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How the Brumbies plan to topple a Waratahs side bolstered by returning Wallaby
By AAP
Blunting the NSW Waratahs' beefed-up back row is Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa's primary focus as the Super Rugby AU defending champions get comfortable in Canberra.
The Brumbies will play their next four games at home, beginning with Saturday's second-round clash against the depleted Waratahs.
A 41-7 loss to the Queensland Reds last Friday was compounded by serious ankle injuries to captain Jake Gordon and centre Joey Walton, while fellow centre Izaia Perese was suspended for a dangerous tackle.
But in a huge boost for Rob Penney's young side the Waratahs will welcome Wallabies enforcer Lachie Swinton back from his own suspension.
Swinton will join a new-look back-row alongside his Australia teammate Jack Dempsey and Junior Wallabies graduate Carlo Tizzano, who was among the best of a losing side at Suncorp Stadium.
A fit again Tepai Moeroa returns straight into the starting side at inside centre - replacing Walton - while newly named captain Alex Newsome moves in from the wing to play outside centre.
The Brumbies are wary of the wounded Waratahs.
"Physicality is going to be a big point of the game. They're bringing Lachie Swinton back in and Tepai in the centres," Alaalatoa said
"They're two of their dominant ball carriers so we need to be physical up front and the backline needs to be on like they were last week (in a 27-11 defeat of the Western Force).
"Just thinking of it from their perspective, they'd be disappointed and looking to rectify (the defeat to the Reds) by doing a job on us, so we need to make sure our intent from the start of the game is on."
Thanks to a midweek fixture change, the Brumbies will play the next three weeks with no COVID-19 crowd limits at GIO Stadium before a bye and then another game at home.
Dominant at home last season they will begin relatively unscathed, with hooker Folau Fainga'a (toe) replaced by Connal McInerney in the only change to the starting side.
"That's the goal (four wins at home) in the short term, but you've got to look at tomorrow first," Alaalatoa said.
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Look there are a few unarguable facts here that are very clear. SARU was close to bankruptcy with SR, bailed out by the Lions and they need the URC and EPCR. Inclusion of SA teams in URC has been a great for for ALL concerned, from a rugby perspective and financially, moreover there is massive growth yet to come. The GP is in financial trouble and this will be the catalyst for EPCR change to further cement the Boks.
If this all plays out with even greater rewards for the urc AND the Top14 & GP via EPCR, the 6N will become 7N. Nz and Aus NEED to get their version firing with Japan & the PI’s, otherwise they will find themselves increasingly regressing…
Go to commentsPerofeta came back and was available for the eoyt right? Or was that why Love was in the squad (but got injured in the last week)?
It was such a frustrating year. Perofeta looked a service stop gap until Jordan was fit, but then got injured. Plummer was selected because of Pero's injury and dmac shat the bed in the second half in Australia but Clarke (?) got himself binned at the 65 min mark so Plummer couldn't come on (at least with the risk adverse Razors thinking) when he was planned to.
So many other exciting opportunities that could have happened without injuries, but then theyre probably balanced by knowing Sititi probably wouldn't have been given a chance without multiple injuries happened.
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