Lee Coan wrote this article.
2012 could not have come quicker for the Brumbies after a disastrous 2011 campaign, where everything that could have gone wrong did. The failures of 2011 have been well documented but now the Brumbies of 2012 are looking forward to showing what they can do on the field after a long pre-season that, for some, started way back in July.
There have been many changes around the club in what has been one of the biggest overhauls since the inaugural season of 1996. There have been sweeping changes with not only a new coaching staff, but also many new faces in the playing roster that has brought a new enthusiasm to the training paddock and with it some exciting new talent.
The biggest and most obvious change comes at the top with 2007 World Cup winning coach Jake White taking the helm of his first provincial team. With so much International experience, it is hard to imagine that this is Whites first time of coaching a team week in, week out although it’s a challenge he is excited to take on.
Joining White in the coaching ranks are Laurie Fisher, who returns to the Capital after three years as forwards coach of Munster in Ireland and Stephen Larkham who retains his spot as backline/attack coach following a shakeup of last year’s coaching staff.
It’s not only the on field coaching staff that has undergone a makeover with new strength and conditioning staff also coming on board. Led by Dean Benton whose experience in the industry is invaluable, the Brumbies have taken a new approach to their off field preparation. Key areas include nutrition with an on site canteen at their training headquarters and a focus on active rest which is of high importance to the professional athlete environment. Assisting Benton is Aled Walters who has been involved in Rugby programs all over the world including Taranaki in New Zealand and age representative squads in his homeland of Wales.
In past years the Brumbies squad has possessed a ‘who’s who’ with a wealth of Super and International experience. 2012 will be more of a ‘who’s that?’ with most of the squad yet to have a taste of Super Rugby.
Most of the departing players were part of the starting XV with over 700 Super rugby caps between them and replacing players of the calibre of Adam Ashley-Cooper and Matt Giteau, amongst others, will not be an easy fix. But Jake White knows a thing or two about winning and has recruited some of Australia’s best up and coming talent that could one day be household names.
An emphasis has been placed on youth with the average age of the squad just 23 years of age. Many of those new comers have been members of other state academy programs or sevens programs so they have the basis for making the step up to the big time.
White has stressed that there will be a rotational system in place to help the players develop and gain experience at the higher level. White […]
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