Aussie Club Grades - Week 18

There is only one week left of the Super Rugby season. For some teams the end can’t come soon enough, for others the records came tumbling at the weekend and their form might bring a few surprises. Here are how the Australian teams graded this week:

Reds – A

It has been a tough 2018 for the Reds. Brad Thorn has overseen a huge transition in the roster but they have had some big results. Friday night saw them pick up one of those results. They came from behind to beat the Rebels at Suncorp in a vital match for the Melbournians but a game in which there was nothing but pride to play for. They showed heart, determination and no shortage of skill in the win. Finish the season well next week and they will have some momentum to carry into next campaign.

Rebels – E

They blew it. It was probably only a small chance that they could make the finals with the Waratahs final two games at home but this was as huge occasion for the Rebels, arguably one of their biggest games and they simply wilted. They somehow went in at half-time behind after recovering from the penalty try but they seemed to visibly freeze in the second half, which is a surprise with some of the experience they have in their team such as Reece Hodge, Dane Haylett-Petty and Marika Koroibete. One game left then time to regroup and go again next season.

Having been kept scoreless in the first half this could have been a thrashing but just like last week against the Hurricanes, the Brumbies gave their fans hope for the future, nearly snatching it in the second half but getting a good bonus point. After the torrid time that Australian teams have had against Kiwi sides for the past few seasons, the Brumbies have run a few close away from home and beating the Hurricanes last week with a great performance was a huge fillet for them. Their season is ending at the wrong time, and they are paying the price for a poor start to the season.

Waratahs – A
It can’t be anything less. They were up against a Sunwolves team that gave everything in the first half and ran out of energy in the second, which was compounded by Semisi Masiwera’s red card just before half time but the ‘Tahs could only beat what was in front of them and beat them they did. Their 77 points is a franchise record in Super Rugby and Taqele Naiyarovoro’s 14th try of the season made him the single season record try scorer, overtaking team mate Israel Folau’s best effort of 12 in 2016. It looks as though the Waratahs will have a home final in a couple of weeks and a bit of momentum behind them as long as they beat the Brumbies next week, no team will want to play them in Sydney at the moment.

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