ACT BRUMBIES SEASON PREVIEW

by Paul Cook –

Finalists last year, the Brumbies can no longer fly under the radar and will carry a much larger target on their back in 2014 than in the last two seasons under Jake White. With White having returned to South Africa, Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher have moved up the ranks to share responsibilities and you would imagine their goal is to continue the rapid progress since 2011 with a view to expanding the Brumbies style in the process.

Player wise, Dan Palmer, Peter Kimlin and Colby Fainga’a have all departed Canberra while George Smith returned to his employers in Japan. Coming in the opposite direction is Harumichi Tatekawa, an exciting young winger to keep an eye on but the biggest boost to the Brumbies is the return from injury of the talismanic David Pocock.

Rugby News caught up with flying fullback Jesse Mogg and powerful young prop Scott Sio this week, to discuss the season ahead.

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Looking back at 2013, the season couldn’t have gone much better apart from actually lifting the Super Rugby trophy, it was a fantastic year for the Brumbies wasn’t it?

Jesse Mogg: It was an enjoyable year and a massive learning curve for the squad having not been involved in a finals series before, let alone a grand final, so it was a good year, an enjoyable one but hopefully we can go one better this year.

Scott Sio: It definitely was and I think that was down to hard work and really putting in the effort during pre-season and executing the game plan week in, week out.

There was obviously a plan under Jake White to grow the team towards a title challenge and you got there ahead of schedule. That must give you a lot of confidence for the season ahead?

JM: We had a strategic game plan that we followed every week and once the guys knew exactly what to do it became second nature so it was a lot easier to just go out there and play footy. Things are a little bit different know with Jake having gone, we’re still trying to grow our game a little bit but the fundamentals of what we’ve grown over the last two years are still there.

SS: We take a lot of confidence from being able to make the finals as we did but as a team, it’s a new year and it’s a clean slate. Everyone’s gearing up to be the champion this year so we’ve got to be on our toes and we know that the new year creates new challenges through facing different teams and different players. We’re just refreshed, we’ve moved on from last year now and we’re hoping to go one better but we’re going to take it week by week.

Jesse Mogg’s form in 2013 saw him called up to the Wallabies where he featured in the Lions series

Despite making the final, were there still plenty of boxes left unticked in 2013?

SS: Obviously, the big one was not winning the championship but I think that outside the Brumbies, everyone had picked us to grow in four years time and hopefully make it then but we knew as a group that if we played the best rugby we could and went out there and played for each other and for our families and for the Brumbies organisation that we could go all the way. We only fell short right at the end and that lets us know that if we do everything we can to the best of our ability then we’ve got a really good shot.

JM: We also really want to turn Canberra Stadium into a venue where sides don’t want to come and play us. We had the unfortunate draw with the Kings there last year and we lost to the Crusaders as well so we’re still looking to really put a stamp on our home games. Over the last two years, we’ve really travelled well as a team but you can always get better and grow as a team.

Jake White has moved on, has the squad needed to adjust much with Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher moving up in the coaching ranks?

JM: It was known well before the pre-season started that Jake was moving on and Laurie and Bernie [Larkham] were doing a lot of on-field work while Jake was here so in terms of coaching roles, it hasn’t changed much. Either Bernie calls the shots or Laurie calls the shots and we get on with the job.

SS: The biggest thing about it is that they were both very hands on with their coaching in the last two years so not a lot has changed in that respect. Not having Jake’s presence around was a big change for us during pre-season but we just had to adapt and move forward. The team’s looking in good stead under Bernie and Laurie now and hopefully, we can produce the goods this weekend.

Have their roles changed in terms of what or how they coach?

JM: Not particularly, not for the on-field stuff. Obviously, Bernie’s the head coach and he makes the final call but individually Laurie is still controlling the breakdown and set-piece and Bernie is looking after the attack. We’ve also got Dan McKellar on board now looking after defence which was sort of Jake’s area so things have gone along quite nicely and fallen back into place and we’re moving forward.

Has there been a continuation of the things those guys were coaching you last year or has their change in status seen any difference in gameplan or style that they want the Brumbies to play?

SS: I think you would have heard through a lot of the interviews with Benny Mowen and the coaches that they want to bring a bit more of an expansive style to our game but without losing the fundamentals of what we’ve built the last two years, that work ethic that we’ve had game in and game out. It’ll be down to the way they want to play each week and against each team but hopefully we can bring something new to the table because last year the way we played didn’t quite get us there.

How was pre-season?

JM: It’s been good, we’ve had a few guys that have left the club and a few new guys that have come in and we obviously had a few Wallabies away on the Spring Tour last year which gave a chance to some local players to step up and train with us full-time in pre-season and push their claims for a spot in the squad. There’s been a lot of new faces around the club and with that, a lot of energy from these young guys too.

SS: It was the first time this squad has had so many players away with the Wallabies which is a great honour for the club and it was about working hard back here to make sure that the standard hadn’t dropped for when they return. It was disappointing losing the trial over there in Queenstown [to the Highlanders] but it gave an opportunity for some of the younger guys and newer guys to step up to the plate and they did. The last two weeks have been tough hit-outs and that’s good because we needed that heading into this weekend.

Stephen Larkham & Laurie Fisher have been named as co-coaches at the Brumbies
following the departure of Jake White

Does having so many guys with Wallaby experience now change the dynamic in the squad a little bit?

SS: It did change the way we approached this season, obviously not having the numbers and heading into that first trial so, yeah, it does in a way but we understand what role each player plays in the team and what they need to bring to the game plan. Not a lot will change in that respect but obviously, the boys may feel like they have that little bit of added individual pressure but week in, week out we’re playing for each other and we’re going to go out there and do our best.

You start with a home game against the Reds, you’d be expecting them to come out firing and make a statement?

JM: We’d be silly not to expect that. The competition amongst the Australian teams this year will be very tough, we’ve just got to go out there and win every game that we can. We’re not focusing on any other teams, if we’re winning all our games then come the end of the season, hopefully we’ll be sitting with another opportunity to win the Grand Final.

SS: They’re a quality side and they’ve shown that for the last few years and like I said, it’s a new year and we’ve got to be on our toes. It doesn’t matter who you play in Super Rugby anymore, every game’s a tough game, as we saw last weekend when the Lions got up against the Cheetahs. We understand the immense importance of this game but it’s no different to any other game for us, it’s a must win.

How important are these early derby rounds in terms of laying down a marker against the other Australian sides?

JM: It’s something that worked really well for us last year. It was a fairly physical contest in that first round against the Reds and we carried that on for the next few games. With us being, I guess, the growing team of the last two years, we can’t expect to live up to what we’ve done and let that just carry us, we’ve actually got to work and improve as a team and hopefully, go one better than last year.

SS: There is that little rivalry that comes with the Australian teams but I guess the biggest thing for us is getting off to a good start, getting a win in week one is very important for us. There is that added rivalry between the Brumbies and the Reds but we can’t look too far past that, we’ve just got to make sure that we turn up for round one and ready to go.

Your place in last year’s final puts a bigger target on the Brumbies backs this season, does that make it a tougher challenge?

SS: I guess so and that’s the added pressure you get the higher you get in this competition. We’ve just got to adapt to that and make sure we understand that we can’t fly under the radar anymore as we have the last two years, we’re out there and everyone’s gunning for us so as a squad we’ve got to come together and make sure that our bonds are even tighter this year if we want to achieve what we want to achieve.

JM: We had a target on our back last season when we were having that run towards the final so we’re not being stupid about it, we know that teams are going to want to beat us but we’re happy with that. We’re just going to focus on how we want to play the game and how we want to win. Teams are going to want to come after us but it shouldn’t change the fact that we just want to go out there and win games no matter who we’re facing.

BRUMBIES INS & OUTS

What about your own aspirations for the season, Brumbies first and foremost but with one eye on a Wallaby jersey?

JM: With the depth we’ve got at the Brumbies this year, for me personally it’s going to be hard enough just to break into that team. I had shoulder surgery last year and I’m only two games back from that now so, for me personally, it’s about getting that confidence again and trying to pick up that form I started the last Super Rugby season with, working from the back and trying to give the boys a bit of momentum and finding that little extra spark.

SS: My goals are very much Brumby driven at the minute. I got that taste of test rugby last year and it was a great honour for me and for my family to represent my country and for the club, they gave me my opportunity. I’ve always been told by my family that playing for the Wallabies is a reward for playing well week in, week out for the team you’re in so it’s about training hard and making sure I’m putting in for the Brumbies each week, putting my best foot forward and putting in my best performances and hopefully the rest will take care of itself.

I’m guessing Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher have played pivotal roles in your development as players at the Brumbies, albeit in different aspects of the game. How big an influence have they had on your progress?

JM: Bernie’s obviously been there and done that and been one of the best at it so, just to have a guy like that running your team and providing a few different ways to go about things is great. The group we’ve got at the Brumbies now are still willing to learn a lot and really take it to other teams and people like Bernie and Laurie are willing to teach so it’s a good mix.

SS: Laurie is so passionate about the game and it rubs off on a lot of the boys and you can see it in the way we play through the attitude and application that we bring to our game. He’s really helped me with my game as an all rounder, not just being known as a guy who can scrummage or a guy who is good at set-piece but as someone who has that game all around the park. I’m learning day in, day out from him and I’m taking on as much advice as I can get because he’s been around and he’s coached some quality players over the years and anything I can take from him I will.

Who could be the Brumbies break-out player of 2014?

JM: I think Scotty’s a really good find, he was in and out of our team last year and once ‘Palms’ [Dan Palmer] went he really took his chance and with that prop spot available I think he’s going to grab it with both hands and really go with it. He’s the sort of bloke who just gets down to work and doesn’t complain about a lot of things. In terms of the new guys, I think Haru [Harumichi Tatekawa] has been a real find in the off-season so far. He’s played something like twenty tests for Japan and he’s got some really nice skills and he’s picked up a lot of the language in only a few weeks so I think he could be one to keep a eye on.

22-year-old prop Scott Sio is eyeing a permanent place
in the Brumbies front row in 2014

SS: Haru has unbelievable hands, he’s very good under pressure and just to see the skill set he brings to the game is quite amazing. Jack Whetton obviously has the pedigree from his Dad [former All Black Gary] and he’s already showing what he’s capable of and we also have a young hooker called Siliva Siliva who is the same age as me and if he can stay injury free he will be a great prospect for the Brumbies to hopefully take over Stephen Moore in the coming years. Robbie Coleman had a very good pre-season and trial matches and then you’ve got guys like Ruan Smith and Ruaridh Murphy coming through as well.

And the return of David Pocock is like having a new signing isn’t it?

SS: Yeah, it is. He was very unlucky, he trained immensely hard when he joined us to hit the ground running and unfortunately was hampered by that injury but he was there every day supporting the team and making sure that everyone was on the right track to achieve the goal that we set out to achieve at the start of the year. Nothing’s changed in that regard and it’s just a great feeling to have him back out there on the field and hopefully producing his best rugby this year.

What does he bring to the table?

SS: It’s pure physicality. You’ve seen what a specimen he is and the biggest thing about the way that he’s evolved his game here is by being that sort of link player with his skill set and he’s very quick around the park. You’ve got to be on your toes when you’re around him, he’s always on the go and being an ex-Wallaby captain and captain at the Force he brings that leadership and composure. He’s a guy out on the field that you look to when you need that bit of composure and when you need to settle things down and that’s the beauty of our team, we have a lot of guys here with those leadership capabilities.

JM: Poey’s the sort of guy that just gets on with his work and it’s all about the team and not himself. He doesn’t necessarily talk a lot but he talks when he has to and it’s just by the way he plays and trains that make the other guys take notice. They know what it takes to get to his position so he’s a good role model for the young guys coming through but also for the older guys because of the way he approaches rugby. He’s worked hard on his game with Bernie and Laurie so I think he’ll definitely be looking to make a mark on the competition come round one.

How do you see the Australian conference going this year?

JM: It’s looking quite tough but as I said earlier, we’re trying not to focus on any one team. As long as we’re focusing on our game, we’ll be at the top of the conference at the end of the season. Obviously, the Reds have been there and they know what it takes so they’ll be good and the Rebels have had a great off-season and Tony McGahan has come in and changed their culture and they’re starting to win rugby games. I think all the teams will be tough and there won’t be too many easy games.

SS: I don’t think there’s any team that you can single out, every team has recruited really well and there’s new coaching structures in some of the teams as well so, you’ve got be wary of every team. Everyone wants to be number one in the Australian conference so we’ve got to make sure we win all our games.

What about the competition in general, who do you like the look of from New Zealand and South Africa?

JM: The Chiefs will be pretty good again this year and I think the Blues will be a massive improver as well. The Sharks, obviously having Jake and the new roster there, will be pretty red hot but I think the whole competition this year is going to be quite tough.

SS: The Crusaders always come in strong every year and the Sharks just put in a great performance against the Bulls and the Lions just beat the Cheetahs so it’s one of those competitions now where you’ve just got to be on top of your game or you can find yourself behind very quickly. Treating every game like a Grand Final is the mentality that we’re trying to take in each week.

Have you pencilled in that Sharks game in Canberra yet?

JM: Not yet. We’re focused on round one but I’m sure when it comes around it will be a big one.

SS: I think all of Canberra has, everyone is gearing up for that game but as a squad we can’t look past this weekend so, that’s coming up and when it comes around we’ll be ready for it but hopefully, we produce the goods this week against the Reds.

Lastly, what do the Brumbies need to do better in 2014 if they are to lift that trophy?

JM: We need to expand our game a bit more, which we’ve worked on in the pre-season. The fundamentals are there and we’ve obviously worked hard on those but just a little change up here and there is what we’re looking for. We’ll be looking to do the things that we’ve been doing well over the last two years better again and also adding a different dimension to our game.

SS: Stats wise we’re definitely up there in the top three in a lot of aspects of the game but I think discipline is going to be a big thing for us this year. We gave away a lot of penalties last year and a lot of them in our own half so if we can limit those and stay a lot more disciplined in the opposition 22, those will go hand in hand in really taking us to the top. Not a lot has to change, we’ve just got to be better at what we’re good at.