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3 MATCHBRUMBIES DAY PROGRAM 2020 SEASON, ISSUE 4 COACHES Q&A Plus500 Brumbies Head Coach Dan McKellar and Super W 4 boss Adam Butt give us their thoughts ahead of today’s epic double-header at GIO Stadium. ROSSY REPORTS Brumbies prop and Canberra local Tom Ross writes about 12 what the Waratahs rivalry means to him, as well as teammate Tom Cusack, and Brumby #2 Marco Caputo. POSTER PULL OUTS Head to the centre page to get your official Plus500 25 Brumbies posters of our featured stars, Sammie Wood, Pete Samu and Talei Qalo Wilson. BEST FANS IN THE GAME: CHRISTIAN Read about one of our favourite Brumbies fans, Christian, 36 who sat with us on the bench at last Friday’s game against the Sunwolves. BRUMBIES IN THE COMMUNITY See what our boys have been up to around the Canberra 40 community, with the help of our charity partners, Communities@work. WHAT’S COMING UP? There’s always heaps of fun happening in Brumbies 50 country, make sure you visit our bulletin board on page 50 to see what events are happening in the next few weeks, and where. Plus500 BRUMBIES RUGBY Established: 1996 BRUMBIES PROGRAM PRINTED BY P: 02 6262 4077 F: 02 6241 4027 E: [email protected] A: Unit 5/37 Dacre Street Mitchell, ACT 2911 Editor: Rian Murphy | Head of Production: Chelsea Wilson | Contributors: Marty Cambridge | Photography: Getty Images, Stu Walmsley, Karen Watson, Lachlan Lawson, Chelsea Wilson & Jayzie Photography “Yeah feeling good. We’ve reset after the bye week, an important six-week block for us, and we started it well, certainly against the Sunwolves and again we had to adapt there.” “It was nice for the players to have Saturday and Sunday off, get away from Rugby for a little bit. Come in and reset and get ready for an important game against the ‘Tahs.” Yeah as you said it was tough against the ‘Tahs in Sydney. I thought we started well but to win against those teams, the top teams you have to do it for the 80 minutes so it’s a good lesson for our girls to learn. We’ve reviewed it, had ye know, good and honest conversations about what we did wrong and right of course, so we’ve tried to rectify those mistakes in training and put it right ahead of today. 4 Absolutely. Win today and we host the semi-final which would be huge for us. We always feel we have a chance when we play here at home, so we’re right up for it today. We know it’s going to be tough. They’re an awesome side. You look at what they did to the Rebels a few weeks back and they were unlucky not to win last week so, we know it’s as tough a test as the ‘Tahs or anyone else. “Happy to win and get the bonus, but, we were disappointed with those core areas of our game that we are normally really good at, scrum and maul in particular. We conceded our first maul try in a couple of years. That was disappointing, you know you’ve got to review it and get on with it. We know that our set piece will be at another level on Sunday against the Waratahs. “No not at all. Waratahs and the Brumbies as I said to the players during the week, you don’t worry about form, this is a standalone game…it’s just about who is up for it on the day.” “They’re a dangerous football side. They have got a lot of really, really good footballers in that team across the board. How many guys have played over 100 Super Rugby Games? There’s plenty of them. How many guys have played 70 plus test matches? And they have some exciting young talent coming through. “Rob’s a quality, experienced coach. I think they showed against the Lions and the first half against the Chiefs, when they get it right, they are very dangerous.” “We know it is going to be a big challenge for us.” 5 PROUD TO BE OFFICIAL KIT SUPPLIER TO BRUMBIES SPORTSWEAR SPECIALISTS CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION Office 1B, The Precinct, 539 Greenhill Road, Hazelwood Park, SA 5066 T: 08 8364 4920, E: [email protected] FB: oneillssportswearaustralasia IG: oneillssportsau Brumbies flanker Will Miller is the Growing up in the village of Berry in New embodiment of country rugby and the strong South Wales, Miller comes from a long line community behind it. For today’s matchup of farmers, being fifth generation on his against the Waratahs, Miller’s former club, parent's property and seventh generation in the Brumbies are celebrating our region, the the area. rural communities that form the backbone of our beautiful nation. Miller started his love for rugby at a very young age, as a kid, he would watch his dad Times have been tough for these areas, play at the local Shoalhaven club and began that’s no secret so tonight, in the spirit of to play around the same time. togetherness in these trying times, the Brumbies and the Waratahs are coming “I think the first year I played I was five, together, raising money under one banner, “Miller Said. “Five or six, there was an under for rural aid. 9s team that they needed numbers for, and dad just chucked me in to make the numbers That’s off the field, but on the field, the rivalry up.” still exists and hoping to bring some extra country noise to the ground, the Brumbies Even with his busy life as a rugby star, Miller have helped every club in our region to get still makes time to come back and visit his to the game. home any chance he gets. Lining up in front of his former teammates, “I think it’s probably a pretty important part Miller will no doubt appreciate the country of playing footy, I think, having something on flavour as he goes hunting for a first win the side that you do, and keep you motivated against the old enemy in Brumbies colours. elsewhere outside of playing rugby’s 8 probably pretty important, “Miller explained. “It’s really good for him just to give back “Just your mental health and well-being, so it’s and show what he’s learned, and you can a way for me to escape and getaway. tell he hasn’t changed a bit, ‘cause he’s into training, he’s mucking around with the boys, “Before I was playing professional footy it was and the boys love it, they love him coming the opposite, I used to use rugby to get away back.” from the farm a little bit.” Shoalhaven rugby was Miller's old go-to escape before becoming professional and it continues to be a staple for the rugby community in the area. Captain of Shoalhaven’s first grade Steven Brandon believes that rugby brings people together due to how close the community is with one another. “All the farmers and that sort of things, they bring the attitude which flows through the club, and that’s what rugby’s all about,” Brandon said. Support our Aussie farmers and rural communities Text‘RUGBY’to 0400 662 662 TO DONATE NOW 11 Plus500 Brumbies tighthead Tom Ross writes Imagine that? Me, a lifetime supporting the about why Brumbies v Waratahs is special Brumbies and the first time I’m running out to the players, leaning on Brumby #2 Marco at Canberra stadium, the blokes in blue are Caputo and Tom Cusack for their perspectives opposite me. as well for this unique look inside the mindset of players on ‘Tahs week! The atmosphere was like no other game of Rugby and to have family in friends cheering As a Rugby kid growing up in the Nations on from the stands, made it even more Capital, the first day I marked on the Calendar special. was always the Brumbies vs Waratahs clash at Canberra stadium. Brumby No.2 Marco Caputo still reminisces the hard-fought tussles that he endured My family and I would waltz on down to our during his time at the Brumbies and believes Bay 56 seats where we would watch Gregan, that the Waratahs game isn’t just another Giteau, Larkham, Smith and the likes just fixture. captivate the Rugby world. “It was always the first one you looked for It was a sense of big brother taking on little when the draw came out,” Caputo said. brother and over the years has seen some almighty clashes as a result of this fierce rivalry. “Growing up as a kid, you would always play second fiddle to NSW coming through the One game that will always stick with me has ages and the only way to get around that to be last year’s clash against the Waratahs in was by beating them. Round 5. How could I forget it? It was my first cap for the Brumbies. “I hope that the boys find that extra little Cusack puts the rivalry down to the close effort, whether it comes to putting your proximity of the two sides and no matter shoulder into contact or when it comes to which side of the Territory boundary you come finding that extra one percent to make the from, come 4:05pm Sunday afternoon, it is on whole game worthwhile.” for young and old. Tom Cusack is as local as they come, a “We have a fair few boys from Sydney who Marist boy and someone I looked up to as a probably grew up wanting to be a Waratah, kid coming through the Brumbies ranks.