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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v Blues Game in Round 13 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

I’ve gotta say that Harry Plummer was outstanding particularly in the 2nd half on the Blues inside midfield at No.12. He too can cover everything, particularly when he had to take over from the main No.10 in Beauden Barrett with the kicking duties after he had to come off not long following half-time due to injury. Nevertheless, his passing has been excellent with the ball as always, so the link-up play can continue through the channels that led to another few tries along the way. And once the tries are done, Harry’s kicking has been spotless to add the extra conversion points & bonus point win too. Although there’s still some unfinished business left & hope injuries don’t affect their goal of winning the championship next month.

Next up is Cameron Suafoa in the No.5 Blues shirt who provided a great link with the backline well that not only help got away with a great start, but also extend their winning lead along the way. Speaking of balance, he too unpacked his natural game well between pace, power & physicality. He has done the digging with the ball on hand while his attackers are ready to pounce. That way, the Blues were able to show so much fight with more tries under his watch. And once the Blues were in an easy position towards full-time, he deserved an early mark off to the bench with 20 to go. Well done on giving his backline that link to help finish off for him.

And Liam Wright has been excellent last night on the Reds blindside back row at No.6. Every time he contributes in the attack, he’s such a huge threat where his towering frame & packed muscle broke away the Blues’ defensive wall on occasions. You can see there he has found the support he needs verbally & physically in order for the Reds to get over the line where a few tries are being made there with all credit to Liam. His hard work saw the Reds land not far behind the Blues at half-time, but they just couldn’t build on their good start when they just couldn’t stop the firing Blues attack while their finishing play has been consistent as well.

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Blues too good in the end where their fiery attack was outstanding against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium last night

by Sports Benches

It was a close opening 40 minutes of play between the Queensland Reds & Blues where the Blues fired off first while the Reds held them back with 1-2 tries, as the Blues held a narrow three-point buffer ahead of half-time, 14-17. In the end though, the Blues were simply too good where their attack has been outstanding with a comfortable win on the Reds’ home turf over at Suncorp Stadium. The final score was Queensland Reds 26-43 Blues.

After an upset win last Friday v Chiefs over in New Plymouth, NZ, the Reds just couldn’t get the job done this time against the Blues last night. Their first-half wasn’t bad for a start with a great fightback through 1-2 tries earlier on where they weren’t far behind by three points at half-time. Yes, they managed to score another 1-2 consolation tries later on in which they cannot retract from that. But what’s really disappointing is not only they couldn’t stop the dangerous Blues attack, but their finishing continued to be inconsistent in which is still happening for some time this season. They got the Highlanders from Dunedin though next up over in NZ & they’re under heaps of pressure down in 11th right now, so no doubt the Reds can get this done with a win on Friday night.

Meanwhile, the Blues continue to prove what it takes to be such a dangerous force as if they’re preparing for each Finals game that will begin in three weeks from now. Their first-half wasn’t bad when they got themselves ahead early while being held up by the Reds at the same time by a small lead going into the break. But the Blues managed to turn themselves around with more tries on the board while they extend their winning lead. And they were simply too good towards the end with a bonus point win. Now it remains to be seen if the Blues can cope with their injury hit-list, having seen a few go off the bench unexpectedly in the 2nd 40. They’ve got the Hurricanes next Saturday night followed by the Highlanders both at Eden Park to end the regular season, but hope they’re okay ahead of the Playoffs soon. 

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Top 3 players from the Blues v Waratahs Game in Round 9 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season 

by Sports Benches

Zarn Sullivan has been a game-changer since he was unexpectedly brought into the field at full-back following Stephen Perofeta’s injury. His finishing game, particular with the pace created fireworks for his side with back-to-back tries on the board. Just like his team-mate Ricky with the physicality, you can’t get on hold on such a speedster like Zarn who has excellent vision before doing all sorts of damage to cash in these big scores thanks to his tall height. We don’t know when Stephen will be out of action, but it’s his time now to step up and make No.15 on his own. Zarn has all the talents + some youth by his side in the hope of making his side unstoppable from now on.

Next up is Ricky Riccitelli who also got the Blues up and running at the same time in the No.2 Hooker position. His line-out throws has been excellent while the way he unpacks the physicality going forward has left the Tahs in shreds. No one couldn’t stop him when Ricky found a way to stamp his way through the touch line not once but also twice. It goes to how how powerful & dangerous this player is, particularly when he’s in his prime right now at 28. Plus, he deserves an early mark too with 20 minutes left while the Blues were well secure towards victory.

And great to see Reserve No.9 Teddy Wilson add some much-needed confidence for the Tahs late in the 2nd 40 v Blues. Now he may have gained a bit of SR experience so far after 2-3 games, but he talked up really well with his team-mates in order to get the job done. One example was with Ben Donaldson when Ben found the inside ball assist for Dylan Pietsch’s TRY, while another was a TRY for himself despite a slippery driving maul under rain. It goes to show that Teddy is learning his stripes well every time he gets his chance to strike a balance of both physicality & pace just like the main No.9 Jake Gordon. Now he’s ready for more as hats off to the Easts half-back in Teddy!!

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Blues too good for the Waratahs tonight with an easy win at Eden Park in Auckland

by Sports Benches

The Blues fired off well left, right & centre earlier on at 20-7 (1st half) while Waratahs have benefitted from the opposition team’s injury situation (Stephen Perofeta) with another early TRY for themselves. However, the Blues were too good to pull off in the end past half-century while the Tahs might have made up some lost time on the run home but then they were already out of the picture during the 2nd-half. Final score at Eden Park in Auckland is Blues 55-21 Waratahs.

It’s been a brutal night away from home when the Tahs were way behind for the majority, particularly when going up against a top side right now of the Auckland Blues. Yes, they may showed a bit of fight back earlier on & then again over the last 20 or so minutes thanks to some fresh faces of the bench. However, ill-discipline held them back big time, while their attack were bereft of opportunities in which turn added too much pressure to stop the Blues at their own end. They really need to be at their best now for the remaining six rounds of 23’ starting with the Highlanders at home next Friday.

And great to see the Blues continue their winning run right on home soil at Eden Park. They have been outstanding from start to finish with plenty of tries accrued all over the place. If I can think 1-2 weaknesses the Blues need to be aware of and that is the injuries, especially when Stephen Perofeta had to go off early & also the defense every time they lost on only a few occasions v the Tahs. For now, they can enjoy an extended run against the likes of Fijian Drua (next Saturday afternoon in Lautoka, Fiji) & Moana Pasifika (two Saturday’s time at home) before facing the Crusaders again for R12.

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Top 3 players from the Melbourne Rebels v Blues Game in Round 7 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Take a bow to No.9 Finlay Christie, who kept the Blues in check with the Rebels from the start, before he turned his side around into cruise control in the 2nd half & the rest is history under his leadership & on-field input. He wanted to make that happen so many times tonight, so the Blues cannot go wrong or fall behind because the Rebels are not an easy side to face in this competition. But with the added patience & support from his men later on, he was able to find a gap through the gate before a series of big score tries came his way including two for himself. And with the Blues well secure with the easy win, he deserves an early mark too.

Next up is another two-TRY Blues star in Mark Telea at No.14 (Right Wing). Now he may have made a series of mistakes earlier on that saw him being consigned to the naughty chair in between half-time breaks for 10 mins. However, he can be forgiven when Mark was blessed with the support needed to express his finishing skills through an abundance of pace & power. If Mark continued to make the mistakes like he did earlier on, then the Rebels would’ve won but he’s glad that Mark learnt his lesson before he came back better that helped his side steer clear in the end. This is his year now both at SR & International level for the ABs after Sevu Reece (Crusaders) has to sit out for a long time now due to injury.

And Jordan Uelese did help the Rebels make the Blues pay when he unexpectedly came on for Alex Mafi at hooker in the 15th minute. The way he offers to the Melbourne-based side such as the experience, leadership and physicality puts them on the front foot, particularly when being given the chance to get the job done going forward. Yes, he might have played with the pain a bit just before HT when Jordan helped Brad Wilkin nail down another Rebels TRY, but then he couldn’t continue thanks to another unfortunate knee injury. Let’s hope it’s not so serious as he comes back sooner to continue his hard work that caught the eye of current Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.

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Injuries turned the Rebels’ good first half momentum upside down while Auckland Blues were simply too good at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

Round 7 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season during the Easter long weekend ends here at AAMI Park with the Game of the Round between the Melbourne Rebels & Auckland Blues. The first half belongs to the home team with a excellent start through 1-2 early tries on the board at 17-13, while Blues were not far behind even though they were shakey in between at times. But the overall game ended up by the visitors, having regained the lead once again before the Blues pulled away with a comfortably win in the end at 17-54.

It’s not been the night Rebels wanted to see out with another loss against their name. They actually fired off not bad with a three-point penalty goal followed by a series of fightbacks & big scores throughout the opening 40, particularly with the help of reserve hooker Jordan Uelese from the bench following Alex Mafi’s injury. But then Uelese sadly suffered an injury himself, even though he had to play with the pain on one knee for a bit that helped push his side past the Blues again at HT. Just unlucky really as the game could’ve been theirs if it wasn’t for injuries when the Rebels didn’t score at all in the 2nd half while suffering a mix of ill-discipline & poor defense at the same time. They now got a week-long rest now before another tough game against the Crusaders in two weeks time (Fri 21 April).

Meanwhile, it’s good to see The Blues return to winning ways following their defeat last Saturday v The Chiefs in Waikato. Yes, they may have got away with a slow start where their first half performance was up and down through a mix of fightback & ill-discipline. However, they turned themselves around with so much attacking football where The Blues regained the lead once more & stayed there by scoring a few more tries before they were too good in the end. This is how the Auckland-based side should do from start to finish if they want to go one better & dethrone the Crusaders for the Super Rugby title in mid-June. For now, they’re at the halfway stage with a well-warned bye next week followed by a home game v Waratahs the week after (Sat 22 April).

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Top 3 players from the Crusaders v Brumbies Game in Round 5 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Leicester Fainga’anuku has been extraordinary once again tonight for the Crusaders on the wide left. He too scored another set of tries (two this time) as always with explosive finishing before he earned a well-earned rest with 14-15 mins left. Every time he has the ball & sees that gap into space, there’s no way the opposition couldn’t stop this speedster when Leicester challenged a few defenders well before he was able to find the score zone & that helped the Saders build a decent lead gap away from the Brumbies. Now that they’ve got back-to-back wins, 2023 could still be even better for him not just in SR but also at All Blacks level as well with RWC around the corner.

Now Ethan Blackadder may have made the Brumbies difficult to crack his side’s brick wall at the beginning before he had to leave the field ahead of HT due to injury, but Christian Lio-Willie filled the void very well in his place on the blindside back row. He too is an able defender while offering so much attacking contribution where Lio-Willie finally got his first SR try not long before full-time, having been denied an TRY earlier in the 2nd 40. We’ll wait & see about Blackadder’s condition in the next few days, but looks like he’s at the right place to being given an extended spell & prove what it takes to fulfil his potential after a few years in Dunedin.

And Cadeyrn Neville stood up for the Brumbies against an outstanding Crusaders at times tonight on the second row (No.5 shirt). His impressive physicality & towering height helped them gain some confidence including the early headstart via the three-point penalty goal, before he dug a deeper hole in the attack that saw Ryan Lonergan earn the team’s first big points in the 2nd half. So can’t go past an important team player & well-built athlete like Cadeyrn who doesn’t give them a free pass under his tracks. It’s just a shame that his side couldn’t match the Saders attacking standard where they were a long way behind for the majority.

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Top 3 players from the Blues v Crusaders Game last night in Round 4 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

First of all, congratulations to Leicester Fainga’anuku on his hat-trick brace of tries last night for the Saders at No.11 (wide left). He’s so blessed with the service being given so Leicester can finish off the attack for them & say it for himself with pace in which was sensational. When there was really no one to stop defensively at the other end, Leicester will see that gap as his next TRY scoring opportunity & punish them with the ball in hand. And love that cross kick feedfrom Richie Mo’unga at No.10 before he’s able to get the job done 1 v 1 more than halfway through the pitch on the far left short side. What a way to sum up his brilliant evening with an early mark, as there’s more unfinished business left throughout this SR season.

Next up is Dallas McLeod on the Saders inside midfield at No.12 where he too not only provide some good attacking play with the link-up play, read & mobility; but also did well to stop the Blues later on by not letting them score defensively. He just simply never stops working hard back & forth while backing them up with clear & concise communication, which shows he’s a great team player so the Saders exactly know where to land that sweet spot under his watch. You can’t go wrong with McLeod’s all-round talent on the field at 23 right now who was brought up well within the Saders & Canterbury family. 

And James Tucker caused so much pain to the Crusaders every time his Blues side look so threatening in the attack on the second row (No.4 shirt). He has a terrific height of nearly two metres as well as plenty of physicality to offer where Tucker is not only very good at outmuscling the Saders, but he can also offer some attacking skillset such as backing up & adding a bit of pace as well. Yes, it was unlucky to see his TRY being denied by the ref later on after forming some good attacking momentum that could’ve put his side back out in front. But sadly, the Blues just couldn’t get past the Saders’ once more before the match ran out of time. 

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Rugby News, Crusaders conquer Eden Park in Auckland once again in a nail-biting win from last night v Blues

by Sports Benches

Looking back from Super Saturday yesterday, what a contest it has been by the Top 2 Super Rugby sides that went down the wire between Blues & Crusaders in a grand final rematch of last season at Eden Park (Auckland). Blues may have the opening say & did continue scoring but the Crusaders didn’t waste any time with a couple of big points on the board where they hold a small lead at the break (21-24). Crusaders continued to extend their lead while Blues never gave up at the doorstep in the hope of revenge later on (2nd half), but the Blues sadly couldn’t see it out with a six-point loss (27-34) as the reigning Super Rugby champions got away unscathed on their turf once again.

Unlucky to see the Blues being denied with two potential late tries that could’ve seen them not only get payback, but also see the reigning champions lose another game as well. They fired off really well with Mark Talea on the board for the first five-pointer of the night. Now the Blues replied to the Saders’ well with another TRY or two, even though they’re only a few points behind at the break. Although their 2nd half attack effort was very threatening where they’re still in the mix all long, but sadly the Blues were not just unlucky, but also couldn’t get past the Saders where pressure piled them up massively before it’s too late by the full-time siren. They might have an easy game next Sunday at home again v Western Force, but if there’s one thing they can improve to go one better then it will be adding a bit more execution so things won’t go wrong for them next time.

And it’s great to see the Crusaders back on track once again following their one-point defeat (25-24) last weekend v Fijian Drua. They know how to get the job done, even though the Saders may not have struck the first blow of points. The way they structure out their attack before making these conversions is exceptional as always where they managed to build a good lead ahead of half-time. Now they might have been under threat by the improving Blues attack from their end later in the 2nd half, but they defended really well including when the Saders stuffed them out with the ball which saw the ref not approve with back-to-back cancelled tries. And that gave the Saders a sigh of relief when they held off with another win at Eden Park, just like the Final last year where they took home the Super Rugby title. Now they just need to watch their discipline on top of a good defense & attack if the Saders are to end the Brumbies unbeaten start to their 2023 campaign on Friday night in C’Church.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Blues v Brumbies Game in Round 2 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Pete Samu tops the list who never stops working hard back & forth throughout the afternoon at No.8 for the Brumbies. He’s so destructive every time he adds so much meat going forward that led to a couple of tries along the way, with most of them coming from the driving maul thanks to these winning penalties. He also kept the Blues quiet defensively including that 80th minute tackle on Bryce Heem before 1-2 of his own men backed him up by shutting down that opposition attack which confirmed his team’s win v v one of the best NZ sides. Looks like he’s going to be the main man to help win some trophies for Australia not just for the Brumbies but also the Wallabies if he can keep up every week. Nice to see him win at his hometown place too since he was born in Melbourne who has been such a great host throughout this weekend’s Super Round.

Next up is fellow Brumby who also gained some Wallaby experience in none other than Lachlan Lonergan. His throw-ins has been excellent as always since he made the No.2 hooker position of his own now since the departure of Folau Faingaa to the Western Force. That way, he can take his time where Lachlan talked up really well when it comes to orchestrating these driving mauls while hiding the Gilbert ball, before he & his side got past the Blues danger zone 1-2 times. He’s also good at covering up & forming a wall defensively too that left the Blues ran out of puff at their own end, even though both sides didn’t score anything in a quiet 2nd-half.

And Beauden Barrett has been front & centre at No.10 (fly-half) for the Blues. He controlled his sides’s attack well earlier on with exceptional playmaking & leadership skills that helped them put the pressure back onto the Brumbies. Plus, he‘s happy with these winning penalties where Beauden gave the Blues an extra boost via a couple of his three-pointers between the sticks. Sadly, he was let down later in the 2nd 40 when he gave them a few attacking chances to help finish up the work for him. But then lack of his numbers saw the Blues struggle to overtake the Brumbies, even though they were five points behind before it was simply too late.

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