How the Brumbies play simple rugby

Offloads
This has been a rather new skill since New Zealander Sonny Bill Williams shifted from rugby league to union two years ago. The Brumbies were the early masters and while they dont do it through the tackle as often as Williams did, their ability to release the ball on touching the ground gives teams less time to get behind the last mans feet and opens up holes in the defence

Multiskilled forwards
Players such as Ben Mowen, Fotu Auelua, Peter Kimlin and Stephen Moore are hard grafters, but also exceptionally skilled players. Their awareness of support runners is a testament to how the Brumbies focus on sharpening their individual skills. Their ballplaying has left teams clueless as taking the ball into contact has been the very last option

Ben Mowen

Jake White, Brumbies coach

Fotu Auelua

Peter Kimlin

Two y halves = consistent ball to wings

Matt Toomua and Christian Lealiifano are bucking the trend of the need of big players in mideld. Their interchangeability allows the Brumbies a heads up in terms of creativity and there is no limit as to what they can do. Defensively, their loose forwards and whoever is at outside centre take care of menaces, but their dangerous wings are enjoying a surfeit of ball. Number 1, they run straight and attack the gain line. Number 2, that opens up space out wide and, if that doesnt work, number 3, they use a bit of their Oz wizardry to open up gaps for Jesse Mogg, Henry Speight and Joe Tomane to exploit
Jesse Mogg

Stephen Moore

Christian Lealiifano

Defence
They havent reached the lengths of the Stormers, but 240 minutes without conceding a second-half try is an amazing statistic. It was one of Whites strengths as Bok coach and it took some rather enterprising play from the Sharks to break the spell. There are no individuals to single out as the successful implementation of a defence pattern is reliant on the collective

Fetcher
David Pocock and George Smith are not the smallest of players and when they are running at full steam, they are difficult to contain. Their core specialty, fetching, was one Jake White avoided like the plague during his Springbok tenure, citing the small size of the available specimen during that time. Pocock is out for the rest of the year, but Smith, who gave White so many past headaches, is a world-class operator and ball retention is still a Brumbies hallmark

David Pocock

Henry Speight

Matt Toomua George Smith

Joe Tomane

KHANYISO TSHWAKU, JACO GROBBELAAR, Graphics24