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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Melbourne Rebels v ACT Brumbies Game in RD4 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Tom Banks was outstanding last night at full-back for the Brumbies, where he’s got so much pace and physicality when he has the ball on hand. He credits the back end of the Rebels’ poor start that allowed his forward pack to build the momentum, so Banks and his backline can get around the opposition through the gate with patience over time. And when you look at the support players around him, it’s amazing to play around and be in-line through the channels before Banks wrapped this up quick and easy, whether it’s through an assist or a TRY himself!! We’ll wait and see if he can translate this Super Rugby form into International level for the Wallabies later this year.

Then look over his shoulder when it comes to team-mate Tom Wright on the right-wing in the Brumbies No.14 jersey, as he accrued two tries throughout his full 80-minute spell. He has the same characteristics and traits to burn, like Banks, with some rugby league touch, having run around and communicated well when there were numbers around him. Once these support players fed the ball to him, Tom knows what to do to finish the job and he tormented the Rebels defense into shreds. He’s such another outstanding player to watch, who has everything to unpack & execute within attacking football from the wing.

And Matt Toomua was blessed with a couple of returning stars to the Rebels last night despite the loss, especially when they made up some lost time after the break. Not only did he help them grab some extra points when converting inside the two goal posts, but he also ran a lot before he planned out the attack with the ball on hand, that saw sub loose forward Richard Hardwick struck the Rebels 2nd big score within 10-15 mins to go. It’s just a poor first 40 that left the Rebels too late to catch up while the Brumbies extend their lead, even though it was over 86 minutes of play. Toomua is an important Rebels player to get along nonetheless, as he looks to help them climb out of the bottom as this Super Rugby Pacific season continues.

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Rugby News, Waratahs fought back in the 2nd half but not enough to get past the Brumbies in RD3 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

What a way to close out Round 3 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific, having witnessed such a close encounter with the Brumbies v Waratahs Saturday night match-up last night. Brumbies fired off with the early lead in the first half (17-6), although the Tahs have made up for some lost time after the break but fell so short by seven points (27-20).

The Brumbies were so organized when it comes to their forward pack, especially in the first 40 with two tries on the board. They handled the Tahs well thanks to the opposition team’s poor start, where they took great use in return while building persistence before the Brums were able to get the job done. Now the home side may have begun to falter with the Tahs rebound in this next run after half-time, despite the additional TRY from Irae Simone in the midfield. However, a few late changes and a huge defensive shift towards the end saw the Brumbies come out unscathed.

Meanwhile, unlucky from the Tahs with a much-improved team after half-time, where they almost extended this game through golden point & have an extended shot towards upsetting the Brums in the process. The change of attack spearheaded by fly-half Ben Donaldson saw him successfully find his path through the gate, having called out 1-2 support numbers, such as Angus Bell & Will Harris, to finish the playmaking work for him. They just wished they marry up their brilliant 2nd 40 into the first half, when a poor start saw the Tahs fall left behind before they left it too late with not much time to stay in contention.

The Tahs will be back playing on 2 pm next Sunday v Western Force at Leichardt Oval in Sydney, while the Brumbies travel to Melbourne on Friday night v Rebels at AAMI Park.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Brumbies v Waratahs Game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Hats off to Rob Valetini who was outstanding last night on the blindside back row at the Brumbies, as he never backs down every time Valetini has the ball on hand. It goes to show that Valetini has so much physicality and some speed to burn down, having played a huge part in the Brumbies’ fantastic first-half performance that includes a try for himself. And he’s blessed to contribute in this forward pack while firing on all cylinders, where Valetini was rewarded with Wallabies experiences by his side at Super Rugby level.

Next up is Nick Frost on the second row at No.5 for the Brumbies, where he also put in a full show last night. Like Valetini, he has the tall and physical package that kept the Tahs quiet under his toes, especially when Frost made good use of the opposition’s slow start earlier on, before he held them back defensively. The Brums did pull him off the bench for a bit after he started 70 odd minutes, but he came back two minutes later where Frost prevented the Tahs from leveling the score into golden point. Imagine what Frost could do all game with credit from a productive Brumbs forward line, having scored the team’s 2nd try in the first half, as it wouldn’t be possible to get the job done without him.

And Ben Donaldson gave the Brumbies a few nightmares when running into their end, especially in the 2nd half, as he was the standout player last night at fly-half for the Waratahs. We love how he injects some pace and kicking power when Donaldson has the ball in hand, in which he can control the ball whatever he likes to play with the attack. His two assisted tries to Angus Bell & Will Harris after half-time have put the Tahs back in the contention, that almost went into extra time & have another shot towards winning, but they just left it too late following their poor start in the first half. He’s 22 right now with so much playmaking and kicking quality potential to nail down a starting Tahs spot at No.10 every week, as his contribution will send a much decent threat to any other Super Rugby team out there under his watch.

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Rugby News, Western Force too good v Melbourne Rebels on their home turf at AAMI Park tonight, Week 2 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

It’s been a long time coming after 287 days, as Melbourne Rebels get to play at home in Round 2 of the Super Rugby Pacific v Western Force at AAMI Park. The first 20 minutes may be quiet for both teams, with the Force up ahead early in the first half, while Rebels just took the one three-point goal. But it’s the away team (Western Force) who found it too easy to nail down v Rebels by 25 points, 3-28.

The Force looked stronger than ever off the back of their 2021 season, even though they were so close to upsetting the Brumbies with the narrow loss last week in Canberra. They showed patience and teamwork for the majority tonight that led to a couple of successful big points, having dug deeper after the first 20 minutes of play when the Rebels lacked their attacking fire & possessed messy discipline. That’s how the Force took control of this game with Tim Anstee onboard with the first-half TRY. And they continued to increase their winning margin after half-time through Kyle Godwin via the penalty scrum feed, where the Force wrapped this up comfortably through another five-pointer touch score by sub utility back, Byron Ralston.

Meanwhile, the Rebels always know how to get the ball rolling defensively. They won a few penalties along the way including the three-point goal between the sticks from Matt Toomua at fly-half. However, they made plenty of ill-disciplinary mistakes, mainly full-back Reece Hodge, who received a double yellow card that turned into red. And the Rebels were also disorganized when trying to get the job done with the ball on hand despite the winning penalties, which is disappointing to reflect through a 25-point loss after full-time.

Rebels will now head off to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, QLD on Friday night v Fijian Drua where they both seek their first victories of 2022. And the Force will host their first home game this year at HBF Park in Perth, also on a Friday night local time v Queensland Reds, which is straight after the conclusion of Drua v Rebels match-up.

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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.

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Rugby News, NSW Waratahs v Queensland Reds RD2 match-up of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific at Leichardt Oval

by Sports Benches

Great to see the long-running New South Wales v Queensland rivalry return for another year last night, even with the wet conditions that went extra competitive while playing through the rain. Both teams were level at the break (10-10) after a close first 40 with one TRY and penalty goal apiece, but it’s the Reds who ran away in the end with another win by a narrow four-point buffer (16-20) at Leichardt Oval.

The Reds fired off very well with the early head start thanks to Jordan Petaia with the TRY & James O’Connor for the kicking and assist to Petaia, having shown patience when they had the ball in hand. Although they were tested with the scrum at times that led to lost points over to the Tahs’, the away team though managed to come out unscathed. We love how they took care of the ball with excellent planning and communication thanks to the Tahs’ mistakes in the 2nd half, which eventually gave sub-back rower Ryan Smith a way to get past the Tahs’ through the gate down low. Excellent teamwork by the Reds’ players and their use of substitutions that got the best out of ways to win games by their head coach, Brad Thorn.

Meanwhile, the Tahs’ responded well to the Reds’ early start when exposing the opposition’s weaknesses in defense, which has helped them level at half-time, 10-10. The scrum looks spot on with or without the ball feed, where Will Harris successfully converted into a TRY during the first-half at No.8 alongside some winning penalties. However, they were just unlucky not to hold them off until the end, not to blame Ben Donaldson’s brilliant kicking into the goal posts at fly-half. A few mistakes made in the 2nd half with a poor line-out, isolated executions, and defense eventually cost them by a narrow four-point margin.

The Reds will now travel to HBF Park in Perth next Friday at 7 pm local time/10 pm AEDT where they will face the Western Force, while the Waratahs will have their first away game of 2022 next Saturday night v ACT Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra.

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Rugby News Australia, Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Reds game in RD2 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

In another week running of the new Super Rugby season, the Queensland Reds were blessed to have co-skipper James O’Connor by their side at first five-eighth. He always used the best of these penalties, especially with the successful kicks into the goal. And that cross-kick assist towards Jordan Petaia for the five-point score during the first-half is unbelievable, thanks to the communication built by the Reds’ forward line so JOC can unleash his magic.

Next up, Ryan Smith has to be the game-changer here off the bench for Angus Scott-Young on the blindside, which gave the Reds some fresh legs to help themselves get past the Waratahs in the end. He has a very clear vision to unpack even with a bit of space thanks to his tall build at almost two meters. With Ryan on board, the Reds needed his help in a bid to dismantle a pack of Tahs’ defenders past the TRY line when they felt so 1-2 meters short, before he dived in down low and grounded the ball first that turned out to be the game-winning score.

All in all, JOC started and finished the game for the Reds in style under the rain, while Smith made a huge difference later in the 2nd half that helped the Reds pull off what they desperately needed in 1st place (16-20).

And the Tahs may be gutted with the narrow loss last night, but one player who stood out is Will Harris at Number 8. He had an outstanding first-half run that puts the Tahs on level with the Reds at half-time (10-10), when not only did he collect a TRY himself via the scrum feed, but he also kept a close eye on the Reds and held them down defensively when the opposition lacked numbers. We love how he outsmarted Reds’ half-back, Tate McDermott, when he pulled the trigger once the Tahs’ stayed square & finished off against Angus Scott-Young past the touch line. Unfortunately, the Tahs made a couple of messy mistakes towards the end. Not only did it isolate their finishing opportunities with the ball, but it also exposed their defense before James O’Connor kicked the ball into touch after the 80th minute and it’s too late.

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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.

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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.

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NSW Waratahs v Fijian Drua Game Review in R1 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

After a winless 2021 campaign of 13 games, the Waratahs have finally ended their long-running drought last night with a comfortable 40-10 win v Fijian Drua at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, NSW.

It’s great to see the Tahs forward pack make up most of the work earlier on in the 1st half at 21-3, where Will Harris and Dave Porecki added a couple of big scores through the TRY line with credit to the Drua’s dirty work via the advantage. They’re able to build on that comfortable start after the break when another forward at tighthead in Angus Bell produced two brilliant finishes, one for an assist to Inside midfielder, Lalakai Foketi, and another for himself thanks to the offload from the returning Jed Holloway on the second row. And their skipper at half-back, Jake Gordon stole a messy Drua attacking shape, when he intercepted the ball on the 10-metre line & ran over halfway on the run home that summed up the Tahs flying start to 2022.

Meanwhile, the Fijian Drua may not get what they wanted with the loss during their first game at Super Rugby level. Their series of disciplinary mistakes not only worsened their defense but also limited their time in the attack against the Tahs territory, especially at one point in the 2nd half. They just rushed through it with numbers all over the place, before Jake Gordon exploited their weakness & ran off over half the pitch towards the touch zone that cost more huge points on the board. There are some moments made, however, when fly-half Baden Kerr scored their first-ever points on the board, while we covered skipper & No.8 Nemani Nagusa on the Top 3 players list, who scored the Drua’s first-ever TRY later in the 2nd half. It’s still early days though as it will take time to become competitive, especially when facing the Australian and New Zealand teams regularly.

The Tahs will remain at home next week, but this time they will be at Leichardt Oval where they will welcome another State of Origin rivalry v the Queensland Reds, who will be facing the Melbourne Rebels at (Suncorp Stadium) home in Brisbane tonight.

Meanwhile, the Drua will head off to Canberra for another tough encounter v Brumbies at GIO Stadium next Saturday at 2.35 pm.

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