Rebels on a roll - Winners and Losers Week Three
The Rebels are rewriting their record books, the Hurricanes are all about small victories and the Blues fail to deliver in this week’s ‘Winners and Losers’.
Winner: The Rebels
The Rebels have been the early season surprise of 2018.
Under David Wessels’ guidance the men from Melbourne are off to their best start ever and have the chance to win a franchise record three games in a row next week against the lacklustre Brumbies.
The team are already rewriting their record books after picking up full points across their first two matches. Winger Jack Maddocks also scored the first hat-trick in Rebels history, getting it done in just under 52 minutes against the Sunwolves.
After a 45-19 win against the Reds and a 37-17 victory over the Sunwolves, the Rebels have the best points difference in the competition at +46 and have already doubled their win total from last season.
Loser: The Blues
The Blues suffered another heart-breaking loss in week three.
The Auckland franchise were presented with a golden opportunity against an injury ravaged Chiefs side who had a total of 17 players unavailable and were forced to start players that weren’t even in their initial squad.
Unfortunately, it was another opportunity gone to waste as the Blues squandered their chance to snap a two-year losing streak against New Zealand opposition and a seven-year losing streak against the Chiefs.
The Blues now carve their names into the Super Rugby history books as they own the record for most consecutive losses against one opponent. They haven’t beaten the Chiefs in their last 13 meetings.
To put things in perspective, the last time the Blues beat the Chiefs Rieko Ioane was just 14 years old, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” was number one and Tana Umaga was lined up against the side he now coaches.
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The real problem with the Blues
Winner: “Small wins”
Sunday morning’s fixture between the Hurricanes and Jaguares gave us a little insight into Chris Boyd’s coaching philosophy.
With things getting chippy late in the second half, referee Nick Briant asked TJ Perenara and the Hurricanes to politely “stop yahooing” following a Jaguares knock on, to which captain Brad Shields responded “one of our things is small wins, if we get a small win we’re going to celebrate with each other”.
It’s safe to say their opponents didn’t appreciate the celebrations, maybe because they didn’t have many small wins of their own to cheer about. I say keep celebrating, Hurricanes.
Read More
Hurricanes overcome slow start to top Jaguares
Loser: Injury
Week three saw teams across the league lose a lot of talent through injury.
Crusaders flanker Matt Todd broke his thumb earlier in the week, while five eighth Richie Mo’unga suffered a broken jaw against the Stormers and faces extended time on the sidelines.
Blues captain Augustine Pulu is set to miss his team’s trip to South Africa due to a foot injury suffered against the Chiefs, who have some big injury issues of their own. Brodie Retallick and Shaun Stevenson were both late scratches against the Blues because of leg and eye injuries respectively.
And it’s not just the New Zealand teams suffering, Waratahs centre Kurtley Beale was taken out at half time against the Sharks with a rib injury, potentially ruling him out of a trip to Argentina.
But it’s the Sunwolves who may have had the worst luck of the lot. They lost starting centre Tim Lafaele to a head knock just eight minutes into their match against the Rebels. Flyhalf Hayden Parker was next to go after suffering a knee injury, and winger Aki Yamada and lock Sam Wykes both had to leave early due to concussion.
The Japanese side were so short on numbers they had to play reserve loose forward Yoshitaka Tokunaga on the wing for the remainder of the match.
Winner: Lions tight five
The Lions tight five put on a show against the Bulls in week three.
All three starting front rowers dotted down for tries, as did lock Marvin Orie who scored from a beautiful Elton Jantjies grubber kick. Props Ruan Dreyer and Jacques van Rooyen scored signature Lions tries from lineout mauls just five minutes apart.
In total, the tight five were responsible for five of the Lions’ seven tries after forcing a penalty try from a collapsed maul close to the try line. One might say they scored the Lion’s share of points in their 49-35 victory over the Bulls.
Loser: Watchability
Super Rugby’s watchability took a big hit this weekend.
I’m sure anyone who caught the slugfest between the Brumbies and Reds would agree.
All credit to Brad Thorn and the Reds for toughing it out and getting their first win, but the six penalties to two unconverted tries spectacle wasn’t exactly eye candy and won’t encourage many to tune in the next time either of these teams are on the pitch.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
16 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
16 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
16 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
16 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
16 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
16 Go to comments