What we learned: Brumbies v Crusaders

3 Matt Toomua

2 Ben Mowen

1 Joe Tomane

The Brumbies have undoubtedly proven themselves as a contender, but they still need to claim some big scalps to prove any skeptics wrong. The Brumbies lead the overall ladder, but they have only beaten two teams in the top seven. The Brumbies have lost just two matches and they’ll know there’s plenty of room for improvement. They missed a perfect chance to rise to the top and put a gap on the Queensland Reds by stumbling against the Crusaders. The Crusaders are Super Rugby’s most successful team and they showed why. If the Brumbies want to be one of the best teams, games against the Crusaders are contests they need to win. It’s by no means panic stations with five regular season games remaining. But an Australian derby match against the NSW Waratahs on May 18 looms as a make or break contest.

Attacking rugby for the Brumbies came crashing back to earth against the most successful team in Super Rugby history. The Brumbies scored six tries last weekend against the Western Force and their outside backs were on fire. But against the Crusaders they failed to get into the match, break the line or set the game alight. The only try of the first half was a Matt Toomua intercept. The spark that had seen them play so well disappeared. Even the 16,544-strong crowd on a cracking Sunday afternoon was subdued and quiet despite the Brumbies sitting at the top of the ladder. The Crusaders defence was brilliant and they played the game at their own pace. Even reliable fullback Jesse Mogg made uncharacteristic errors and was taken from the field with 15 minutes to go. The Brumbies have a bye now and two weeks to rediscover that spark.

The Brumbies attacked for the first eight minutes of the second half, but poor ball security cost them and the Crusaders pounced on their chance at the line. While the Brumbies failed to dent the line, the Crusaders were more clinical when they had the ball. It showed when they got a series of short passes away to dish it to winger Zack Guildford who sprinted to score in the corner. It gave the Crusaders the lead for the first time in the match.

George Smith put his name in the Brumbies’ record books – if he hadn’t already – when he became the club’s most capped player on Sunday. The champion flanker ran out to a standing ovation and thanked the crowd for their support. It was no surprise he was the man who tried to spark the Brumbies into action. First he made a trademark steal in the attacking half to put the Brumbies on the front foot. Then he put a grubber through and made a bust. But with the Brumbies slightly off the boil, they botched both opportunities. Smith will go down as one of Australia’s greatest players. He’s almost certain to be selected in the Wallabies squad for the British and Irish Lions series and he will be crucial to the Brumbies’ potential finals campaign.

If Quade Cooper is still in the Wallabies’ bad books, coach Robbie Deans could do worse than to give Matt Toomua a call ahead of the British and Irish Lions series. Toomua was taking on one of the world’s best in Dan Carter in the Brumbies-Crusaders contest. Toomua’s outstanding defence is a hallmark of his game and he hit Carter with a couple of bell-ringers early. While the Brumbies didn’t fire in attack, Toomua was still doing everything in his power to get across the advantage line and threatened to break the line every time he got the ball. Instead of using a makeshift No. 10, Deans should put faith in Toomua’s ability.