Tag:

Josh Nasser

Rugby

Brumbies looking to standout as the No.1 Super Rugby team now after a one-point win v Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium, 19-20

by Sports Benches

It’s been another close game to finish Round 6 of the 2024 Super Rugby Season, but this time it was between the 1st and 2nd best Australian Super Rugby teams right now as the Brumbies were able to shut down the Queensland Reds just in time ahead of the final hooter on their home turf once again (Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane) by just one point in the end, 19-20. The first-half was quiet with both teams opening their respective tries before Noah Lolesio snuck a successful penalty goal where Tom Lynagh couldn’t do for the Reds not long before half-time, 7-10. Yes, the Reds were able to get themselves back on track with a penalty TRY followed by another big score. But then they couldn’t stop a destructive Brumbies attack and also their scrambled defnese with plenty of mistakes being made under pressure and that was the game itself, with the Reds having to suffer another loss in recent weeks after losing to the Western Force last Saturday while the Brumbies took the win once again.

Tom Wright was outstanding from the back at No.15 tonight for the Brumbies following his two TRY performance at Suncorp Stadium v the Queensland Reds. He offers pretty much everything that you need to know every time he has the ball such as kicking out of trouble as well as his defensive contribution and most importantly in attack where he can beat his man 1 on 1 while getting the job done with blistering pace. Then Noah Lolesio put in an unbelievable performance in the No.10 Brumbies shirt whose conversion kicks has been spotless that gave them a slight advantage while prioritising for the best of the team. It’s so important for Noah to emphasise this which is so crucial for his team to spot the Reds isolated and scrappy attack before he was able to open up his attack easier and also in defense too, particularly through the latter stages of the 2nd half.

The Brumbies are still by far the best Australian Super Rugby team and it’s kinda a surprise not seeing them both play at the World Cup in France last year which was a disaster as new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will look to get them back in the squad for the 2nd half of 2024. Now can they go all the way and stand themselves out as the best of Super Rugby this year? We’ll see having lost once to the Chiefs back in Round 2 (Super Round) but for now, they got the Waratahs next Saturday.

And Josh Nasser has made an immediate impact off the bench that puts the Reds back on track in the 2nd half – one was a penalty TRY followed by a TRY himself. He was able to correct some of the team’s mistakes from earlier on which was so crucial when the starting hooker Matt Faessler didn’t do well at line-out time but their scrappy discipline unfortunately allowed the Brumbies to bounce back before they were closed out under pressure with time running out against the clock at the end there. The Reds haven’t been bad which reflects their good start of the year but losing games isn’t a good look lately as they now got a break next week & then hopefully get back to winning games again starting with Moana Pasifika.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Brumbies hold off the Reds in a four-point buffer at 16-12 in RD5 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

How good is this rivalry between the two best of the Australian Super Rugby teams here last night, as ACT Brumbies & Queensland Reds were neck in neck for the whole time through such a low-scoring match-up. Brumbies off to a great start with the three-point lead while the Reds bounced back not long later courtesy of James O’Connor, but it’s the Brums, who led the way at half-time, 10-7, before they managed to fend them off with the four-point win, 16-12. That means the Reds’ unbeaten run after four weeks so far in 2022 has now come to an end.

Unlucky from the Reds, where they endured a tough time against another elite Australian Super Rugby team in the Brums. They got the ball rolling with two tries on the board from James O’Connor in the 1st half & Josh Nasser in the 2nd half. Now the Reds may have overcome a different Tahs team by four points (16-20) back in Round 2 in Sydney, but not this time when the away side just couldn’t get past a powerful Brums defensive pack. It cost them penalty after penalty before the Reds rushed through things towards full-time, and unfortunately, it’s just wasn’t enough to upsurge the Brums in the last minute.

Meanwhile, well done to the Brums on another stellar performance last night on home soil. They got off to an early lead start via a three-point penalty goal, then JOC from the other end immediately struck back. However, they were just unstoppable as always in the attack, that helped the Brums re-gain the lead with patience. They also managed to maintain the momentum later on with plenty of opportunities with the ball. And looking at their defensive shape, the Brums frustrated the Reds attacking attempts with such a brilliant read, and that helped them maintain & hold off their winning margin against such another elite Australian Super Rugby side.

The Brums will now head to HBF Park in Perth next Friday night v Western Force at 7 pm local time/10 pm AEDT. Then it’s another State of Origin rivalry at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday night when the Queensland Reds host NSW Waratahs.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, Queensland Reds hold off the Fijian Drua’s late comeback fight with a 33-28 win at Suncorp Stadium

by Sports Benches

Wow!! What a game that is to reflect a fantastic Saturday night of Super Rugby Pacific between the Queensland Reds & Fijian Drua, that went down through the wire at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Reds opened the account with a big score from full-back Jordan Petaia before Harry Wilson scored the 2nd TRY, as the home team are 12-6 at half-time before they continued to stay ahead going into the 2nd half. Meanwhile, the Drua came back from two three-point goals earlier on into three big scores late in the 2nd half, where the new start Super Rugby team almost captured an upset in front of the Reds. However, it’s Seru Uru on the blindside back row who saved the Reds’ night, thanks to a game-winning TRY that secured their unbeaten start of the 2022 campaign by five points, 33-28.

The Reds have plenty to fix in the next coming days when a messy attacking shape and ill-discipline almost put them on the brink of a shock loss v Drua. It’s not a good look when their starting frontline of Harry Hoopert & Josh Nasser were sent to the naughty chair for 10 minutes during the 1st half, as they better be careful the next time Queensland faces the Brumbies, or else they will be punished big time. However, the Reds have done enough that put themselves past the safe line first. The build-up momentum is good where they were able to stay ahead, while extending that winning share. And they managed to bounce back following the Drua’s quickfire spell late in the 2nd half when Seru Uru came in to save the day. But as said earlier, they will need to watch their discipline and get their attacking shape organized, if the Reds are to beat the Brumbies on Friday night.

Meanwhile, so unlucky from the Drua who were almost so close towards pulling that shock upset v Reds. We love how they spotted the Reds’ ill-discipline and disjointed attack, where the Drua were able to stop them from scoring at times. We also look at the example of how inside center Kalaveti Ravouvou intercepted the ball off the back end of the Reds’ messy attacking mistakes during the first few mins of play, having ran off over halfway and almost scored, when he couldn’t find any numbers around him. It gave a preview of the Drua’s plan to haunt the Reds’ later on & again almost succeeded with three quickfire tries in five minutes late in the 2nd half. The only weakness Drua needs to work on is their first 40, when some ill-discipline and a lack of finishing organization held them back before they left it too late.

The Reds will now travel to Canberra on Friday night v ACT Brumbies at GIO Stadium, while Drua will have their home game next Saturday in Sydney v Western Force at Leichardt Oval.

It will be interesting to see whether the Brumbies will stay 1st or see the Reds knock them down to 2nd in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific standings after Round 5.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail