Aussie Super Rugby takes: Injury fears quelled, McReight gives timely reminder

Round 13 finally began to separate the contenders from the pretenders, and although there are mathematical chances left for some of the Aussie sides, the chances of four Aussie teams in the finals look slim. 

Last round their chances were truly alive, round 13 was more so the seal to say sides are nearing the end the line.  

However, with this being said, it’s also delivered some home truths, and it’s clear that once again, the rugby public has underestimated the ACT Brumbies for the umpteenth time at their own peril. 

The boys from Canberra are very much in the race for a top two finish to the regular season, a factor crucial in any Aussie side’s hopes for silverware. 

Meanwhile, the Queensland Reds are caught in a weird holding pattern of being unable to get out of second gear, while the Western Force have shown true grit it’s still apparent, they are still missing polish. 

However, perhaps it’s the Waratahs who have been the most disappointing in the lead up to this weekend, after not being able to grow their game for much of the season, the same one-dimensional rugby was on display on Friday night. 

Aussie rugby fans can breathe sigh of relief 

Wallabies wonder kid Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and incumbent?flyhalf Noah Lolesio left their respective games in the exact same fashion, in neck braces on a medicab, with the incidents?happening 24-hours apart. 

Both players are important figures for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series and seeing them both leave the field on stretchers was not only a concerning sight for the series but their health as well. 

In good news, Suaalii’s injury appears to be only a concussion, but it looked like a bad one at that when he collected fellow Waratah Andrew Kellaway’s knee in a ruck. 

Lolesio on the other hand looked like he was caught in what people in the rugby league community call a ‘crusher tackle’, with his torso folded in half with his legs?caught in front of him, and it saw him frozen in pain on the floor. 

Lolesio was rushing back to collect a kick when he and Tom Wright were caught isolated just meters from their own try line and Lolesio came off injured after trying to stem the tide of oncoming Western Force cleaners.? 

It was a brave move that unfortunately?saw him injured. 

For Suaalii the extent of his injury has so far been limited, with broken bones now being ruled out but he will likely receive a 12-day mandatory stand down period in place for head knocks. 

In more good news, Lolesio’s scan results have cleared him of serious injury and will continue to be monitored by Brumbies’ medical staff. 

Both players will be itching to get back to their clubs, but Rugby Australia should wrap the pair in cotton wool until the Lions series. 

Serious questions need to be asked about the Waratahs’ attack

No Australian team over the weekend looked overly convincing, the Force showed grit, the Brumbies superior game management, the Queensland Reds some clinical finishing and the Waratahs that they have a massive pack. 

However, the Waratahs have, without a shadow of a doubt, the most readable attack.

If you look at any of the other Aussie sides, they have pods which have options out the back, a varied kicking game, as well as a plan when the phase count goes past three, but the Waratahs look most uncomfortable with sustained ball in hand time. 

There was a stark difference between their attack with and without Suaalii, he can conjure something out of nothing and ‘nothing’ is what the Waratahs had. 

They have one of the biggest packs in the competition for now, and they can regularly be seen bashing their heads into opposition defences. 

They tried this on Friday night and for the most part the Reds’ defensive wall repelled them successfully. 

The blunt, telegraphed attacks were very narrow with no backline set to at least draw a few Reds’ defenders out to thin the D-line. 

Systems take time to embed, but you would expect to see some improvement over 13 weeks at this level but there’s been negligible development, and it’s costing the Waratahs games they have the talent to win. 

Fraser McReight reminds Joe Schmidt why he was Schmidt’s man in 2024 

The Reds’ No.7 has been quiet in the backend of the season but on Friday night he reminded the national head coach, who was watching on from the coach’s box, what he’s capable of. 

He racked up 14 tackles, three pilfers and 15 carries, meaning he had the second highest tackle numbers in the team and now draws even for most pilfers for an Aussie player at 14 for the season. 

It’s particularly his work at the breakdown which continues to be his point of difference from his fiercest rival Carlo Tizzano from the Western Force, who unfortunately had to sit-out his side’s clash with the Brumbies due to a pectoral injury. 

The Force flanker has some elite numbers with ball in hand, scoring 12 tries, and hitting past the gainline very often, but McReight is well and truly ahead when it comes to the breakdown stats, and this may prove crucial in a Lions series which could be won and lost at the ruck. 

While the Queenslander is yet to reach the heights of last year’s form, Friday night’s effort was a marked improvement on a night where the Reds needed him to step up. 

Wallaby watch: Aussie locks must stand tall nearing finals 

The Wallabies second row has got to be the biggest logjam of talent in the ecosystem out of all the positions, almost every Aussie Super Rugby Pacific side has a locking duo that has either played for the Wallabies who has been looked at for higher honours. 

The Brumbies have Nick Frost/Tom Hooper/Cadyrn Neville, Force have Darcy Swain/Jeremy Williams, Reds have Angus Blyth/Ryan Smith/Josh Canham/Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, and the Waratahs have big cattle Ben Grant/Miles Amatosero/Hugh Sinclair. 

If you throw in Wallaby Matt Philip who is returning from Japan in the coming months as well as La Rochelle’s Will Skelton, Schmidt has himself a great selection headache. 

However, there has been a common trend among almost this entire cohort and that is their carry height, it’s too high. 

Almost all these Australian based players are upright in contact, and it means they are losing contacts more often than not. 

Of course, it’s difficult to get low when you’re 2 metres tall but getting smashed backwards in the tackle is simply not an option against the Lions in July. 

Salakaia-Loto is the domestic based player with the greatest potential for gainline metres due to his 125kgs-plus but he is reverting to some loose carrying while his Reds partner Canham is getting manhandled at times. 

Frost is finding the aggression he had last year and he along with Hooper are looking promising, although it’s more likely Hooper will play on the side of the scrum rather than in the row at Test level. 

Swain is perhaps the slowest of the lot but has a good appetite for work but is overshadowed by his captain Williams who is perhaps the most consistent carrier of the lot and he’s the one with the best technique and shape when he does run the ball. 

The Lions are bringing big Joe McCarthy, captain Maro Itoje, big block Scott Cummings, and tall Ollie Chessum amongst others and running high against these lads is not an option. 

Nor will any of these Lions be upright in contact, you can be sure of that.