Brumbies clash during training
Tempers are flaring and testosterone “flying” around the ACT Brumbies' camp as competition for places heats up in Australia's front-running Super Rugby team.
|||Melbourne - Tempers are flaring and testosterone “flying” around the ACT Brumbies' camp as competition for places heats up in Australia's front-running Super Rugby team.
The Brumbies, undefeated after opening with a pair of superb wins over the Wellington Hurricanes and the New South Wales Waratahs, have little to complain about, but Wallabies winger Joe Tomane and prop Ruan Smith found cause for disagreement during training on Wednesday.
The pair became entangled during an intense field drill and team mates had to step in to prevent matters from getting out of hand.
“It's just the competitiveness of the side, all rugby blokes are competitive and everyone's pushing for a spot,” New Zealand-born loose forward Jordan Smiler told local media.
“Tempers are going to flare and you're going to get that on the field. But it's all love and respect afterwards.
“There's a lot of testosterone flying around and a lot of competition. When you're that focused on your job and you want to do it well, there's going to be that real competitive edge there regardless.
“If that's the way you train and the intensity, then so be it. You've got to train how you want to play.”
Finalists in 2013 and semi-finalists in the last two years, the Brumbies sense their championship window closing and are desperate to win a third title before they farewell a number of club stalwarts including captain Stephen Moore.
The intensity on the training track has also played out on the field with the Brumbies throwing themselves into a number of heated clashes with Australian arch-rivals, the Waratahs, during their win at Canberra Stadium last weekend.
Perth-based Western Force are next in the firing line, hosting the Brumbies on Friday. – Reuters