Plus500 Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has said the team’s performance on Friday night was “right up there” as the home side beat the Bulls 22-10 in a hard-fought match.
After a close first half, the Brumbies controlled the final 40 minutes, holding the Bulls scoreless in the second half to take their sixth home win on the trot in their penultimate game at home for the season.
Speaking after the match, McKellar praised the way the Brumbies executed their game plan to win the tightly contested and physical game.
“That’s right up there that one because the Bulls fronted up, ready to play and the execution of our game plan,” McKellar said.
“I knew we had to be direct to go at them and get their big men to burn some energy.
“We thought the space would open up in the second half, we saw some really good skill through our forwards and took advantage of it.
“They’re a very good maul defence team, the try that Tev (Kuridrani) scored in the first half got our setup right, forced them to commit numbers and then that opens up opportunities for the backs.”
Holding the Bulls to a clean sheet in the second half, the Brumbies form has turned around massively in the last 40 minutes of games, after the start of the season when they conceded more points than any other team between the 40th and 60th minute.
McKellar played down the changes the squad has made despite their last two matches being closed out without a try to the opposing side.
“We’ve spoken a lot about it, changed up a few things that we do after half-time and that seems to be working,” McKellar commented.
“I think a lot of it is just mental, we’ve certainly been better over the past few weeks in that period which is pleasing.
"The stats show that a lot of teams leak points from that 40 to 60-minute mark so we’ve managed to sort that out at the moment which is good.”
The next two games for the Brumbies against the Sunwolves and Waratahs will conclude the Brumbies’ matches on the road this season with the year ending how it started at GIO Stadium, this time against the Queensland Reds on June 15.
