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Highlanders run wild to secure a big win v the Fijian Drua to move up in sixth ahead of the regular season finale next weekend

by Sports Benches

Week 14 of the 2024 Super Rugby Season ended with a rare Sunday afternoon game at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, between the hosts Highlanders and visitors Fijian Drua. The first half belongs to the Highlanders fair and square 18-0 with two tries and penalty goals whereas the Drua despite showing some attacking threat couldn’t get themselves over the in-goal line. 2nd half might have seen Drua at last register the one & only points off the penalty goal. However, the boys from Dunedin continued to hammer them with more tries on the board that the home supporters was so happy to see, with Finals expected to be around the corner thanks to their huge win 39-3. Now bring on the regular season finale next weekend where it’s going to be a tight race to secure the 8th & final spot before we look ahead to the three-week Finals starting Friday June 7.

There is one man who is great at overcoming adversity such as an ACL knee injury two years ago followed by a foot injury last year and his name is Jona Nareki who plays on the Highlanders left wing. He has electrified the team this afternoon with his excellent pace having been supported by his numbers up front that reflects his two-try performance v Fijian Drua. Let’s hope he can kick on & stay injury free as his side is now ahead of the Rebels in 6th thanks to the bonus point win with the Hurricanes next on Saturday. Then there’s another attacking Highlanders player you need to know and it’s Jacob Ratimaitavuki-Kneepens from the back at No.15. He’s someone who is tall, never stops running & also kicks around having injected the extra dimension his side was after with one TRY for himself earlier on while he played a key  influence for his wingers by his side like Nareki and Timoci Tavatanawai. He’s come from a long, long way where he learned so much after being around Waikato & the Blues setup with finals now being well & truly locked in to have an extended run from here.

And 20-year-old No.10 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula just became the second Fijian Drua player to reach 100 points after he scored the one and only three-point penalty goal earlier in the 2nd half. He’s got the mobility and creative eye at 5 ft 9 in that gave the most out of the Drua’s attacking chances on occasions including a great start earlier on where his side were almost there to lead the Highlanders in Dunedin. It’s unfortunate that the Drua couldn’t get the job done before they struggled to stop on its own that reflected such a huge defensive mess where the Highlanders had a great sigh of relief & they too have been exceptional in return as he needs their huge home support to get the Drua going with pride ahead of the Rebels on Saturday.

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Queensland Reds hit nearly 60 to deny the Western Force’s hopes of making the Top 8 with the big win tonight at Suncorp Stadium

by Sports Benches

Queensland Reds fans just enjoyed another brilliant night on home turf tonight at Suncorp Stadium having been well secure to play Finals this year outside the Top 4 in 5th following an easy win v Western Force 59-13. From the start, the Force had some glimpses with a couple of penalty goals to chip it in even though an attempted TRY at the stroke of half-time was unfortunately denied by the TMO referee due to a knock-on as the Reds collected a couple of big points along the way 22-6.

Then nothing much changed later on where the Reds continue to extend their lead including the completion of another good hat-trick story from Tim Ryan while Fraser McReight scored back-to-back tries in quick succession. Force might be the the last to close out the game with the one and only consolation seven-point TRY whose heavy loss tonight puts them in a difficult position to try and just make the Top 8 when they will fly back home to face the Brumbies next Saturday night but the winner goes the Reds way ahead of the regular season finale meeting on Friday v Waratahs at Allianz Stadium in Sydney following their loss last week that isn’t easy for away teams to play in Fiji v the Fijian Drua. We still got one more game to go to finish off Week 14 of 15 with the rare tomorrow match in Dunedin between the Highlanders v Drua, then the 6th-8th places will remain open for one last time other than the Top 5 teams that are well and truly confirmed up the ladder before it’s Finals time.

Tim “The Junkyard Dog” Ryan loves scoring tries for fun having became an instant favourite amongst the fans for the Reds this year on the right wing following his hat-trick performance tonight. He is someone who has blistering pace who can do anything dangerous with the ball on hand as long as he’s got his numbers there to set up towards the finish line for him and what a talent Queensland has got in their talent production line at Ballymore!! Then we look at another of the Reds’ finest home-grown talented players in none other than Fraser McReight on the openside back row at 7 where he made such a huge difference such as nailing down defensively while being able to score some tries too. This is the man who is also well established in the Wallabies squad as he will look to make the No.7 green and gold shirt of his own in the years to come in place of veteran Michael Hooper but for now, he’s here to help Reds win games every week & with previous finals experience on his belt, he believes that his side can achieve even more beyond the last eight like the ACT Brumbies do all the time.

And versatile back Bayley Kuenzle is the jack of the all trades after he finished the Force’s difficult night on a high not long before full-time with a late TRY and also a conversion kick too. He’s happy to get as much game time as he needs having been in Perth for three years now after he grew up in Sydney and then played for the Brumbies that reflects his important skillsets at Super Rugby level, so he can learn to improve in order to get better and better with the likes of Nic White and soon Darcy Swain from next year again would help him achieve his next personal best. For now, there’s still a long way to go where the Force despite some promising signs earlier on haven’t been good defensively while picking up ill-discipline for the most part.

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Chiefs see off late threat from the Melbourne Rebels thanks to a Damian McKenzie penalty goal with the close win 23-26 at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

Last night was such a thriller between the Melbourne Rebels & Chiefs at AAMI Park with the Rebels got the first TRY while Chiefs make up the most of their maximum points via penalty goals and the one TRY. The half-time score was Rebels 11-13 Chiefs. Second half saw the Chiefs extend their lead thanks to their advantage despite having the first TRY attempt being knocked on by the TMO.  Although the game wasn’t over just yet when the Rebels make up back-to-back tries in quick succession where they almost gave a win for everyone supporting at home after they were 23-23 all for a bit, but then an unfortunate lost penalty with only 1-2 mins on the clock saw the Chiefs seal another penalty kick with the win 23-26. Chiefs stay in fourth on the ladder for now while Rebels hang on 6th with another one bonus point going into Rounds 14 and 15.

Damian McKenzie is the Chiefs main man who can get the extra dimension into play with an outstanding knack of kicking into the two posts at 10. Great to see him pass on some good leadership skills that puts his Chiefs team on the map even including under advantage so they can get the job done as being tested with his creativity and direction in attack & sure he still has lots to offer where his spotless kicking conversions has saved the day with the narrow win v a threatening Rebels team. Next up is Chiefs’s No.12 at inside centre/second five-eighth Quinn Tupaea who put in an excellent physical battle to help his side stay ahead. Glad to see him unpack that powerful grit through the Rebels’ wall where the rewards paid off including at the maul en route to his team’s 2nd TRY as if he’s one of the team’s superheroes & he will keep on doing this to win from here. The Chiefs were so relieved to win this game thanks to a great start but then they need to watch out and take advantage with the ball under pressure where they were almost run over by the Rebels. They may be in the Top 4 for now where hosting the home Finals is crucial like it was before but have a tough task ahead with Hurricanes on Friday & then Blues to finish up Round 15. 

And how good was Lachie Anderson when he almost guided the Rebels home 23-23 all until a lost late penalty saw Damian McKenzie seal a successful penalty kick for the Chiefs win by three points, with two tries on the board throughout the 2nd half on the right wing. His speed skills isn’t without question who can get things done quick smart – as seen with the sevens circuit in the past as well as his XVs career where he spent the last few years playing for the Rebels in Melbourne & he’s improved so much with so lots more to come if he keeps on bagging tries like this. Speaking of the Rebels, they’ve come from a long, long way having played so well by dominating the pitch for the majority, but unluckily lost if it wasn’t for the inconsistent play as still no word if they will be back playing next year. There is still two games left & maybe a bit more when it comes the Quarter-Finals with the ACT Brumbies in Canberra next Friday before they will finish off the regular season in Fiji against the Drua .

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2024 Super Rugby Season monthly report after Round 12: A change of lead on the ladder with some teams going up and down

by Sports Benches

The last four weeks of the 2024 Super Rugby season saw some great success with the New Zealand teams still going strong minus the Crusaders still unluckily, while the Australian sides have proven that they are up to the challenge that would make a huge difference to their upcoming Wallabies campaign later this year with three more regular rounds to go.

Then it’s all about Finals Footy once again to round off the season campaign after this from the quarter-final followed by the semi-finals and the Grand Final.

New Zealand teams

The Blues recently became unstoppable having just surpassed the Hurricanes on top of the ladder yesterday as they just got the Highlanders, Crusaders & Chiefs to go, which shouldn’t be too hard to go into the Finals with plenty of optimism for a fourth title. Hurricanes as said haven’t done too bad at times without Cameron Roigard but still had some tough times against Blues yesterday & the Brumbies two weeks ago in Canberra, let’s see if they can hold keep on winning where Moana Pasifika should be easy while Chiefs & Highlanders is a bit difficult.

Chiefs also had some easy wins in recent weeks against the bottom 3-4 teams & the race is on for the Waikato side to hopefully get the job done that might be a bit challenging starting with the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday followed by the Top 2 teams (Hurricanes & Blues). Meanwhile, Highlanders recovered well from their worst trip v Reds (31-0) in Round 9 by putting themselves back in the Top 8 at 7th with some good wins even though it wasn’t pretty. Yes, things are going to get difficult when facing the Top 2 sides other than Fijian Drua in Round 14 but sure they can cause a storm like it was before. 

And last but not least the Crusaders who got themselves another win in Christchurch two weeks ago v Rebels 38-0 with some great improvements to see at times. However, time is running against them as they really need to win big, which won’t be easy against Brumbies & then Blues other than easy finish v Moana Pasifika to hopefully make the Top 8 just in time after Round 15.

Australian teams 

ACT Brumbies are still high and flying bar the Blues loss back in Round 9 as they still sit 3rd with an easy run-in that would hopefully give themselves a good Finals run and then end the drought to take home the trophy. Queensland Reds on the other hand returned to winning ways other than also a close Round 10 loss v the Blues. Now the run-in might look a bit difficult when the Drua is so strong on the home front while they got a few being injured but then you got the Western Force at home followed by the Waratahs again shouldn’t be too hard to seal a good run-in v Chiefs or Brumbies in the Quarters.

Western Force also has a great strong home atmosphere off the back of wins against the Crusaders back in Round 9 & the Fijian Drua last night, which puts them back on track towards an outside possibility of playing Finals footy with the Waratahs next up followed by Reds away & then the Brumbies after that. Then don’t know what to say about the NSW Waratahs when they are at their lowest ebb once again with so many being injured other than two lucky wins v the Crusaders with more losses going against them. The only positive I can say that they’ve put in their best effort to hopefully get themselves up first at the finish line, but then they’re last right now with two difficult games to finish it off (Force & Reds) other than Moana Pasifika.

And the Melbourne Rebels are still hanging in 6th with three tough games to go with two being at home, such as the Chiefs on Friday followed by the Brumbies and then the Drua away in Fiji. It all depends on the other results but they will still make it even it means an extra week of playing considering the Crusaders are still struggling with the Waratahs going way worse. Then the big question mark is whether or not if the Rebels will be back next year & beyond who is still broke despite recent on-field success? We still don’t know when you got a businessman-led consortium group ready to save the club from liquidation but then the powers of Rugby Australia has the final say at Rugby HQ with still no resolution to either stay or go at this stage.

Pasifika teams 

Well, Moana Pasifika had their moments earlier during the season where they were flirting with the Top 8 bubble a few times here & there. However, a recent string of losses meaning they will unfortunately miss out as progress will take a bit more time before Moana can start winning more games from here; They got the 2nd-placed Hurricanes next up followed by the Waratahs & Crusaders, even though all of their final three regular season games are going to be played within New Zealand.

Same goes with the Fijian Drua who always have an outstanding home atmosphere in Lauktoka, Fiji like the Force bar the Hurricanes loss back in Round 9. They might be able to play another week of Finals this year depending on other results with the next two games being at home against the Reds & Rebels other than the Highlanders in Dunedin but their away form still much leaves to be desired which is gonna bite back to haunt them including the 48-10 loss v Force last night in Perth. That is going to be their next big step alongside a new head coach with Mick Byrne agreeing to step up with the national team soon.

Post-notes

2/3rd in with three regular weeks to go as the race for 6th-8th is still on where we could still see an odd upset or two on top of the continued Australian teams’ winning progress & the battle for 1st & 2nd between the Blues and Hurricanes, with the lone Australian side Brumbies and the Chiefs being the outside favourites as they’re all locked up with the QF hosting rights.

While the Reds will surely end up in 5th, The Rebels and Highlanders would most certainly be a given as the Waratahs are unable to improve anytime soon with more injury hit-lists in the treatment room. And who is going to claim 8th?

It’s going to be between the Drua, Force and Crusaders – with the Crusaders hopefully getting the last remaining Finals spot, even though things weren’t the best where lots of new guys have a huge job to fill after so many people including a few big-name players and even the head coach in Scott Robertson getting the All Blacks job have came and gone in the off-season.

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The Blues now tops ths Hurricanes on the Super Rugby ladder with three weeks to go after a close four point win at Eden Park

by Sports Benches

Week 12 of the 2024 Super Rugby Season saw the best of the best teams take on each other during the twilight Saturday at Eden Park in Auckland, which was the 2nd best Blues hosting the leaders Hurricanes from Wellington. The first half saw Bryce Heem kickstarting the match with the early lead for the home side while the Canes were so good at bouncing back along the way as Blues lead 14-10 despite another late Hurricanes where they didn’t make the best of their conversion kicks.

Yes, that weakness might have finally changed when the Canes scored back-to-back tries in quick succession after the break to hold the lead for the first time. Unfortunately, that was short lived with the Blues going on to reclaim the top spot and then extending it with more tries on the board including a penalty goal later in the 2nd half. The door might not be closed just yet when the Hurricanes continued to bounce back that sets up a wild snail race to the finish line but then it was too little, too late with little time remaining to snag a late match-winning TRY as the Blues win at home by only four points in Auckland, 31-27.

Bryce Heem launched the Blues attack wide open on the inside centre at 12 that puts his players on the front foot earlier on including a TRY for himself. Gotta say he’s still up to it against the best of the best in Super Rugby v Hurricanes, having started for nearly the whole time & sure he still has unfinished business for his Blues side to dominate the entirety of this season (both the ladder and grand final) at 35.  Next up is another experienced Blues player in Angus Ta’avao who made an immediate impact to frustrate the Hurricanes during the 2nd half off the bench as the reserve front rower. He’s the perfect man to weather the storm where the Blues were able to get the extended lead under his watch before he and the Blues were able to escape in a race against time after they successfully kicked into touch with a four point win at home. The Blues now lead the Super Rugby ladder with three rounds to go as they will be back at Eden Park next Saturday night v the Highlanders in the search of their fourth title since 2003 & these two key players are here to guide them all the way & get another trophy.

And Peter Lakai did his best to push his Hurricanes over the line on the openside back row at 7 with excellent fight to keep the Blues in check. He too can get the job done as well as being able to stop the Blues in his tracks that reflects his brilliant potential. Yes, the Canes were unlucky to scrape past the Blues as the clock ticks down; but they just couldn’t take advantage of their 1st half performance even when the opposition had 14 men before they walked on eggshells towards the end which sadly didn’t end so well. They might have a bit of an easier run-in since the Hurricanes are well & truly safe into the Finals despite losing top spot now to the Blues. Moana Pasifika (9th or 10th placed) is next up on Friday night as interesting to see if they can keep on winning even without Cameron Roigard when playing v Chiefs & even Highlanders (both again) after that.

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Queensland Reds shut down the Crusaders with a huge 28-33 win in Christchurch for the first time that goes back to Round 5 in 1999

by Sports Benches

So there we have it, it’s great seeing a Australian Super Rugby team taking the win on New Zealand’s turf and it’s the Reds who won v the Crusaders in Christchurch for the first time in 25 years that goes back to Round 5 in 1999 at the old Jade Stadium 23-36. The first half saw the Reds off to a flying start where they were leading 7-14 at half-time despite the one late Crudsaders TRY, with back-to-back tries from Fraser McReight & Tim Ryan. 

Then the 2nd half was a high scoring one as the Saders cancelled Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen’s early 2nd half TRY where they were level on points 21-21 after two quick tries in quick succession. But a series of late 2nd half sloppy mistakes went the Reds way which proved so costly, even though a late comeback wasn’t enough to nail them down as the clock ticks down to full-time. Although the Crusaders do take home the one bonus point, but again, this game has to be the Reds moment who has now beaten both 2023 finalist in the Chiefs and now Crusaders as they leapfrogged the Melbourne Rebels (coincidentally will be their next game) to 5th on the ladder with four rounds to go. Final score was 28-33.

Gotta say that Reds Number 8 Harry Wilson is sending the message to Joe Schmidt (new Wallabies coach) as to why he has unfinished business after his terrific performance v Crusaders on their turf in Christchurch. He wouldn’t mind bulldozing defenders one bit with the ball on hand as being tested at scrum & line-out time and it seems like he’s better at 1 v 1s as if he’s an individual athlete with a really tall stature, having deflected David Havili’s kick at his danger zone that went his way for the Reds try himself to stop the Saders from stealing the lead. 

Meanwhile, look out NZers as “The Junkyard Dog” Tim Ryan made such an instant impact from the minute he made his Super Rugby debut for the Reds last week at age 20 v Blues. He continues to cause problems like a sprint track athlete where no one couldn’t stop him this time with two tries against the Crusaders. He’s also a bit over 6ft tall similar to Max Jorgensen at the Waratahs as both can play anywhere in the backline – they’d even be a dangerous combo in the hope Joe can fast track Tim in the green & gold shirt like Max sooner rather than later. Great to see the Reds continue on the winning track in recent weeks (3-in-row now) following their big moment for the first time in 25 years in Christchurch with plenty of optimism ahead & they will be playing Melbourne Rebels next up at Suncorp Stadium (home turf) on Friday. 

And Quinten Strange has been breaking the Reds down in order for his Crusaders to find their way through the gate on the second row at No.5. He credits these winning penalties so he can get his head down with a mix of strong steel and really towering eye that puts them back in contention during the 2nd 40 including one for himself to tie the lead. Yes, they were unlucky to fall short as they can still just make the Top 8 with four rounds left, but a poor start including a number of errors later on saw the Reds win instead.

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Highlanders def. Western Force in a scrappy tug-o-war with the one point win on home turf at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin by 7-6

by Sports Benches

Saturday night’s Super Rugby match at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, NZ was a tug-o-war for both of the bottom four teams on the table – the hosts Highlanders and the visitors Western Force from Perth. The first half was really quiet for the first 30-35 mins but the Force snagged the one successful penalty goal going into half-time by 0-3. Then the Highlanders have responded well with the one and only TRY from their No.9 Folau Fakatava in the 47th minute and although the Force might have won another penalty or two where they eventually found the second three-point penalty goal, but they were so fortunate to wrap up the night with a huge sigh relief including the home fans. The final score was Highlanders 7-6 Force.

Despite some injury cloud within the Highlanders dressing room, they now move to 8th ahead of Moana Pasifika with five rounds to go while the Force remain last after the Crusaders won for the 2nd time in a while last night in Christchurch v Melbourne Rebels 39-0. With that being said, Highlanders will jet off to Tonga v Moana Pasifika next Saturday afternoon as let’s see if they can overcome the visitors strong crowd to follow up another win to keep their Top 8 hopes alive. Force, on the other hand, will continue their NZ trip once more but then it will be even tougher v the Chiefs in Waikato next Saturday night.

We’ll start with Jake Te Hiwi on the inside centre at No.12 for the Highlanders who is not only defensively sound but can also smash it and create a hole for his team-mates to finish the job done as well. It goes to show he wears the shirt with pride considering he’s from there and has gone through the ranks that earned himself an opportunity to earn his stripes at Super Rugby level as his brute physicality and the way he talks up with his players saw the best out of him tonight. If one 22-year-old isn’t enough for the Highlanders fan to be excited about, how about Oliver Haig on the No.6 blindside back row? He might have grew up in the UK but moved to NZ during his teenage years and he’s loving his rugby here ever since. Surely the physical battle suits him perfectly in the best of both worlds and hemispheres whose showings tonight reflects how capable he is to push the Force out of his way and make them hard to beat defensively while he can back things up and shield the opposition with a brick wall going forward. Still a long way to go but if they can help keep the Highlanders on the right track & play Finals again, then that would be great for both Otago and NZ Rugby as these two here are future All Blacks material.

And Argentinean Santiago Medrano has been a huge part of the Western Force side for a few years now except 2022 after he put in a huge shift to try and stop the Highlanders in his tracks on the front row at tighthead. He’s tall and he’s got brute to muscle his way through the gate when his side won possession earlier on that saw his team-mate Ben Donaldson snag a late penalty goal just before half-time. Unfortunately, the Force just couldn’t make things work when their attacking executions was so isolated with 1-2 numbers having to do all the work by themselves despite having the advantage, which in turn let him and his forwards down defensively. The Force will have to give their all if they are to win the next odd game here and there.

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The Chiefs explosive counter-attack derails the Waratahs good start with an easy win to close it out tonight at Allianz Stadium, 22-38

by Sports Benches

Round 10 of 15 in the 2024 Super Rugby Season during the Anzac weekend saw all 12 teams back in full swing after taking their respective byes over the last three weeks and fortunately, I was able to see it on-site tonight at Allianz Stadium (awesome modern venue btw) in Moore Park where the NSW Waratahs welcome last year’s runner-up team the Chiefs from Waikato, NZ.

The first half saw the Waratahs off to a flying start following the Chiefs early ill-disciplines that saw two of their players having to sit out on the naughty chair (yellow card) for a while. Despite this, the Chiefs were able to move on and level the scoreboard with the Waratahs going into half-time at 12-12. Then the Chiefs were able to extend their lead with another set of tries while the Waratahs began to fall behind. Yes, the Waratahs might have not lost all of hope just yet when a successful penalty conversion and a 3rd TRY might have spark a bit of an outside revival. However, as the clock ticks away towards full-time, the Chiefs proved too strong for them whilst having the last laugh with one more TRY to close it out for the win once again 22-38.

Emoni Narawa has been lightning quick on the Chiefs right wing, having been blessed with the support needed to get things done on the counter-attack that made him so great. He can make things so difficult with his trickery pace for the opposition defenders to try and stop him in his tracks where he punished them not once but twice that puts his side in cruise control.

Here’s another experienced young talent Kaylum Boshier on the Chiefs openside back row at 7 after he kept a good eye on the Waratahs at his own end, so he can turn the ball over, muscle it up & cash it in on return as the rewards have paid off. He’s a multi-talented player with a background in both rugby and cricket who’s got tremendous mobility that reflects his natural game-changing abilities and that is how Kaylum made the Waratahs suffer towards the end with a big win away from home.

Both of them may not had much International experience but they can certainly compete v the best of the rest and that includes the unbeaten Hurricanes in the hope they can translate success in all fronts of New Zealand Rugby. The road to go one better continues as they will be back at home (FMG Stadium in Waikato) next Saturday night v Perth’s Western Force.

And Julian Heaven has converted a couple of the line-in throws into tries for the Waratahs tonight including one for himself thanks to these winning penalties. He’s still young at 23 who might not have gone through the traditional route but his hard work handed his side a huge early headstart off the back of the Chiefs ill-discipline that saw two players sat 10 minutes at each time on the naughty chair. But what’s even naughty is the way his side failed to get the job done at times through open play despite having good possession as the Chiefs explosive counter attack really punished them in the end that handed them yet another loss. It doesn’t look any good from here with the Hurricanes next up & it’s even going to be a long trip to get to Wellington in NZ for next Friday on what is going to be a really tough run-in to finish off this term.

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Super Rugby 2024 Week 9, Crusaders still not up to it in their rebuilding phase as Western Force walk home with a huge win at HBF Park

by Sports Benches

Week 9 of the 2024 Super Rugby Season ended with the battle of the bottom feeders before all 12 teams will be back on the road to finish off the regular season – Western Force v Crusaders at HBF Park. Crusaders fired off early as always with their strong starts but Force filled most of the first half up with some good momentum going into the break 15-5. Yes, the Crusaders have their moments at times where they thought they were back on track but then half of the side isn’t still up to it as the Force went on to extend their lead including a couple more not long before full-time with a huge win in Perth 37-15.

The man who kept a great eye on the Crusaders’ struggles tonight is Izack Rodda after he made an instant impact off the Western Force bench unexpectedly early on the second row with so much powerful physical straits to lock them down both ways in attack and defense. It led to so many things going his team’s way where the Force made the most out of their opportunities with a good first-half lead followed by an extraordinary 2nd half performance in front of the home supporters as great to see him back in Super Rugby through his previous years with the Reds after a tough last 1-2 years due to injury.

Next up is Ben Donaldson – another key Force player looking to make No.10 on his own every week – having had some inconsistencies before with the Waratahs over the last few years and also for at Wallabies lnternatonally. His kicking game looks near 100% for a start when adding the extra points off the back of the Crusaders’ poor discipline and defense; he’s also able to stretch his attack across the pitch which was another factor to the Force getting past the opposition on the counter attack with numbers on the board and can spot them being isolated which reflects his good defensive awareness all around.

Great to have the wealth of experience alongside a great coach (Simon Cron) & the goal now is to get some winning momentum from here for an outside Top 8 push starting with the Highlanders in Dunedin next Saturday.

And Sevu Reece holds the glue in the Crusaders dressing room where he just became the leading TRY scorer (53) which was an enormous achievement from the wide right. They are so grateful for his explosive pace and most importantly the experience on offer as he still has unfinished business at 27 having returned from a long-term knee injury at the start of this season. But in the meantime it’s just him running the show alone when the forwards simply weren’t on par that led to a pile of discipline and defensive mistakes as well as missed opportunities that isolated him and his backline & the current No.10 didn’t do much good either – looks like the Top 8 chances now looking near nigh now where things will be even harder before they will have to sit out the Finals for the first time in 2024 with the Melbourne Rebels next up at home in Christchurch on Friday.

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Thoughts on whether Rugby Australia can still accommodate the resources & funding to support five Super Rugby teams after the Melbourne Rebels huge success so far in 2024

by Sports Benches

Last night, Melbourne has witnessed their own Rugby team winning another game this time v Highlanders in the form of the Rebels and they now sit in 4th place on the ladder with a bye next week before they resume to go all in & hopefully have their first taste of Finals footy. Although they did play in the Qualifying Final back in 2020 v QLD Reds under a temporary Super Rugby AU comp when COVID interrupted our daily lives at the time & the Waratahs weren’t doing much good back then.

However, questions will still need to be answered by Rugby Australia amid the Rebels still being broke as whether or not if they have the resources including the talent pool to support as many as five teams? It’s been a long-running debate that saw two teams end up in the hole including the ACT Brumbies whose existence will not be taken away anytime soon thanks to their decorated history regularly up front that reflects long-running success. There’s another team that won’t be in for the axe at all is the NSW Waratahs whose history is also so strong in a Rugby dominated state/market that goes back to hundreds of years despite their mediocrity over the last couple of years; Same goes to the Queensland Reds – so rule both of them out too as removing those big influences & RA investing more into the Brumbies, Rebels & even Western Force won’t help that much.

While we’d like to go back to the way things were when the Wallabies were oh so good with just three teams in the 1990s and early 2000s, it won’t happen since the world has changed over time with most professional sports here having an excellent national footprint. At the end of the day, it’s still going to be five teams without needing to axe a team again under a few conditions – if the Rebels get cut, 1. I’d to see a like-for-like replacement with the Jaguares coming back this time as a Melbourne-based team by inheriting most of the Rebels players with a few Los Pumas Internationals coming over and 2. Western Force gets some help from Japan and merge with the Sunwolves while still playing most of the games in Perth.

That way, we will able to meet the goal of having all five Australian Super Rugby teams thriving against the long-dominating New Zealand counterparts. Plus, the talent pool will be stronger as ever which in turn will get more quality Australian Super Rugby players coming from all five teams for the benefit of the Wallabies returning to its former glory by winning games & silverware again while expanding overseas selection availability since the Springboks won back-to-back recent World Cups under this model including the next crop of local grassroots kids who will learn massively from the seasoned Internationals playing here.

And hopefully no more fighting after consistently losing to the All Blacks over the last 20 + Bledisloe Cup editions while experiencing the worst World Cup campaign ever where they exited the group stages for the first time last year in France as the worst thing can happen is for RA to face someone in the courtroom yet again like the Force back in 2017, The end.

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