Rugby Union Sports Benches
Tag:

Rugby Union

Rugby

Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Moana Pasifika Game in Round 15 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Timoci Tavatsvanawai has been excellent on the left wing v Waratahs tonight for Moana Pasifika, having scored back-to-back tries throughout the opening 40 mins of play. He’s got plenty of pace to run back and forth; Plus, he can also smash & tackle these opposition bodies as being tested with his attacking & defensive contribution. And the vision/read is there to see every time when looking to catch the high ball & mark out the Waratahs weaknesses, which is so important for his position. All in all, he’s such a dangerous force as long as Moana can supply him with the execution he’s after, while continuing to grasp more of his on-field qualities at both ends along the way. More to come from the 25-year-old in Timoci.

Next up is Levi Aumua who did well to keep Moana in check on the outside midfield at No.13 where his side got away with the season-finale win tonight v Waratahs. Like Timoci, he has great vision with good height, as well as with pace and physicality that let him do his best work on the field. Not only he helped get past a robust Tahs through the gate thanks to some patience, support & talk up there, but he can also come back & protect Moana defensively that helped finish off their 2nd year in style. He’s so thankful to them with his Super Rugby growth at 28 right now as they will miss his brutal presence, but he can’t wait to move onto the next level next year for the Crusaders.

And how about we give Michael Hooper the send off he deserves after his last home game for the Waratahs at No.7 (Openside Flanker). He never stopped working hard as always where he put in a decent defensive shift, while offering with a mix of pace & physicality going forward that demonstrates his vast leadership in Daceyville. Now he might not have guided them to the win, especially it’s the last regular game of the year. But he did deny Moana a bonus point before he finished his night on a high thanks to a TRY himself in the 80th minute. He needs their full support behind him now in the hope of putting his best for the win as outsiders v Blues in the last 8 at Eden Park.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Moana Pasifika end their 2023 season with the win in Michael Hooper’s last home game for the NSW Waratahs at Allianz Stadium

by Sports Benches

Waratahs may have scored twice in between kick-off & half-time, but Moana led the opening 40 at 14-21 thanks to a Timoci Tavatavanawai double brace on the wide left. Nothing much has changed going into the 2nd half apart from the Tahs’ late progress with back-to-back consolation tries. However, it was Moana who were well secure with their extended lead before they got away with the season-finale win in Moore Park, 24-33.

It’s not the win the Waratahs wanted to finish their home season tonight, especially when fans came out to see Michael Hooper run out for the last time at home in-person before Tahs head off to Eden Park on Friday now v Blues for the Quarter-Final. They weren’t bad at the start thanks to a brilliant clearance kick from Joey Walton before Mark Nawaqanitawase chased the ball well en route to the Tahs’ opening TRY. Although they’ve responded well at times that includes two late tries in the 2nd half, but ill-discipline has held them back time & time again & that is something they have learned the hard way tonight. I know it’s the last regular match of the year, but they still need to watch their discipline by having a strong defense while scoring if Tahs do want to win as outsiders v Blues.

And congratulations to Moana Pasifika with the win to finish off their 2nd Super Rugby season. The last time they won was against the Hurricanes a little over a year ago via extra time at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, 24-19. They did well to overcome such a robust Waratahs blocks through the gate, having got away with three tries in the first half. It took so much patience, support & talk up in order to get the job done together where Moana extended their lead with two more tries in the 2nd-half before they’re able to see the light as the clocks ticks down towards full-time, even though the Tahs’ two late tries didn’t have much impact apart from losing that bonus point opportunity. Now they finished last once again on the ladder, but it‘a gonna take more time before Moana can start winning more games from there.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Fijian Drua v Queensland Reds Game in Round 15 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Hats off to Fijian Drua’s all-rounder Frank Lamani who showed that he’s more than just a half-back tonight in the starting No.9 shirt. He can communicate well every time his Drua team have the ball on hand & follow his lead in order to get the job done in attack, while he can fill-in well as conversion kicker too which is a bonus particularly during the 2nd 40. It just goes to show he has an excellent mindset as well as pace & power that demonstrates his all-round natural game & leadership too. Thanks to the Reds weaknesses through the ill-discipline, he never stopped working hard as he’s can’t wait to challenge the Crusaders next Saturday in hoping to upset them once again for a semis spot.

There’s another Drua player to get behind en route to Christchurch in none other than Joseva Tamani on the blindside back row at No.6. He too has been destructive with his all-round input just like F. Lomani except the height of course where Joseva is much taller than him, such as the physicality, vision & defensive contribution. All of these attributes he’s got helped Drua put themselves on the front foot, especially right from the beginning. Then his side went full on after the half-time break & Joseva has been active as ever since with one TRY assist to Mesake Doge & a TRY himself to finish such an easy game at home with pace. 

And Angus Blyth rounds out as the top Reds player of this match playing on the second row at No.5. He played a huge role in the Reds’ two tries earlier on where Angus provides a combination of such brilliant strength & towering height too that helped his side get past Drua in its tracks. Plus, he can be a sound defender too on occasions as well, having played about just over 50 Super Rugby games for them since 2018. Great mind, physicality &  input that makes him an important player for his team. It’s not just his day today when lots of ill-discipline & lack of 2nd half ball chances bite back to haunt the Reds, as it remains to see if the Reds will play in the Quarter-Final v Chiefs next Saturday. After the Western Force’s loss v Chiefs, Reds will now face them again but will need to show some team spirit in the hope of another upset like they did a few weeks ago.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Fijian Drua looks to upset Crusaders once again this time in Christchurch for a semi-final spot after a huge 41-17 win v Reds

by Sports Benches

It was a tight opening 40 by both Fijian Drua & Queensland Reds where Drua got themselves ahead early, while Reds responded well 1-2 times that puts both of them towards a 2nd half restart to the finish line at 17-17 all. But it was Drua who were absolutely too good by a huge margin after a few more tries were made that got themselves into the Final 8 bubble. And as for the Reds, they were simply stuck before being completely messy by Drua through the end with no tries & three-pointers accrued at all. The final score over in Suva, Fiji, was 41-17.

First of all, don’t know what to say once again after the Reds were hammered in Fiji by the Drua team, who now secured their first-ever Super Rugby finals appearance in 7th on the ladder. They weren’t bad from the beginning with great response at times after two tries + a penalty goal where the Reds were level at half-time. But sadly, their discipline & attack was unbelievably poor at worst as always which cost them possession, tries & penalties time & time again until it was too late. Brad Thorn thought that he might have taken charge for the final time today, but he gets to live another day after the Western Force just failed to beat the unstoppable Chiefs at the end of tonight. They will come in as the 8th Finals seed following their final placing on this year’s ladder, but it will still be a much tougher task nonetheless v Chiefs who will be fielding a full-strength team than the one they’ve been run over a few weeks ago also by Reds in New Plymouth.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the flying Fijian Drua team on their first Finals appearance during season two of this competition. They got themselves on the front foot by staying ahead of the top spot before the Reds struck one back for the 2nd TRY that puts them on the same page at half-time. But they managed to put an extra gear or two where more tries came their way and in the end, Drua ended up as the best team that wowed the home fans out there in Suva, Fiji. What a season that is as everyone in Fiji is right behind their Drua side to Christchurch, NZ where they will look to outsmart the Crusaders once again for the Final 4 spot next weekend. Their away record hasn’t been that great in contrast to the one they play at home, but they got the team spirit & attacking power to pull it off from there.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Top 3 players from the Brumbies v Chiefs Game in Round 14 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Damian McKenzie continues to shine this time by leading the Chiefs backline at No.15. His kicking game is excellent as always; he also possesses a lot of all-rounder attributes where he was tested so well while backing them up both in attack & defense. Gotta say that the forwards communicated with him well by giving them a helping hand in return. That way, the Chiefs know where to stop the Brumbies in their tracks, as well as being able to fire up the pressure back at the Brumbies going forward. It’s something how the Chiefs have scored time & time again for the majority before he gets to add these extra conversion points, which is always a nice bonus to have even when looking to kick from these difficult angles. 

Next up is Chiefs No.8 Luke Jacobson who also did well right from the beginning. He has such a towering frame and ever mighty physical power to shift things around, especially when not only he’s such a brilliant attacking force but he can also defend as well. You can’t go wrong when he helped his side open the scoring account by himself early as seen when he blew everyone away with his pace & power, while he continues to do the hard yards that helped the Chiefs stay ahead of the Brumbies when it comes to the lead. He is sure enjoying his best rugby right now at 26, having seen the Chiefs just taken home the regular season title as all eyes is on dominating the Finals real soon.

And Len Ikitau has been excellent on the Brumbies midfield at No.12. He was a huge attacking contributor thanks to the winning penalties/advantages being given on occasions. It gave his side some time to get around the Chiefs blocks before the close communication & the executions are there to reflect his input, having scored one TRY & one TRY assist against the runaway leaders. He will no doubt be a huge contributor towards the Brumbies upcoming Finals bid soon. Yes, they may have scored two late tries. But it’s the attacking inconsistency that saw his side struggle to break up a robust Chiefs defensive line mightily with the loss.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

ACT Brumbies’ late 2nd half turnaround not enough to crack an unbeatable all-round Chiefs side 21-31 in Canberra

by Sports Benches

The Chiefs fired off the scoring account first while ACT Brumbies levelled them up at 7-7 after a TRY of their own. But the first half belongs to the Chiefs who managed to score another TRY + the penalty goal ahead of the break, 7-17.

Although the Brumbies scored two consolation tries within the last 10 minutes of the night. However, that wasn’t enough to close in the unbeatable Chiefs who got away with a well-secured victory on the run home. The final score at GIO Stadium in Canberra was Brumbies 21-31 Chiefs.

Commiserations to the best Australian Super Rugby side right now following a rough night in the office. They weren’t bad on occasions when it comes to the fightback, having been blessed with the winning penalties/advantages/turnovers at times that led to a couple of tries along the way. They just couldn’t crack a robust Chiefs defense for the majority where not only the inconsistent attacking deficiencies are there, but their defense has been isolated too every time the Chiefs swoop in with the tries they’ve conceded on their doorstep. Speaking of the Brumbies doorstep, they got another home game coming up v Melbourne Rebels on Friday night + the Quarter-Final after that most likely v the Hurricanes. 

Meanwhile, it’s great to see the Chiefs take home the Minor Premiers after a near unbeaten 2023 campaign – bar the shock loss v the Reds two weeks ago. Their defense was simply outstanding where they gave the Brumbies a really hard time for most of the night. Not only that, they were really dominant going forward too thanks to the sheer physicality the Chiefs have in their arsenal where tries are being made there. And that is how the Chiefs were in cruise control all along by opening the scoring account first before they extend their winning margin by staying ahead on the run home towards a secure win in Canberra. They will now fly out to Perth v Western Force for the last regular season match of the year next Saturday.

With one round left, the Brumbies really need the home crowd to give them a great lift towards making the semi-finals once again no matter what happens – as they could go one better for a chance in the big final this time. Meanwhile, if there’s 1-2 weaknesses the Chiefs might wanna look out right now is the injury of Brad Weber earlier on & some discipline as of late, but hope Brad is okay as they do want this Super Rugby trophy real bad going into the Playoffs starting in two weeks time.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Top 3 players from the Highlanders v Reds Game in Round 14 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Shoutout to Freddie Burns on what has been an outstanding night at No.10 for the Highlanders. He too has been such a huge threat in the attack, particularly during the 2nd half revival including the game-winning conversion kick. His role dissects the ability to design their way past the Reds blocks in the hope of getting the job done that includes some physicality to unpack himself, having been given ample time thanks to the Reds injury struggles before his side touched down with these big scores a few times off the back of his work. And he’s happy to be here after a illustrious career in the Premiership, especially when he scored the winning drop goal also at the death in the final v Saracens last year for Leicester Tigers.

Speaking of last-minute heroics, how about we go with the Highlanders reserve half-back Folau Fakatava who scored the winning TRY with less than two minutes to go. He has made such a huge difference since he came on where Folau helped them overtook the Reds with the lead for the first time; Although the Reds stole back once more via the penalty goal shortly after but he too found a way to close them out just before full-time with the win. He boasts a mix of pace & physicality even though Folau might not be very tall just like his understudy Aaron Smith, as he learned so much from him that made Folau a long-term asset for the Landers. Now he & Freddie are hoping to surprise the Blues next week in the hope of having an extended run from behind soon.

And Harry Wilson has been excellent in the No.8 Reds shirt where he possesses a mix of pace & physical power that broke the Highlanders line at times along the way. He’s such an all-rounder that saw him win penalties/turnovers as being tested both in attack & defense. His attacking skillsets have devastated them the most though, having helped the Reds win possession where his side were able to get the job done throughout the opening half by staying ahead. Sadly, injuries to a few key players saw the Reds good start begin to collapse through only a few penalty goals before they were piped by the Highlanders towards the finish line at the last minute with the loss in Dunedin.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Highlanders break the Queensland Reds hearts at the last minute in order to keep their Finals bid alive in Dunedin

by Sports Benches

The Reds got ahead early with a few tries for a start while the Highlanders responded well at times where they were just seven points behind at half-time, 14-21. Later on, the Reds might have extended their winning share a bit but it’s only via a series of three-point penalty goals & nothing more. But then the Highlanders came back from behind to close in on the Reds & overtook them with the lead for the first before the Reds stole one back via another penalty goal. In the end though, the home side were glad to get away with the late win thanks to the match-winning TRY off No.9 Folau Fakatava. The final score at Forsyth Barr Stadium is Highlanders 33-30 Reds.

Unlucky from the Reds who were so close towards winning this match away from home until the Highlanders stole the lead baton at the last minute over in Dunedin, NZ. Their first half was really good where the Reds scored three converted tries on the board. Although they regained the lead with seven mins left via another three-point penalty goal thanks to these winning penalties & a good defense, but what really hurts them the most is the injuries amongst these key players. Sadly, that really hurt the great work they’ve built from the beginning where it allowed the Highlanders to make up lost time before the Reds couldn’t close them down under pressure as the clock ran out. Their next game is against Fijian Drua in Fiji next Saturday, which is going to be a must-win game if they want to stay within the Top 8.

And Wow!! Just Wow!! The Highlanders are not out of the Finals just yet with only one more regular round to go thanks to a really close win against the Reds on home soil. They showed some fight earlier on through 1-2 tries, while struggling to hold off defensively at times every time the Highlanders saw Queensland touch down with the TRY at their own end. However, they finally found a way to escape the opposition team’s clutches thanks to the a number of key players being hauled off the pitch due to injury. From there, the Highlanders were able to close in also thanks to a few new faces off the bench, before they managed to close out the Reds at the last minute on what has been an unreal finish with the win. Now they got a tough road ahead v the Blues in Auckland next Friday, but the Landers hope other results go their way in order to advance into the Finals for another year.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Top 3 players from the Waratahs v Fijian Drua Game in Round 13 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season at Allianz Stadium

by Sports Benches

Hats off to Max Jorgensen who led the Waratahs backline well at No.15 (full-back). Love how he can do all sorts of things that helped his side steer clear above Fijian Drua such as his defensive contribution thanks to the help from his robust forwards line, as well as the passing, kicking to clear out, pace & TRY assists going forward. It goes to show he can make such a big impact right away after making his Super Rugby debut 11-12 weeks ago & also straight out of High School at the same Allianz Stadium in Moore Park. He never stops working hard from start to finish & that is something he wants to keep on improving every week, as he can’t wait to get tested now v the champs Crusaders next Saturday in NZ.

Next up is 2nd half superman for the Waratahs Joey Walton on the inside midfield role at No.12. He too has made such a big impact that helped complete his side’s attack in order to stay ahead of the Fijian Drua who doesn’t give the Waratahs an easy run. Every time he has the ball, he boasts some blistering pace as well as some brilliant passing through the channels where the support players around him were able to get the job done with a few tries on the board. Such a dynamic player to watch, especially when he made that successful 50/22 line-out kick before they converted that into a match-winning TRY. He’s still got a lot to offer after tough times with injury at 22.

And Joseva Tamani did so well on the blindside for Fijian Drua at No.6  He did everything possible in order to keep his side in contention, having helped Drua win a few penalties including 2 x three-point goals earlier in the 1st 40 before he tested the Waratahs blocks well later on that led to a TRY assist & a TRY for himself. You can’t underestimate his natural game where he has greater vision thanks to the tall frame, as well as the physicality in order to plow himself over the line. Sadly, the Drua just couldn’t overcome the Tahs robust defense despite winning possession, as they just couldn’t keep it up under pressure with the loss.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Rugby News, NSW Waratahs win yet again for the fourth straight time after a brilliant display v Fijian Drua at Allianz Stadium

by Sports Benches

Fijian Drua opened the scoring account first with the three-point penalty goal & then the same again, while the Waratahs got away by overtaking them twice alongside these two tries where they just extended their lead after the 2nd big score at half-time, 13-6. Later on, the Tahs continued to score a few more tries in order to stay ahead. On the other hand, Drua at last improved their play with back-to-back tries. But then there’s only winner to settle and that is the Waratahs where they responded to Drua’s fightback well before they got away with a comfortable win in front of their home supporters. The final score over in Moore Park was 32-18.

Commiserations to the Fijian Drua with their hard-fought loss tonight, even though they’ve done well at times with a great vibe amongst the Fijian supporters out there watching in-person. Their defense & the way they control possession with the ball wasn’t bad where they won a few penalties/turnovers, as well as back-to-back three-point penalty goals earlier on before Drua managed to fight back with back-to-back tries in the 2nd half. But the only key weakness they couldn’t overcome was the Waratahs defensive blocks where they gave them a really hard time before Drua were being punished in return along the way before it was just too much to keep up towards the end – that’s all. It doesn’t mean that their bid to the Finals is over though with back-to-back home games ahead v Moana Pasifika next Saturday & QLD Reds in two weeks time.

And how good it was to see the Tahs win another game yet again for the fourth time in a row, having won the last three at home including the Reds away in Townsville. Their defense has been outstanding where they held the Drua’s conversion play accountable before they cashed in with back-to-back tries through a good lead ahead of the break. Then they managed to extend their lead along the way thanks to their amazing attacking momentum & patience. Now the Drua may have fought back at times, but the home side stayed ahead with another few tries before the job was well & truly done towards the home run first. Great timing to have the strongest side back together in time for the Finals soon. For now, they hope to win another upset v Crusaders this time on in Christchurch next Saturday arvo just like last year at Leichhardt Oval.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail