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International Rugby News 2024: Wallabies hold on tight v Wales with a 2-0 series clean sweep victory tonight at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

The two-test series belongs to the Wallabies with a 2-0 whitewash v Wales on what has been a close encounter tonight under wet and wild weather at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Wallabies fired off well where they were comfortably ahead whereas Wales struggled for the most part until they found the touch line twice off the back of two successful line-out penalties as Wallabies lead by nine points at half-time, 23-14. 

Wales did have an excellent restart that puts them back in the game by a two point difference at one stage. However, the Wallabies puts them into bed off the back of Wales’s series of silly and disciplinary mistakes. Not only the Wallabies continued to score a couple of more tries, but they’ve done enough to stop Wales from closing out the match with the eight point win, 36-28. My predictions for that game wasn’t bad with Wallabies to win the other day by eight & they did win by eight!!

Plus, also happy to see a Trans-Tasman clean sweep with the All Blacks also won v England earlier this evening at Eden Park by 24-17 on top of their one point win (16-15) last Saturday in Dunedin. Now there’s one last set of matches to go in the July Internationals next Saturday where the ABs will jet off to San Diego v Fiji while the Wallabies will be back at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park this time in the arvo v Georgia at 3.45pm.

The flying Filipo Daugunu showcased his magic as usual on the left wing like he did with the Rebels this year & sure he’ll continue to do so when he will back at the Queensland Reds next season. He’s not afraid to go up high while having an abundance of who finish it off with the ball with two tries and can also defend, having been a goalkeeper & even striker in the past through junior soccer. Melbourne Rugby fans will always remember him for his contribution there both club & country.

If one Melbourne-related rugby player isn’t enough to cheer on, how about we look at someone that is born and bred & now plays for the ACT Brumbies? His name is Rob Valetini on the back row this time on the open flanker at No.6. He’s the man who can get down and steal the ball back defensively that leads to turnovers/winning penalties before Rob can be an exceptional force going forward at the breakdown that proved to be a big difference tonight, especially when he kept the lead away from Wales in the 2nd half.

And the only man that pushed Wales as best as possible through the very end is another left winger in 24-year-old Rio Dyer. Love how he processed that quick ball assist to Liam Thomas where Wales were two points off at one stage after half-time before he has unbelievable pace to finish things off like that sensational 70th minute masterclass TRY. It’s a shame that Wales suffered ill-discipline all along + a series of silly mistakes when most of his backline buddies were a horror show, especially when trying to pass the Wallabies for the lead under pressure & yet Wales still without a win so far in 2024.

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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 Week 8, Melbourne Rebels’ explosive backline & attacking pace ran the Highlanders ragged with the big win

by Sports Benches

It was a huge scoring game at AAMI Park in Melbourne tonight with Highlanders unpacking the brawns of physical strength thanks to their good start or early lead while picking up some good points along the way, but then the Melbourne Rebels outsmarted them with an abundance of pace, accurate passing and communication and an unreal backline that got way with another win in front of their home crowd. Rebels responded well to the Highlanders opening converted TRY with two Darby Lancaster tries on top of their 1st minute opening score account where they were leading 26-10 at half-time. Highlanders thought they’re beginning to close in after the break but nowhere close enough as the Rebels went on to extend their lead further afield with a Carter Gordon scoring double followed by another Darby TRY that sealed the hat-trick to close the match his way and the Rebels way, 47-31. Rebels will take the well deserved rest next week before they travel to Christchurch on Friday 26th for R10 v the under fire Crusaders & Highlanders head off to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday v the Reds.

Andrew Kellaway was outstanding by leading the Rebels backline who made his side’s attack so much better that gifted them tries at No.15. He absolutely knows where to find his man where he is right on the money with the ball on hand through the counter-attack as long as the numbers are there like Darby Lancaster’s first-half double TRY on the left-wing as well as No.10’s Carter Gordon’s first try of the match when the Rebels extended their lead in the 2nd-half. Then tough to say who is 2nd best as discussed between Darby and Carter – both of whom are exceptional Rebels youngsters – but gotta say Darby made a huge name for himself with a hat-trick of tries, having established himself in the World 7s circuit for Australia before and now he continues to cause opposition players carnage in the 15s and Super Rugby level. This Melbourne Super Rugby team is high flying right now in 4th amid financial problems but surely they have a really great squad with Kellaway being an established Wallaby while Gordon earned some stripes last year & surely Darby will be fast-tracked soon enough under Joe Schmidt.

And Sean Withy never stopped working hard in order for the Highlanders to keep the Rebels in check whose physicality and application on the blindside (No.6 flanker) opened up plenty of opportunities that went his side’s way. His opening TRY puts them up front for a short time while he adds so much pressure to make that brick wall against the Rebels so they don’t steal it under his watch including at scrum and mauls, even though the Highlanders were trying to play catch up in a race against time after losing the lead for the majority. But what really let him down tonight is that his side’s so scared of attacking earlier on despite winning a few penalties yet the defense is so poor while the backline weren’t simply up to the Rebels’ standard; Okay, some late changes might have helped but it still puts them at odds as the clock ticks down & sadly it was too late.

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A huge NSW Waratahs performance saw the Crusaders winless once again tonight 24-37 in Round 2 of the 2024 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

So there we have it, the NSW Waratahs have just defeated the reigning champions and the winningest team in the competition Crusaders after a 13-point win at AAMI Park in Melbourne, 24-37. At the start, the Crusaders got away with the opening points but it was the Waratahs who dominated the majority of the opening half where they came back into the dressing room full of optimism at the break, 10-23. In the end, nothing much has changed despite some improved Crusaders performance later on off the back of a few new faces from the bench before it was too little, too late to close in under pressure. This is the Waratahs’s night tonight where they continued to pick up the opposing team’s misfiring attacking play including the ill-discipline that turned into more big points before the win was there comfortably against a championship-winning team who is right now on the rebuilding phase. It’s a much-needed win for the NSW side as there’s still plenty left to prove going into Round 3 with the Highlanders at home (Allianz Stadium) next up in Moore Park on Friday & for the Crusaders, they have still yet to win after two rounds now as they will fly again this time to Fiji next Saturday v the Fijian Drua.

Here comes the Waratahs all-rounder in cricket terms who plays in the half-back position in Jake Gordon at No.9 following his outstanding performance tonight v the reigning champs Crusaders. He’s in tremendous shape in his prime right now along with tremendous Super Rugby experience on offer to make the most out of the Waratahs attack, having interrupted the Crusaders passage of play a few times throughout tonight before he quickly cashed it in for the sake of the team with great rewards including a TRY for himself. Forming a great partnership next up within the Waratahs at No.10 is Tane Edmed where he was a huge influence both as the leading conversion kicker and a creative attacking player through the middle. He just doesn’t hesitate every time he has the ball with the licence to thrill and play around to get past the oppositon gate such as processing that cross kick including the quick passes before he finds his man to finish it off for him while adding the extra points & he can also be a handy contributor in defense under pressure and that was key to getting the best out of his on-field game. Before we go to the Crusaders at the other end, shoutout to head coach Darren Coleman who has brought the Waratahs back into life from the day he walked into Daceyville at the start of 2022. Yes, he is a man who is under pressure right now but again, he knows the NSW Rugby system more than anyone & losing him this early won’t go down well as this team is under a off-field renovation too. And Sevu Reece has worked so hard more than anyone for the Crusaders down on the wide right. He never stops running back and forth when covering up both in attack and defense, especially when he came back after a long lay-off from his knee injury last year where his contribution has been missed. But despite a great start, some of his new players simply needs time at this top level since a few key players have moved on during the off-season thanks to a plenty of ill-discipline as well as the passage of open play being so isolated that reflected the team’s loss tonight v Waratahs.

CRUvWAR #SuperRugby #Crusaders #NSWWaratahs #JakeGordon #TaneEdmed #SevuReece #Rugby #RugbyUnion #DarrenColeman

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James Hanson’s back to back 1st half tries & a Reece Hodge 2nd half display helped Melbourne Rebels wrap up a four-point win v Moana Pasifika at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

Round 11 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific continues to breed spectacular match-ups like this Saturday night fixture between the Melbourne Rebels v Moana Pasifika at AAMI Park. It was a competitive first-half spell when the Rebels caught up to Moana, 14-10, at the break. Although, Moana struck one back where they briefly regained the lead. However, it’s the Rebels who were unstoppable before they shut Moana down by full-time at 26-22.

Well done to Melbourne Rebels on a fine display where they took advantage of a number of lost penalties by Moana in the first half. Credit to James Hanson, who was the mastermind at starting hooker when it comes to the line-outs & maul, with back-to-back tries before an early mark to the bench not long after half-time. Meanwhile, Reece Hodge managed to put the Rebels back in the box seat & stayed there thanks to his stunning 2nd half spell. He too not only scored one by himself but also assisted one that ended Andrew Kellaway’s seven-game hoodoo without a TRY on the right-wing.

And unlucky from Moana Pasifika tonight, who played really well against an opponent that doesn’t give away any team lightly. They fired off well with the early lead which is good signs from this new Pasifika Super Rugby outfit. Although they kept going despite losing the lead, and were almost within winning reach again towards an upset. Unfortunately, a number of lost penalties counted against them in the 1st half came back to bite them later on before Moana fell just short.

Moana will return to Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland for Round 12 next Saturday afternoon v NSW Waratahs, who were triumphant in their 24-21 upset win earlier tonight v Crusaders. And the Rebels are also heading off to Auckland as well, but this time at Eden Park on Friday night v the Blues.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Melbourne Rebels v Moana Pasifika Game in RD11 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

We have to say that Reece Hodge is everything that the Rebels needed tonight at full-back. His kicking was top-notch as always when it comes to conversion kicks into goal and even the 50/22 rule into touch. He also played a brilliant role in the attack during the 2nd half, not only Hodge’s a huge threat going forward through the channels but he knows where to find his men or the TRY line himself. Well done on a fine performance with the help of his forwards that helped the Rebels regain the lead, as well as their winning margin.

Meanwhile, credit to James Hanson with his first-half display having scored two tries for the Rebels tonight. He credits these winning penalties off the back of the Moana Pasifika’s disciplinary errors, especially at line-outs/throw-ins where Hanson knew what to do with the ball before it was well executed with plenty of support past the TRY line. And although he finished his shift early, he has so much experience on his plate when Hanson is an important player to learn from within the Rebels dressing room.

And Levi Aumua put in a great shift in the No.13 shirt at outside centre for Moana Pasifika tonight. He isn’t shy when Aumua smashes through the Rebels defense while building some pressure with the ball going forward. His full-game contribution alongside the benefit of winning penalties, helped Moana find their way past the TRY line on a couple of occasions. It just wasn’t his night to reflect when Moana’s disciplinary issues led to plenty of lost penalties before they left it too late towards full-time.

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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, Waratahs nearly overcame messy 1st half spell but the Chiefs simply too good to pull off at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

It was a high-scoring game between the Chiefs & Waratahs where it kickstarted the three-day Super Round weekend at AAMI Park in Melbourne last night. Waratahs were lucky to have recovered from their messy first-half spell at 30-17 after the break when Jake Gordon’s 2nd TRY almost overtook the Chiefs for the lead in the 50th minute. However, the Chiefs are in cruise control when a hat-trick scoring spree later in the 2nd half from Jonah Lowe sealed them an easy win, 51-27.

The Tahs needed their attacking shape to be on the same page as Jake Gordon. Although, Alex Newsome was the other try-scorer in the 1st half. That is one huge weakness that precluded them from staying in contention over the last 30 mins of this match. Luckily, the 20-minute red card rule gave the back Tahs a full XV men where they made up some lost time. However, the momentum just wasn’t there in the end. They also would’ve benefitted from Angus Bell if it wasn’t for his red card that can form a more robust forward line to stop Jonah Lowe defensively and help brighten up the Tahs’ attack.

And the Chiefs were simply on fire last night. Their attacking shape has been sensational from Jonah Lowe’s four-try scoring spree, including the hat-trick in the 2nd half to Quinn Tuapea’s 1st half double-try. You can see the communication and a few decoy runners lined up together where you saw one player running up & protects the opposition half, while another Chiefs player in the same shirt finds that gap past the TRY line and scores. Although they will need to fix their ill-discipline where Tahs scored back a couple of times, the Chiefs were glad to get one away unscathed, thanks to the read off the Tahs’ poor attacking shape before they unleashed Lowe at the right time that changed the storyline of this game.

Chiefs will now head off to Brisbane & take on the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium next Friday night, while the Waratahs will host the Crusaders at Leichardt Oval in Sydney next Saturday at 5.05 pm local time.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Chiefs v Waratahs Game in RD10 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

There is one word to describe Jonah Lowe’s performance; that is simply unbelievable! He scored up to four tries for the Chiefs last night on the right wing, especially in the 2nd half with a hat-trick spell. He was also blessed to be called upon for the the Chiefs when they were almost overtaken for the lead at one point by the Tahs earlier in the 2nd half, and they needed fresh ideas in order to stay ahead. But he’s always ready where Lowe caught the Tahs red handed, as noticed by his teammates with their disjointed attacking shape, before he was just too good to pull off with the pace and power in the end.

Next up is Alex Nankivell in the outside back position at No.13 for the Chiefs where he also worked really hard all game. He was there to operate and protect the Chiefs in all areas, which is crucial when he was being tested defensively. That way, Nankivell can flex his attacking skillset with the ball and shield the Tahs players before one of his men were able to make it past the TRY line. Although the Waratahs almost ran them over at one stage earlier in the 2nd half. However, he has everything in mind what the opposition isn’t capable of and called on his men to do some damage; that set his Chiefs team in full throttle towards the homestretch.

And Jake Gordon was instrumental when his two tries last night alongside Alex Newsome saw the Tahs almost within close reach of the lead earlier in the 2nd half. The way how Gordon sets up the attack with the passing; and how he has the pace & leadership to outrun the Chiefs, which is incredible to watch from this individual. Yes, the ill-discipline the Tahs suffered with the Angus Bell red card & Jamie Roberts’s 10 minute naughty chair spell may bitten them a little in the first half. However, the Tahs attacking outlet simply weren’t on the same page where they struggled mightily later in the 2nd half; that cost them dearly with the heavy loss.

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