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Wallabies

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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 1st Test between Wallabies v England in Perth

by Sports Benches

Samu Kerevi has never looked out of place since he returned to the Wallabies set-up a year ago, even though he currently plies his trade over in Japan for the first few months of the year. His physicality has definitely plowed over the England defense last night – especially in the 2nd half where Kerevi passes, pushes and smashes through so he can call his men to get the job done for him. It’s exactly how the Wallabies took advantage of a tied 1st half spell with England when they rectified their messy passage of play with patience, before these support numbers became more involved going forward made Kerevi’s life easier to execute which led to TRY after TRY, so England can’t catch them with little time remaining.

Next up is Folau Faingaa who made an instant impact off the bench in the 2nd half for Dave Porecki as hooker. He’s destructive as usual at line-out time when Faingaa kept the ball under wraps via the maul before his team-mates him figure out where to go with a bit of space & off he goes to extend the Wallabies winning margin. Speaking of communication, he also kept a great eye as support cover going forward to make sure the Wallabies are on the right track. And can we say that Perth can claim his own now? It’s because he just signed a two-year deal with the Western Force beginning next season. I’m sure a lot of Perth youngsters will look up to him after his amazing spell last night.

And Freddie Steward did well to push as he possibly can for England with very little time remaining at full-back. He’s got youth by his side at age 21 alongside an abundance of pace where he created two late TRY-scoring opportunities off the back of his attacking mindset. We saw him land the TRY assist to Henry Arundell on the far-left short side; A minute later, the ball came to him once again & found another gap where he called Jack Van Poortvilet for his help to finish it off for him that secured another late TRY. Sadly, it was too little, too late when England couldn’t stop the Wallabies in their tracks & fight them back more often like their last minute rebound.

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Rugby

England’s back-to-back last minute tries just wasn’t enough to derail the Wallabies’ brilliant night with the close loss in Perth

by Sports Benches

It was a really close game to watch that began our new International Rugby season from last night with the first of three Wallabies v England test matches at Optus Stadium in Perth. Both sides went up and down on the pitch through a series of three-point goals between the sticks at 6-6 in the first half. Although England fought back on occasions including two last-minute tries, but it’s the Wallabies who dominated the entire 2nd-half thanks to a few new faces off the bench with a 30-28 win.

So unlucky for England where they fell just short in the end but great game & effort though – especially in the last two minutes of this 1st Test. They fired off really well off the back through a couple of early penalties where England nailed two three-point penalty goals in the 1st half. The fightback is shown there when England later opened their scoring account in the 2nd half. However, a couple of lost penalties and also limited opportunities against the ball isolated the English defense with loads of pressure before it was too late to catch up towards a very small chance of winning v Wallabies.

Speaking of the Wallabies, what a way to go 1-0 up with two Test matches left in a bid to wrap up the Cook Cup series early next Saturday at Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane). Their first half run was all over the place when we saw a messy passage of play going forward off the back of winning penalties/opportunities with the ball, as well as Tom Banks’s forearm injury & Darcy Swain’s red card. Luckily, they fought back right before the break at 6-6 before a few changes off the bench & an improved attacking setup with patience oversaw three straight tries in the 2nd half that changed everything on the up for Australia. Yes, they may have conceded two late tries in the last minute or two by England but it’s still a win nonetheless.

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Rugby News, A series of lost chances going forward from the Blues slip away as the Crusaders take home the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific title at Eden Park

by Sports Benches

What a way to wrap up the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Season on a high at Eden Park with the Blues v Crusaders Final in Auckland, New Zealand. The Crusaders collected two three-point goals with the early lead going into half-time at 0-6, before they extend their winning margin off the back of Bryn Hall’s opening big score. The Blues may have responded to the Saders’ strong start when they were right back in the mix with 20 minutes left, courtesy of Finlay Christie’s TRY. However, they couldn’t find a way to close the gap where a couple of lost chances with the ball forced the Crusaders hand, as Sevu Reece’s TRY in the 76th minute was enough to secure the visitors with the championship, 7-21.

Commiserations to the Blues at home where they had to settle as 2nd best tonight but a fantastic season nonetheless. They got the build-up base going defensively, as well as a couple of fresh faces off the bench that helped them win a couple of penalties/turnovers along the way. They just couldn’t bridge the other end when it comes to the attack/executions; their throw-ins were poor at line-out time that held back time after time before a messy passage of play and a lack of numbers through the channels saw the ball flying over the place. It’s one huge weakness the Blues couldn’t match the Saders top-notch standard in the end.

Meanwhile, it’s good to see the Crusaders on top once again after they topped the regular-season winners tonight that secured another piece of silverware on their trophy cabinet. They didn’t rush anything whatsoever when the Saders kept a great eye on the Blues’ struggles going forward, especially at line-out time that wasn’t theirs to throw-in, as well as their messy attacking shape going forward. That’s how the Saders capitalised with the ball away from the opposition where they can do whatever they want, having scored two second half tries before they reached the finish line comfortably as these celebrations have already just begun – including those supporters watching back home in Christchurch.

After 18 weeks of action through 91 matches being played throughout the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Season, we now turn our attention to the mid-year International tests – starting with the three-match Wallabies v England tour that begins on Saturday July 2 next month at Optus Stadium in Perth. We also hope to watch a couple of Shute Shield games in a few weeks time via free-to-air on 9Gem, as there’s so much rugby to look forward through the 2nd half of 2022.

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Rugby News, Stephen Larkham announces return to the ACT Brumbies as head coach for a 2nd spell in the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Great to see Stephen Larkham announce his return back home as soon as the current United Rugby Championship wraps up in Europe mid next year at Irish provincial club, Munster, not only he’s doing that to prioritize his kids’s future but also will take up the Brumbies Head Coach role for the second time in 2023 by the time Dan McKellar fully commits to the Wallabies backroom setup especially during a World Cup year.

When Larkham first took the top job in Canberra, the Brumbies have been present to the Super Rugby Playoffs every year under his watch (2014-2017), although the round-robin ladder position has improved consistently when they finished 4th during his last two years but unable to get out of the Quarter Finals at the same time.

His highest Playoffs finish was the semi-final where the Brumbies was beaten twice by the eventual champions, Warataths in 2014 & Hurricanes in 2015 while at Munster as Senior Coach, Larkham continued to carry his strengths in the regular games having topped the Conference B group last season & gone one better to the final this time but only lost to Leinster.

Right now his Munster group has some work to do for the Irish Shield title where they sit 3rd behind Ulster and Leinster by 5 points (19) but that competition group is running hot in the same position when it comes to the overall ladder & have an extended shot towards the main trophy via knockout rounds.

If he can keep up the progress with Munster for the rest of the season and knick at least a silverware on their trophy cabinet, then there’s no doubt Larkham is going to come back as a better coach this time around that will send a huge warning signal to all other Super Rugby clubs.

He’s learned a lot from a variety of elite coaches both as a player and coach himself for a long time, now he’s ready to continue the hard work Dan McKellar set up & transfer all that European adventure into being the Brumbies’ own Crusaders-esque team in Australia.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Wales v Wallabies Game at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff

by Sports Benches

Tomos Williams had a great game today as the starting half-back for Wales when he oversaw the Wallabies mistakes in the 1st half, from there he made quick and wise decisions with the ball including that short pass assist to Ryan Elias thanks to the five meter penalty line-out towards the touch zone.

And he’s such a great communicator that allows him to build ample time on how he wanted his Welsh side to attack which helped them accrue the maximum points possible when they invade the Wallabies half.

Next up is Ellis Jenkins who put a great shift as starter on the Welsh blindside where he knows how to keep the Wallabies quiet, this is reflected when he possesses great vision & physicality in defensive which is the same thing he found during the maul that saw him help Tomos Williams assist Ryan Elias with Wales’s opening TRY.

He went on to have a well-earned rest with 20 minutes left having utilised that time during the Wallabies’ lowest ebb via their ill-discipline & build some momentum when Wales leapfrogged the Wallabies for the lead under his watch.

Folau Faingaa made a instant impact off the bench not long after half-time when he came on for Tolu Latu at hooker, he was a brilliant support player in the Wallabies attack including that short ball assist to Filipo Daugunu who scored a TRY in the 70th minute plus he’s a handy tackler in defense based on his vision & physicality at the same time.

All of the skill sets he demonstrated help the Wallabies be on the same page was Wales until the very end, his side were just unlucky to hold off even though they played with 14 men for the majority off the back of ill-discipline.

#WALvAUS #Wallabies #Wales #MillenniumStadium #Rugby #RugbyUnion #AutumnNationsSeries #InternationalRugby #TomosWilliams #EllisJenkins #FolauFaingaa

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Wallabies finish their three week 2021 European tour without a win in a close loss v Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff

by Sports Benches

Well it’s gutting to see the Wallabies finish their three-week 2021 European Tour without a win even though they were so close v Scotland & Wales, they fired off well & always kept themselves in contention which is a good effort 100% but there’s plenty of ill-discipline especially when Rob Valetini received a red carded in the 1st half that hit them the most & it allowed Wales to fight back before it became difficult to stop in the end.

For Wales, love the way they respond when the ball was given to them which bossed the field of play having gone from a slow start to a narrow 1st half lead at half-time (16-13). Although the momentum began to be eaten up by the Wallabies later on but the home team never slipped out of contention when another TRY plus a few penalty goals including the 80th minute was enough to derail the Wallabies day at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

The final score is a one point difference (29-28) with Wales gone wild in front of their home supporters as the 2021 Autumn Internationals have came to an end, Domestic rugby will resume next week in Europe & South Africa while we get watch Cricket & Tennis back home before Super Rugby returns in February next year.

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Rugby News Australia, Top 3 players from England v Australia in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series at Twickenham Stadium

by Sports Benches

Like the way how Tom Curry smashed a couple of dummies into the Wallabies zone for England at Number 8 with has a lot of physicalities to knock them down like a bulldozer when building phases which also allowed him to make his best use defensively, and he never stops thanks to the opportunities being given with the ball from a series of Wallabies’ mistakes that allowed England ample time to crack through the channels whether it’s through a winning penalty kick for goal or a TRY.

Next up is Marcus Smith who is another key contributor for England at first five-eighth with excellent communication/playmaking ability especially when his side were patient that built some pressure back to the opposition, although England scored just two tries today but it allowed him to be flexible on how he wanted to execute thanks to the Wallabies missed chances that gave his side plenty of extended time in the final third which help extend their lead after half-time.

Nice to see him complete the kicking duties where Owen Farrell left off in the last ten minutes.

And Michael Hooper did well to stand in England’s way with some support from his fellow forwards which allowed him to make up extreme physical prowess, his contribution as skipper on the openside handed him a few winning penalties that saw James O’Connor punt four three-point goals but just not the night he wanted thanks to the Wallabies’ disjointed discipline and finishing.

#ENGvAUS #Wallabies #England #RedRoses #Twickenham #MichaelHooper #TomCurry #MarcusSmith #Rugby #RugbyUnion #InternationalRugby #AutumnNationsSeries

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Rugby News, Scotland vs Australia match report

by Admin

Australia came into the game with high hopes, they were favourites and having beaten World Champions South Africa twice this year, they had every right to be.

It was a slow first 20 minutes before Scotland’s Hamish Watson lunged in from a driving maul to put the first points on the board. Finn Russell made it 7 as he added the extras.

Another quiet 20 minutes went by before Australia were given a penalty in the Scottish half which James O’Connor converted for their 3 first points of the game.

The big talking point of the first half, however, was the controversy surrounding Australia’s number 3 Allan Alaalatoa for his questionable clear-out of Matt Fagerson at a ruck which resulted in a try being overturned and a yellow card for the Aussie.

Scotland’s first try also wasn’t without controversy as many claim that there was obstruction during the maul, however, the Television Match Official deemed it legal and the try stood.

Second Half

Australia started the second half as well as they ended the first with constant pressure in the Scottish 22 meant that Blindside Flanker Rob Leota was able to cross for an easy try and conversion by O’Connor to put the Southern Hemisphere side in front for the first time in the match.

Scotland’s debutant off the bench Ewan Ashman had a moment of glory in the 59th minute with an acrobatic lunge for the line to put the Scots back into the lead, however, Russell was unable to add the extras meaning we were in for a tight last 20 minutes at 12-10.

5 Minutes later, another James O’Connor penalty put Australia back into the lead before Russell had a penalty of his own just 3 minutes later.

Scotland were able to hang on with a driving maul in midfield helped the clock tick down before George Horne booted the ball into touch as Romain Poite blew the final whistle.

On the day Scotland were the far superior side. Their scrum was dominant and nearly won a penalty each time they packed down as their set pieces functioned well all around the field.

They made more clean breaks by playing better attacking rugby with more runs, more passes and lots of offloads to keep the game flowing which resulted in more meters made on the day.

Australia’s defending let them down as did their discipline with their 14 penalties conceded and a yellow card which could have resulted in a red card on a different day.

Players of the Match

Official man of the match Hamish Watson was by far the best player on the field on Sunday as he was a nuisance at every defensive ruck. The stats also back up his incredible performance with 1 try, 1 defender beaten, 11 tackles made with 0 missed tackles to cap off an all round impressive display.

Fullback Stuart Hogg was also instrumental for Scotland as he swept up well at the back, securing every high ball that Australia threw at him. His attacking potency was also on show as he was always a danger to the Australian defensive line whenever he was given an inch of space. He beat 3 defenders, made 1 clean break and made 61 meters from 9 runs.

Australia’s best player on the day was Fly-Half James O’Connor. He kicked a conversion and 2 penalties along with some impressive defensive figures making 6 tackles without missing a single one. He also made 31 meters by beating 1 defender and having 1 clean break to his name.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Japan v Wallabies Game in Oita

by Sports Benches

Great to see Folau Faingaa perform well in all areas for the Wallabies this afternoon who usually provides the throw-ins at hooker, he has a lot of physical presence on offer especially during the 2nd half where he contributed a lot that safeguarded the team’s win v Japan on their turf.

Not only he sought some help from Taniela Tupou with a brilliant finish but he also assisted again via on the far left & opened some space to Robert Leota, he deserves an early mark through hard work as a starter in the green and gold with plenty of rest & training ahead of November’s three-week European tour.

Next up is Faingaa’s provincial Brumbies team-mate Nic White down at half-back, he too controlled the game with patience who knows where to find someone that can process through the channels & contribute in there with some mobility.

It’s the same thing when he was given responsibilities with the scrum feed & maul, all he had to do is keep them square moving forward while the hooker keeps the ball intact before voila that job is done & he’s such an important part of the green and gold at age 31 having gained experience in Europe before White returned to Canberra last year.

And Ryoto Nakamura stood out for the Brave Blossoms in the inside midfield position who has lots of pace to burn even though they didn’t have enough time to strike an upset, Like how he read well earlier on when Nakamura stepped in to shove Andrew Kellaway having read it well with his lack of numbers which led to a winning penalty + three points via the goal.

Then we fast forward into the 2nd half as Quade Cooper mistimed that offload so wide with gaps in between support players, it’s Nakamara once again who read the situation well via the incercept before he bagged an unbelievable TRY that no one couldn’t stop him & he was a huge part of holding the Wallabies accountable at times today.

#JAPvAUS #Rugby #RugbyUnion #InternationalRugby #Wallabies #BraveBlossoms #RyotoNakamura #FolauFaingaa #NicWhite

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