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Queensland Reds

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Mat Rogers is right, Wallabies on their way towards becoming a Tier 2 Rugby nation and Rugby Australia needs to fix this now

by Sports Benches

It’s time to be very honest and upfront to the board at Rugby Australia that this isn’t working where we keep on losing matches time & time again without any regular silverware for a very long time. 

First of all, please go back to having just three Super Rugby teams – NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds & ACT Brumbies. It’s something that worked before in the past and they should look to either create a national 2nd tier comp involving both Western Force & Melbourne Rebels or send both teams to some Asia-Pacific comp or even the Top League in Japan where they can compliment each other very well at that kind of standard.

Have a look at South Africa when they had to cut back 2 Super Rugby teams & sending them over to Europe at the same time back in late 2017? It actually worked out well for them, having went on to win a World Cup a few years ago while being able to beat the All Blacks occasionally which is what we should exactly be doing. They’re even one of the four favourite teams to take home this year’s World Cup too & despite not having the Cheetahs onboard when playing against International opposition sometimes in an annual European rugby comp right now, things are currently on the up for them.

Now yes, not everything we suggest can be perfect as we all see Rugby as an International sport compared to Rugby League & Aussie Rules Football. But then with League, they don’t have a Perth & Adelaide team & yet it’s going so well for them being as the fastest game in the country & even on earth. You might also argue that the Melbourne Storm is one of the most successful teams out in League but that sport is also observed by all Aussies, not Rugby where Melbourians would rather pick up a Football and play AFL, VFL or League with the Storm than playing Rugby for the Rebels. 

So no room to have another footy code there sadly no matter how much effort they put in to have an annual Super Round as well as the home Bledisloe Cup test match v All Blacks. The same goes to Perth where they’re not a traditional Rugby state despite a whole heap of investments thanks to Andrew Forrest, but the results isn’t there to back it up compared to our traditional state teams as it’s best if the Force & Rebels play elsewhere – nothing against them. All we want is for Rugby Australia to realise their potential in Super Rugby that would in turn help them win games again v the top International teams as not only we’re frustrated but NZ Rugby as well when the ABs are beginning to slip away from the Top 3-4 thanks to us here.

Please do us a favour and go back to the way things were that made Australia once successful in all fronts before both in Super Rugby (you only need three teams to be really successful v NZ teams every weekend in order to win championships) & Wallabies (selection structure would help too) while maintaining the national footprint by having a National Tier 2 comp or send both Western Force & Melbourne Rebels to another comp as well as investing more in grassroots elsewhere.

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Rugby

Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v Moana Pasifika in Week 14 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Jock Campbell has every reason to say why he’s an important member of the Queensland Reds backline in the wing and full-back roles, having re-signed a two-year contract extension. He was outstanding last night with two tries in the Opening 40. The credit is there from his team-mates when a mix of short passes and cross-kicks got the best of Campbell with pace, where he’s able to get the ball on time and plant it down on the TRY scoring area. And he can use the same attributes to when it comes to his defensive contribution. There’s a lot to look forward to from Jock going into next week v Crusaders, the Playoffs and the next two seasons; he’s also looking forward to help these Reds youngsters get used to Super Rugby level as well.

Speaking about future Reds stars, how about Josh Flook who filled in at outside centre last night alongside Hamish Stewart in the No.13 shirt. He just never stops running where Flook has been very destructive in the attack v Moana that helped his Reds side secure tries. Not only he can shield the Moana defense so Reds know where to plant down that bit of space, Flook can also run and beat one to two Moana players before he finds Fraser McReight with the assisted finish; now that is what we call it excellent communication and support play by the 20-year-old. Having played nearly every game so far this Super Rugby season across multiple backline roles, he hopes that his extended opportunities will help him hold the Crusaders accountable next Friday.

And you can’t underestimate Solomone Funaki’s physical aggression last night that made the Reds looked scared a couple of times for Moana Pasifika, where he plays No.6 at blindside flanker. He credits the teamwork there which helped him give a closer look of the Reds defense, especially when they’re attacking with the ball where a couple of his players worked well with Funaki together in all areas, so Moana know where to score. Unfortunately, a poor defensive response as well as some lost penalties held Moana back with the loss, despite the headstart after Funaki scored their opening try.

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Rugby

Queensland Reds secure a much-needed win v Moana Pasifika in Week 14 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

It was a brilliant game to watch last night in Round 14 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific at Suncorp Stadium, as Queensland Reds welcome Moana Pasifika. Moana fired off early with the headstart before before the Reds fought back with three tries in the Opening 40 at 24-10. Although, Moana made up some lost time in the 2nd half with another two tries on the board. However, the Reds have done enough to hold Moana back & safeguard this match-up courtesy of Harry Wilson with the win, 34-22.

Congratulations to Queensland Reds with a much-needed win v Moana after a string of consecutive defeats v New Zealand teams, even though the match-ups they played v Chiefs & Highlanders were unlucky. They responded really well after the early Moana headstart with a brilliant first-half performance, especially when Jock Campbell collected back-to-back tries. Now they will still need to improve their 2nd half performance which is something the Reds must face up v Crusaders next Friday. They haven’t scored much later on until Harry Wilson safeguarded the Reds home with his 70th minute try, although Tate McDermott’s amazing finish to this game was denied by the ref over a forward pass from Seru Uru. But they still need to put a full-match performance if the Reds are going to shock the Saders, as well as enjoy an extended run in the Playoffs beginning in two weeks’ time.

Moana Pasifika would be disappointed with the loss there, having been a great opponent against the Reds which is how Super Rugby should be like each week of this competition. They got the early headstart after Solomone Funaki opened their scoring account, as well as a comeback in the 2nd 40 with two tries from their back row forwards in Sione Tuipulotu & Henry Stowers. But a poor defensive response and some lost penalties have restricted the most of Moana’s attacking opportunities, where the Reds ran them ragged in return with the loss. They have two games next week to finish off their inaugural Super Rugby campaign at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland; one is the rearranged fixture v Western Force on Tuesday, followed by the Brumbies on Saturday.

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Rugby

Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v Highlanders Game in Week 12 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

One of Highlanders turning points during their 2nd half comeback is Folau Fakatava, who came on for Aaron Smith at half-back with 25 mins to go, and made an instant impact ever since. He was simply outstanding when Fakatava planted one assist and a TRY that helped his team move back on the Playoffs bubble in 8th spot with three regular games to go. He’s 22 with plenty of potential to be like Aaron over the next few years where Fakatava can be a real menace to defenders, especially when the Reds began to falter in the 2nd half and he took advantage of their decline that became his show on the pitch.

Next up is fellow Highlander Scott Gregory on the left wing at No.11. He credits the hard work from his forwards pack, who identified the Reds No.1 weakness which is the 2nd half and their finishing momentum. It gave them ample time to work things out with the ball before one Highlanders support runner covered the Reds up defensively, while Gregory did some damage where he laid an assist to Thomas Umaga-Jensen, as well as a TRY off the Folau Fakatava’s back hand pass that saw the Highlanders regain the lead later in the 2nd half. He just simply controls the game when dominating the attack with pace, as his services will be important towards helping his team stay in the Playoffs area with three regular games left.

And Lawson Creighton have no problems filling-in for the injured James O’Connor at the No.10 Reds shirt, where he played just like him when they were firing in the first half. He’s 23 with plenty of physicality to orchestrate the attack, such as that quick offload on the left short side to Jock Campbell, as well that cross kick also on the other short side to Josh Flook. These two scored tries all thanks to Creighton’s creative work, who is willing to learn and try to keep starting every week, so the Reds can continue to function with better competition in the years to come. But there’s still work to do when it comes to the 2nd half spell when they began to falter before the Highlanders came back to bite them.

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Rugby News Australia, Highlanders overcame two yellow cards to haunt the Reds in a senational comeback at Suncorp Stadium

by Sports Benches

It was another close match-up last night in Week 12 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific at Suncorp Stadium. Queensland Reds fired off as always in the first-half where they just held on a two-point lead at half-time, 12-10. But it’s the Highlanders, who overcame two yellow cards earlier on to a sensational comeback in the last 40-45 mins, that puts them back in the Playoffs bubble in 8th after their 19-27 win.

Queensland need to work on their 2nd half spell where the momentum just wasn’t the same as the 1st half; it’s has always been the case since they first faced NZ teams back in Week 10 v Hurricanes. They came from a long way when the Reds had to deal with injuries from James O’Connor, Hunter Paisami & now Taniela Tupou. And they managed to cope for half the time without them on the field, thanks to the team spirit installed by head coach Brad Thorn. It’s maybe some inexperienced players need on their toes when it comes to the 2nd half run, where the result may be different if JOC, Paisami & Tupou weren’t injured. However, these players can improve without their main men if they’re able to put on a full show, that will define the Reds’ position on the ladder with three regular games left.

And the Hurricanes may not have a great first 30-35 mins where they not only lost one but two men via the yellow card, as the Reds took control at the time. But they were back up and running though when it comes to playing a full XV, as well as a few changes off the bench that changed everything. The brilliant work from their forward pack made the backline’s life easier to execute, thanks to the Reds finishing weaknesses when the opposition’s fired off momentum began to falter. Then some fresh legs from Folau Fakatava competed the Highlanders comeback, where he was sensational with a TRY back pass assist to Scott Gregory followed by a TRY himself. And that is match-winning quality from the replacement half-back, who came on for Aaron Smith in the 55th minute.

The Highlanders will kick off Week 13 at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin next Friday when they welcome the Western Force from Perth. Meanwhile, the Reds will need to group their team spirit together for the full 80, if they want to shock the Blues at Eden Park next Saturday in Auckland.

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Chiefs saw off a late Queensland Reds threat with a two-point win despite being down to 14 men with five minutes left

by Sports Benches

It was a terrific close match-up between the two sides that kickstarted Week 11 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific after 80 minutes of play. The first-half run saw the Queensland Reds & Chiefs share the lead at half-time, 13-13. Chiefs continued their resurgence where they regained top spot, while the Reds fought back as of late. The Semipeni Finau red card gave the Reds some glimmer of hope thanks to Hunter Paisami’s TRY with three minutes left, but they unfortunately ran out of time with a narrow two-point loss, 25-27.

Reds were unlucky to lose at Suncorp Stadium by two points to the Chiefs. They fired off slow and steady through the two three-point penalty goals off fly-half in Lawson Creighton before Harry Wilson opened the scoring account in the 30th minute at Number 8. Although, they were still in contention despite losing the lead later in the 2nd half, on top of another two tries from Josh Flook and the crucial consolation big score in Hunter Paisami, that gave his side some glimmer of hope with only five minutes to go. They were unlucky not to be given time in the end to upsurp the Chiefs, especially when Creighton failed to convert into the goalposts after Josh Flook’s TRY in the 51st minute. However, the ill-discipline robbed the Reds’ momentum where a couple of lost penalties and two yellow cards against them saw the Reds fell short.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs were on the same page as the Reds in the first half with a couple of penalty goals before Cortez Ratima leveled the scoresheets at half-time. But their last 40-minute momentum has to be the turning point, despite the Samipemi Finau red card in the 75th minute over a high tackle on Fraser McReight. They were so dangerous in attack when the Reds couldn’t stop them thanks to their ill-discipline, having regained & extended the lead with another two tries before they held off a difficult opponent through a sigh of relief towards full-time. Credit to Samisoni Taukei’aho at hooker, who completed an execution masterclass that got the Chiefs back in front, while Pita Sowakula extended their winning share where he handled the Reds well with the scrum feed and their defensive half. And Bryn Gatland’s kicking is top-notch as always without error through the goalposts 100%.

The Reds will be back at Suncorp Stadium when they take on the Highlanders from Dunedin next Friday, while the Chiefs will return home to Waikato in New Zealand next Saturday night v the ACT Brumbies.

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Rugby News Australia, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v Chiefs Game in RD11 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Pita Sowakula put in a fantastic display at Number 8 for the Chiefs tonight. He demonstrated so much physicality alongside his tall stature, which gave the Reds a tough time along the way on their home turf at Suncorp Stadium. Sowakula handled the scrummaging like spiderman when the Reds weren’t communicating well before he was legally allowed to wheel at the right time where the rewards paid off; that contribution led to winning penalties and an assist to Cortez Ratima’s TRY just before half-time. And there’s more of Sowakula when he extended the Chiefs’ winning margin a bit further, with credit from his team-mates from the backline, who shared the workload in the attack, so Sowakula made the Reds pay the price over ill-discipline from close range past the TRY line.

Next up is Bryn Gatland at fly-half, who was exceptional in the Chiefs shirt ever since he replaced Josh Ioane in Round 3 this season v Blues. He has a brilliant knack for kicking in all angles that sends a message to the other best five-eighths in New Zealand, having converted all of the Chiefs’ three-pointers and tries between the sticks. He’s also not shy when Gatland has the ball in hand, whether flattening up the attack or bumping into the Reds’ defensive territory. Even though he left the field after 80 minutes of hard work with a minor bruise on the cheek, he’s happy to be the Chiefs’ playmaking and kicking machine every week before sniffing around the All Blacks selection radar.

And Tate McDermott is one of the best Reds players to learn & get along when he first got his breakthrough a few years ago. He’s lightning quick with his pace and passing that got the Reds up and running, especially in the 2nd half when McDermott got around Quinn Tupaea with some room on the far short side and assisted Josh Flook’s TRY in the 51st minute. He also laid another assist to Hunter Paisami with less than five minutes to go, thanks to the Chiefs being down to 14 men due to the Samipeni Finau red card. But unfortunately, it just wasn’t his night when ill-discipline left the Reds too little, too late to usurp in the end.

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Hurricanes blessed to have Bailyn Sullivan back from the sin bin where he lit up a sensational performance that led to their comeback win v Queensland Reds at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

It was an excellent Saturday night showdown at AAMI Park during the three-day Super Round weekend between the Hurricanes & Queensland Reds. Queensland fired off well where they were up in front earlier with a narrow three-point lead (14-17) at half-time, thanks to the Hurricanes’ disciplinary issues that took out Bailyn Sullivan at one point for 10 minutes with the yellow card. However, the Reds couldn’t find more points along the way while Sullivan’s return presented brilliant timing; when the Hurricanes began to climb back in contention before they dominated the 2nd half spell have confirmed this match-up as winners. The final score is 30-17.

The Hurricanes are on fire here at AAMI Park in Melbourne tonight. They would be disappointed with the ill-discipline when Bailyn Sullivan was taken off the field earlier on via a yellow card for 10 minutes. But he has never let the club down, though, when it comes to the ability on the field; He & Tyrel Lomax made up lost time & put the Hurricanes back in contention where they were three points behind at half-time. And the Hurricanes were able to continue that renewed momentum later on with another two tries on the board before they were well secure with the win, which is a brilliant rebound performance to watch.

Meanwhile, Queensland Reds started well thanks to the Bailyn Sullivan yellow card earlier in the 1st half. They were able to get away with only two tries from Hamish Stewart & Fraser McReight, where they just led by a small three-point buffer at half-time. Although, both the Reds and Hurricanes have disciplinary issues to sort out themselves. However, the disjointed attacking shape unfortunately let them down the most. You can’t win games through a couple of fumbles, particularly Filipo Daugunu; that handed the Hurricanes plenty of ball opportunities where the opposition got away handy with a comfortable win.

The Hurricanes will stay in Australia for a while with a week-long rest before they take on the Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra next Sunday. And the Reds will look to get back to winning ways against a New Zealand team when they will battle against the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday night.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Hurricanes v Queensland Reds Game in RD10 in 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

We have to say that Tyrel Lomax is tough as a rock down in the tighthead front row for the Hurricanes tonight. He brings so much physicality to the table where Lomax was there to rob the Queensland Reds’ scoring spree defensively. It came at the right time when Lomax benefitted from Bailyn Sullivan’s return off the sin bin that reconnected the Hurricanes team & also began to notice the Reds’ weaknesses with their attacking shape. Once the Reds were in trouble, Lomax further punished them with the support and communication needed to get the job done in any combination possible; the scrum/maul, phases to build some pressure, and execution past the TRY line. And with the Hurricanes being well safe in the winners’ circle, Lomax deserved a well-earned rest with two tries between half-time breaks after 67 minutes of play.

The next Hurricanes player to look at is Bailyn Sullivan, who plays No.13 in the outside centre role. Yes, he may not have had a good start when Sullivan had to sit 10 minutes on the bench with the yellow card. However, you cannot underestimate his hard work as soon as he came back on the field. The Canes are blessed to have their attacking shape working for the rest of tonight, with credit coming from Sullivan. He can combine the physical toughness that can not only filter out the Reds defensively, but he also adds some pace to execute in return with two tries scored v Reds here at AAMI Park. Without him, the Reds were in the lead earlier on before he came back to turn the tide that changed this match-up.

And one Queensland Reds player to look at is Fraser McReight on the openside back row in the No.7 shirt. He never stopped running and working hard all game, where his Reds team took advantage to get themselves ahead earlier in the 1st half. He also backed up his support runners back and forth while being roped in to protect defensively, which tested his physicality & guidance in this role at Super Rugby level. However, the Reds unfortunately let him down as a whole team when a disjointed attacking shape just faltered later during this match-up.

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Rugby News Australia, Queensland Reds overcame the Melbourne Rebels resurgence in the 2nd half with a four-point win at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

It’s been such a competitive game from both Australian Super Rugby teams to look back last night at AAMI Park. Queensland Reds off to a flying start with three tries in the 1st half. Meanwhile, Melbourne Rebels also responded well as of late, where they were able to snatch top spot off the Reds at one point in the 2nd half. However, the Reds still proved what it takes to rebound, hold off & win games, as the final score was 32-36.

Unlucky from the Rebels with the narrow loss at home, especially when they came off back-to-back wins lately against the Fijian Drua & Western Force. They credit the defensive shape that got the Rebels going before the home team accrued a couple of big scoring tries, in addition, to Matt Toomua’s brilliant conversions between the sticks. Without these top players the Rebels desperately needed to support their forward pack, it wouldn’t be possible to stay in contention. It’s just going to take more time when the Rebels couldn’t maintain the lead after the Reds bounced back in the last 15-20 mins of the 2nd half.

And the Reds are high-flying once again after their win last game out v Brumbies, followed by the well-earned break last week. They were so powerful when playing attacking rugby off the back from the Rebels’ slow start. Although, there are some weaknesses the Reds need to look out for with the discipline & defense, especially when the New Zealand teams begin to play them starting next weekend. However, a few fresh faces off the bench later in the 2nd 40 saw them land the home base 1st with the win.

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