you were packing down against what many people regard as the finest scrum in the competition – do you agree?

BA: “I think they were definitely the most consistent. That was probably the best we scrummaged all year that night, we held up fine but unfortunately, we let ourselves down in other areas. We knew how good their scrum was and we put a lot of efforts into trying to nullify that but that’s what great sides are all about, you try and shut down one strength and another one comes to the fore and that’s what happened. We thought we’d done well to shut their scrum down but you’ve got to do more than that against the Crusaders.”

Week 5 – Bye

Robbie Coleman - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: Your local rivals, a last minute winning try and from a former player. It’s probably an understatement to say that this one must have hurt?

BA: “Yep, we were really pumped and ready to go for this one, I don’t think I’ve been a part of a Brumbies side that was that fired up for a game. We wanted to right a few wrongs and get our season going and everyone was so keen to rip in but full credit to big Sitaleki [Timana]. The Brumbies had cast him out the year before and released him and he got his chance to come back and show them what they were missing.

“While I was happy for him, this one did hurt a lot because it was against our closest rivals. They’re a very good side and again, I thought we played well and played hard but it’s like the Melbourne game in week two, you can’t leave games like that in the balance, you’ve got to try and build a lead. In saying that, I thought the Tahs did well to close it out and get that last try.”

RM: A win against anyone would have been a shot in the arm but beating the Waratahs would have really laid down a marker for the rest of the season wouldn’t it?

BA: “Definitely. After the first two rounds, everyone was saying they were the title favourites. They’d started very well and had two good wins but then had two hiccups against the Crusaders and then the Cheetahs the week before, so we were keen and we were ready to go but unfortunately, we weren’t good enough again.”

RM: 22-22 with 3 minutes to go and you have a scrum inside your own half. Hold and clear to touch and it’s game over and 2pts. Instead, you get turned, giving them the put in at a second scrum from which they eventually manufacture the winning try. It’s a game of fine margins isn’t it?

BA: “We held it in at the scrum to try and drive for a penalty. We got the shove on and drove them five or so metres but unfortunately, we didn’t finish the job and the ref called that they’d turned us and gave them the put in. We learned a big lesson out of that. That you’ve got to try as hard as you can to take the referee out of the game and not expect them to blow for penalties for you – make sure you do the job and sort it out yourself.

“With hindsight, maybe we shouldn’t have tried to play for a penalty, we should have just played and kicked it out, but because it was a home game, we tried to play and go for the win. If it was an away game, maybe we would have been happy with the two points but at home you really need the four at least, so I think that’s why we went for the penalty, to try and get up their end and put some pressure on. We rolled the dice and came up short.”

Reflections

RM: Surely, the biggest question of the year is that you were the top try scorer for the Brumbies in 2010 with seven and yet, you only crossed three times this year – what happened!!

BA: “Ah, I don’t know! I was just very lucky the year before with some of the guys around me who were missing last year for different reasons. We had Stirling Mortlock, Rocky Elsom and George Smith and they were marking up defensively and doing the work on the opposition and maybe it left a few holes around the ruck. I wasn’t the only front rower that scored that year, both our hookers got plenty of tries and Salesi Ma’afu got plenty from prop as well so there were a few holes around the ruck and I was just lucky enough to sniff them out and be in the right place at the right time.”

RM: It obviously wasn’t a season to dwell on too much but I wondered how much that loss to the Rebels back in Week Two affected the team. Do you think you can trace back some of the problems you had across the year to this game – the defeat really seemed to knock the stuffing out of you?

BA: “It did, it was definitely a deflating loss and it hurt. I think you have to go back and think about what was going wrong at the time because there were a lot of elements that went wrong as well in the Chiefs game the week before but we did enough to win that. Because we got away with that win, maybe we brushed over a few issues that we had just because we won. If we’d lost that Chiefs game, it probably would’ve done us good and we may not have lost the Melbourne game.”

RM: On a personal level, you started out as a loosehead with your club side Eastwood but switched to the tight 2yrs ago at Robbie Deans’ request and you’ve just appeared at the World Cup as the Wallabies starting no.3. That’s a pretty rapid rise – you must be pleased with your progress?

BA: “Yeah, it’s happened pretty quickly but I still know I’ve got so much work ahead of me to do – definitely with the scrummaging but with other stuff as well. I’m nowhere near where I want to be as a footballer, as a prop, as a tighthead or a loosehead and I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can. Obviously, the disappointment of the World Cup is with me and that’s going to spur me on to work harder and to keep improving because I’m not happy with where I am and I just want to keep getting better.”

RM: You didn’t bring ‘Billy’ back to Australia but third place is not to be sniffed at from such a young group. How was your first World Cup?

BA: “It was an awesome experience, definitely character building and one I will benefit greatly from. The margin for error was just so small, whether it be scrummaging, the breakdown, the line out, goal kicking, the referees – anything and you’ve got to make sure you prepare accordingly. That New Zealand side have been through a lot of pain in previous years, a lot of those guys were there in 2007 and a few of them in 2003 and the pain from those setbacks made them go back, train harder and become better as a group.

“We’ve got a pretty young side and there were quite a few blokes there in their first World Cup. There were a few there from ’07 and we did better than that, we came away with third but it wasn’t what we set out to do. It wasn’t what we wanted but we’ll take it – third at the World Cup, still ranked second in the world and we won the Tri-Nations. We’ve got to put it into perspective and it was a reasonably good year. Obviously, the Ireland and Samoa games and the two tests against New Zealand at Eden Park weren’t great but we feel as a group that the best years are still ahead of us and that’s what we’re going to focu

Greg Somerville - Image by Djuro Sen www.imagematrix.com.au

We close our Rebels review of 2011 with one of the young guns of Australian rugby – Nick Phipps. Just under two years ago, he was a promising but undiscovered half-back, hidden from view in the third tier of Sydney’s club competition in the colours of Sydney University. After a glowing review from his club captain – and now Rebels club captain – Tim Davidson, Phipps was fast tracked into 1st Grade where he shone so brightly, that he now looks ahead to the new season with a full year of Super Rugby and a World Cup appearance already under his belt.

Voted Super Rugby’s Australian Rookie of the Year as well as the Rebels Player of the Year, Phipps’ star is most definitely on the rise and Rebels supporters are licking their lips in anticipation of the further blossoming of his halves partnership with a refocused Danny Cipriani. He takes us from week thirteen to the end of his breakthrough season…

Week 13 – Bulls 47 Rebels 10

RuggaMatrix: Going into the cauldron of Loftus Versfeld – particularly when they’re the title holders – is one of the biggest tests in Super Rugby. Was there a certain intimidation felt in that 1st half because you never really got started did you?

Nick Phipps: “No, we definitely didn’t start well and that was something we talked about afterwards and were pretty disappointed about. We weren’t really that intimidated, most of us hadn’t played there before so we didn’t really know what to expect. We’re a pretty new team and we sort of went week by week together and never really got that intimidated because we were all so new, it was just a bad start.”

RM: The Bulls were typically aggressive around the ruck fringes and their set-piece is always a weapon but where were they getting the most pay?

NP: “They are so good at their set piece, they were strong around the forwards and they really executed out wide as well. It seemed like they’d tuck us all in and then just spread it wide and skin us out there.”

RM: It was 40-3 at half-time so what was said in the sheds – was it a matter of pride or damage limitation because it could have got very ugly if your heads had dropped?

NP: “We were never gonna drop our heads and to our credit, I don’t think we ever did during the season. The scoreline reflected that a bit differently but we never let ourselves down in that respect. At half time, we just went in there and identified what we needed to fix up and after that we had a better second half.”

RM: Do you mark the experience down as another step on the steep learning curve for the Rebels in their first season and also for yourself as a young player?

NP: “Yeah definitely, we went in there with the attitude that we wanted to give it a crack but we didn’t perform in the first half and that really hurt us later on.”

Nick Phipps for Australia - Image by www.seiserphotography.com

RM: Of the two games on the South African leg of the season, had you perhaps targeted this one as a better chance of success given the Cheetahs win/loss ratio compared to the champion Bulls?

NP: “No, not at all, they played really well the week before and they were a quality side. Realistically, we were playing it week by week and we didn’t really identify which game we wanted to target but that one that was probably one of the most disappointing losses of the season. We went into it with heads held high and really wanting to put on a good performance but we just let ourselves down.”

RM: The Cheetahs were a vastly improved side on previous years and had a speedy, dangerous attack that could rack up a lot of points very quickly and you really caught them on a good day didn’t you?

NP: “They’re good grinders and they know what they can do. They never really got out and punished a few teams but they knew how to grind a game out which was full credit to them. They had a very mobile back row and their half-back was very solid and sometimes, you’ve just got to step up a bit to try and counter that.”

RM: That half-back was Sarel Pretorius, who will turn out for the Waratahs this year. He’s a slippery customer with a lot of speed and an eye for the tryline isn’t he?

NP: “Yeah, he’s a great player and looks a pretty good get by the Waratahs. He’ll be good for them and I’m looking forward to battling him again soon.”

RM: Were you possibly out enthused a bit in this one or merely outplayed?

NP: “We were never really out enthused but again, in that first half, we let ourselves down and we didn’t really execute what we wanted to do. At the end of the day, they were just the better team.”

RM: You travelled without Danny Cipriani – and the reasons why were well documented – but do you think you missed a bit of his guile and invention to unlock a defence in these two games?

NP: “Danny’s a really good player and he’s able to spark up the team and pull something out of the ordinary. He’s solid at kicking the corners, he’s got a good running line and he puts people through holes but at the end of the day, we’ve got to play better than that, we’re not a one man team.”

Week 15 – BYE

Week 16 – Rebels 3 Stormers 40

RM: You had the bye week to recover from the South African trip but definitely looked out of touch in this one so it goes back to that age old question – is the bye a bonus or a hindrance?

NP: “We definitely didn’t perform very well that game but we definitely needed that bye after the South Africa trip. It’s a pretty taxing trip on the body and you definitely need the rest but you can argue both ways – you certainly wouldn’t want to have to play a game instead of having a bye that’s for sure.”

RM: Poor restarts, inaccurate kicking and too many basic errors let you down in this one didn’t they?

NP: “Yeah, that was sort of our problem, we didn’t really do the basics right in that game and we just let them run all over us. Our defence wasn’t good enough and we were letting them get over the advantage line every time. It was pretty disappointing that one and definitely our worst performance at home. It was one of a few games that touched a nerve a bit but that’s alright.”

RM: In fairness, the Stormers were probably the form team of the competition at that point and they possess possibly the best defence as well don’t they?

NP: “Yeah, they were pretty good, their forwards were just ruthless around the breakdown and really bashed us backwards. Also, their outside backs were solid in that game, they just finished up anything that came their way.”

RM: With Cipriani still missing and James Hilgendorf injured, Julian Huxley came into the fly-half role and – as good a player as he is – wasn’t quite able to run the game as he would have liked, was he?

NP: “We needed someone to step up in that position and he put his hand up and I thought he did a great job. Sometimes, some things don’t click and it definitely wasn’t down to him because there were players playing inside and outside of him that didn’t play as well as they should have, myself included, so ‘Hux’ can only do as much as he can.”

RM: It can’t have been ideal for you in your first season of Super Rugby to play with three different playmakers outside you when you’re trying to foster a partnership. You look at how integral the Genia/Cooper axis is for the Reds and you guys weren’t afforded the same luxury over the year were you?

NP: “Not at all but that’s part of the job I guess, you’ve got to get to know and adapt to players outside you. Danny and myself were getting on really well and we still are and it’s going to be a great season for sure this year and, while having a different ten every week made things a bit more difficult, I should have been able to adapt.”

Week 17 – Brumbies 32 Rebels 17

RM: This was the battle of the bottom two in the Australian conference and was your last chance to avoid the wooden spoon but the Brumbies were desperate to get some payback for that earlier loss in the year to the Rebels weren’t they?

NP: “Yeah, they were desperate. They didn’t really have the season they were expecting at the beginning and there was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes so it was good to see them tighten up, become a good team and play for each other and full credit to them, they did that really well. It was definitely a game that could have been won by us that we just let go through silly errors such as Matt Giteau’s quick tap from right in front and we didn’t switch on. Silly things like that just aren’t good enough in this competition and we definitely went back and talked a lot after that one.”

RM: It’s amazing how many times in sport you see somebody go out as a winner in front of their adoring home crowd and there were a few Brumbies saying their farewells that night. Had that been a focus in the build-up – to try and remove that emotion from the game?

NP: “We knew it was going to be an emotional game for a lot of them because they knew it was going to be their last game in Canberra but good on them, they were playing for their fans and for people who’ve supported them for years, so well done to them.”

RM: There’s a bit of a pattern emerging over the season whereby sides get out to a healthy lead against you but you fight back in the 2nd half when all seems lost. I guess the question is, why couldn’t you bring that to the table from the opening whistle?

NP: “Exactly! I probably put it down to experience, in the first twenty minutes we’re out there and we want to do well and sometimes, we don’t play to the game plan or as well as we want to play and then, when we go back to the basics, we do well. We might not have been top of the ladder but we’re a tight knit group and to everyone’s credit on the team, no matter what happened, if we were down by forty or down by ten the boys were always fighting which I love about them, that’s probably their most admirable quality. That was probably my favourite thing about the Rebels last year,”

RM: One of your tries came from Jarrod Saffy who was one of your best all year and made a seamless transition from league. He’s a great positive for the Rebels looking ahead?

NP: “Yeah, definitely. He has made a seamless transition, he’s a solid player, he’s definitely our best defender by far, he’s great all around the park and he’s eager to learn. He loves it and he’s one of the senior members of our team now, he’s taken on a senior role and is looked up to by the rest of the team and I can’t wait to see how much better he can get.”

Week 18 – Rebels 24 Force 27

RM: The Force were missing integral players in Nathan Sharpe and James O’Connor for this one – were you quietly confident of going out with a win?

NP: “We were in a position where we hadn’t won enough games across the season to go into any game with a whole lot of confidence, so we were very much on our toes. We knew that they were a solid young team, that their back three are awesome, that they’ve got some solid players in the midfield that really get over the advantage line every time and that their forward pack is one of the better packs in the comp so we always knew they were going to be solid.

“Deep down, we would have loved to win that last game and it was a grinder but again, we let ourselves go with silly penalties – I think the penalty count was something ridiculous in that game – and we weren’t good enough.”

RM: Your skipper Stirling Mortlock said afterwards that you’d “paid the price for consistently being slow to the breakdown” and that it cost you on the penalty count. Was that a problem all year and something to address for 2012 because – as the World Cup reinforced – the breakdown is absolutely pivotal to a teams chances the way the game is being played at the moment?

NP: “Yeah, we had a look at all our stats for the year at our pre-season camp and our breakdown work was dead last in every facet so that’s something we’re going to look at in the off-season and definitely something we’re going to work towards.”

RM: How badly did you want to send the Rebel Army home with a positive result to carry into next season?

NP: “That was probably the most disappointing thing, not being able to send our supporters out on a high. They were so loyal to us and personally, I think they were the loudest crowd per person in the competition and it’s one of the best places to play in, AAMI Park. It would have been good to reward their loyalty but hopefully, they’ll be back this year and we’ll be able to give them something to cheer about.”

Reflections

RM: Three wins from your first seven games was impressive, three from sixteen not so but would you have taken that at the start of the year or were the targets greater?

NP: “We never really knew how we’d go to be honest, we never had to sit down and chat about how many games we wanted to win and how we wanted to perform. We were bottom of the ladder at the end but we were number one in the hearts of the Melbourne people and we were the second team for a lot of other people, so that was probably more of a win.

“We had to start from absolutely scratch last year, we had no structure and no culture but now we’ve got that first season out of the way, we’ll be reaping the benefits of setting things up so that we’re straight off the mark in our second year. Hopefully, it’s going to be good this year, the boys are training hard and they’re looking forward to it so we’re looking to do some big things.”

RM: As you said, you had to start from scratch and it was an important task over the year to identify with your members and supporters, garner a loyal following and plant the seeds for future success – do you think you achieved that?

NP: “Definitely, and I think that’s been as a result of the culture we built. We ran the Five Star program where we were getting out into the schools, clubs and charities, we were always out there amongst businesses and we really wanted to connect with the culture in Melbourne and be a little bit different than the other clubs. They sort of expect their supporters to come, whereas we wanted to encourage them and get out there and meet them and become a part of the culture.”

RM: It can actually be a good position to be in, to start with a clean slate and analyse where everyone else has gone wrong and act accordingly?

NP: “Absolutely, to be able to do that in our first year was something pretty special, now we’re going into our second year and we’re just going to build on that even more and we’re hopefully going to get more and more supporters coming along.

RM: On a personal level, it’s been a pretty meteoric rise for yourself over the last 2 years from Sydney University’s 3rd Grade side to going to the World Cup as a Wallaby. Do you have to pinch yourself to believe it?

NP: “Yeah, I still can’t believe it. Going from watching these blokes on TV to playing with them is something that I definitely can’t believe has happened!”

RM: And aren’t you glad that fellow Rebel Tim Davidson watches the odd Uni 3rd Grade game as well?!?

NP: “Yeah, I think I owe him everything and he reminds me about it all the time as well! He was the one that picked me out – the head coach didn’t want to – but that’s alright, in the end, I was just fortunate to be there and get an opportunity and I was lucky enough to take it.”

RM: It just goes to show what a breeding ground for Super Rugby players and potentially internationals, that club rugby – particularly in Sydney – is. I’m convinced there’s a few more gems waiting to be unearthed out there?

NP: “Yeah, well at my club Sydney Uni especially, I can’t fault them at all. I was at college there and saw a few blokes training outside and walked down and asked if I could get involved – now I’m lucky enough to be playing Super Rugby, let alone for the Wallabies.”

RM: You won the Super Rugby Australian rookie of the year as well as the Rebels player of the year and if you can do that off the back of only three wins and an average score for the team of less than 18pts a game – imagine what you could do when you really start attacking!

NP: “Yeah, I’d love to be on the front foot for a few more phases but I just really enjoyed my first year. I’ve loved learning, I know what the Rebels can become and I know they will be one of the strongest clubs on and off the field so I’m really looking forward to that prospect.

“I just want to fit into the team once again and do as well as I can and benefit them as much as possible. I’m there to help the boys, to motivate and to do the best job that I can so that ultimately, the team does well. I’m always going to be hoping that I’ll be and around in the Wallabies again in the future but first, I want the Rebels to do well and to be a part of that.”

The Rebel Army - Image by Djuro Sen www.imagematrix.com.au

Part Two of our look back at the Rebels inaugural season is with utility back, former Brumby legend and 24 cap Wallaby, Mark Gerrard. One of the feel good stories of the year, Gerrard returned from a stint in Japan and a 4 year hiatus from his country’s colours to be reborn at the fledgling franchise and find himself donning the famous Wallaby shirt once more after a stellar season. Performing just as effectively at full-back, on the wing or through the centres, his international experience and time spent with another new born rugby baby in Canberra, make him an integral and valuable part of the Rebels project. He takes us through weeks seven to twelve…

Week Seven – Force 25 Rebels 26

RuggaMatrix: Well, I guess it was a case of third time lucky for the Rebels first win on the road. Considering the two previous scores in Hamilton and Brisbane, what do you think was the difference this time out?

Mark Gerrard: “I think it was belief. Obviously, the week before we’d put a good score on the Hurricanes and we felt leading into this game in Perth that it would be a very good marker to see where we were at as a side and to see how far we’ve come in the first seven weeks of our inaugural Super Rugby season. Preparation was probably the key to our success, we were pretty diligent in how we went about our business and what we were over there for. We had the bye the following weekend so obviously, our main objective was to win knowing that we could put everything into that particular game and I think we did that very well.”

RM: Obviously, it was an important monkey off the back for the side too?

MG: “Yeah, I think so, morale wise for the playing group and also for the actual organisation, having that first success away. To win three out of our first seven games was a huge achievement for us and something that we wanted to try and progress from but obviously, towards the back end of the year, we fell away a bit. Still, to win those first games – home and away – and get those under our belts, I think we achieved a lot.”

RM: As you said, that was three wins from seven and also two wins in a row and at that point, with nine games left, there must have been high hopes of exceeding all expectations with more victories after that?

MG: “Yeah, I must admit we did think along the lines of ‘we’ve won three games and we haven’t even played any half decent rugby yet’. We felt that we’d played well enough to win those matches and nothing more so if we could actually string a few more good halves together than we had up to that point, it was all there for us. So, it was a very good achievement to win three games in the first seven weeks but to then lose every game after that is a bit depressing!”

RM: Given the fact that the Force had finished as the lowest placed Australian side in previous years, had you targeted them as a potential scalp in order to avoid the wooden spoon in the Australian conference that most had predicted for you before a ball was even kicked?

MG: “We had realistic goals and certain things that we wanted to achieve in our first year and that was to be successful on and off the field. We were quite successful off the field in Melbourne but on the field was a totally different scenario. We looked at the Force, we looked at the Brumbies and obviously, seeing the Reds and the Waratahs high up the ladder was something we wanted to achieve and we felt we were in a pretty good position to do that but we let ourselves down at times. We gave ourselves a goal – to finish in the top three of the Australian conference – and we looked ok for a little while but then fell away quite quickly towards the end.”

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Week 9 – Rebels 18 Highlanders 40

RM: An obvious question but did the bye come at the wrong time?

MG: “I think preparation wise, it wasn’t that sharp and to have the bye at that particular time probably wasn’t ideal. We were a bit flat in most aspects of the game and maybe still felt like we were in the bye week so it was a little bit disappointing. We started off ok and we felt we were in it but you can’t win a game without the football and also, you’ve got to be able to tackle. I think we missed something like thirty to forty tackles and you saw the Highlanders come away with a very convincing win based purely on enthusiasm and playing the game how they wanted to.”

RM: You also lost skipper Stirling Mortlock on the eve of the match, which was a big blow?

MG: “It was, he’d obviously been there for the majority of the season and with him being our skipper, it was quite tough – especially in terms of our go forward and in how we wanted to do things through certain plays, patterns and systems. To have lost him so close to the game was definitely disruptive but then again, we’re professional rugby players and we should have dealt with it accordingly.”

RM: In what area did you miss him most – his leadership or his midfield defence?

MG: “He definitely gives you that security blanket for the players around him so you don’t really have to worry about his space or about your inside or outside – if you know that he’s there, you have that security anyway. Leadership wise, he’s been around for a long time and he’s controlled games and even his discussions with the referee as to how the game’s going can be vital. Crucial things like that play a big part in your victories and a big part in your losses and as you saw, losing him prior to the match was difficult but still something we should have dealt with.”

RM: The Rebels conceded six tries on the night – at least three of which involved one or more soft tackles. The media started to pick up on this at the time but was it a focus for the team?

MG: “All year, we tried to focus on individual improvements as well as collectively within the side and to come out from that game and have probably two or three players miss something like half a dozen tackles each, man – that’s tough, and things like that are a crucial part of the game. It was terrible, you can’t win a game with soft moments like that and we had too many in that particular game and during the season but that’s the way the cards get dealt, that’s rugby and you have to learn from it.”

Week 10 – Blues 40 Rebels 23

RM: You missed this one due to hamstring trouble but what was your verdict from the sideline – the score didn’t necessarily reflect the performance did it?

MG: “We really thought we were in that game. The boys had a real go and it was quite tight until the last fifteen minutes I think, when they scored two late tries. If you look back at the previous week, it was two soft tackles and simple defensive errors that cost us again and that was the sad part of most of our games. That last fifteen minutes didn’t really reflect how we felt we were going and to us, that was another one that slipped through our fingers.”

RM: It was a classic example of the Rebels season – some terrific attacking play resulting in two great tries but too many missed tackles and defensive frailties?

MG: “Exactly right. As we saw across the year, most of the dominant teams are quite sharp defensively but we were just too poor individually in certain aspects of most of our games to achieve that. We were given percentages post season to see where we’re at defensively and in attack and where we stood amongst all the other Super Rugby teams – both as individuals and as a collective group – so that’s something we’re going to pride ourselves on a whole lot more and is one of the things we’re trying to correct as individuals. If you watch most of those games, results were down to simple errors such as missed tackles or not taking opportunities to score tries.”

RM: The Blues put a lot of teams to the sword at Eden Park during the year and at 17-3 it looked like it could be a long night but the fightback offered positive signs of the team spirit and morale that was within the squad didn’t it?

MG: “We had that all year, there were a few times where we were down and out and came back, such as the Hurricanes match where we were down 17-0 after the first twenty minutes and came back to win. That just shows that we do fight as much as we can and that we do have the pride within us but obviously, we can’t keep giving top quality teams starts like that and expect to crawl our way back quite comfortably. It just doesn’t happen and that’s something that we’re going to have to rectify this year.

“For the first ten minutes after half-time, we were quite dominant and were constructing a few chances but they scored two quick tries right at the end there and that’s what crippled us. We know we have it in us but it’s that consistency across the whole game which let us down.”

Week 11 – Waratahs 28 Rebels 9

RM: In terms of the season as a bigger picture, this was simply another game in which you wanted to improve and try and get back in the winners circle. However, given the result back in Round One, there must have been some extra incentive for this clash?

MG: “I didn’t actually play in Round One but there was definitely a bit of tension from us leading into this game because of it. We wanted to get back on track and win but also prove that we were worthy of being in the Super Rugby competition and that we weren’t just easy-beats, so to lose by that margin was very disappointing.

“We tried to go into that game as positive as possible and there were opportunities which we should have taken but again, simple things let us down in execution and they just took their opportunities when they had them. This game and the previous week against the Blues were a great learning curve as to how we should go about certain games and how we should address certain moments within a game.”

RM: There was a huge improvement in defence on the night and it was only two late tries that took the Waratahs away and put some gloss on the scoreline but did that concerted defensive focus take away a little bit of your attacking threat?

MG: “Exactly right. It was a wet weather match which is a factor in your attack so you don’t go out there and try and be flamboyant and there are certain situations at key points in a game where you say ‘Right, we’re sitting in our own half, we’ve just got to ping the corners and put them under as much pressure as possible, get the ball back on halfway or further down the field and go from there’. But we tried to attack, turned the ball over and they took their opportunities in our twenty-two and capitalised. It was very, very frustrating.”

RM: Despite sitting in a relatively decent position on the ladder, the Waratahs were going through a bit of a tough time in front of their own fans at this point as the ‘win at all costs or entertain’ debate raged. Did you target that as a potential weakness at all – frustrate them for as long as possible and the crowd will get on their backs?

MG: “No, we tried to play a boring brand of football to suit their style purely because we knew their fans wouldn’t have said much – that’s the way New South Welshman are, they jump on the back of winners and they jump off losers. We could hear each other in front of what should be a vocal and parochial New South Wales crowd, it wasn’t very loud at all but when you come to AAMI Stadium – even when there’s maybe 12,000-13,000 people – you can’t hear a thing. I don’t know whether that’s down to the actual support or the stadium atmosphere or whatever but we knew the crowd wouldn’t play a big part. However, the Waratahs took their opportunities in certain parts of the game and in certain positions on the field and results speak for themselves I guess.”

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RM: It had been seven weeks since you lost 53-3 to the Reds up in Brisbane, did the manner of performance and closer margin give cause for some positivity and signs of progress or was it simply another defeat?

MG: “For me personally, a loss is a loss, you can’t sugarcoat it. Obviously, we’d lost Danny [Cipriani] because of disciplinary reasons and he was a large part of our strategy and – no disrespect to ‘Hux’ [Julian Huxley] – but he’s obviously a different type of player and we weren’t used to him playing at ten. It was frustrating, because if you look at some of the points in that game, I think we missed something like six shots at goal so there’s eighteen points in itself. You get those shots over and it’s a tight game of rugby and we would have been in a good position. I’m not blaming one particular person for losing that game for us, I’m saying that for us, as a side, they are opportunities for us to score points and we didn’t take them.”

RM: You left some points from open play out on the paddock as well?

MG: “Yeah, we actually should have scored three more times. I think we lost the ball over the try line once, one was a forward pass and I think we lost one at the breakdown prior to having a great opportunity to score. Most teams take those opportunities because they’re simple, they’re the fundamentals of rugby and unfortunately, we didn’t do them well enough. We reviewed that game all week afterwards and we were well in it and they were there for the taking but it’s down to opportunities isn’t it? Top teams take them, we don’t.”

RM: You mentioned the missed kicks and being one yourself on occasion, it’s a fine line for a kicker between hero and zero isn’t it?

MG: “It’s a tough, tough part of the game being a kicker or a hooker as well because it’s such an isolated event within a team sport but it’s all part of the job if you choose to do it. However, I don’t think it should play that much of a key role, you shouldn’t win more games than you deserve to because you’ve got a high calibre kicker. You don’t go into games wanting your kicker to win you the game, you go into games to perform and to play well and if you don’t need a kicker to kick a winning goal, then you’ve done your job as a fifteen.”

RM: Danny Cipriani was stood down for this game after breaking a curfew the week before – how much of a distraction was that for the team?

MG: “Most of our game preparation was on the basis of Danny being there and he wasn’t but that’s life unfortunately. He’s a good kid, there’s times where he needs to get his s**t together but don’t we all? I’ve been in that boat several times and he’s under such harsh scrutiny purely because of the celebrity status that he has within world rugby. Stuff like that is obviously going to play more of a role against Danny in the public eye but as a playing group, he had our full support regardless.

“We knew his personality and what he wanted to achieve in world rugby and we kept telling him – ‘Mate, you’re twenty-three, you’ve got the world at your feet and you know what to do’. He knows what to do and to look at him now, he’s a different person. He’s enjoying life, playing rugby and committing himself to the Rebels on and off the field. He’s doing all the right things and I think that will show in the way he plays. Having the calibre of players alongside him in the backline this year, I think we’ll see a different Danny Cipriani.”

Keen Fans - Image by Djuro Sen www.imagematrix.com.au

Reflections

RM: How do you reflect on the season as a whole now, was it a positive and enjoyable experience for yourself on and off the field?

MG: “Positive and enjoyable, and it’s been great getting to know the Melbourne community as well – I think that was something that Melbourne were missing. We’re a professional rugby team and we’re almost the last missing piece of the sporting puzzle, so to speak, for the Melbourne community. To be embraced as we have off the field with all the schools and clubs for example, is a very positive thing for us in our inaugural year.

“Playing wise, after seven weeks of the season and three wins we probably started patting our backs a little too much. We felt that we had the game and the capability but a couple of slips and a couple of mishaps here and there and we fell away eventually and that’s the ball game, that’s rugby for you. There were certain things that we finished the season saying we were happy about but were not satisfied. I’m satisfied with certain things we achieved over the year but I’m not satisfied with that year, that’s probably the best way to sum it up.”

RM: You came back from Japan for a new challenge – was it everything you hoped for in season one?

MG: “Yeah, everything and more. I came back because I still had the eagerness and the passion to play Super Rugby and to be an international again and I achieved that so I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first year at the Rebels and I’m really looking forward to running around this year. I think the enjoyment I’m getting again at this stage of my career is a new lease of life – I feel like a kid again!”

RM: Your form earned you a recall to the test side but unfortunately, you didn’t get a spot on the plane to New Zealand. Do you honestly think you’ll get to wear the Wallaby shirt again?

MG: “Honestly, I don’t think I will. It’s a sad thing to come out of my mouth and I don’t want to say it but unfortunately, I don’t think I will.”

RM: If that is the case, as disappointed as you will obviously be, can you reconcile yourself a little bit with the fact that you came back from a lesser standard of rugby in Japan and back from the international wilderness, played a season for a brand new side and at the foot of the ladder but still shone enough to wear that Wallaby shirt one more time against Samoa?

MG: “Yeah, I can actually. Before I left to go to Japan everybody said I was done, there goes my career and that was the last time I’d play for Australia or in Australia again and my parents and my family said the same thing. The only thing that kept me driving forward was the support of my wife and having my three beautiful kids there. She knew exactly what I wanted to do and what I needed to get out of the Japan experience and that was to freshen up physically and mentally. My ambition was to go over there and prove to myself – not anyone else really – but to myself, that I still had it and I’m happy to have come back and proved that with what I achieved last season.”