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The Aussie forward who is Super Rugby's leading try-scorer has a legend's record in his sights

Folau Fainga'a of the Brumbies. (Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Brumbies hooker Folau Fainga’a has Wallabies legend Joe Roff in his sights after becoming this Super Rugby season’s leading try-scorer.

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Fainga’a scored a hat-trick – all from rolling mauls – in the Brumbies 26-21 win against the Blues on Saturday and now has 10 tries this season.

The 23-year-old has five games to better Roff’s Australian record of 15 tries in a season, while Hurricanes winger Ben Lam has the Super Rugby record (16).

Faingaa was quick to shift the credit to the rest of his pack and joked he was more worried about copping it from teammates than breaking records.

“If I don’t score those tries the boys are into me during the week,” Fainga’a said.

“It’s pleasing (to score) but all the boys up the front do all the hard work and make it easy for me.

“It’s just part of my job, we don’t do the fancy stuff out wide the backs do, you’ve got to love doing the (tough) stuff and you don’t get bored of it.

“Guys like (Roff) are really respected players and if I break it, I break it.”

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar couldn’t wipe the smile off his face when told Fainga’a is now on top of the competition’s try-scorers list.

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“It’s brilliant, the wingers would be filthy,” McKellar said.

“It’s good to see, and Folau would be the first to thank the others up front. But he’s got an important role and a lot of responsibility on the back of the maul, you need to make a lot of decisions that people probably wouldn’t be aware of and he does it well.

“It’s not a fluke, we practice it a lot and the detail around it and we’re good at it. You’ve got to love doing it because if you’ve got one link in the chain it won’t work. And the boys enjoy doing it.”

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Nickers 29 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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