As old mate Bob Dylan once wrote, “he not busy being born, is busy dying.” Last season, while Super Rugby’s newest franchise was being born in Melbourne, Australia’s most successful franchise was busy dying.

With the implosion of the 2011 Brumbies and the subsequent departure of Wallabies Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom, Adam Ashley–Cooper, and several coaches, the calls of “Bring out your dead” have been matched in true Monty Python tradition with shouts from Canberra of, “We’re not dead!”

Enter former Springbok World Cup winning coach Jake White, with a little help from the Brumbies alumni in the shape of Stephen Larkham, former Brumbies coach Laurie ‘ Billy Connelly” Fisher, and George Gregan.

Former Wallabies and current Japan coach, Eddie Jones gets a piece of the pie as a consultant. So, the Brumbies find themselves being rehabilitated, re-coached, re-sponsored, re-financed, re-structured, revived and alas re-born.

In the front row Wallabies Ben Alexander and Stephen Moore will be attempting to keep the new and inexperienced crop of youngsters from going backwards, but their workload will need to be assisted by the men around them.

Former Waratah lock Ben Mowen looks like he will captain the team. There is some tall timber in the shape of local product Sam Carter and former Bay of Plenty forward Leon Power, both of whom stand at 200cm.

In the backs the honest and uncompromising Pat McCabe will be called on to take the ball to the line and more, particularly on the counter attack. Hopefully he will be doing that from the wing or fullback position rather than inside centre, a role he was unmercifully called upon to fill (for reasons known only to Robbie Deans) during the Wallabies’ failed World Cup campaign.

He will be ably assisted by the promising Matt Toomua at fly-half, exciting young centre Robbie Coleman, former Western Force and Australian 7s centre Zack Holmes and the flying Henry Speight on the wing.

These talented players should develop well under the guidance of Stephen Larkham who will try to get his backline to emulate the free-flowing style produced by the Brumbies of old. It will take time.

This Brumbies fans will find themselves using clichés such as “We’re in a rebuilding phase.” That will all come from the senior players, coaching staff and management first though. It’s all true but it’s small compensation for the many fans wanting their team to return to the glory days.

The Brumbies will win a few games that they were not expected to win and undoubtedly play with the pride, courage and enthusiasm that one would expect from a young team. Hopefully under White they will be a happy group and bring back their fans with some attractive rugby.

Their supporters deserve it.

The killer is that depth of talent, playing standards and experience are all required to do well in this, the toughest of provincial competitions. Over the years there have been few surprise successes.

There will be few surprises, if any, from the Canberra based franchise. The Brumbies will continue to struggle. At this stage they simply don’t have the players.

However they have been reborn and at least they are breathing. Now they must grow quickly.

Fearless Predictions
Australian Conference: fifth
Overall Competition: Making up the numbers