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Rugby News Australia, Western Force’s rebound in the 2nd half alone wasn’t enough to hold back the Waratahs’ huge scoring spree at HBF Park

by Sports Benches

What a way to finish Round 9 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific as we turn our attention between the Australian and New Zealand teams battling each other with six rounds left to go. NSW Waratahs were off to a stellar start in the 1st half with a decent lead ahead of half-time at 7-24, while Western Force began to make up lost time with three tries on the board in the 2nd half alone. However, the game has already handed over to the Tahs by that stage when they’re too good to pull off a comfortable win at HBF Park in Perth. The final score is 24-41.

NSW Waratahs looked outstanding; left, right, center, tonight; on all fronts. Their first-half spell was unbelievable when the Tahs rack up three tries on the board off the back of the Force’s poor start, such as; Mark Nawaquanitawase, Lalakai Foketi & Michael Hooper. And they continued to extend their winning margin alongside the double try brace from Alex Newsome after the half-time break, even though there were some mistakes with the ill-discipline and that blunder at one point from Dylan Pietsch on the left-wing. It’s nice to see the Tahs high & flying now in 5th on the ladder under new coach Darren Coleman; players such as Michael Hooper & Jed Holloway, who have returned from overseas, will play a key role in their playoff push & the development of the Tahs youngsters.

Western Force just still held on to their place within the Playoffs bubble in 8th; they need to start acting fast now if they want to stay there, especially with the New Zealand teams around the corner for the remaining six rounds this season beginning next weekend. There’s no problem with their defensive shape that helped the Force win a couple of penalties. Although, they can be patient when building some pressure with the ball going forward. However, they only dominated the 2nd half alone with three tries on top of one lone big score in the first 40. They need more support with the executions & cut the ill-discipline from the start if the Force wants to stay in this fight by winning games.

The Tahs will open the Super Round at 6 pm AEST with the Chiefs from Waikato in Hamilton, NZ, where all of the Round 10 games are held at AAMI Park in Melbourne next Friday. Meanwhile, the Force has an opportunity to strike back when they take on Moana Pasifika straight after this Tahs v Chiefs match-up at 8.30 pm AEST.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Western Force v Waratahs Game in RD9 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

You cannot fault Michael Hooper’s all-round contribution 100% down on the openside back row at No.7 with such a great read noticing the Force’s conversion struggles. He was there to cancel the opposition team’s opportunities with a couple of his Tahs support numbers defensively; before the ball came to them & Hooper played a brilliant role when helping out the attack, having scored one of the team’s tries in the 1st half. It’s great to see Michael Hooper back home at the right time under new coach Darren Coleman & new a crop of youngsters that helped the Tahs become a winning Super Rugby team again.

The next Tahs spotlight player after Michael Hooper is Alex Newsome, who started in the No.15 shirt at full-back. How good is that two-minute demonstration with the two tries he scored in the 2nd-half? He’s happy with the way the Tahs fired off when his team spotted a couple of Western Force’s weaknesses in the attack before they cashed in & did some damage in return. Not only he’s a brilliant finisher thanks to the number of turnovers & penalties won that made his life easier, but he’s also a decent contributor defensively when Newsome nailed down the Force’s lack of numbers at their end. It’s also another good reason Newsome helped the Tahs dominate possession with the ball, which means more try-scoring chances & demolishing the Force’s defense that played a huge role in their big-scoring win tonight.

And Reesjan Pasitoa’s move to Perth from Canberra proved to be the right place for him to develop at first five-eighth, despite the one rash decision he made with the yellow card in the 2nd-half. He worked with his No.9 of Ian Prior very well when launching the attack together for the Force; that way, Pasitoa calls his numbers by dictating the game & put the pressure back on the Tahs with the ball on hand. Although, the executions worked with three tries in the 2nd half alone in addition to the lone 1st half TRY from himself. However, a poor first 40 left them way out of reach when their chances of winning from out of nowhere were slim to none.

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Rugby News Australia, Queensland Reds overcame the Melbourne Rebels resurgence in the 2nd half with a four-point win at AAMI Park

by Sports Benches

It’s been such a competitive game from both Australian Super Rugby teams to look back last night at AAMI Park. Queensland Reds off to a flying start with three tries in the 1st half. Meanwhile, Melbourne Rebels also responded well as of late, where they were able to snatch top spot off the Reds at one point in the 2nd half. However, the Reds still proved what it takes to rebound, hold off & win games, as the final score was 32-36.

Unlucky from the Rebels with the narrow loss at home, especially when they came off back-to-back wins lately against the Fijian Drua & Western Force. They credit the defensive shape that got the Rebels going before the home team accrued a couple of big scoring tries, in addition, to Matt Toomua’s brilliant conversions between the sticks. Without these top players the Rebels desperately needed to support their forward pack, it wouldn’t be possible to stay in contention. It’s just going to take more time when the Rebels couldn’t maintain the lead after the Reds bounced back in the last 15-20 mins of the 2nd half.

And the Reds are high-flying once again after their win last game out v Brumbies, followed by the well-earned break last week. They were so powerful when playing attacking rugby off the back from the Rebels’ slow start. Although, there are some weaknesses the Reds need to look out for with the discipline & defense, especially when the New Zealand teams begin to play them starting next weekend. However, a few fresh faces off the bench later in the 2nd 40 saw them land the home base 1st with the win.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Melbourne Rebels v Queensland Reds Game in RD9 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Fraser McReight is one of the reasons why the Reds have a strong back-row after his outstanding performance last night on the openside at No.7. McReight took advantage of the Rebels’ problems by tackling defensively before running off and passing the ball to his teammates, who finished off his work for him. McReight also showed an exceptional balance between pace and physicality on the pitch, as he protected and looked after his team all night.

Next up is 23-year-old Lawson Creighton, who unexpectedly filled in for the majority at full-back, after Jordan Petaia had to come off at the 26th minute. Creighton has plenty of skills from his trade that served him well at Super Rugby level, including a superb mental awareness of his attacking & defensive contributions due to his six-foot height. In addition, his physicality helped the Reds team shield the Rebels’ attack at his end; and most importantly, his celerity, which enabled him to spot & intercept the Rebels’ lack of numbers through the far-right short side, leading to his own try in the 36th minute. He hopes that competition with Petaia at 15 will help the Reds stay on top going into the final six rounds of 2022, regardless of when he will start or be on the bench next game.

And Glen Vaihu caused the Reds a couple of headaches over in the left-wing last night for the Melbourne Rebels. It’s good to see him gain more Super Rugby experience as it goes, especially when graduating through the academy ranks at age 20. For the entire 80 minutes, his pace & work rate proved to be a valuable asset that helped the Rebels accrue the points they needed to stay in contention. Although the Rebels were unlucky to fall short by four points in the end (32-36), however, credit to a few returning stars that got the best out of his game, as it can only get better with the support this team needs to stay competitive at Super Rugby level.

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Rugby News Australia, Top 3 players from the Fijian Drua v Brumbies game in RD8 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

There’s one word to describe Tom Wright tonight; outstanding, even at full-back. He’s got so much speed to process when his Brumbies team found some holes where the Drua struggled after these missed chances, and Wright’s ready to punish them with the ball from start to finish. He sent a message to New Zealand teams following his two tries that there’s more to come from the man, who has Wallaby & NRL experience, to run them down soon.

The next Brumbies player to look at is Irae Simone on the inside midfield at No.12. Not only does he back up as one of the support players, but he can also be a menace to Drua when it comes to the executions that reflect his team’s strong start. His passing and reading look tip-top that require communication with team-mates to keep the ball in play; you saw Len Ikitau protecting him by shielding the Drua defense while they left the finishing directions to fly-half Rodney Ioda. He continues to be a valuable starter where Simone’s blessed to play around & assist tries that brought him to the best of his abilities, such as Tom Wright, Rob Valetini, Andy Muirhead & Nic White. It will be interesting to see what he has to offer in the coming weeks v New Zealand teams, as Simone hopes to add on top of his two Wallabies caps later this year.

And Onisi Ratave stood out for the Fijian Drua tonight after a full 80 minutes on the right-wing at No.14. He was always there to give himself a helping hand when being tested in attack and defense. It goes to show with the numbers around him, Ratave used his physical and pacey force that frustrated the Brumbies at times through his natural game, especially in the 2nd half. He credits his team-mates with the clear & concise read from the Brumbies defense being under pressure when Drua has the ball on hand, before Ratave took these finishing opportunities & scored these Tries twice that gifted his team big points. Imagine if this scoring spree happened from the beginning of the game; that would be awesome. However, a poor start left them too late with the loss tonight.

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Rugby News, Brumbies return to winning ways with an easy win v Fijian Drua in RD8 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Brumbies returned to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tonight following their loss last week v Queensland Reds, as they buckle up this time v Fijian Drua. They fired off well in the first half while Drua was scoreless at the same time, 12-0. Although Drua finally opened their scoring account later on with two tries on the board, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Brumbies from scoring. The full-time score is Fijian Drua 12-33 Brumbies, as we just completed Round 8 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific.

We got to say that the Brumbies backline was on fire, especially with the two tries from Tom Wright & Cam Clark continued to shine for the second week running. The maul after the line-outs was brilliant when they used the ball well in good hands, which is contrary to how Drua failed to live the expectations in one particular area. And they continued to cash in the Drua’s weaknesses with another few tries from hookers Billy Pollard & Connal McInerney, where the Brumbies continued to extend their winning share past the half-time break.

Meanwhile, Fijian Drua’s always strong after the break when Onisi Ratave scored two beautiful tries off the wide right. If Drua launched their big scoring spree in the 1st half, they would’ve been neck in neck with the Brumbies and potentially controlling the game by storm. However, a scoreless first 40 left them too late to catch up where a messy attacking line & poor throw-ins cost them a hard-fought loss.

So both teams will now take the next week off for Round 9 before they return in action against the New Zealand sides beginning in Round 10; Drua v Blues & Brumbies v Highlanders during the Super Round at AAMI Park in Melbourne.

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Rugby News Australia, Queensland Reds end the Brumbies unbeaten run after 7 rounds of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Season with a 21-7 win

by Sports Benches

The Top 2 Australian Super Rugby teams take center stage for the second time tonight, as the Queensland Reds take on the ACT Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

It was a low-scoring affair in the first half when the Brums overtook the Reds 6-7 ahead of half-time – courtesy of Cam Clark, who made an immediate impact off the bench at full-back after he came on for the injured Jesse Mogg. The Reds rebound later in the second half with two more tries from Fraser McReight & Filipo Daugunu that secured the win, despite coping with 14 men at one point when debutant Tuaina Taii Tualima was given a red card following a dangerous tackle. The final score is 21-7 as the Reds end the Brumbies’ undefeated run after seven rounds in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Brilliant start by the Brums in the opening first 40 when they took good advantage of the Reds’ first-half weaknesses with Cam Clark’s TRY. Thanks to Cam, the away team overtook the Reds’ early lead ahead of half-time with a one-point buffer (6-7). Unfortunately, they were swamped by problems after the break, with more messy discipline that prevented the Brums from scoring before it was too late.

Meanwhile, the Reds’ first-half run was up and down with a one-point trail ahead of half-time (6-7), despite opening the game with a three-point penalty goal from James O’Connor. Then this dangerous play from an unexpected debutant Tuaina Taii Tualima landed him a straight red card on the blindside; he had lots to learn on his first day out at Super Rugby level following Liam Wright’s injury before the game. But the Reds managed to regroup themselves after half-time when Fraser McReight’s TRY put the Reds back in front, which boosted their confidence. And they also noticed the Brums attack not being at the races tonight, where it played a role in the Reds’ extended winning margin.

The Brumbies will stay in Brisbane for a while before they will return to Suncorp Stadium next Saturday against the Fijian Drua.

The Reds, on the other hand, will now get a week-long bye next week as their next game will be at AAMI Park in Melbourne against the Rebels on Friday, 15 April.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v ACT Brumbies Game in RD7 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Jordan Petaia tops the Top 3 players list tonight when he was outstanding at full-back for the Queensland Reds. He’s tall, young, and talented at age 22, who can fit anywhere in the backline. However, his best position is full-back in the No.15 shirt, having just extended his contract for another two years. He can protect his Reds team defensively when reading & marking one of the Brums stars, so Petaia can hold them accountable with the tackling. He’s also good at clearing out with the kick in difficult situations before he can exploit his attacking skill sets further through the pitch; as long as he has the support players around him, that benefitted the best out of his game.

The next Reds player right after Petaia is Fraser McReight on the openside back row at No.7, as he’s so mobile alongside the physical grunt to grasp against opposition sides in all areas. He can also be an excellent contributor to his Reds team, thanks to his few years of experience with the Reds that reflected his hard work tonight. The biggest highlight of McReight on the field has to come from the 2nd half, where not only did he spot the Brums weaknesses through their messy discipline and attack. However, his big score past the TRY line at the same time has given the Reds some much-needed confidence. Thanks to McReight, the Reds’ extended winning margin threw them in the box seat towards winning before he came off the bench with an early mark; plus a week-long bye for next week.

And Cam Clark made an immediate impact as the best Brumbies player tonight down at replacement full-back when starter Jesse Mogg had to leave the field over a knee sprain. His TRY in the first half saw them overtake the Reds ahead of half-time, who has so much pace to unpack within the Brums backline, thanks to his Rugby 7s days & improved 15s experience. But a messy discipline & misfiring attack ruined the Brums momentum that ultimately robbed them of the game, especially when he was on the radar at one point with the yellow card.

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Queensland Reds overcame a messy 1st half run with 13 men to rebound later in the 2nd half with the win v Waratahs

by Sports Benches

What a way to end Week 6 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, when we looked back at this oldest rivalry, with the Queensland Reds host NSW Waratahs here at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. It was a tight opening 40 minutes of play where both teams were level 13-13 at the half-time break. However, the Reds returned to winning ways following their narrow loss v Brumbies in Canberra last week, as the final score is 32-20.

It may not be the night they liked to reflect on the loss from the Tahs, who got themselves firing with the sensational opening TRY from Jack Grant at half-back. They just couldn’t kick on when it comes to their attacking shape, which caused further lost penalties and opportunities against the ball later in the 2nd half. Not even the consolation TRY from sub hooker Tom Horton is barely enough to make up lost time towards the full-time siren.

Meanwhile, the Reds overcame a crucial 1st half spell when they were level with the Tahs at the break. Their starting loosehead front row in Dane Zander was sent off with a straight red, while Tate McDermott can debate that he didn’t deliberately knock a player down. However, the referee dismissed that claim where McDermott had to sit 10 mins in the naughty chair. Things got much better though later in the 2nd half when the Reds managed to bag two tries that turned the momentum around, as it was enough to maintain themselves in the winner’s circle. And to go from 13 men on the field to a late turnaround following the 20-minute red card replacement is incredible stuff from the home side.

The Tahs will be staying within QLD for a while, but this time it will be on the Gold Coast when they head off to Cbus Super Stadium next Friday v Fijian Drua. Then the best of the best Super Rugby teams in Australia between the Reds v Brumbies continues back at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday night.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs Game in RD6 of 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Taniela Tupou proved to be a powerful front-rower with valuable Wallaby experience at tighthead tonight for the Reds. He’s got such a great eye when Tupou had the chance to look at the Tahs’ weaknesses in the attack before he spotted their mistakes & used it against them, especially in the scrummaging defensively. And the Reds redeemed themselves later on that helped extend & maintain their winning margin when Tupou exploited the Tahs defense further in return, where he squeezed his way through the gate & bagged himself a TRY in the second half. That kind of hard work Tupou safeguarded his Reds side in the box seat earned him an early mark in the 67th minute, with unfinished business ahead v Brumbies also at home next Saturday.

The next Reds spotlight player after Tupou to look at is Harry Wilson on the back row at No.8. He has been a brilliant contributor as always who never stops running back and forth throughout the full 80 minutes of play. The teamwork was there to work out and set up a trap when identifying the Tahs’ attacking weaknesses, before he helped them hold the ball up phyiscally when it comes to his defensive contribution. Then Wilson had a crack to build some pressure back to the opposition half with the ball on hand, while he can be mobile alongside the physical grit to get the job done, especially after half-time with a couple of successful big scores.

And the standout Tahs player is Mark Nawaquanitawase on the right-wing tonight at No.14. His pace & the high-flying catches saw him in cruise control with the ball, such as that sensational TRY assist towards scrum-half Jack Grant via the short side in the 1st half. While he continued to provide a decent threat against the Reds’ defensive line, he just needed more support to make good use of his attacking skillsets that would’ve steered past the Reds tonight.

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