Penalty or not penalty? You decide.
For all of the Brumbies gutsy work, the last two minutes will haunt them for the next week. From the failure to clean up and get out of their own half to dropped balls and line-ball penalty which gave the Chiefs a chance to snatch victory. The Brumbies were pinned in their defensive zone with time running out. But here's the important point, they had the ball with a lineout and had a chance to shutdown the game. Where did fall down? The lineout throw slipped through Sam Carter's hands and appeared to go backwards. Referee Steve Walsh ruled it went forward. From the scrum, flanker Sean Doyle thought the Chiefs' No. 8 had detached from the rest of the pack and the ball was in play. Walsh ruled it was still in the scrum, penalty to the Chiefs and game over. Walsh can be a divisive character and he's had his woes with the Brumbies in the past. But, it's hard to blame him for making the tight calls in this one. When you watch the replay, you decide if Walsh was wrong or the Brumbies just made bad decisions.
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Are the Brumbies contenders or pretenders?
The Brumbies went within seconds of ending an eight-year hoodoo against the Chiefs in New Zealand. But they failed to close out the game at crucial stages and let victory slip through their fingers. What does it mean for the Brumbies season? Hard to tell at this stage given it's a round-two loss. But 30 seconds is the difference between getting their campaign off to a perfect start, or settling for an average opening two rounds. The signs for the Brumbies are good. They've got a solid scrum, strong lineout, good rolling maul. back line attacking weapons and world-class players. So where did it go wrong? Are they good enough to beat the best sides in the competition? One thing the Brumbies definitely don't want to be known as is flat-track bullies after trouncing the under-siege Queensland Reds in round one.
Time to get the balance right in game strategy
Brumbies fans have been craving attacking rugby for years, especially since World Cup-winning coach Jake White transformed the side into a defensive unit unwilling to take too many risks. But surely fans want winning rugby rather than attack at all costs. At times the Brumbies turned down shots at goal against the Chiefs to try to put the foot on the throat and get out to a bigger lead. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but there's nothing wrong with accumulating points when you're up against a star-studded Chiefs line-up. Christian Lealiifano is starting to get his kicking mojo back. Last season the Brumbies' goal kicking accuracy dropped to just above 60 per cent – the worst in the competition. Commentators suggested maybe the Brumbies turned down shots at goal because they weren't confident they could nail them. But it appeared to be an attacking mentality rather than lack of kicking confidence. Go for the kill when the opposition is there for the taking. But don't be embarrassed to take penalty points on offer.
Life without Poey
No one can replace David Pocock. Well, no one except George Smith. And with no Smith appearing as a saviour this year, the Brumbies will have to rely on every single forward to pick up the slack at the breakdown. Prop Ruan Smith got a fantastic steal in the second half while Jarrad Butler, Sean Doyle, Scott Fardy and Scott Sio all put their heads in dark places. But opposition teams will sniff a weakness at the ruck without Pocock. He's not due back for at least two more weeks.
