Tag:

Leichardt Oval

Rugby

Looking back at the Waratahs’ terrific upset victory v Crusaders at Leichardt Oval in RD11 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Wow!! What a game that is at Leichhardt Oval when the Waratahs upsurge a brilliant upset v Crusaders in front of their home supporters. Well, it’s the home ground they’re playing right now for the rest of this season before they move back to the brand new Allianz Stadium next year. They fired off really well with a 17-0 lead in the first-half. Although, the Crusaders began to rebound, but a series of ill-discipline saw the Tahs slip past them towards the homestretch with the win they deserve. The final score is a three-point margin, 24-21.

Hats off to the Tahs when they’re able to get away early off the back of the Saders mistakes, thanks to their fierce attacking shape. Now they may have experienced a couple of lost penalties after half-time when the Saders began to bite back with a couple of tries. However, they have to credit the opposition’s 14 men towards full-time thanks to the late Hamish Dalzell’s red card; when the Tahs were able to extend their lead before they held the Saders off in the end.

And the Crusaders are unlucky with a tough narrow loss away from home in Sydney. They made up so much lost time after a scoreless run from the opening 40 minutes. A couple of changes from the bench helped them sniff around the radar in a late bid to overtake the Tahs. But a couple of ill-discipline errors and lost penalties held them back, especially with the red card from Hamish Dalzell in the 67th minute. And the Saders being forced to play 14 men right until full-time ultimately paid the price where the Tahs exposed this huge weakness via the penalty try. It just wasn’t their night when the Saders weren’t functioning at the start before they left it too late despite scoring back in the last 40 minutes.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Crusaders Game in RD11 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

It’s safe to say that the Waratahs badly needed Angus Bell by their side at tighthead after his red card last week v Chiefs was overturned via appeal, as his presence played a huge part in this upset win v Crusaders. He’s such a brilliant contributor when helping out his team’s attack going forward, having both joined the ruck/maul to stop the Saders from turning over, as well as smashing through each bit at their defensive half. And his hard work tells everything about him where his talk-up & physicality saw the Saders pay the price over several ill-discipline errors. He’s such a brilliant role model the Tahs fans has in stall between now and the near future.

Next up is Lalakai Foketi down at the inside midfield engine room in the No.12 Tahs jersey. He never stopped running throughout the full 80 minutes, having came in to contribute the Tahs attack as a support player. He credits to a brilliant read towards the opposing team’s body language; that way, he shielded a couple of Saders defenders that gave them an idea on where to plant the TRY line, which played a part of the Tahs’ impressive match-up.

And Sione Havili Talitui has been a great addition since he came on for Dom Gardiner in the 2nd half. He knew his Crusaders team needed to make up some lost time, having squeezed his way past the Tahs danger zone with one TRY and an assist. There’s so much physicality to unpack when he desperately called out his half-back, before he piled some damage that threw the pressure back at the Tahs. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late when it comes to a tough result through the mirror. But he would’ve made a difference if he was given a chance to change the game as a starter on the second row alongside Sam Whitelock.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, NSW Waratahs v Queensland Reds RD2 match-up of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific at Leichardt Oval

by Sports Benches

Great to see the long-running New South Wales v Queensland rivalry return for another year last night, even with the wet conditions that went extra competitive while playing through the rain. Both teams were level at the break (10-10) after a close first 40 with one TRY and penalty goal apiece, but it’s the Reds who ran away in the end with another win by a narrow four-point buffer (16-20) at Leichardt Oval.

The Reds fired off very well with the early head start thanks to Jordan Petaia with the TRY & James O’Connor for the kicking and assist to Petaia, having shown patience when they had the ball in hand. Although they were tested with the scrum at times that led to lost points over to the Tahs’, the away team though managed to come out unscathed. We love how they took care of the ball with excellent planning and communication thanks to the Tahs’ mistakes in the 2nd half, which eventually gave sub-back rower Ryan Smith a way to get past the Tahs’ through the gate down low. Excellent teamwork by the Reds’ players and their use of substitutions that got the best out of ways to win games by their head coach, Brad Thorn.

Meanwhile, the Tahs’ responded well to the Reds’ early start when exposing the opposition’s weaknesses in defense, which has helped them level at half-time, 10-10. The scrum looks spot on with or without the ball feed, where Will Harris successfully converted into a TRY during the first-half at No.8 alongside some winning penalties. However, they were just unlucky not to hold them off until the end, not to blame Ben Donaldson’s brilliant kicking into the goal posts at fly-half. A few mistakes made in the 2nd half with a poor line-out, isolated executions, and defense eventually cost them by a narrow four-point margin.

The Reds will now travel to HBF Park in Perth next Friday at 7 pm local time/10 pm AEDT where they will face the Western Force, while the Waratahs will have their first away game of 2022 next Saturday night v ACT Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News Australia, Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Reds game in RD2 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

In another week running of the new Super Rugby season, the Queensland Reds were blessed to have co-skipper James O’Connor by their side at first five-eighth. He always used the best of these penalties, especially with the successful kicks into the goal. And that cross-kick assist towards Jordan Petaia for the five-point score during the first-half is unbelievable, thanks to the communication built by the Reds’ forward line so JOC can unleash his magic.

Next up, Ryan Smith has to be the game-changer here off the bench for Angus Scott-Young on the blindside, which gave the Reds some fresh legs to help themselves get past the Waratahs in the end. He has a very clear vision to unpack even with a bit of space thanks to his tall build at almost two meters. With Ryan on board, the Reds needed his help in a bid to dismantle a pack of Tahs’ defenders past the TRY line when they felt so 1-2 meters short, before he dived in down low and grounded the ball first that turned out to be the game-winning score.

All in all, JOC started and finished the game for the Reds in style under the rain, while Smith made a huge difference later in the 2nd half that helped the Reds pull off what they desperately needed in 1st place (16-20).

And the Tahs may be gutted with the narrow loss last night, but one player who stood out is Will Harris at Number 8. He had an outstanding first-half run that puts the Tahs on level with the Reds at half-time (10-10), when not only did he collect a TRY himself via the scrum feed, but he also kept a close eye on the Reds and held them down defensively when the opposition lacked numbers. We love how he outsmarted Reds’ half-back, Tate McDermott, when he pulled the trigger once the Tahs’ stayed square & finished off against Angus Scott-Young past the touch line. Unfortunately, the Tahs made a couple of messy mistakes towards the end. Not only did it isolate their finishing opportunities with the ball, but it also exposed their defense before James O’Connor kicked the ball into touch after the 80th minute and it’s too late.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail