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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v Blues Game in Round 13 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

I’ve gotta say that Harry Plummer was outstanding particularly in the 2nd half on the Blues inside midfield at No.12. He too can cover everything, particularly when he had to take over from the main No.10 in Beauden Barrett with the kicking duties after he had to come off not long following half-time due to injury. Nevertheless, his passing has been excellent with the ball as always, so the link-up play can continue through the channels that led to another few tries along the way. And once the tries are done, Harry’s kicking has been spotless to add the extra conversion points & bonus point win too. Although there’s still some unfinished business left & hope injuries don’t affect their goal of winning the championship next month.

Next up is Cameron Suafoa in the No.5 Blues shirt who provided a great link with the backline well that not only help got away with a great start, but also extend their winning lead along the way. Speaking of balance, he too unpacked his natural game well between pace, power & physicality. He has done the digging with the ball on hand while his attackers are ready to pounce. That way, the Blues were able to show so much fight with more tries under his watch. And once the Blues were in an easy position towards full-time, he deserved an early mark off to the bench with 20 to go. Well done on giving his backline that link to help finish off for him.

And Liam Wright has been excellent last night on the Reds blindside back row at No.6. Every time he contributes in the attack, he’s such a huge threat where his towering frame & packed muscle broke away the Blues’ defensive wall on occasions. You can see there he has found the support he needs verbally & physically in order for the Reds to get over the line where a few tries are being made there with all credit to Liam. His hard work saw the Reds land not far behind the Blues at half-time, but they just couldn’t build on their good start when they just couldn’t stop the firing Blues attack while their finishing play has been consistent as well.

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Blues too good in the end where their fiery attack was outstanding against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium last night

by Sports Benches

It was a close opening 40 minutes of play between the Queensland Reds & Blues where the Blues fired off first while the Reds held them back with 1-2 tries, as the Blues held a narrow three-point buffer ahead of half-time, 14-17. In the end though, the Blues were simply too good where their attack has been outstanding with a comfortable win on the Reds’ home turf over at Suncorp Stadium. The final score was Queensland Reds 26-43 Blues.

After an upset win last Friday v Chiefs over in New Plymouth, NZ, the Reds just couldn’t get the job done this time against the Blues last night. Their first-half wasn’t bad for a start with a great fightback through 1-2 tries earlier on where they weren’t far behind by three points at half-time. Yes, they managed to score another 1-2 consolation tries later on in which they cannot retract from that. But what’s really disappointing is not only they couldn’t stop the dangerous Blues attack, but their finishing continued to be inconsistent in which is still happening for some time this season. They got the Highlanders from Dunedin though next up over in NZ & they’re under heaps of pressure down in 11th right now, so no doubt the Reds can get this done with a win on Friday night.

Meanwhile, the Blues continue to prove what it takes to be such a dangerous force as if they’re preparing for each Finals game that will begin in three weeks from now. Their first-half wasn’t bad when they got themselves ahead early while being held up by the Reds at the same time by a small lead going into the break. But the Blues managed to turn themselves around with more tries on the board while they extend their winning lead. And they were simply too good towards the end with a bonus point win. Now it remains to be seen if the Blues can cope with their injury hit-list, having seen a few go off the bench unexpectedly in the 2nd 40. They’ve got the Hurricanes next Saturday night followed by the Highlanders both at Eden Park to end the regular season, but hope they’re okay ahead of the Playoffs soon. 

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Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds & Western Force Game in Round 10 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Tate McDermott made such a huge difference for the Reds at half-back tonight v Western Force. Every time has the ball on hand, Tate has the the licence to thrill such as the quick tap & go as well as controlling the scrum, driving maul and everything in between in order to make the most out of his side’s attack. It’s not just his work rate & communication being top notch as always, but he has excellent mobility & kicking prowess to roam around the pitch too. He’s glad to stay in Ballymore for another few years through 2027 – the year when Australia gets to host another Rugby World Cup & glad he will get to learn the best from Eddie Jones.

Harry Wilson has also been excellent tonight at No.8 for the Reds. His physicality saw him smash barriers through the Western Force blocks every time the Reds build their attacking momentum. It gave his side time to find their way through the gate where not only the Reds dominated possession going forward, but also scored a couple of tries along the way. Plus, his height is such a huge factor too, particularly with the vision so Harry can also look for some support to his own players to finish off for him. He hopes tonight’s display is the start towards proving Wallabies coach Eddie Jones that he’s a hard worker all around.

And Zach Kibirige continues to make waves on the Western Force left wing position at No.11 with his back-to-back tries tonight v the Reds. He was blessed with the Force’s great start where Zach squeezed his way just inside the score zone thanks to No.2 Tom Horton on the far-right short side. Then he read a brilliant intercept later on off Tom Lynagh tried where he got the job done by himself with no one there to stop him through oozes of pace. But sadly, the Force just couldn’t stop the Reds’ possession that limited their attacking chances, even though their defense wasn’t bad while suffering ill-discipline at the same time.

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Queensland Reds follow up with another win at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tonight v Western Force from Perth, 31-17

by Sports Benches

Western Force may have opened the scoreboard first, but the Queensland Reds has dominated the first-half with three tries on the board at 21-5. Although the Force showed some fight back 1-2 times later on, but Reds continued to dominate for the rest of the night with the ball despite being denied by the ref before they finally topped up one more TRY to seal another win this time in front of their home supporters. The final score at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane is 31-17.

It wasn’t the night Western Force wanted to see out against the Reds away from home in Brisbane after their win last Saturday v Highlanders. They actually fired off well when the Force got ahead early but then they were crushed by a lack of opportunities with the ball for the majority, even though their defense wasn’t bad & responded well 1-2 times later in the 2nd half. Plus, the ill-discipline sadly held them back further behind as the game goes on & these are the 1-2 main weaknesses the Force needed to get back on track – should they wish to knock down the Highlanders & move inside the Top 8 of 12 ladder. For now, they got a tough few weeks ahead with the Crusaders over in Christchurch, NZ next Saturday afternoon.

And congrats to the Reds on what has been another win, having done so last round v Moana Pasifika in between their bye last week. The way they controlled possession has been excellent as always which gave them ample time to get the job done with a few tries on the board, even though they may have been denied by the ref 1-2 times later in the 2nd 40. Now that is alright when facing a team below their standard like the Force & Moana. But they need to be really careful & not let their finishing slip up next time where they have been exposed at times, particularly when facing the other established SR teams including the Waratahs whom they will be facing in Townsville next Saturday night.

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Top 3 players from the Reds v Crusaders Game in Round 6 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Gotta say that Dom Gardiner had an excellent evening in preventing the Reds from stealing the lead baton where not only he can attack with first-half TRY, but he can also help build a brick wall that can leave them frustrated too. He’s got so much mobility alongside a balance of his tall reach & physical strength. Plus, he’s a great team member too for the Crusaders, particularly when forming a great partnership with Scott Barrett on the second row at No.5 in place of Sam Whitelock. He’s got plenty of time to learn from these greats at age 21 before Dom can make a name for himself in many years to come both for the Crusaders & potentially the All Blacks at some point.

Next up is Leicester Fainga’anuku once again on the left wing where he always shows off his attacking masterclass that includes his first-half TRY off an inside pass from Richie Mo’unga. Plus, he can defend too through a great read to nail one of the Reds players down by holding them accountable. So there you go, he’s the man who wears the Crusaders shirt with so much heart while demonstrating exceptional talent at the same time. Let’s hope that the injury list right now doesn’t stop him from collecting more TRY-scoring moments & Crusaders wins going into the 2nd half of this Super Rugby season.

And there is another left winger to look out for but this time for the Queensland Reds in Jordan Petaia who has given the Crusaders a huge scare throughout the 2nd half. He might have been denied a TRY at one point that landed out into touch, but didn’t waste any time getting the job done where he ran well to stamp another Reds TRY thanks to a shortcut kick from Tate McDermott. Imagine if it’s Joseph Suaalii doing this v the Saders, as we will see more of him back to Union from the end of next year. Sadly, the Reds’ night have been full of messy attacking finishes & discipline. These weaknesses has left Petaia frustrated on what has been a missed opportunity on home turf.

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Crusaders win again while the Reds continue to struggle, despite being given so many attacking opportunities to dominate the game at Suncorp Stadium

by Sports Benches

Following the Highlanders’ mighty win v Moana Pasifika, we head straight to Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane) where the Queensland Reds welcome the Crusaders to round off a huge Friday doubleheader in Week 6 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season. The Saders got away with a decent 1st half display while the Reds struck one back where the home side were only eight points behind at the break, 7-15. 

Although the Reds tried to get the job done so many times going forward, but again a series of incomplete attacking plays & more ill-discipline continued to hold them back time & time again before it was too late. Even though the Saders had limited 2nd half attacking opportunities, they were relieved to stop the Reds from slipping away in their tracks defensively where they got away with the win, 12-25.

First of all, there’s not much improvements to say from the Reds tonight. Yes, they’ve been given so many attacking chances for the majority in hope of overtaking the Crusaders for the win. But then the way they execute the attack is half-hearted while the discipline is still very messy that held the Reds back further & further, and sadly that’s how they finish off the game with another loss being slapped against them. Seriously, this is not how you conquer Super Rugby if the Reds are going to keep on playing like that. They better need to rope in some numbers up close & cut the discipline if the Reds want to get their season back on track staring with Brumbies again at home next Friday.

Meanwhile, the Crusaders are happy to see off another win away from home in Brisbane. They never lost the lead all along with a great start of two tries on the first half followed by the one in the 2nd half before the Saders were relived to escape a threatening Reds attack from their own end. Now the injuries really hit them hard, particularly when Sevu Reece is out for a while as found out lately alongside George Bower who popped his knee at one point in the 2nd half. Plus, their 2nd half attack hasn’t been the same when the Saders couldn’t stretch their lead as bigger as they’d like, but they’re happy to take the win ahead of their return trip home v Moana Pasifika next Friday.

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Rugby News: Top 3 players from Game 2 last night between Wallabies v England

by Sports Benches

Billy Vunipola was outstanding last night in the No.8 shirt for England at Suncorp Stadium. They definitely did his favours when not only he won them plenty of penalties but he was also destructive in the attack – especially after he ended up being the only tryscorer of the night. The sheer physicality he unpacked throughout the whole time alongside with a couple of his support numbers has definitely caused the Wallabies so much pain from the opposition end. It goes to show that England were well ahead within the winning circle under Vunipola‘s all-round ability to cause damage, as well as looking out defensively on the back row.

Next up is Owen Farrell at inside centre in the No.12 shirt for England. He’s always an excellent kicker towards the goal posts as always thanks to a number of winning penalties. The ill-discipline mistakes made by the Wallabies gave England plenty of ball opportunities going forward with patience before it made Farrell’s life easier to score from his kicking tee. He also has the pace & tackling to track back defensively before covering up the Wallabies as one of the support numbers while his England team build some phases. He continues to be an important presence for England at age 30 alongside his premiership-winning mindset that helped him deliver five titles & three European trophies for Saracens.

And great to see Taniela Tupou back in the Wallabies shirt on the tighthead front row after a while off the pitch from injury. He definitely gave England a huge threat with his packed muscle before Tupou opened the scoring account not long before half-time. Although he may have felt a metre short of the TRY line on when Tupou continued to do some damage, but the Wallabies got themselves through the gate for their second TRY with his assistance in none other than Samu Kerevi. Unfortunately, a lot of ill-discipline cost them plenty of points before it’s too late – especially when they missed a couple of key backline players to the treatment room.

#AUSvENG #Wallabies #England #Rugby #RugbyUnion #SuncorpStadium #InternationalRugby #TanielaTupou #OwenFarrell #BillyVunipola

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A series of lost penalties & ill-discipline has postponed the Wallabies bid to take home the Ella-Mobbs Cup to another week after England’s win last night

by Sports Benches

We are all set for a decider for the Ella-Mobbs trophy now going into the Sydney Cricket Ground next Saturday. England were well ahead with the Billy Vunipola opening TRY alongside a number of three-point penalty conversions into the goalposts. Although, the Wallabies scored two tries in between halves in order to try and stay in this game. However, it’s the messy discipline alongside a couple of missing key players have ultimately let them down. The final score is 17-25 to England as the Wallabies’ will have to wait a bit longer to take the series home, or else it will remain in England’s hands for another year.

It’s not been the night the Wallabies have hoped for in Brisbane. Yes, they got themselves up and running just in between the two halves when Taniela Tupou made a excellent threat with his packed muscle against the English going forward at tighthead (prop). He helped them score two tries on his first game back from injury – including one for himself right before half-time. Sadly, a lot of lost penalties with the ill-discipline cost the Wallabies plenty of points that was slipped away with England’s successive three-point kicks before it’s too late.

And congratulations to England with the win. They got themselves well ahead thanks to the Wallabies poor start with their ill-discipline, as well as their mis-aligned attack where they locked them up defensively. Not only Billy Vunipola was immense with his all-round prowess and execution at 8 but we also saw Owen Farrell’s near-perfect kicks into the goal every time they won penalties closer within the Wallabies danger zone.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Queensland Reds v Moana Pasifika in Week 14 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

Jock Campbell has every reason to say why he’s an important member of the Queensland Reds backline in the wing and full-back roles, having re-signed a two-year contract extension. He was outstanding last night with two tries in the Opening 40. The credit is there from his team-mates when a mix of short passes and cross-kicks got the best of Campbell with pace, where he’s able to get the ball on time and plant it down on the TRY scoring area. And he can use the same attributes to when it comes to his defensive contribution. There’s a lot to look forward to from Jock going into next week v Crusaders, the Playoffs and the next two seasons; he’s also looking forward to help these Reds youngsters get used to Super Rugby level as well.

Speaking about future Reds stars, how about Josh Flook who filled in at outside centre last night alongside Hamish Stewart in the No.13 shirt. He just never stops running where Flook has been very destructive in the attack v Moana that helped his Reds side secure tries. Not only he can shield the Moana defense so Reds know where to plant down that bit of space, Flook can also run and beat one to two Moana players before he finds Fraser McReight with the assisted finish; now that is what we call it excellent communication and support play by the 20-year-old. Having played nearly every game so far this Super Rugby season across multiple backline roles, he hopes that his extended opportunities will help him hold the Crusaders accountable next Friday.

And you can’t underestimate Solomone Funaki’s physical aggression last night that made the Reds looked scared a couple of times for Moana Pasifika, where he plays No.6 at blindside flanker. He credits the teamwork there which helped him give a closer look of the Reds defense, especially when they’re attacking with the ball where a couple of his players worked well with Funaki together in all areas, so Moana know where to score. Unfortunately, a poor defensive response as well as some lost penalties held Moana back with the loss, despite the headstart after Funaki scored their opening try.

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Queensland Reds secure a much-needed win v Moana Pasifika in Week 14 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

It was a brilliant game to watch last night in Round 14 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific at Suncorp Stadium, as Queensland Reds welcome Moana Pasifika. Moana fired off early with the headstart before before the Reds fought back with three tries in the Opening 40 at 24-10. Although, Moana made up some lost time in the 2nd half with another two tries on the board. However, the Reds have done enough to hold Moana back & safeguard this match-up courtesy of Harry Wilson with the win, 34-22.

Congratulations to Queensland Reds with a much-needed win v Moana after a string of consecutive defeats v New Zealand teams, even though the match-ups they played v Chiefs & Highlanders were unlucky. They responded really well after the early Moana headstart with a brilliant first-half performance, especially when Jock Campbell collected back-to-back tries. Now they will still need to improve their 2nd half performance which is something the Reds must face up v Crusaders next Friday. They haven’t scored much later on until Harry Wilson safeguarded the Reds home with his 70th minute try, although Tate McDermott’s amazing finish to this game was denied by the ref over a forward pass from Seru Uru. But they still need to put a full-match performance if the Reds are going to shock the Saders, as well as enjoy an extended run in the Playoffs beginning in two weeks’ time.

Moana Pasifika would be disappointed with the loss there, having been a great opponent against the Reds which is how Super Rugby should be like each week of this competition. They got the early headstart after Solomone Funaki opened their scoring account, as well as a comeback in the 2nd 40 with two tries from their back row forwards in Sione Tuipulotu & Henry Stowers. But a poor defensive response and some lost penalties have restricted the most of Moana’s attacking opportunities, where the Reds ran them ragged in return with the loss. They have two games next week to finish off their inaugural Super Rugby campaign at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland; one is the rearranged fixture v Western Force on Tuesday, followed by the Brumbies on Saturday.

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