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NSW Waratahs

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Melbourne Rebels game in RD5 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Lalakai Foketi looked so aggressive on the inside midfield tonight at No.12 for the Waratahs. He brings so much power and pace to the squad that blew away the opposition half like the Rebels, where Foketi opened up the Tahs’ scoring account. As soon as Foketi knew what the Rebels are capable and not so capable of, the Tahs were able to help him out in the process thanks to the Rebels’ slow start, through more opportunities with the ball on hand. And the Tahs managed to rack up more big scoring points under his watch before Foketi returned the favour for his Tahs side defensively, when the Rebels may have bounced back late in the 2nd half alone, but the home team successfully held them off five points.

The next Tahs player alongside Foketi when it comes to shoutouts is gonna to be a hard pick here. But I will have to go with Charlie Gamble on the openside back row at No.7, where he provided excellent team-work & all-round contribution so the Rebels couldn’t get past his Tahs team. He was running around the field all game long when Gamble noticed the Rebels weaknesses, before he held them accountable alongside a few of his numbers with the physical application. It gave Gamble ample time to have an extended go against the Rebels defense at the other end with the same traits, and that gave a clear path for his Tahs side to punish them through the gate.

And Matt Phillip rounds out as the standout player through a losing Rebels side on the second row. He has a brilliant defensive mindset as always, where his side were able to win some penalties & converted two three-point goals in the 1st half.
Now there is nothing wrong with his attacking contribution by smashing the Tahs with the ball going forward, that help the Rebels catch up late in the 2nd half. However, a poor throw-in and missed chances have left their executions a lot to be desired, as the Rebels were out of steam by full-time.

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Rugby News, Waratahs fought back in the 2nd half but not enough to get past the Brumbies in RD3 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

What a way to close out Round 3 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific, having witnessed such a close encounter with the Brumbies v Waratahs Saturday night match-up last night. Brumbies fired off with the early lead in the first half (17-6), although the Tahs have made up for some lost time after the break but fell so short by seven points (27-20).

The Brumbies were so organized when it comes to their forward pack, especially in the first 40 with two tries on the board. They handled the Tahs well thanks to the opposition team’s poor start, where they took great use in return while building persistence before the Brums were able to get the job done. Now the home side may have begun to falter with the Tahs rebound in this next run after half-time, despite the additional TRY from Irae Simone in the midfield. However, a few late changes and a huge defensive shift towards the end saw the Brumbies come out unscathed.

Meanwhile, unlucky from the Tahs with a much-improved team after half-time, where they almost extended this game through golden point & have an extended shot towards upsetting the Brums in the process. The change of attack spearheaded by fly-half Ben Donaldson saw him successfully find his path through the gate, having called out 1-2 support numbers, such as Angus Bell & Will Harris, to finish the playmaking work for him. They just wished they marry up their brilliant 2nd 40 into the first half, when a poor start saw the Tahs fall left behind before they left it too late with not much time to stay in contention.

The Tahs will be back playing on 2 pm next Sunday v Western Force at Leichardt Oval in Sydney, while the Brumbies travel to Melbourne on Friday night v Rebels at AAMI Park.

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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.

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NSW Waratahs v Fijian Drua Game Review in R1 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

After a winless 2021 campaign of 13 games, the Waratahs have finally ended their long-running drought last night with a comfortable 40-10 win v Fijian Drua at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, NSW.

It’s great to see the Tahs forward pack make up most of the work earlier on in the 1st half at 21-3, where Will Harris and Dave Porecki added a couple of big scores through the TRY line with credit to the Drua’s dirty work via the advantage. They’re able to build on that comfortable start after the break when another forward at tighthead in Angus Bell produced two brilliant finishes, one for an assist to Inside midfielder, Lalakai Foketi, and another for himself thanks to the offload from the returning Jed Holloway on the second row. And their skipper at half-back, Jake Gordon stole a messy Drua attacking shape, when he intercepted the ball on the 10-metre line & ran over halfway on the run home that summed up the Tahs flying start to 2022.

Meanwhile, the Fijian Drua may not get what they wanted with the loss during their first game at Super Rugby level. Their series of disciplinary mistakes not only worsened their defense but also limited their time in the attack against the Tahs territory, especially at one point in the 2nd half. They just rushed through it with numbers all over the place, before Jake Gordon exploited their weakness & ran off over half the pitch towards the touch zone that cost more huge points on the board. There are some moments made, however, when fly-half Baden Kerr scored their first-ever points on the board, while we covered skipper & No.8 Nemani Nagusa on the Top 3 players list, who scored the Drua’s first-ever TRY later in the 2nd half. It’s still early days though as it will take time to become competitive, especially when facing the Australian and New Zealand teams regularly.

The Tahs will remain at home next week, but this time they will be at Leichardt Oval where they will welcome another State of Origin rivalry v the Queensland Reds, who will be facing the Melbourne Rebels at (Suncorp Stadium) home in Brisbane tonight.

Meanwhile, the Drua will head off to Canberra for another tough encounter v Brumbies at GIO Stadium next Saturday at 2.35 pm.

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2022 Super Rugby Pacific Preview

by Admin

2022 is a big shakeup for super rugby. The competition includes three new teams and is now exclusive to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Despite the changes, this season should still be incredibly exciting.

Australian Teams

The closest thing we have had to super rugby over the last three years was the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman series last year. It was a series in which the Australian teams struggled massively, only winning two games against the five New Zealand teams in the competition.

It looks likely to be another year where Aussie teams will struggle. The Brumbies once again look to be the pick of the Australian teams despite the Reds winning their first domestic title in Super Rugby Australia last season. The Queensland Reds will be looking to compete thanks to a variety of international players like Taniela Tupou and Tate McDermott.

The Waratahs, Force and Rebels will all be looking for spots in the knockout stages, but it will not be easy. The Waratahs do see captain Michael Hooper return for 2022, but they still look to be towards the bottom end of the table. Both the Force and Rebels have lost a lot of test experience over the last year and it will sadly hurt them this season.

New Zealand Teams

After dominating the Trans-Tasman series last year, it looks to be another Super Rugby season dominated by Kiwi teams.

Favourites for their fourth title, the Crusaders have a wealth of international talent led by two time reigning player of the year Richie Mo’unga. Their talent also includes Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, George Bridge as well as recent addition Pablo Matera. They may have some competition for their fourth title in a row.

The Blues are welcoming back Beauden Barrett, while still having internationals like Rieko Ioane, Nepo Laulala and Dalton Papalii. They come into 2022 off the back of winning the Trans-Tasman series. The Chiefs could be a surprise this season despite the losses of Damain Mckenzie and Lachlan Boshier. The Chiefs have one of the most talented set of forwards in Super Rugby which could dominate any team on any day.

The Highlanders and Hurricanes both have a huge amount of talent on the squads. But the Highlanders will struggle having lost a third of their starting XV from the Trans-Tasman final. They have a brilliant leader in Aaron Smith, but will struggle to progress in the tournament. Similar situation for the Hurricanes with some major losses coming into the season. But the Hurricanes add Dom Bird and TJ Perenara and could surprise a few people this season.

Two New Pacific Teams

This season features two new teams, both based in the Pacific Islands. After many years of lobbying, the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika will join Super Rugby. Starting with the Fijian Drua. They have had a difficult preparation for Super Rugby due to COVID issues, meaning the squad is based on the NSW North Coast as they could not prepare in Fiji. It looks like the team will need some time to adapt to Super Rugby’s intensity. Their squad contains Olympic champions Napolioni Bolaca, Kalione Nasoko and Meli Derenalagi. Don’t be surprised if Fijian Drua make a push for the knockout stages this season.

The second new team is Moana Pasifika, made up of players from New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Australia, including 18 former or current internationals. Much like Fijian Drua, it will be a season of getting used to Super Rugby for Moana Pasifika. 110 capped Australian Sekope Kepu is captain for the 2022 season, bringing a huge amount of experience to the new team. Moana Pasifika will be very exciting in the upcoming season, but don’t expect them to be near the top of the table come the end of the season.

The Loss of South African Teams

The reshaped 2022 Super Rugby does not include any South African teams, after their Super Rugby licenses expired after the 2020 season. It does seem odd going into a Super Rugby season without the Bulls, Sharks, Lions or Stormers. Their exclusion opens the floor up a lot for either the New Zealand teams to take over or opportunities for the new teams or the Australian teams to step up.

Super Rugby is going to look very different this season. Losing the South African teams is big for the competition. Despite not competing with them domestically, South Africa is still playing against New Zealand, Argentina and Australia in the Rugby Championship. It does show some disjointed thinking when it comes to Super Rugby’s thinking. But the 2022 changes bring plenty of opportunities for Pacific Island teams who have been trying to get into Super Rugby for years.

Predictions

In this new look Super Rugby, it looks as if it will be a few years until the new teams or the Australian teams can compete with the talent of the New Zealand teams. 2022 looks to be a similar story.

Working from the bottom up, I think the four teams that are likely to miss out on the knockout stages are most likely to be the Rebels, Force, Waratahs and Moana Pasifika. These teams just don’t have the talent to move any higher. In terms of the teams to get stuck at the quarterfinals, I could easily see these teams being the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Fijian Drua and the Brumbies. The Brumbies could be the surprise package this year, with the talent their squad possesses.

But this season will be dominated by the New Zealand teams. The Reds will be the exception to this, looking likely to at least reach the semi-finals. In an emotional season, the Chiefs will also be targeting a semi-final push, but it may be slightly too difficult for them to get past either of the two teams left.

These two aren’t exactly surprising to anyone who has followed Super Rugby over the last five years. The Blues welcome back Beauden Barrett after his time in Japan, the team has talent in all areas. But the Blues don’t quite have the two time reigning Super Rugby Player of the year.

I think at the end of the season, the Crusaders will lift their fourth title in a row. A team with Richie Mo’unga, Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Sam Whitelock and Joe Moody is too much talent for any team to compete with when you reach the knockouts. The Crusaders will win their fourth title in a row.

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Waratahs bound head coach Darren Coleman guides LA Giltinis to a Major League Rugby Championship in its inaugural campaign

by Sports Benches

Congratulations to incoming Waratahs coach Darren Coleman who just guided the LA Giltinis to an Major League Rugby Championship on their first ever season.

This is a massive achievement through a group of star-studded characters that can pass on these hometown players & learn a thing or two from them at this club.

It’s something Darren would do to bring this vibe when he returns home from Los Angeles later this year, as we haven’t seen much of this kind of structure since Michael Chieka left after 2015.

As it stands you got Jake Gordon, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Lalakai Foketi, Ben Donaldson, Alex Newsome & Angus Bell staying on, while a number of key players are coming back too such as Michael Hooper, Jed Holloway & Ned Hedigan.

And some of the new players he’d like to see at Daceyville would be the best produced & proven at club rugby level, having coached in the Shute Shield for many years including Warringah & Gordon with two titles in 2017 & 2020 respectively.

These two important characteristics shows why a three year contract is enough time for Darren to rebuild this franchise.

We’ll also see if Adam Freier and Stephen Hoiles follows Darren as well or stay in LA.

Up to the board now to back Darren with inside knowledge of the NSW rugby system & get the Tahs back to winning ways from next year regardless of the Super Rugby format.

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Rugby News, Darren Coleman takes up the NSW Waratahs job in a rebuilding project ahead of the 2022 Super Rugby season

by Sports Benches

Great move by the NSW Waratahs to have someone named Darren Coleman who knows the system in NSW very well!

Especially when he developed a great reputation in club rugby, which is the first grade Shute Shield level. Having guided Gordon to a championship last season.

He will finish coaching the LA Giltinis soon in Los Angeles for the Major League Rugby before moving back to Sydney.

It will be a difficult ride for sure after a disastrous 2021 campaign but is here for the long haul, so the Tahs can return to winning ways & most of all win trophies.

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Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman Week 5 Saturday Summary

by Sports Benches

It may be difficult for me to keep up with a few sporting events at the same time in a busy weekend which is so huge to cover so had to rest up at times with managing my body. But I will put in a summary of what we have seen so far from Week 5 of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.

First of all, we will start with the Crusaders here and they may have won all five games so far in this cross-border competition between the Australian and New Zealand teams. That includes yesterday afternoon’s encounter v Melbourne Rebels at Leichardt Oval, New South Wales at 52-26. But they unfortunately did not meet the 33 point margin & bonus point requirements to pip The Blues for next weekend’s final.

It did not go the Crusaders way when The Blues had a big head start v Western Force in the 1st half at 28-0. The Aickland-based side were almost blown off by the Force’s fantastic comeback after the break alone but not enough time to catch up in the end at 31-21. So it’s an all New Zealand showdown once more at Eden Park & see who will take home this trophy ahead of the International leg which kicks off next month.

Then we go to Brookvale Oval for the final regular Super Rugby Trans-Tasman game as NSW Waratahs welcome The Chiefs from Waikato. Chiefs pulled away with the early lead before the home team registered a late first touch just right on half-time thanks to a Will Harrison cross kick that sent Mark Nawaqanitawase flying up high. But it’s the visitors who stole the show when Sean Wainui collected a whopping five tries at 7-40 that sums up the Tahs frustrating 2021 test.

We were excited to see them battle against the Kiwi counterparts beforehand after a wonderful 10 weeks of Super Rugby AU. But it’s no fun seeing the Australian teams fall way behind with only two wins out after five rounds in the 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman which saw all five of them out of the Top 2 almost immediately. There are some good moments however when it comes competing against the best, and it will benefit them in the long term from 2022.

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Rugby Union News , 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman RD1: Waratahs v Hurricanes Game Report

by Sports Benches

It was a high scoring affair between the Canes & Tahs at SCG. Both teams were able to get the ball rolling with a few touch scores. But it is the away side who lead NSW Waratahs ahead of half-time. It does not mean that the Tahs are out of the race just yet. As they are split with a 11 point buffer at 22-33 going into the final 40.

Tahs tried to hold back Hurricanes with more touchdowns submitted. Especially with tighthead prop Harry Johnson-Holmes at No 3. Where he picked up two good big scores. But cannot underestimate an attacking minded away team. They too extended their lead past them by 15-16 points with 20 minutes left.

Before the Canes topped up a couple more late tries towards the end. Which was enough to hold off Waratahs for the win. Despite the two late five pointers earned from the home side. Plus some improvement as of late. Thanks to skipper Jake Gordon. Just not enough time to catch up. With the ill-discipline/lost penalties. And the advantage against them reflected another loss. The final score at the SCG is a 16 point gap, 48-64.

Hurricanes will head south to Melbourne next Friday v Rebels. While the Tahs enters the NZ borders. When they will meet the Blues in Auckland next Saturday.

For now we look forward to another Trans-Tasman affair here. That is Rebels v Blues tonight at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Make sure you tune in at 7.30pm live on 9Gem via Free to Air. And Stan Sport (paywall).

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Australian Rugby News, 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman: Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Hurricanes

by Sports Benches

Jordie Barrett was outstanding at full-back for the Canes. He just knows how to execute a well balanced attack. Especially through the wide areas through the channels. That is how his side were able to stack up the big touch scores last night.

He has so much hand eye coordination with the ball on hand. That is good for Jordie to look at the Tahs weaknesses. In which he was able to flick through to his man. It is not far away from him to keep that communication ticking. Before the Hurricanes were able to reduce his workload. And get past the opposition that is hard for the Waratahs to nail down.

We also know that Jordie is great with the kicking too. In which he demonstrated so much attacking flexibility. Such as the quick balls, cross kicks & physicality. It makes him a complete player that any opponent hates to hear. Because if they cannot add defensive pressure. After the mistakes going forward. Then the team Jordie is playing will punish ultimately them. The Canes may not done well in Super Rugby Aotearoa. But a win v Tahs in Sydney could see the Canes thrive against the Aussie teams. Watch this space over the next few weeks from Jordie Barrett.

Julian Savea

Another player who was great for the Canes is Julian Savea. He plays at right winger. So part of the backline three with Jordie Barrett at full-back. And Salesi Rayasi on his opposite flank via the left.

He is blessed with his side attacking setup going forward. Especially with the patience Jordie Barrett kept a great read on the Tahs. They were able to keep that passage of play flowing. Before the ball came to Julian at the right time. Then he controlled the game with the blistering finish. Pace, power and precision. That is three words where he touch scored twice.

He is age 30 right now with a tall near two meter build. It is like how his attacking shape kept the ball in play. Then go out wide that advised Julian to get ready. And once he has the ball. He was always involved in a sprint race down to the touch line. If you remove the ball & put him in a 100m sprint at the Olympics. He may have a decent chance to close out with the gold medal. For now the Canes has to take one step per week. His side may not be outstanding in Super Rugby Aotearoa. But can emerge out of nowhere v AUS teams.

Jake Gordon

He continued to be a great influence in the Waratahs final third. When Jake was injured in the early weeks during Super Rugby AU. It was not the same without him at scrum-half. That ultimately led to the firing of Rob Penney as Coach. Which is 24 hours after I attended in person v Reds in Homebush. Just in time before he came back & improved this Tahs team.

Jake did make up some lost time. He called in for some decoy runners to help him look at the Canes. It is important to look around their weaknesses. Before the communication was there via the short pass. Then got around with some space that saw the Tahs top up a few tries. They never gave up for the whole time. While still in contention towards a win at home.

Unfortunately they were still left with a loss against them. Even though it was a high scoring game. It was good to see the Tahs score plenty of points. If Jake was there for the 10 weeks v Australian teams alone. Then at least they would make it to the Qualifying Final. But sadly it did not go their way at the wrong time. When you look at the five powerful New Zealand teams. That puts them with even more pressure. Now it is just a fresh start for NSW after one game. They just need to keep that attacking awareness as shown last night. And show what they are made of against the Blues (away) next Saturday.

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