1. Brumbies make a statement for Canberra

The Brumbies' strong win against a woeful Jaguares side all but guarantees they will finish on top of the Australian conference and will be regarded within the ACT as particularly poignant given the chatter earlier this year about a forced merger. No one is kidding themselves about the quality of the Australian sides but the Brumbies' achievement is well deserved. They have been well led by Sam Carter and inspired at times by the departing Scott Fardy and the rejuvenated Henry Speight. Add a dash of youthful promise in Joe Powell and Tom Banks and you have a franchise that is clearly in better nick that its rivals. Stephen Larkham will depart at the end of the season but the systems that will keep them competitive after his exit look set in concrete.

2.​ Dean Mumm should have known better.  

He's an intelligent man Dean Mumm. Which is why he should have known that getting involved in a lifting incident, in New Zealand, with the British and Irish Lions about to arrive, was asking for trouble. The infamous 2005 incident involving Tana Umaga, Keven Mealamu and Brian O'Driscoll has had a lasting impression on the game and although the Mumm incident was not on that scale, officials have taken a dim view of two players lifting another ever since. Highlander Elliot Dixon landed relatively safely in the crucial second-half incident in the Waratahs' loss in Dunedin but that was probably more to do with the actions of Paddy Ryan than Mumm, who clearly bent down and lifted the Highlander from his legs up. The Waratahs were dreadfully hard done by in other decisions but the more I watch the Mumm incident the less I have an issue with the card that followed, after initially thinking it was an injustice.

3. Jake Gordon's glimpse of the future.

Nick Phipps' injury could open the door for Joe Powell and Jake Gordon to make the Wallabies squad and at this stage of their careers it is hard to say definitively which one is more likely to kick on. Gordon was excellent when he came on against the Highlanders with his pace and direct running. Those attributes are not a secret but it doesn't make it any less difficult to stop, especially when allied with Gordon's willingness to run into bigger bodies. Both prospects could do with a few more kilograms to survive Test rugby but there is certainly a lot of potential there.  

4. The Reds have never recovered from winning Super Rugby.

When did the rot start in Brisbane? Probably from the minute they won the title in 2011. Since then there has been a string of poor recruitment and retention decisions and confusion about how to play the game. They were abject against the Force on Saturday night. For three long years now the Reds have shown an inability to deal with any in-game adversity and their inability to tackle legally, in round 14, shows there isn't a lot of quality coaching going on. This is a franchise in the wilderness, essentially in need of an intervention but without a governing body that has the clout to do so. These are very difficult times for a heartland rugby state, and it is a major factor contributing to the sense of national crisis.  

5. Force coaches have emotional intelligence.

One thing to admire about the Force coaching panel of Dave Wessels, Shaun Berne and Joe Barakat is that they seem to be in it together. They provide a united front in the coach's box and it is something that is being reflected on the paddock. Whereas the Reds looked like they were making a lot of defensive decisions individually, the Force had a clear plan and stuck to it. But what struck me as particularly perceptive were Wessels' comments during the week in which he effectively gave his players a free pass for the poor display against the Highlanders last week. It set the tone perfectly – forget about it and move on, because you are better players than that. There is a good deal of EQ at the Force as well as rugby IQ.

Team of the Week

1. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)

2. Josh Mann-Rea (Brumbies)

3. Allan Alaalatoa (Brumbies)

4. Rory Arnold (Brumbies)

5. Adam Coleman (Force)

6. Ross Haylett-Petty (Force)

7. Sean McMahon (Rebels)

8. Amanaki Mafi (Rebels)

9. Michael Ruru (Force)

10. Peter Grant (Force)

11. Marika Koroibete (Rebels)

12. Billy Meakes (Force)

13. Curtis Rona (Force)

14. Henry Speight (Brumbies)

15. Israel Folau (Waratahs)