Rugby: Cowan's tour of duty with Brumbies on backburner

Jimmy Cowan returned to Super Rugby this year after two seasons with Gloucester. Photo / Getty Images

The Brumbies' double-dip visit to Eden Park is on hold. The Australian conference leaders want to inflict further misery on their Blues hosts but plans to assess Jimmy Cowan's halfback credentials are in limbo.

Cowan is on the Brumbies' radar as a replacement for their Wallaby halfback, Nic White, who is taking up a French contract at the Montpellier club next season.

The Canberra Times says Cowan is being looked at as a substitute with Springbok Fourie du Preez and French utility Frederick Michalak. However Cowan is off duty tomorrow for the birth of his second child, with Jamieson Gibson-Park starting and newcomer Jamie Booth on the bench.

White is a key part of the Brumbies' style and much of their play revolves around his decisions. He has a strong pass and mixes that with a busy running game and powerful tactical kicking game.

Cowan's game doesn't match the range of White's skill, but he's a proficient halfback whose experience helps him compete at this level. He returned to Super Rugby this year after two seasons with Gloucester.

The Brumbies have won five of their seven matches this season, losing to the Chiefs and Waratahs, and seeing off the Rebels, Force, Cheetahs, and the Reds twice.

It's not a results sheet that yells danger overload for the Blues, although the Brumbies are competent, well-drilled and organised. They have played in bursts and coach Stephen Larkham is looking for better work tomorrow.

Their defence has yielded just six tries this season, and they have notched 21 but missed too many for Larkham's liking.

"Our attack is a week-to-week proposition and we'll attack differently ... against the Blues. Our defence is the constant and I'm happy with that."

The Brumbies have a very competitive pack of forwards led by an all-test front row of Scott Sio, captain Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander with strong lineout targets, while former Wallaby skipper David Pocock is returning to strong form after his dreadful injury run.

White, Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano and Henry Speight offer bite in the backs where Lealiifano is also starting to find his goal-kicking accuracy again.