White piles pressure on 'favourites' Reds

Mon, May 3, 2021, 7:00 AM
Nathan Williamson
by Nathan Williamson
The Brumbies book their berth in the Final after outlasting a gritty Western Force.

Despite coming in as the defending premiers, Brumbies halfback Nic White has placed all the pressure on the Reds ahead of the Final.

The Brumbies booked their spot in the Final with a 21-9 win over the Western Force at GIO Stadium.

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This confirmed a rematch of the 2020 Super Rugby AU Final, with over 40,000 expected to flock to Suncorp Stadium on May 8.

With the bookies inserting the Queenslanders as favourites, White believes that the Reds have held that tag ever since the start of the year.

“Everyone’s spoken about the Reds all year. It seems like they came out before the season as favourites and they have played very good footy,” White said on Monday.

“They are a good Rugby team and we’re going to have to be at our best to go up there and beat them.

“We feel confident we can do that. There’s certainly a hell of a lot of pressure on them.”

The Brumbies have established themselves as the premier club in Australian Rugby over the past years, finishing in the top four in five out of six seasons.

Whilst White admitted that the Reds have deserved the hype, he was quick to remind them of their ongoing success.

“We’ve been consistent for a while now down here. They’ve been building for a while….it seems like they’ve been favourites for this competition since the beginning, before Super Rugby and throughout it,” White said.

“They’ve shown why. They’ve lost one game and played well all year. They’re a good side but we feel like we’re a pretty good team, too and we’re looking forward to it.

“We’re happy for them to be favourites. There is a feeling that everyone needs them to win, wants them to win."

“If we have to go up there and play the game of spoilers, we will because here’s a reason this game is being played, there are two teams out there on Saturday night.

“Whilst we’re underdogs, that maybe free’s us up a little bit to play some Rugby and put them under a little bit more pressure than they already are.”

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After two thrilling encounters, the Wallabies halfback was more than happy to play spoilers come Saturday, suggesting that the underdog tail will free them up after a tight Qualifying Final victory.

The Brumbies will be sweating on the fitness of back-rower Pete Samu, who hobbled off the field with a knee injury.

Whilst they were still waiting on scans, coach Dan McKellar was hopeful that he would be fit for the decider.

It’s a rematch of the 2020 Super Rugby AU decider as the Reds host the Brumbies on Saturday 8 May at Suncorp Stadium, kicking off at 7:45pm AEST. Click here to purchase tickets to one of the most anticipated Rugby matches of the year.

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