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Rob Valetini

Argentina v Wallabies Game 1 of 2024: Wallabies came out unscathed with the last-minute win over Los Pumas by a single point

by Sports Benches August 31, 2024

Well, that was close when the 1st of the two Pumas v Wallabies games ended up in a huge tug-o-war under difficult conditions over in Mar Del Plata but happy to see the Wallabies take that last-minute win by a single point (19-20) thanks to Ben Donaldson’s successful three-point penalty conversion. Now they will need to make a 2-0 clean sweep next weekend also away from home to try & reclaim the Puma Trophy off Pumas in Santa Fe.

The first half saw the Pumas getting a headstart with a few points lead by 13-7 at half-time, although Wallabies got one back with No.9 Jake Gordon other than a few missed late opportunities. Then 2nd half saw the Wallabies close in again via Rob Valetini while Pumas tried to hold on their lead with a series of three-point penalty goals when the Wallabies went on to lead for the first time before the Pumas snatched one back as the game wasn’t over just yet with a few minutes to go.

But at the end of the day though, it was the Wallabies who came out strong under pressure over the Pumas – still lots more to come under the tutelage of Head Coach Joe Schmidt as congrats with the win.

Sure, he may be injured many times before including the 2nd-half Super Rugby 2024 season where the Tahs really missed his on-field services. However, Angus Bell’s class is permanent every time he puts in a shift including that crucial last few mins to seal the Wallabies last minute win v Pumas after he came back on all at loosehead. He is simply excellent in all forms of both attack and defense where his side wasn’t far behind at half-time before he came back on to finish off the job – no matter how ugly that is – as everyone in Australia needs him and we got the 2nd Game next week to make up that clean sweep v Pumas.

Then we’ve got Rob Valetini being a huge mainstay of the Wallabies three-man loose forward glue at blindside six, who doesn’t disappoint every time he starts & produces in a high-standard game, as seen both at Super Rugby & International level so far in 2024. His all-round tackling, physicality and skillsets allowed the Wallabies to play catch-up including his one & only 2nd half TRY through the toughest of conditions whether under rain or the cold Canberra weather. More to come next weekend & if he can help the Wallabies win again, I’m sure the ABs won’t have an easy time later this month under his watch.

And Tomas Lavanini unexpectedly came on that early in the Pumas locks when their starting No.5 Pedro Rubiolo was down with an immediate impact to get the ball rolling where his side was a few points in front at half-time. Gotta say he’s in the right place at the right time to create the perfect storm based on his towering height, a mix of tough tackling & brute and also his vast experience via the best of both hemispheres including last year’s 4th-placed World Cup. What the Pumas could’ve done when they were so unlucky at full-time was not keeping him on; Without him, the Wallabies had a great sniff to nail them down under pressure & there goes that 1st game in the end with the loss.

August 31, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

International Rugby News 2024: Wallabies hold on tight v Wales with a 2-0 series clean sweep victory tonight at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches July 13, 2024

The two-test series belongs to the Wallabies with a 2-0 whitewash v Wales on what has been a close encounter tonight under wet and wild weather at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Wallabies fired off well where they were comfortably ahead whereas Wales struggled for the most part until they found the touch line twice off the back of two successful line-out penalties as Wallabies lead by nine points at half-time, 23-14.

Wales did have an excellent restart that puts them back in the game by a two point difference at one stage. However, the Wallabies puts them into bed off the back of Wales’s series of silly and disciplinary mistakes. Not only the Wallabies continued to score a couple of more tries, but they’ve done enough to stop Wales from closing out the match with the eight point win, 36-28. My predictions for that game wasn’t bad with Wallabies to win the other day by eight & they did win by eight!!

Plus, also happy to see a Trans-Tasman clean sweep with the All Blacks also won v England earlier this evening at Eden Park by 24-17 on top of their one point win (16-15) last Saturday in Dunedin. Now there’s one last set of matches to go in the July Internationals next Saturday where the ABs will jet off to San Diego v Fiji while the Wallabies will be back at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park this time in the arvo v Georgia at 3.45pm.

The flying Filipo Daugunu showcased his magic as usual on the left wing like he did with the Rebels this year & sure he’ll continue to do so when he will back at the Queensland Reds next season. He’s not afraid to go up high while having an abundance of who finish it off with the ball with two tries and can also defend, having been a goalkeeper & even striker in the past through junior soccer. Melbourne Rugby fans will always remember him for his contribution there both club & country.

If one Melbourne-related rugby player isn’t enough to cheer on, how about we look at someone that is born and bred & now plays for the ACT Brumbies? His name is Rob Valetini on the back row this time on the open flanker at No.6. He’s the man who can get down and steal the ball back defensively that leads to turnovers/winning penalties before Rob can be an exceptional force going forward at the breakdown that proved to be a big difference tonight, especially when he kept the lead away from Wales in the 2nd half.

And the only man that pushed Wales as best as possible through the very end is another left winger in 24-year-old Rio Dyer. Love how he processed that quick ball assist to Liam Thomas where Wales were two points off at one stage after half-time before he has unbelievable pace to finish things off like that sensational 70th minute masterclass TRY. It’s a shame that Wales suffered ill-discipline all along + a series of silly mistakes when most of his backline buddies were a horror show, especially when trying to pass the Wallabies for the lead under pressure & yet Wales still without a win so far in 2024.

July 13, 2024 0 comment

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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 June 14, 2024

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.

June 14, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

2023 Rugby World Cup, Wallabies finish their difficult Pool C campaign with the win v Portugal as they sit 2nd behind Wales for now

by Sports Benches October 1, 2023

The Wallabies has returned to St Etienne for their 4th & final Pool C group stage match v Portugal earlier today where they opened the scoring account first with a three-point penalty goal before they fought back well from their opponent’s brief 1st half lead with three tries ahead of half-time 24-7. Portugal on the hand has made every serious effort all along which is their 2nd time playing in the Rugby World Cup since 2007 also in France, having made a few big scoring attempts to try & get themselves back on track. Although they eventually found one at last later in the 2nd half, but the refs’ repeated NO TRY decisions saw the Wallabies hold on & extend their winning share via the bonus point 34-14. So Portugal are out now where they will end up 4th with one match left v Fiji next Monday. Speaking of Fiji, all the Wallabies can hope for is for them to lose during their week-long off if their small Quarter-Final chance can be possible v England on the 15th this month.

Nick Frost has made a huge difference in the Wallabies first half display on the Second Row at No.4 just like he has been all along as seen with the Brumbies in Super Rugby level. He’s two metres tall with excellent physical power to not just hold the opponents up through a brick wall but also muscles his way forward when his side has the ball before Nick earned an early rest not long after half-time at 24-7.

There’s another Brumbies player who never stopped working hard also for the Wallabies is Rob Valetini at No.8, having saw off a threatening Portuguese attack whenever possible. He’s got the pace, physical strength, backing up/communication & vision there to help find the Wallabies get past the opposition line with the ball where tries were made there. They too had another great year in Super Rugby where the Brumbies finished Top 4/semis, but here’s hoping they can get some support & create some robust competition in order to win trophies going forward – which is a clear message Rugby Australia must fix ASAP.

And Samuel Marques has been such a huge threat to the Wallabies own half, who has lots of experience playing in France as well for the Portuguese National side at half-back (No.9 shirt). He has great control with the ball while he communicated with his team-mates well in order to strike the best scoring chances possible; Plus, he can be a handy conversion kicker too. Yes, Portugal should’ve scored more than just the two tries if the ref didn’t deny them, but sure they will continue to improve over time – it’s the things we love to see in World Rugby.

October 1, 2023 0 comment

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Flying Fijians hold up the Wallabies en route towards their huge World Cup victory yesterday in St Etienne, France

by Sports Benches September 18, 2023

The Wallabies Week 2 match-up of the 2023 Rugby World Cup continues where they took on Fiji yesterday morning our time at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in St Etienne, France. Wallabies may have took the first three pointer & the TRY scoring points on the board, but it’s Fiji who made the most out of several three-pointer penalties through the posts going into the break 8-12. Later on, Fiji went on to extend their lead off the one and only TRY while continuing to score another few three-point penalty goals. Although Wallabies scored another TRY back, but at the end of the day, the winner goes to the Fiji after they def. them for the first time in 69 years 15-22. Wallabies will need to must win that next game v Wales on Monday in Lyon to try & finish 2nd in Pool C that will see them go into the Quarter-Finals next month, while Fiji will have a week off before taking on Georgia next Sunday in Bordeaux.

The best No.9 half-back on ground goes to Simione Kuruvoli from Fiji, having contributed a lot of the points that saw them stay ahead before his side found the winning touches towards the end. He might not be the tallest, but he’s so excellent at kicking all over the pitch thanks to his impressive physicality including these conversions between the two posts, as well as clear & effective communication that got the best out of his team including an improved 2nd half run.

There’s also a towering second rower who helped Fiji stay ahead in none other than Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta at No.5. Not only he has such a tall frame with NZ provincial rugby & Super Rugby experience, but also so powerful when it comes to his physicality mainly in attack that gifted his side the maximum amount of points opportunities possible. They both are gonna keep it calm over the next two RWC games v Georgia & Portugal, so no pressure whatsoever before QFs time.

And Rob Valetini did the best he can to try & stop Fiji in its tracks in the No.8 Wallabies shirt. He’s got a great all-round game as always as being tested with his visual and physical contribution that led to some opportunities along the way when it comes to accruing these points. But unfortunately, ill-discipline & a lack of fire from the Wallabies back half saw Fiji take the upper hand, which is very worrying indeed if they lose again v Wales or else they’ll have to fly straight back home.

September 18, 2023 0 comment

Rugby

Jordie Barrett’s last minute TRY for the All Blacks has all but ended the Wallabies’ bid to take home the Bledisloe Cup series for the 20th year in Game 1 of 2 at Marvel Stadium

by Admin September 15, 2022

By Daniel Cullinane

Twitter: @dcullinane02

Even after the defeat by the Springboks in the last round of the Rugby Championship, the Wallabies would go into this match with quiet confidence. With home advantage against an All Blacks team who have looked shaky in this competition and beyond, they would have felt that they could get on top of their old rivals.

New Zealand would be in a better place after a resounding win against the Pumas, but there is still a sense that they are unsure of themselves. The Wallabies would seek to test the All Blacks alleged fragile state. The Wallabies set the tone for the game by advancing on the All Blacks during the Haka, signalling that they were really up for this one. However, as the game got under way it was the New Zealanders who took the initiative.

After just 3 minutes, All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho powered over the Wallabies try line to open the scoring. Following a successful conversion from fly half Richie Mo’unga the score was 0-7. The men in blacks dominance continued and was rewarded with another 3 points from the boot of Mo’unga. They were building nicely. The Wallabies were yet to turn up.

After 17 minutes, some good work by the Australians from a lineout lead to a kickable penalty. Veteran Aussie fly half, Bernard Foley who was exemplary all evening opened his account with three points. Some slick handling saw Wallaby full back Andrew Kellaway score in the corner. But on closer inspection it was clear that he had been unable to ground the ball.

The Australian team were growing in confidence and starting to impose themselves on the All Blacks. They kicked to the corner after being awarded a penalty at the scrum. There was a short drive from the ensuing lineout and then a pick and go to score by Aussie No8 Rob Valetini. Foley made it 10-10.

With an All Black going to the bin, the momentum was firmly with the Australians. Marika Koroibete charged up the field and smashed into New Zealand wing Caleb Clarke. The Wallaby forwards then dismantled the All Blacks at the resulting scrum. Although the scoreboard didn’t reflect it, Australia were on top. But then, everything changed. The Aussies hit self destruct. A superb and powerful break by Clarke ended with a pile-up near the Australian try line. Indiscipline meant that Tom Wright and Darcy Swain were sent to the bin. The tables turned almost instantly, with the All Blacks being held up over the line. Half time came, the score 10 all.

The men in Black had clearly been told to take advantage of the 13-man Australia, and did so in spectacular fashion. A testing kick in behind and then some rapid passing saw Samisoni Taukei’aho score his second try of the match. Soon the Wallabies were back to a full compliment and picked up another kickable penalty. Foley rarely misses, making the score 13-17.

More indiscipline led to Wallaby scrum half Jake Gordon going to the bin. New Zealand soon took advantage with Richie Mo’unga dissecting the Aussie backline to touch down near the posts. He converted his own try, making the score 13-24 to New Zealand.

Beauden Barrett then reminded everyone what a world-class player he is with a superbly weighted chip over the gold defence that was collected by wing Will Jordan, who raced away to score. The All Blacks were in cruise control. Australia then fired a shot of their own down the other end with Andrew Kellaway running on to a flat pass from Foley to grab a much needed score. Foley converted. Minutes later, Kellaway was at it again. Some long passes stretch the New Zealand defence allowing the full-back to score in the corner. 27-31 to Australia.

New Zealand then extended their lead through a Mo’unga penalty, but Australia weren’t finished yet. A brilliant one-two between Koroibete and Pete Samu saw the back row forward score. Foley then drew the teams level at 34 all. A remarkable comeback by Australia.

When Australia were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, the replacement scrum-half Nic White stepped up and kicked the points for Australia to take them into the lead. As expected, the All Blacks fought back but then gave away a penalty 2 metres from the Aussie try line. Then a moment of controversy saw referee Mathieu Raynal award a scrum to New Zealand for Bernhard Foley allegedly time wasting.

The All Blacks saw their chance. They won the ball, and then moved it wide, allowing Jordie Barrett to score in the corner in the 80th minute. The kick was missed, but it didn’t matter. The men in black had done enough to win the match and retain the Bledisloe cup. Australia will say they were on the wrong end of a refereeing decision, and that cost them the game. Their discipline needs to be fixed before the return fixture. Final score 37-39. Great game.

September 15, 2022 0 comment

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Rugby News Australia, Crusaders held off comfortably in the best of Trans-Tasman Super Rugby teams clash against Brumbies at GIO Stadium

by Sports Benches May 13, 2022

It’s the best of the best Super Rugby teams across both countries match-up between the Crusaders & Brumbies here at GIO Stadium in Canberra. Brumbies may have opened the account early but the Crusaders held them comfortably throughout the first half, 5-23. Now the home side’s strength with the fire offs helped them rebound later on, but the Brumbies just left it too late as the Crusaders continued to stay ahead with the win at 26-37.

Brumbies fired off well with the early lead but then they struggled to stay ahead, when the failure to clear out via the kicking threw so much pressure to their defensive half. Although, they began to bounce back later with three tries scored in the 2nd half. However, they were well behind by that stage while the Crusaders extend their winning margin before it’s too late. It would’ve been a super close contest if Noah Lolesio and Rob Valetini weren’t injured, where the Brumbies functioned at times without them. But unfortunately, their winning run came to an end as they will need to focus on their weaknesses, before preparing for next week’s round v Blues from Auckland on Saturday night at home.

And Crusaders are outstanding as always where they just completed their three-week Australian tour on a high note v the current top-ranked Australian Super Rugby team here. They’re good at bouncing back, as well as spotting the Brumbies’ lack of kicking clearance in the first half. They took their time wisely with the ball before they simply run the Brumbies defensive blocks ragged with a mix of pace & gaps spotted down low that led to a comfortable half-time lead, followed by an easy 2nd-half spell with the win. They’re now set for a fantastic end to the regular campaign at home in Christchurch with the Drua next Friday and the Reds in two weeks time; they’re also relying on the other results that will go their way as well before Playoffs time.

May 13, 2022 0 comment

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Rugby News Australia, Melbourne Rebels made up lost time in the 2nd-half but it’s ACT Brumbies who were firing in all cylinders that sealed the win at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches March 16, 2022

It was a huge scoring game last night when the Melbourne Rebels began to bounce back from 3-17 after half-time with two tries from Cabous Eloff & Richard Hardwick, but it’s the Brumbies who were firing in all cylinders throughout the full 80 in a 17-36 win at AAMI Park.

The Rebels were happy to welcome back a few key players into the fold, such as two backline players in Andrew Kellaway & Reece Hodge, plus loose forward from the bench in Richard Hardwick. These players have played a part in their comeback after half-time alone, which wowed the home supporters off from their seats every time the Rebels score. If they’ve done this from the start, then the Rebels would’ve still been in the running but they have left it too late following a poor first-half spell.

Meanwhile, how good is this Brumbies attack! It’s incredible to look back with a whopping six tries on the board, mainly from full-back Tom Banks, who led this charge. We also saw some outstanding finishing from Tom Wright with two tries himself on the wide right, and the same goes with their back-row forwards in Rob Valetini & Jahrome Brown at the blindside (No.6) & openside (No.7) respectively. It’s only week 4 of 18 so far, but we’ll see if this Brums attacking shape will put to the test against the five New Zealand sides later on.

The Brumbies will return home in Canberra next Friday at GIO Stadium in a Grand Final Super Rugby AU rematch v Queensland Reds. And Melbourne Rebels are still looking for their first win of 2022 when they travel to Sydney next Saturday night v Waratahs at the SCG.

March 16, 2022 0 comment

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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 March 5, 2022

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.

March 5, 2022 0 comment

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Brumbies v Waratahs Game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches March 5, 2022

Hats off to Rob Valetini who was outstanding last night on the blindside back row at the Brumbies, as he never backs down every time Valetini has the ball on hand. It goes to show that Valetini has so much physicality and some speed to burn down, having played a huge part in the Brumbies’ fantastic first-half performance that includes a try for himself. And he’s blessed to contribute in this forward pack while firing on all cylinders, where Valetini was rewarded with Wallabies experiences by his side at Super Rugby level.

Next up is Nick Frost on the second row at No.5 for the Brumbies, where he also put in a full show last night. Like Valetini, he has the tall and physical package that kept the Tahs quiet under his toes, especially when Frost made good use of the opposition’s slow start earlier on, before he held them back defensively. The Brums did pull him off the bench for a bit after he started 70 odd minutes, but he came back two minutes later where Frost prevented the Tahs from leveling the score into golden point. Imagine what Frost could do all game with credit from a productive Brumbs forward line, having scored the team’s 2nd try in the first half, as it wouldn’t be possible to get the job done without him.

And Ben Donaldson gave the Brumbies a few nightmares when running into their end, especially in the 2nd half, as he was the standout player last night at fly-half for the Waratahs. We love how he injects some pace and kicking power when Donaldson has the ball in hand, in which he can control the ball whatever he likes to play with the attack. His two assisted tries to Angus Bell & Will Harris after half-time have put the Tahs back in the contention, that almost went into extra time & have another shot towards winning, but they just left it too late following their poor start in the first half. He’s 22 right now with so much playmaking and kicking quality potential to nail down a starting Tahs spot at No.10 every week, as his contribution will send a much decent threat to any other Super Rugby team out there under his watch.

March 5, 2022 0 comment