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The DJs at the Western Force’s home ground did their best to breathe life into the deadliest of rubbers on Saturday night and they nailed the brief.
Nic White walking off the ground for HIA to the sounds of the Village People’s Macho Man was a mic-dropping moment, but the sounds of Jet booming through the speakers on a night when Corey Toole and his back three Brumby compatriots Tom were playing were even louder. It was appropriate. Wright provided further evidence as to why Joe Schmidt should pair the two at Test level this year.
Events taking place elsewhere on Saturday meant there was nothing to play for from a Super Rugby finals perspective. The Force squandered slim chances as Fijian Drua secured a thumping win over the Rebels, and the Brumbies, who won 24-19 after conceding two tries in the last two minutes, went into the game having secured third place with a home quarter-final in hand. Went. Highlanders in Canberra next Saturday.
The Brumbies are on edge after Wallaby Blake Schoupp was sent off in pain just two minutes after returning from a shoulder injury.
Toole went out to recover immediately after the game, but appeared in a TV interview with ice on his knee. Maybe it wasn’t so bad because Jono Lance ignored me asking him about it.
Schoupp has missed the last four games after sustaining an injury against the Hurricanes in late April and was called up to replace fellow Test No.1 James Slipper in the Brumbies’ dead rubber against the Western Force in Perth.
Brumbies’ Blake Schoupp received help after suffering an arm injury. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
Slipper has a strained calf and is likely to miss next week’s home quarter-final against the Highlanders in Canberra. Wins over the Blues and Hurricanes confirmed the Brumbies’ third-place finish.
Stan commentators speculated that Schoupp suffered a dislocated shoulder or elbow injury after carrying the ball forward and being tackled by Force hooker Tom Horton.
Schoupp was replaced by Harry Vella, who had just returned from injury.
As expected, the game didn’t hit many high notes. There was an attempt in the first half to set up Toole by a strong, straight run from Wright.
Neither team scored between the 38th and 60th minutes, when Toole returned the favor to Wright.
Queensland might own a Junkyard Dog, but the Brumbies won’t trade Toole, Wagga Wagga Greyhound for anyone at the moment. Toole turned on the afterburners down the left and ran into makeshift Force winger Carlo Tizzano before sending Wright on for a try.
The Force has been brutalized by a lockout that Izack Rodda calls “the curse of the 6-2 bench.” This meant Tizzano was no match for Toole.
In his 100th game, Hamish Stewart was sent off through injury, and his replacement Sam Spink followed him off the park within minutes.
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa and George Poolman put a coda to the Force’s season with two tries in the final stages, but they were left to reflect another tough slog near the bottom of Super Rugby.
Given the lack of risk, it’s difficult to make predictions based on the Brumbies’ performance.
“I think most of our boys know from our history over the last few years how difficult it is to play the Force,” Alaalatoa said. “We got it tonight and I think it’s perfect preparation for next week.
“We talked at half-time about a small area around the contact and it ended up being the wrong whistle. So those are the little things, especially away from home, that we need to clean up and I know we will be looking hard at that.”
How far they go will depend on the influence of Toole and Wright.
“It’s a way for him to not only be able to create for himself now, but also create for the people around him,” Wright’s former Wallaby Cam Shepherd said on Stan.
“He carries the ball well with both hands and has out pace.”
