Tag:

Melbourne Rebels

Rugby

Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Melbourne Rebels v Western Force Game, Week 2 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Izack Rodda worked really hard on smashing through every blow of the Melbourne Rebels defense tonight. He brings valuable Super Rugby and overseas experience by his side on the second row at the Western Force, which helped play a part in their win at AAMI Park. It’s so easy to look through the lens when it comes to the Rebels’ ill-discipline mistakes and their lack of numbers, thanks to his fantastic two-meter height plus the packed physicality. And he provided the Force plenty of chances to get the job done, before they took these for granted with a few tries & successful kicks that made Rodda’s game easier to play around. Since he had a well-deserved rest after 70 minutes of play, Rodda hopes to recover in time for next Friday’s home clash v Reds and continue tormenting opposition defenders throughout this Super Rugby season.

Next up is Force team-mate Ian Prior at the starting half-back role, who heavily contributed with two assisted tries and plenty of converted points tonight v Rebels. Not only did he look after the Force’s attacking shape with great care and talk-up that helped them execute past the Rebels, but also his brilliant kicking skills when clearing out & converting inside these two goalposts. He’s been at the Force for many years now with plenty more left in the tank on offer, as his presence both on and off the pitch will help them put this team on the hunt towards more breakthrough success at Super Rugby level.

And Michael Wells never gave the Western Force an easy go at Number 8 for the Melbourne Rebels. Every time a Force player runs into him or his team-mates, Wells is always there to tackle plus push and shove that may have given him some pain, but he never backs down. Credit to the Rebels forward back and defensive contribution, where it helped them win a few penalties. It’s just the messy discipline & the miscommunicated attack, has played a part of their huge loss tonight, however. He desperately needed the attack to combine with their defense that can go a long way towards winning games & stay in the fight long-term.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News Australia, Queensland Reds v Melbourne Rebels Game Review in RD2 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

It’s been a wet and wild night when playing under the rain at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, especially during the 2nd half as the Queensland Reds came out firing on top with the win v Melbourne Rebels, 23-5.

Brilliant start by the Queensland Reds, who kickstarted their 2022 campaign with the early lead. Like how they were patient while sorting out their attacking shape, when Harry Wilson at No.8 produced a short-ball assist to Taniela Tupou towards the TRY line that bagged them five to seven points. Although they were able to extend the scoreboard lead a little further ahead of the break at 13-5 thanks to the two penalty goals from James O’Connor, but the Reds need to watch their discipline if they are to stop the Rebels from scoring after half-time. They later managed to wrap this up comfortably even in the uncomfortable wet conditions, thanks to another Harry Wilson masterclass with the TRY this time via the short-ball assist from O’Connor. And full-back Jock Campbell rounded off the Reds’ 3rd and final TRY of the night in the 80th minute.

Meanwhile, the Rebels were excellent as always when it comes to the defense. They read it well when the Reds were not up to scratch earlier on, as one of their winning penalties/advantages was successfully converted into a TRY via a five-meter line-out, thanks to Brad Wilkin on the openside flanker role. They just need to be a bit more patient when being given the ball, watch the opposition sink with more mistakes and the Rebels can see light at the end of the tunnel come full-time. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t make the most of these opportunities when it comes to sorting out their attack & trying to get past the Reds zone. Not even the heavy rain has changed the game that much later in the 2nd half.

The Reds will head off into New South Wales where they will face the Waratahs on Friday night at Leichardt Oval, as both teams are in the Top 2 right now on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with the Brumbies v Western Force game to come tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Rebels will return home in Melbourne for another Saturday night clash in 7 days at AAMI Park v Western Force from Perth.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v Melbourne Rebels Game in RD1 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Well done to Number 8 Harry Wilson, who played a big part in the Queensland Reds’ opening-round win for 2022 v Melbourne Rebels tonight. He brings so much to the table that a Number 8 usually contributes on the field, such as smashing through the opposition territory, spotting the Rebels mistakes defensively & building teamwork before he combined all of these skillsets that helped the Reds successfully unleash past the TRY line. And to top it off, he walked away with one assist in the 1st half via a short-ball offload towards Taniela Tupou on far left, plus a TRY for himself later in the 2nd half thanks to an inside pass from James O’Connor. He even clearly grounded the ball down just on the TRY line which was enough to award him a big score!!

Then we look at another Reds player on display, this time it’s James O’Connor at first five-eighth, who just played his 100th Super Rugby game tonight. The kicking through the two posts was brilliant as always, which helped extend the Reds’ early lead further in the first half. Beyond that, he’s an exceptional playmaker when organizing the attack through the channels. Not only does JOC love to create cross kicks as one way to get past the opposition through the gate, but his vision & leadership when offloading to his men with some room, have helped exploit the Rebels past the TRY line. And that one example where he assisted an inside pass to Harry Wilson, in another successful five-point touch score after half-time is exceptional teamwork planted right there.

These two men are key to the Reds’ hot start in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific campaign, should they seek another successful spell even they will be facing the New Zealand teams at some point.

And Brad Wilkin did well to spot the Reds’ mistakes earlier on with some ill-discipline defensively. It allowed his Rebels side to put the pressure back to the home team, when being given the ball where Wilkin was blessed with the penalties that saw him nail down five points by himself via the five-meter line out. But a lack of executions & patience has let him down that led to more Rebels mistakes of their own, not even the heavy rain didn’t help change their game that much.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

2022 Super Rugby Pacific Preview

by Admin

2022 is a big shakeup for super rugby. The competition includes three new teams and is now exclusive to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Despite the changes, this season should still be incredibly exciting.

Australian Teams

The closest thing we have had to super rugby over the last three years was the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman series last year. It was a series in which the Australian teams struggled massively, only winning two games against the five New Zealand teams in the competition.

It looks likely to be another year where Aussie teams will struggle. The Brumbies once again look to be the pick of the Australian teams despite the Reds winning their first domestic title in Super Rugby Australia last season. The Queensland Reds will be looking to compete thanks to a variety of international players like Taniela Tupou and Tate McDermott.

The Waratahs, Force and Rebels will all be looking for spots in the knockout stages, but it will not be easy. The Waratahs do see captain Michael Hooper return for 2022, but they still look to be towards the bottom end of the table. Both the Force and Rebels have lost a lot of test experience over the last year and it will sadly hurt them this season.

New Zealand Teams

After dominating the Trans-Tasman series last year, it looks to be another Super Rugby season dominated by Kiwi teams.

Favourites for their fourth title, the Crusaders have a wealth of international talent led by two time reigning player of the year Richie Mo’unga. Their talent also includes Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, George Bridge as well as recent addition Pablo Matera. They may have some competition for their fourth title in a row.

The Blues are welcoming back Beauden Barrett, while still having internationals like Rieko Ioane, Nepo Laulala and Dalton Papalii. They come into 2022 off the back of winning the Trans-Tasman series. The Chiefs could be a surprise this season despite the losses of Damain Mckenzie and Lachlan Boshier. The Chiefs have one of the most talented set of forwards in Super Rugby which could dominate any team on any day.

The Highlanders and Hurricanes both have a huge amount of talent on the squads. But the Highlanders will struggle having lost a third of their starting XV from the Trans-Tasman final. They have a brilliant leader in Aaron Smith, but will struggle to progress in the tournament. Similar situation for the Hurricanes with some major losses coming into the season. But the Hurricanes add Dom Bird and TJ Perenara and could surprise a few people this season.

Two New Pacific Teams

This season features two new teams, both based in the Pacific Islands. After many years of lobbying, the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika will join Super Rugby. Starting with the Fijian Drua. They have had a difficult preparation for Super Rugby due to COVID issues, meaning the squad is based on the NSW North Coast as they could not prepare in Fiji. It looks like the team will need some time to adapt to Super Rugby’s intensity. Their squad contains Olympic champions Napolioni Bolaca, Kalione Nasoko and Meli Derenalagi. Don’t be surprised if Fijian Drua make a push for the knockout stages this season.

The second new team is Moana Pasifika, made up of players from New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Australia, including 18 former or current internationals. Much like Fijian Drua, it will be a season of getting used to Super Rugby for Moana Pasifika. 110 capped Australian Sekope Kepu is captain for the 2022 season, bringing a huge amount of experience to the new team. Moana Pasifika will be very exciting in the upcoming season, but don’t expect them to be near the top of the table come the end of the season.

The Loss of South African Teams

The reshaped 2022 Super Rugby does not include any South African teams, after their Super Rugby licenses expired after the 2020 season. It does seem odd going into a Super Rugby season without the Bulls, Sharks, Lions or Stormers. Their exclusion opens the floor up a lot for either the New Zealand teams to take over or opportunities for the new teams or the Australian teams to step up.

Super Rugby is going to look very different this season. Losing the South African teams is big for the competition. Despite not competing with them domestically, South Africa is still playing against New Zealand, Argentina and Australia in the Rugby Championship. It does show some disjointed thinking when it comes to Super Rugby’s thinking. But the 2022 changes bring plenty of opportunities for Pacific Island teams who have been trying to get into Super Rugby for years.

Predictions

In this new look Super Rugby, it looks as if it will be a few years until the new teams or the Australian teams can compete with the talent of the New Zealand teams. 2022 looks to be a similar story.

Working from the bottom up, I think the four teams that are likely to miss out on the knockout stages are most likely to be the Rebels, Force, Waratahs and Moana Pasifika. These teams just don’t have the talent to move any higher. In terms of the teams to get stuck at the quarterfinals, I could easily see these teams being the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Fijian Drua and the Brumbies. The Brumbies could be the surprise package this year, with the talent their squad possesses.

But this season will be dominated by the New Zealand teams. The Reds will be the exception to this, looking likely to at least reach the semi-finals. In an emotional season, the Chiefs will also be targeting a semi-final push, but it may be slightly too difficult for them to get past either of the two teams left.

These two aren’t exactly surprising to anyone who has followed Super Rugby over the last five years. The Blues welcome back Beauden Barrett after his time in Japan, the team has talent in all areas. But the Blues don’t quite have the two time reigning Super Rugby Player of the year.

I think at the end of the season, the Crusaders will lift their fourth title in a row. A team with Richie Mo’unga, Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Sam Whitelock and Joe Moody is too much talent for any team to compete with when you reach the knockouts. The Crusaders will win their fourth title in a row.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman Week 5 Saturday Summary

by Sports Benches

It may be difficult for me to keep up with a few sporting events at the same time in a busy weekend which is so huge to cover so had to rest up at times with managing my body. But I will put in a summary of what we have seen so far from Week 5 of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.

First of all, we will start with the Crusaders here and they may have won all five games so far in this cross-border competition between the Australian and New Zealand teams. That includes yesterday afternoon’s encounter v Melbourne Rebels at Leichardt Oval, New South Wales at 52-26. But they unfortunately did not meet the 33 point margin & bonus point requirements to pip The Blues for next weekend’s final.

It did not go the Crusaders way when The Blues had a big head start v Western Force in the 1st half at 28-0. The Aickland-based side were almost blown off by the Force’s fantastic comeback after the break alone but not enough time to catch up in the end at 31-21. So it’s an all New Zealand showdown once more at Eden Park & see who will take home this trophy ahead of the International leg which kicks off next month.

Then we go to Brookvale Oval for the final regular Super Rugby Trans-Tasman game as NSW Waratahs welcome The Chiefs from Waikato. Chiefs pulled away with the early lead before the home team registered a late first touch just right on half-time thanks to a Will Harrison cross kick that sent Mark Nawaqanitawase flying up high. But it’s the visitors who stole the show when Sean Wainui collected a whopping five tries at 7-40 that sums up the Tahs frustrating 2021 test.

We were excited to see them battle against the Kiwi counterparts beforehand after a wonderful 10 weeks of Super Rugby AU. But it’s no fun seeing the Australian teams fall way behind with only two wins out after five rounds in the 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman which saw all five of them out of the Top 2 almost immediately. There are some good moments however when it comes competing against the best, and it will benefit them in the long term from 2022.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Australian Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman RD1: Melbourne Rebels v Blues Report

by Sports Benches

The Blues gone ahead early with the three point penalty goal from Otere Black. As Melbourne Rebels struggled to find their way past the away side. Having cleared away with the kick a few times. But they did expose the opposition defensive test. That earned them a winning scrum before Matt Toomua levelled the score 3-3 after 10 mins. It did not detract the Rebels struggles to clear the Blues pack. When the scrum collapsed against their way through the second reset feed. And saw Black complete another three-pointer goal after 17 mins. The score is Melbourne Rebels 3-6 Blues.

Rebels defense may still be robust. While The Blues rushed through going forward on occasions that stopped them from scoring full points so far. But it is the home side who got hit with lost penalties along the way. Thanks to the Blues strong possession in the Rebels territory they extended their lead. Score is Rebels 3-9 Blues after 26 mins courtesy of a penalty goal from Black. Followed by another three points to the Blues with 8 to go towards half-time. When the Blues forward pack were so strong driving straight. That saw Melbourne struggle to clear the scrum feed with the referee giving that next penalty go the away side. Thanks to Karl Tu’inukuafe who plays at loosehead prop.

Going into half-time The Blues scored their first touchdown of the night. As Melbourne struggled to get their throw-in straight. Despite a few recent penalties won closer to the touch line. So does Adrian Choat who plays on the openside flanker for the Blues. He had to spend ten minutes in the naughty chair. Before the away side got away with the cross-kick towards the far right at the 50 meter mark. Seen Marika Koroibete struggle to mark the ball alone with no one to cover him. And that is how The Blues found a way through the opposite short side. With Tom Robertson scored the first full points recipient as skipper on the blindside back row. Half-Time is The Blues 3-17 Rebels.

Blues continued to extend their lead going into the 20 point mark. Having remained strong with the scrum feed. As well as plenty of flexibility via the counter attack. That saw the away side use the best of the wide areas to get around the Rebels half. Where Hoskins Sotutu make up the 2nd touchdown tonight at Number 8. Even though Michael Wells tried to prevent the ball being grounded on his opposite dial. Rebels 3-24 after 47 minutes. Followed by another touchdown with Sotutu via the patient scrum feed. Which demonstrated the away team so powerful in this area. Rebels 3-31 Blues.

On the other hand the home side were left with impatient conversions. Especially when they did not have much lost time through the ball on hand. That led to more leaked points where Blues got past the Rebels territory from Josh Goodhue. Before Akira Ioane made an immediate impact off the bench for Adrian Choat in the 52nd minute. And helped further extended the Blues lead for the five touch points at 3-36 with 15 minutes left. Then entered the 40 point mark through sensational passage of play. Before Harry Plummer made a cross kick towards the far left for AJ Lam that touched down too easily. It is a 40 point gap going to The Blues at 3-43. With less than 10 to go and Akira once again scored another touchdown. As seen though the patience shown via the winning penalties & attacking setup. The away side reached half-century for the win in Melbourne at 3-50.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman RD1: Top 3 players from the Rebels v Blues Game

by Sports Benches

We will start with Karl Tu’inukuafe at loosehead prop for The Blues. Where he made a big contribution last night. Both to look after the defense. Alongside his attacking offerings that hurt Melbourne.

He possesses a great read which is important to protect his zone. Especially when the Rebels were struggling for some support up front. And not only he helped mark one or two players. Karl also had a look at their scrum feed. Even when Joe Powell has the first feed in against his side. That is how he used his packed muscle to lock them out with the collapse.

It convinced the referee to give the ball to The Blues. Where they made up a couple of successful three pointers. Followed by a couple of touch scores. Karl did not even have to complete the whole game. When his side were good to go towards an easy win. After he came off for Ofa Tuungafasi in the 52nd minute. At 135kg it is hard to get past this sort of stature like Karl. If any one cannot get back up. Whether when they tried to clear out or score tries. Then he will hold them back. And let his Blues side execute with the hard work he put in.

Akira Ioane

There are so many Blues players who made such an impact. But I will have to go to Akira Ioane off the bench. This side were a bit of trouble. When Adrian Choat was punished in the naughty chair. It was exactly in the same role he played on the openside back row. And since Akira came on Blues seemed to be settled with him.

He was so involved going forward in all areas. Especially when his side were able to get around the Rebels half. Got himself ready towards the execution. Based on a wonderful read to keep that passage of play. Before Akira unpacked it with so much physicality & pace. And that is how he touched down both scores to make it half-century. Even in the 2nd 40 alone.

I may not have followed Super Rugby Aotearoa for much this year. But Akira did his fair share to put himself back at No.7 next Saturday. He is such an impact player who changes the game. The defensive test is demonstrated. When he gets to read the opposition bring isolated without numbers. Before he was blessed through the patient attacking setup. And that helped him execute into an even all-round star. It is something any opposing team would be punished by his attributes.

Rob Leota

It is so hard to get through such a big loss against them. Even on their home crowd at AAMI Park in Melbourne. But only one player who did his best last night. And that is Rob Leota who plays at lock. So on the left hand side (No.4) at second rower.

The defensive setup was there at the beginning. Where the Rebels kept it simple along the way. He read well with The Blues earlier handling errors. As well as the improper communication going forward. It gave them a few resets for his side to try and get themselves ahead. As well as a few winning penalties. Where the Rebels only kicked one three point goal.

But unfortunately his side were unable to make up the attack. Especially when they struggled for support numbers. So does the poor line-out. It sums up the miscommunication which forced The Blues hand. Not only it limits their chances with the ball. It ultimately gave their forwards a hard time to defend. That is how Rob expressed his frustration post-game last night. He may be happy to play against five New Zealand teams. Which is going to be a long-term benefit. But needs help to unpack the best of the attack next time. If they are to stay in contention for the full 80. Especially with a change of head coach recently in Kevin Foote.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Australian Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby AU Week 10 Report: NSW Waratahs v Melbourne Rebels

by Sports Benches

It was an instant start from Melbourne Rebels with the first touchdown. Especially when Frank Lomani made a great line break past the Waratahs gate. Having kicked the ball further. Before Rebels held off Jack Maddocks alone. And gave some time to execute that big score. Thanks to Matt Toomua who put in a great cross kick for Stacey Ili to finish. Waratahs 0-7 Rebels after 2 minutes.

Waratahs however made their first points on the board. After the Rebels were penalised with the offside twice. That is where Ben Donaldson was able to clear it straight between the sticks. As the home side just four points behind the Rebels at 3-7. Followed by a one point ball game at 6-7 going into the 10th minute. With the Rebels continued to make disciplinary mistakes via the offside.

But it does not mean the Rebels took their chances wisely through the ball on hand. Having extended the scoreboard lead to six points (6-12). They kept the scrum square before finding some space for thethe clear offload. Michael Wells was the second touchdown recipient who plays on the blindside for Melbourne. Waratahs on the other hand struggled without the ball on hand when it comes to the defense. They saw lost valuable points when Toomua cleared the penalty goal. Rebels extend their lead to nine points after 17 mins at 6-15. Despite this Isi Naisarani was slapped with the red card following the high tackle on Jeremy Williams. Then a punch or two against Lachie Swinton.

Rebels may lost a man for the next two minutes leaving a 14 player field. But it did not really detract their progress too much. Especially with more chances with the ball on hand. While the Waratahs have not turned around. The away side pushed another three points via the penalty goal. It is a 12 point difference (6-18) after 25 mins going to Rebels. Before Waratahs bounced back despite not having the perfect passage of passes. But used the short side to get the job done. Thanks to Lalakai Foketi who made a great offload to Mark Nawaqanitawase for the touchdown. Score is 11-18 to the Rebels after 31 mins. Followed by an instant three-point penalty goal to 11-21 from the away side.

Waratahs however are not out of contention. They were patient with the ball on hand with the number of phases built. And still able to get around the Rebels via the wide areas. Where the talk up was there to keep the passes going through the channels. Foketi once again got involved more on the far left alongside Nawaqanitawase. Having found Jack Maddocks with the execution towards the touch line. But Melbourne Rebels still have the upper hand at the break by just three points, 18-21.

Immediately after the break Melbourne Rebels able to return to their initial run. Having held on going forward via the winning penalties. Such as the maul stayed square before Rob Leota touched down. As the away side extend their lead to 10 points at 18-28 after 43 minutes. Waratahs meanwhile have lost at times. But never gave up when the home side won a couple of penalties against the Rebels. And saw Dave Poecki make up the touch score. In which it is now a three-point ball game to the Rebels after 50 minutes at 25-28. Before Melbourne saw the back of the Waratahs weaknesses in the defense. Where they took advantage of the three-point kick into the goal. The game is not over yet. But still a six-pointer (25-31) between the two sides after 53 minutes.

Rebels followed up with another touchdown that further extended their lead. The patience is there going forward. Having seen the Waratahs struggle to find some decoy runners. As they were exposed defensively via the lost penalties. Before the maul was good enough for Matt Gibbon to complete that execution. It is 15 minutes to go with a nine point buffer going to the Rebels. The away side may have seen two players sent to the bench. From the sin bin for James Hanson to a straight red in Pone Faamasulli. But Rebels still managed to hold off for the win by nine points at 25-36. While the Waratahs finish their 2021 Super Rugby AU campaign without any wins at all.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby AU Week 10: Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Rebels Game

by Sports Benches

Michael Wells put in a great shift tonight on the blindside for Melbourne. Where he was blessed by a brilliant fire off. Thanks to the backline who took the pressure off his forward line. As well as the build up defense that gave themselves chances.

The word chances mean a lot of control every time they have the ball. Having benefited a great offload via the scrummaging. And used these Waratahs weaknesses to get the Rebels side ahead.

His team may have suffered lost penalties along the way. Which did see two red cards. But it does not mean that the Rebels would go down. Instead they never gave up with the build up base. As well as the opportunities given with the ball. And used it wisely to get maximum points on the board. Before they hold off till the end.

Matt Toomua

He was a great contributor to the Rebels attack tonight. Where Matt was involved a lot more going forward. Such as working closely with Joe Powell via the offload. As well as a series of penalty kicks into goal.

Especially within a few minutes into the first half. Thanks to a brilliant break from Frank Lomani. Got his forwards hold down Jack Maddocks alone. Before Matt unleashed that cross kick towards the short left side. And saw Stacey Ili collect that early touch points on the board.

It goes to show that the Rebels plan very well. Every time they were given plenty of chances with the ball. And never wasted a single minute of it. The only thing that lets them down is the ill-discipline. Which is something he is not happy about. Having seen two of his players received a straight red. But in the end he accepts the win & the derby cup v Waratahs. Despite not being accepted into the finals this year.

Lalakai Foketi

This man was so good in that Waratahs midfield tonight. Where he assisted two early tries in the first half. In which helped them stay in the game towards half-time.

He credits the Rebels weaknesses via the ill-discipline. Especially when they were patient going forward. Thanks to the influential skipper at half-back from Jake Gordon. It allowed some time to warm up and wait for the ball. Before Foketi has great control. And found his man via a close distance to help complete the TRY.

So much pace and physicality through the channels. Having seen him break past the Rebels chain via some space. Which allows the communication to flow. But unfortunately his side still fall short. After a couple of lost penalties punished against them. And that prevented them from crossing the finish line first in the end. It has been a tough 2021 Super Rugby AU for this side. But they better move on towards the Trans-Tasman leg.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Australian Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby AU Week 10 Preview: Waratahs v Melbourne Rebels

by Sports Benches

Saturday night marks the end of the 2021 Super Rugby AU round robin play. Where the Waratahs host Melbourne Rebels at BankWest Stadium. Both sides came off losses on their own after Round Nine.

Waratahs are out of the finals now after seven straight losses in 2021. But all they can do now is end their tough season on a high. Their last ever win was against the Rebels during Week 9 last year at 32-38.

Rebels on the other hand need two things that can do their way. One is to see Western Force lose. And two would be to beat the Waratahs. So they can head to the Playoff Final for the 2nd straight year.

The away team has the upper hand during Week 5 in Melbourne. Where they beat the Waratahs 33-14. Rebels did win as the home side in Sydney last year 24-10. Due to rising COVID cases there at the time.

Waratahs

Angus Bell & Harry Johnson-Holmes both remain in the props. Alongside Dave Porecki at hooker. With Hugh Sinclair & Max Douglas behind them. Before Lachie Swinton, Carlo Tizzano & Will Harris make up the back row. That remains unchanged from last week v Western Force in Perth.

So does Jake Gordon who skippers at half-back. As well as Ben Donaldson in 1st five-eighth. James Ramm & Alex Newsome on the wings. Lalakai Foketi & Izaia Perese pairs up in the midfield. And Jack Maddocks rounds off their XV.

Subs

Joe Cotton replaces Tom Horton as reserve booker. Tetere Faulkner & Darcy Breen in the props. Michael Wood & Jeremy Williams backs up for Sinclair/Douglas. Charlie Gamble at loose forward between 6 & 8. Jack Grant behind Jake Gordon. And Tane Edmed at utility back.

Melbourne Rebels

There will be a fresh duo in the props department. Cameron Orr in at loosehead & Cabous Eloff gone to tighthead. James Hanson replaced by Jordan Uelese at hooker. Robert Leota joins Ross Haylett-Petty in the second row. Michael Wells moved from 8 to blindside flanker. With Brad Wilkin at the openside. And Isi Naisarani back into Wells old slot No.8.

Joe Powell & Matt Toomua stays in the 9 & 10 combo. Same goes to two speedsters on the wing. Marika Koroibete on the left & Frank Lomani on the right. As Campbell Magnay & Stacey Ili make up the midfield. Before Tom Pincus rounds off the Rebels starting XV for Saturday night.

Subs

James Hanson demoted to the bench behind Uelese. Matt Gibbon & Pone Faamasulli in the props. Steve Cummins as reserve for Leota/Haylett-Petty. Rich Hardwick & Josh Kemeny at loose forward. Carter Gordon & Englishman George Worth makes up the utility backs.

Final Thoughts

Waratahs have improved in some areas as of late. Thanks to the return of key players. Such as Jake Gordon, Izaia Perese & Angus Bell. It even balanced the youth who need guidance from the experienced. Where they were so good during the 2nd half alone last week. Just need to stay patient & get ahead early from start to finish. If the Tahs can do that then they have a great chance of winning.

Rebels on the other hand are great defensively. Which did influence their positive starts. Like the winning penalties & safe shot penalty kicks. But did not have the best time in the attack. Where the executions did not go well. Thanks to the ill-discipline. And that is one thing they must answer ahead on Saturday. Or else there may miss out the Qualifying Final.

It will be a reinvigorated Tahs v under pressure Rebels. I will go for the Tahs to end their losing drought by 6 points.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail