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2024 Super Rugby Final: Blues too good left, right & centre over the Chiefs en route to their 4th championship win at Eden Park

by Sports Benches

What a Final it was to finish the 2024 Super Rugby Season at Eden Park where the Blues finally got their moment with the Championship 41-10 after being simply too good to beat The Chiefs from Waikato for the first time in a long, long time that goes way back to 2003. Although don’t forget they did win the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman v the Highlanders also at the same place a few years ago when COVID restricted much of the norm at that time. Not only the Blues were clearly in front during the first half (20-3) off the back of two tries and two penalty goals, but they also continued to extend their lead with more tries including a Caleb Clarke double to finish his hat-trick. It was more than enough to pull off on the run home (41-10) with the easy Blues final victory whereas Chiefs only grasped whenever they can after they threw away for the majority while they were nowhere near the Blues danger zone including one first-half penalty goal & one late TRY thanks to a few fresh faces.

Now that the 2024 Super Rugby season is over, we will turn our attention to International Rugby next month beginning with the two game series v Wales followed by Georgia for the one-off occasion for Joe Schmidt’s first slate of matches as the Wallabies new Head Coach. We will also have some Club Rugby in between with the NSW Shute Shield & QLD’s Hospital Cup as well as a bit of Rugby 7s at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France a little over next month. Then it’s Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup time to finish off across August and September before we finish off 2024 with the November Tests in Europe.

Hat-trick championship winner Caleb Clarke tops the Grand Final list on the Blues left wing after his A + performance tonight at Eden Park. You cannot believe what he does with the ball every time he’s moments away from the in-goal before Caleb blows the opposition players away off his explosive pace. Gotta say the Chiefs have been clearly warned about their ill-discipline over and over again & thanks to the dominant possession and winning penalties, Caleb waited at the right time to gift the Blues their big trophy. There’s another sensational moment that warmed the Blues hearts tonight and it’s Harry Plummer whose conversion kicks looks 100% spotless through all angles at the starting 10 role tonight. Yes, this was a huge role to fill to drive the Blues attacking engine when Beauden Barrett sat out for the year in Japan. But he threw himself into the deep end with unfinished business and Harry proved to the world that he’s done it in a championship-winning team at The Blues – time will tell if Scott Robertson (also new Head Coach) gives him a go soon enough later this year for the All Blacks.

Congratulations to the Blues on an unbelievable all-round display that can wow any team after finishing 2nd including the Hurricanes & the Chiefs en route to their 4th Super Rugby title since 2003 as well as the Trans-Tasman trophy back in 2021.

And Anton Lienert-Brown did the best he can to break down the Blues areas all along in the Chiefs outside centre backline at 13. He’s got the power and physical grit that gave his side a couple of chances with the ball where Anton can not only turn things over, apply pressure and win a couple of penalties defensively; But he also can find himself with a bit of space going forward including the one and only TRY assist to Simon Parker later in the 2nd half. It’s heart breaking to see him & the Chiefs fell short once again following another brilliant season. But Chiefs weren’t simply up to their game unfortunately such as the poor discipline forced the Blues hand so many times while they just couldn’t find the breakthrough in their counter-attack.

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2024 Super Rugby Grand Final Preview: The Blues v The Chiefs at Eden Park in Auckland

by Sports Benches

89 games done, one to go to finish off the 2024 Super Rugby Season with a sold out crowd ahead of Saturday’s Final between two of the last two year’s runner-ups where one of them will be going one better for the Championship – It’s The Blues from Auckland (2022 runner-up) v The Chiefs from Waikato (last year’s runner up) at Eden Park. The last time the Blues won a trophy in the actual Super Rugby competition was back in 2003 v Crusaders as well as the short-lived Trans-Tasman trophy due to COVID three years ago v the Highlanders while the Chiefs last won back in 2013 in a home final v the ACT Brumbies.

Chiefs

It will be mostly be an unchanged line-up apart from their hookers with Samisoni Taukeiaho out due to an leg injury from last Saturday’s semi-final win v Hurricanes as well as Manaaki Selby-Rikit for Naitoa Ah Kuoi in one of the team’s reserve locks, so Tyrone Thompson will be thrown into the deep end for Taukeiaho who hasn’t started since last year’s regular season finale v the Western Force. You would think Bradley Slater would get that chance instead of Thompson but he would still be the team’s useful finisher when coming off the bench later on as the reserve hooker. Despite some injury cloud, the Chiefs are set to toughen up their defense to try and stop the Blues from scoring from the start while looking to exploit on the counter-attack by having the speedy full-back Shaun Stevenson back to lead the line that pushes Daniel Rona back on the team’s bench line.

Blues

The same would go with the Blues other than the return of Patrick Tuipulotu on their starting second row for Josh Beehre (demoted to the bench) at No.4. We thought the skipper would be originally out until the start of the International season next month for the All Blacks but he’s worked so hard to push way back into selection lately since that Quarter-Final MCL knee tear v the Drua three weeks ago on what is going to be a very big 80 minutes for him to hopefully steer the Blues with the Championship win they really deserved. A strong forwards pack should do the job to stop the quick Chiefs attack defensively in its tracks while giving their backline a run of their money. Hopefully, that would the key when it comes to making that support play work through the gate or the Chiefs’ wall in order to get the big points they accrue off a full 80 run in attack.

Final Thoughts & Predictions

You can say that the Chiefs had their lows at times in the last couple of regular season games a few weeks ago, particularly when they were away from home. However, they’ve been excellent all along throughout the Finals across New Zealand so far & other than the big blow of Taukeiaho, they still got enough attacking fire and the physical steel to bring this championship all the way back to Waikato. Blues, on the other hand, knows how to get the ball rolling right from the word go with early tries on the board. Yes, they might have their own weaknesses at times but the Blues will not down their tools that early in order to keep that winning lead away from the opposition as the game goes on before they can hopefully finally see that winning light at the end of the day with their long-awaited championship the Blues have been chasing for so long that goes back to 2003.

It’s going to be a cracking match to finish off the 2024 Super Rugby Season on a high after we witnessed the highs and lows over the last 18 weeks – such as no Crusaders in the Playoffs for the first time in a long time off the back of key personnel moving on, ACT Brumbies falling short in the semis yet again, The Hurricanes’ top barren run also shockingly ended outside the Grand Final by the Chiefs last Saturday and the Melbourne Rebels’ rare magical season towards their one and only Quarter-Finals was being eventually cut off by their huge financial difficulties that became too difficult for them to survive.

Who will going to win the Grand Final? It’s going to be a very close finish but The Blues will get their moment with the win over the Chiefs by 15 points. Make sure you tune in this Saturday afternoon at 4.30pm AEST ahead of kick-off (5.05pm) where it will be shown on both Stan Sport (streaming subscription required without ads) & 9Gem (Nine’s free-to-air multi-channel).

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Blues too good in the end that confirmed the Brumbies semi-final shortcomings for yet another year at Eden Park in Auckland, 34-20

by Sports Benches

The first of the two 2024 Super Rugby semi-finals was already underway at Eden Park in Auckland with the Blues v ACT Brumbies as the home side fired off really well with a couple of early tries that gave them a comfortable position to stay ahead. Meanwhile, Brumbies made good use of these early three-point penalty goals before they finally got one over the TRY line not long before half-time. Although they walked away with a huge trail behind the Blues by 14 points at half-time, 27-13.

Brumbies when they finally got themselves going have dominated possession that made the Blues sweating in their own area at one point. However, a series of failed executions alongside continuous handling errors and ill-discipline despite the winning penalties forced the Blues hand. That’s where the Blues extended their lead before their finals spot was confirmed as they are back in business hoping they will win that championship after falling short to the Crusaders at home two years ago.

The Final score at was Blues 34-20 Brumbies as we look ahead to the second semi-final tomorrow afternoon to decide who will be facing the Blues in the Grand Final at Sky Stadium in Wellington where the No.1 ranked Hurricanes side take on the Chiefs. If Hurricanes win then they will be hosting it at home whereas the Chiefs win would mean the Blues take over instead.

AJ Lam loves to make good use of the ball every time he’s got it with blistering pace and creativity when looking for some support to beat the opposition (ACT Brumbies) areas for the Blues at second five-eighth (No.12 shirt). He’s happy to get away with an excellent start such as that opening TRY on the wide right (he can also play on the wing too) to open the Blues account. He also has the energy to smash his way past their blocks and can nail them down like a hammer in defense that reflects his good progress in 2024. You also got a long-time Blues stalwart in right winger Mark Telea who also put up such a top notch effort in front of his supporters at Eden Park. He’s an excellent communicator with such a towering build as being tested in defense and attack while Mark has the licence to thrill through the channels that made the opposition look off-guard. Yes, he might not have scored any tries tonight but he’s there to help the Blues win games – and that is exactly he wants to do in order to walk away with the No.1 Super Rugby trophy for next Saturday’s Final v Hurricanes or Chiefs.

And Blindside Flanker Rob Valetini did the best he can to put the Brumbies on the map following another semi-finals shortcoming away from home. He’s so destructive physically with the ball on hand that handed his side winning penalties to accrue these points on the board as well as making the most out of these attacking opportunities thanks to the winning advantage and possession that includes two of the team’s tries off his own forwards department. Unfortunately, they just didn’t make the most out of their executions and advantages such as the handling errors that went the Blues way yet again towards the end. Let’s hope a tweaked talent pool next year would help the Brumbies finally crack that code for the Final.

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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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All Blacks too good tonight in Game 2 of the 2022 Bledisloe Cup that extends another year of the Wallabies’ losing hoodoo for the 36th straight time at Eden Park

by Admin

By Daniel Cullinane

Twitter: @dcullinane02

It was a feisty build-up to this second test between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park. All the talk had been about the controversial decision for time-wasting that ended the Wallabies chances of winning the Bledisloe cup in the first test. The reckless action of lock Darcy Swain, and the claims that the Wallabies had disrespected the haka. The potential for a heated contest was high.

Australia got the game under way and quickly put pressure on New Zealand with a break by Jed Holloway, who charged into the All Blacks 22. He quickly undid his good work by dumping Dalton Papali’i at the ruck. He was yellow-carded, and so began the rollercoaster of indiscipline that appears to be blighting the Australian game.

New Zealand on the other hand, were lifting their game and showing early dominance. A strong scrum saw All Black number 8 Ardie Savea break. The ball went wide to Beauden Barrett, who turned on the after burners and then chipped, to pile the pressure on the Wallabies. The All Blacks were awarded a 5 metre scrum but Savea was unable to control the ball at the base. Australia cleared their lines.

Then a moment of magic from Wallaby wing, Marika Koroibete. A break down the midfield followed by a chip, catch, and grubber to put huge pressure on the New Zealanders in their own 22. Again, the Wallabies infringed, leading to a kickable penalty for Richie Mo’unga. 3-0 to the All Blacks. Wing; Will Jordan soon built on the score with a fine break and subsequent try. Mo’unga made it 10-0.

Australia was creaking badly and the pressure was clearly affecting their thinking. Tom Wright confirmed this by taking a quick tap penalty from an eminently kickable position and an almost guaranteed 3 points. Another penalty by Wallaby skipper James Slipper led to a New Zealand lineout in the Aussie 22. Afterwards, a powerful maul forced a penalty try and yet another yellow card for Australia. David Porecki left the field for 10 minutes. Half time arrived and the score was 17-0; New Zealand were flying.

In the second half, the All Blacks carried on where they had left off. Within 2 minutes, they scored through captain Sam Whitelock. Mo’unga converted to make the score 24-0. The All Blacks had by now recognised that the Wallabies couldn’t live with them in the set piece. Again, they went to the lineout. Again they formed a driving maul and powered over the Aussie line. This time it was Codie Taylor on the scoresheet. The conversion was missed. 32-0 to the All Blacks.

At last the Australians fired a shot when Nick Frost charged down a New Zealand kick in their 22. Pete Samu collected the ball and surged forwards. Support came from replacement hooker Folau Fainga’a, who charged over the line. Bernard Foley kicked the conversion; Points on the boards. 32-7.

The All Blacks responded almost immediately with another pushover try from the lineout. Samisoni Taukei’aho the scorer.

In the 76th minute, Richie Mo’unga had another shot at goal to make it 40-7. The Aussies would have the final word in a very one-sided game when a determined Jordan Petaia forced his way over. The try was converted. The final score 40-14 to New Zealand. It was a dominant display from the men in black. Probably their best performance in the tournament.

The All Blacks were sharp, their set piece was outstanding, and they were clinical when they needed to be. Australia has some big issues to deal with. Their discipline has been woeful since their test series defeat to England back in July. They have spent large parts of the Rugby Championship playing with less than fifteen men on the field. Going forward, the lack of leadership is clearly a problem they must address if they are to be successful.

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Top 3 players from the Blues v Crusaders Game at Eden Park in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Final

by Sports Benches

The last time Pablo Matera played in a Super Rugby Final was three years ago as runner-up in a Jaguares shirt. He now went one better this year this time with a winning team for the Crusaders – where he simply kept the Blues quiet in all fronts tonight on the blindside flanker role at No.6. His tall build, leadership & physicality gave him an outlook of how the Blues play their rugby before the mistakes began to pile up on their end, as he capitalised on it defensively. Matera can also be dangerous in the attack where he made up two 2nd 40 TRY assists off the back of winning penalties/turnovers/intercepts; One for the opening big score to Bryn Hall and another with the cross kick to Sevu Reece that secured them the Super Rugby Pacific title.

Next up is Richie Mo’unga who has to be the best playmaker out of the No.10s tonight for the Crusaders ahead of Beauden Barrett – his opposite dial over at The Blues. We love how he kickstarted the match with two three-point goals while he sets up the attack with a mix of pace, team-work and passing that requires persistence to get past the Blues through the gate. That is one big area his opponents couldn’t match where the Saders took care of his creative work off the back of winning penalties/turnovers being given to them with the ball, and they managed to get the job done with two 2nd-half tries tonight.

And Dalton Papalii made a huge difference for the Blues off the bench throughout the 2nd half on the openside back row. He too gave the Crusaders some nerves having created a line break going forward with some pace, as well as being the main man cheering them up with the scrum and maul feed. He unpacked all of these attributes when being tested both in attack and defense that gave the Blues a lift thanks to Finlay Christie’s TRY with 20 minutes to go. However, the continuous mistakes limited their attacking chances to get the job done that saw them settle as 2nd best, especially at line-out time where inaccurate throws cost the Blues time after time before it’s too late.

#SuperRugby #Rugby #TheBlues #Crusaders #EdenPark #PabloMatera #RichieMounga #DaltonPapalii #RugbyUnion

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Rugby News, A series of lost chances going forward from the Blues slip away as the Crusaders take home the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific title at Eden Park

by Sports Benches

What a way to wrap up the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Season on a high at Eden Park with the Blues v Crusaders Final in Auckland, New Zealand. The Crusaders collected two three-point goals with the early lead going into half-time at 0-6, before they extend their winning margin off the back of Bryn Hall’s opening big score. The Blues may have responded to the Saders’ strong start when they were right back in the mix with 20 minutes left, courtesy of Finlay Christie’s TRY. However, they couldn’t find a way to close the gap where a couple of lost chances with the ball forced the Crusaders hand, as Sevu Reece’s TRY in the 76th minute was enough to secure the visitors with the championship, 7-21.

Commiserations to the Blues at home where they had to settle as 2nd best tonight but a fantastic season nonetheless. They got the build-up base going defensively, as well as a couple of fresh faces off the bench that helped them win a couple of penalties/turnovers along the way. They just couldn’t bridge the other end when it comes to the attack/executions; their throw-ins were poor at line-out time that held back time after time before a messy passage of play and a lack of numbers through the channels saw the ball flying over the place. It’s one huge weakness the Blues couldn’t match the Saders top-notch standard in the end.

Meanwhile, it’s good to see the Crusaders on top once again after they topped the regular-season winners tonight that secured another piece of silverware on their trophy cabinet. They didn’t rush anything whatsoever when the Saders kept a great eye on the Blues’ struggles going forward, especially at line-out time that wasn’t theirs to throw-in, as well as their messy attacking shape going forward. That’s how the Saders capitalised with the ball away from the opposition where they can do whatever they want, having scored two second half tries before they reached the finish line comfortably as these celebrations have already just begun – including those supporters watching back home in Christchurch.

After 18 weeks of action through 91 matches being played throughout the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Season, we now turn our attention to the mid-year International tests – starting with the three-match Wallabies v England tour that begins on Saturday July 2 next month at Optus Stadium in Perth. We also hope to watch a couple of Shute Shield games in a few weeks time via free-to-air on 9Gem, as there’s so much rugby to look forward through the 2nd half of 2022.

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Blues overcame their lost penalties with a brilliant defensive shift before Ofa Tu’ungafasi saved the day that secured a spot in next Saturday’s Final v Crusaders

by Sports Benches

What a game that is to close out the semi-finals of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific by a one-point difference at Eden Park in Auckland, NZ. ACT Brumbies didn’t waste any time getting it started in the first few minutes before the Blues responded well with two tries ahead of half-time, 20-7. Now the Brumbies began to hold back the Blues when a couple of ill-discipline from their end helped them close the gap later in the 2nd half, with credit from a couple of new faces off the bench, including, Lachlan Lonergan. The sweet revenge was almost sent to the Blues for payback that would’ve sent the Brumbies to Christchurch for next Saturday’s final v Crusaders via the drop goal. But Ofa’ Tu’ungafasi deflection off Noah Lolesio’s kicking boots, as well as a tougher defensive unit saved the day for the Blues with the win at home, 20-19.

Unlucky from the Brumbies who were just eliminated from the Final 4. They started off well in within the first couple of Montreal from Inside Centre Irae Simone in the No.12 shirt. The usual change of faces in the 2nd half have certainly helped them return in contention, especially with Lachlan Lonergan’s superb two-try performance from sub hooker that almost gave them a chance to overtake the Blues for the win in the dying seconds. Yes, it’s hard to watch if you’re a Brumbies fan when Noah Lolesio’s drop-goal attempt was blocked by Ofa Tu’ungafasi where the ball eventually went into Blues’ hands that confirmed their spot for next Saturday’s final at home v Crusaders. Unfortunately, an inconsistent 1st half spell left them a lot of pressure to get the job done before a robust Blues defense sent them the final message which was too late.

And congratulations to the Blues with the win on home turf at Eden Park in Auckland. They responded really well to the Brumbies’ early headstart where the Blues put in an excellent first-half display; Credit to Hoskins Sotutu & Mark Telea with the tries alongside Stephen Perofeta begins the kicking tee towards the goal posts. Yes, there were a couple of disciplinary issues later in the 2nd half when the Blues couldn’t extend their winning share, as well as leaking a couple of tries – that almost got their ticket stolen by the Brumbies at the last minute for next Saturday’s final v Crusaders. But they hung in there tough right until the final hooter where their robust and desperate defense gave the Blues and its home supporters a sign of relief. As long as the Blues watch their discipline, there’s no doubt they can run the Saders ragged en route towards another Super Rugby championship with a mix of talented and big-name stars in their squad.

90 matches done, one to go with the Final to close out the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season at Eden Park in Auckland next Saturday at 5pm AEST.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Blues v Brumbies Semi-Final in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Tom Robinson put in a huge shift on the second row at No.5 tonight for the Blues after he did everything possible to shut down a threatening Brumbies attack defensively. His near two-meter build and being at his prime right now gave the opposition team plenty of nightmares, with credit from his own numbers that helped stop the Brumbies from overtaking in their tracks. That same two-way communication applies in order to keep the Blues up front every time Robinson was being tested with his attacking contribution. As long as he keeps playing like this tonight, then he will make sure that the Blues robust and desperate defense will shut down the Crusaders at home once again next Saturday.

Next up is Stephen Perofeta in the No.15 Blues shirt at full-back. He displayed an all-round presence both in attack and defense that kept the Blues team’s hopes up right until the very end. Perofeta has no problem kicking into goal to share the workload with skipper Beauden Barrett, while running back and forth where he unpacked every bit of his natural game with the slam & tackle through each each end of the pitch. The physicality that allows him to be flexible as well as the team-work offered to support & protect his Blues team; these traits will be a series of Perofeta’s main weapons going into next Saturday’s final v Crusaders in a bid to take home the Championship.

And we’ve gotta say that the Brumbies are very good with substitutes, especially in the 2nd half when it comes to hooker Lachlan Lonergan – who came on for Folau Faingaa with 27 minutes to go. He was very dangerous to the Blues when the Brumbies made up lost time from 20-7 down after the break that almost cost them a Top 2 berth v Crusaders next Saturday. The patience was there with the help of his team-mates & winning penalties via the maul before Lachlan sorted his finishing touches from the usual throw-ins twice past the TRY line. But an inconsistent first-half run threw a lot of pressure to get the job done past a robust Blues defense before it was too late that ultimately cost them the final.

#BLUvBRU #SuperRugby #Brumbies #Blues #Rugby #TomRobinson #StephenPerofeta #LachlanLonergan #EdenPark #RugbyUnion

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Australian Rugby News, Top 3 players from Game 2 of the 2021 Bledisloe Cup at Eden Park

by Sports Benches

Sam Whitelock stood out on his own All Blacks territory who exposed the Wallabies’ poor executions both as a leader where he guided the Crusaders to many Super Rugby titles & a brilliant contributor in defense.

He read it well when the opposition lacked support numbers going forward that saw so many gaps before Sam filled it up with the Wallabies lost opportunities via the turnover/penalty.

It sums up his side’s attacking dominance in return with some help when building the attack which saved him so much workload & uses his natural game that puts off the Wallabies at Eden Park.

Codie Taylor comes in next who helped stabilize the All Blacks’ extended lead after the HT break at hooker; he has so much to offer when it comes to the line-outs/throw-in as well as the physicality on all fronts.

He credits the direct passage of play where Dane communicated very well that helped ease their workload, especially to his team-mates at the backline who built the groundwork before he processed two tries off his own.

Brilliant run tonight alongside an early mark to the bench so he can rest up towards the All Blacks’ upcoming Rugby Championship campaign later this month.

And Andrew Kellaway is the last of the Top 3 bunch when his Wallabies side looked really sore once again, but he did well individually on the wide right backline position.

He has the finishing instincts to explode any opposing half even though it’s his 2nd game at International level, you got to credit some winning penalty restarts that helped the Wallabies were organised for a couple of occasions.

Unfortunately, his side lacked patience when it comes to executing through open play with no talk up & direct attacking structure which frustrated him as Andrew needs help next time in order to earn the tries his side desperately need that is match-winning quality.

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