Australia's top-dogs fall to South Africa's pack-chasers
Melbourne’s South African curse has continued with the Rebels going down 41-24 to the struggling Stormers in Friday’s Super Rugby clash.
Heading into the AAMI Park showdown, the Rebels’ only losses of the season had come in their two matches in South Africa and the Stormers continued that hoodoo.
It was a game where little went right for the Australian conference leaders, although the men from Cape Town, who had lost their last three matches, deserved plenty of credit.
They rushed the Rebels’ flat attacking line and didn’t allow them to build any rhythm while out-muscling them at the breakdown.
Rebels coach Dave Wessels was bitterly disappointed by his team’s performance, describing it as “poor”.
He said he wasn’t happy with his team’s intensity right from the warm-up.
“We just didn’t bring the intensity that’s required to win a Super Rugby match,” Wessels said.
“We were beaten in the contact areas and in the effort areas – something that we’ve been very proud of all year so I’m disappointed about that.
“I think we’re a good team but we played badly and we’ve got to figure out why that’s happened.”
In a first half to forget Melbourne had 70 per cent of possession and 75 per cent territory and forced the visitors to make 83 tackles to their own 27 – yet trailed 10-3 at the break.
Late in the half they racked up 15 phases, hammering the tryline, until centre Bill Meakes was unable to reel in a loose pass with the Stormers’ steely defence standing up.
Teenage winger Semisi Tupuo, filling in for injured Wallaby Jack Maddocks, mostly had a night to forget.
The Australian under 20s representative was gifted a perfectly weighted Quade Cooper cross-field kick into the in-goal but spilt it.
But he wasn’t alone with the Rebels uncharacteristically sloppy against the bottom-placed South African side.
Cooper himself knocked on a kick from Stormers five-eighth Jean-Luc du Plessis midway through the second half which was scooped up by centre Ruhan Nel to score their fourth try of the night.
It looked like Wessels’ halftime blast had worked when two minutes into second half, Reece Hodge intercepted a long, looping pass by du Plessis to score.
Cooper added the extras to level at 10-10 but it was all downhill from there.
The Stormers piled on three tries in 11 minutes with Jaunro Agustus, Springboks centre Damian de Allende and then Nel all scoring.
The Rebels added two tries through halfback Will Genia and reseerve back Campbell Magnay, but the Stormers had the final say with Nel adding his second of the night just before fulltime.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments