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Reds player ratings vs Highlanders | Super Rugby Pacific

Ryan Smith. (Photo by AAP Image/Darren England)

In the second of a Friday night double-header in round 12 of Super Rugby Pacific, the Reds welcomed the Highlanders to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

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The Reds went into the match understrength at the scrum with the late withdrawal of Harry Hoopert due to illness, already contending with the loss of Tupou for the remainder of the regular season. They did welcome back Jordan Petaia and Suliasi Vunivalu to add some strike power in the backs. 

The Highlanders were looking to stay in the race with a win on Aussie soil and were able to control the game at crucial periods. 

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The Reds had their chances in the first half with the Highlanders copping two yellow cards, but the Landers hung on to trail 12-10 at the break. It was a tough day at the office for the Reds scrum, and the team lost Harry Wilson to a nasty head knock just after halftime. 

The Highlanders edged ahead late to run out victors 27-19.

Here’s how the Reds rated:

1. Dane Zander – 5
Called in to start the game just before kick-off and struggled to hold up his side during the game. Had running repairs to gash in his head all night.

2. Richie Asiata – 5.5
Was solid at lineout time and managed the ball at the back in the maul. Subbed off in the 52-minute.

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3. Feao Fotuaika – 5.5
Was overpowered in the scrum at times and was largely ineffective in his carries. Was able to get around the park to support his forwards in the breakdown.

4. Ryan Smith – 6.5
Was targeted in the lineout six times for the Reds and did well to disrupt the Highlanders at times. Showed a tremendous work rate around the park. Scored for the Reds in the 54th minute to regain the lead.

 

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5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto – 6
Was heavily involved in the forward battle, carrying hard in tight and forming a nice combination with Uru. Brought some much-needed aggression to the pack but couldn’t lift his team when the game was in the balance.

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6. Seru Uru – 7
Made plenty of carries, finishing with a team-high 14 and making 37 metres. He was dangerous when he got his arms free, providing clever offloads when needed. Won an important turnover in the second half to keep the Reds in the game.

7. Fraser McReight – 7
Worked his backside off all game, making a team-high 20 tackles and finding space out wide to carry for 48-metres. Made a crucial turnover on the Reds line to shut down a Highlanders attacking raid.

8. Harry Wilson – 5
A few handling errors early on. Was well contained by the Landers in the first half and played more of a link role to supply his teammates with the ball out the back. Copped an ugly head knock regathering the ball to open the second half and had to be carted off the field.

9. Tate McDermott – 6
Set the tempo for the Reds with fast service from the base of the ruck. Sniped around the Landers defence in the tight corridors and exposed some lazy forwards. In a crucial period for the Reds, he was replaced by Jeans just before the 70th-minute mark.

10. Lawson Creighton – 5
The young playmaker is still finding his feet at Super Rugby level and made some poor decision-making. He tried hard to rally his troops but couldn’t get the backline firing.

11. Jordan Petaia – 6
Returning to starting line-up, he looked like a threat whenever he got the ball in his hand. Ran for 81 metres off 11 carries. Threw an unnecessary offload when the Reds were hot on attack, but other than that looked in good nick.

12. Hamish Stewart – 6.5
Was solid in defence in the midfield, making tackles other backline players were shy to make. Made a great burst through a Highlanders ruck to set up Smith’s try. He needed to step up and support Creighton but didn’t make good use of possession.

13. Josh Flook – 6.5
Jumped over Hunt to reel in a brilliant cross-field kick to score the Reds’ second try. Played well above his weight in defence, putting on some big shots. Straightened up the attack with some hard running.

14. Suliasi Vunivalu – 5.5
Returning from injury, he came off his wing looking for work. Managed to get the ball in hands but was limited with time and space by the Highlanders.

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15. Jock Campbell – 6
Took advantage of two yellow cards to the Highlanders to slice through a gap to score the opening points of the match. Tried to inject himself into the match late in the game but found his way shut by the Highlanders defence.

Reserves:

16. Matt Faessler – N/A
On in the 52nd minute.

17. Sef Fa’agase – 5
Called up late to the match-day squad as injury cover, he got on the field to shore up the scrum.

18. Albert Anae – 5
Another prop brought in for injury cover, Anae replaced Zander to add some experience but never really gained any ascendency at scrum time.

19. Angus Blyth – 5.5
Came on late and added some aggression but couldn’t turn the tide in the Reds favour.

20. Angus Scott-Young – 6
Entered the fray in the 42nd minute for an injured Harry Wilson and was industrious as ever.

21. Spencer Jeans – N/A
Came on in the 70th minute. Showed some good awareness to put in a quick box kick off a turnover that put the Reds in Highlanders territory.

22. Filipo Daugunu – N/A
Came on in the 68th minute and was combative in the ruck.

23. Mac Grealy – N/A
Didn’t get on the park.

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Eliza Galloway 42 minutes ago
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JW 1 hour ago
James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum

Lol you need to shoot your editor for that headline, even I near skipped the article.


France simply need to go to a league format for the Brennus, that will shave two weekends of pointless knockout rugby from their season and raise the competitions standards and mystique no end.


The under age loophole is also a easy door to shut, just remove the lower age limit. WR simply never envisioned a day were teams would target people under the age of 17 or whatever it is now, but much like with Rassie and his use of subs bench, that day was obviously always going to come. I can’t remember how football does it, I think it’s the other way around with them, you can’t sign anyone younger than that but unions can’t stop 17 or 18 yo’s from leaving for a pro club if they want to. There is a transaction that takes place of a few hundred thousand for a normal average player. I’d prefer rugby to be stricter and just keep the union bodies signoff being required.


What really was their problem with Kite and co leaving though? Do we really need a game dominated by Internationals? I even think WR’s proposed calendar might be a bit too much, with at minimum 12 top tier games being played in the World Championship. I think 10 to 12, maybe any one player playing 10 of those 12 is the best way to think of it, for every international team is max, so that they can allow their domestic comps to shine if they want, and other nations like Japan and Fiji can, even some of the home nations maybe, and fill out their calendar with extra tours if they like them as a way to make money. As it is RA don’t have as good a pathway system, so they could simply buy back those players if they turn good. Are they worried they’ll be less likely to? We wait for baited breath for the new season to be laid out in front of us by WR.

It could impose sanctions on the Fédération Française de Rugby, but the body which runs the Top 14 and the ProD2, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, is entirely independent.

It’s not independent at all. The LNR is a body under, and commissioned by, the FFR (and Government control) to mediate the clubs. FFR can simply install a new club competition if they don’t listen, then you’d see whether the players want to stay at any club who doesn’t tow the line and move to the new competition, as they obviously wouldn’t fall under the auspice of world rugby. They would be rebels, which is fine in and upon itself, but they would isolate themselves from the rest of the game and would need to be OK with that. I have no doubt whatsoever that clubs would have to and want to fall in line to remain part of the EPCR and French rugby. Probably even the last thing they would want is to compete with another French domestic competition that has all the advantages they don’t.


All those players would do good for a few seasons in France, especially the fringe ones, with thankfully zero risk of them being poached if they turn good. New Zealand had a turn at keeping all of it’s talent, and while it upticked the competitiveness of the Super Rugby teams into a total dominance of Australian and South African counterparts (who were suffering more heavily than most the other way at that stage), it didn’t have as positive an effect on the next step up as ensuring young talents development is not hindered does. Essentially NZR flooded the locate market with players but inevitably it didn’t think the local economy could sustain any more pro teams itself, so now we are seeing a normal amount of exodus for the availability of places again. Are Australia in exactly the same footing? I think so, finances where dicey for a while perhaps but I doubt they are putting money constraints on their contracting now. It’s purely about who leaves to open up opportunity.

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