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Reds vs Blues: SBW was right and wrong; ex-Junior Wallaby outplays All Black
With time up on the clock, the Blues snatched an all-time Super Rugby Pacific classic after Caleb Clarke linked up with Sam Nock to win the match 41-34 over the Reds at Suncorp Stadium.
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2023 Junior Wallabies winger Tim Ryan has stolen the show with a blistering hat-trick opposite All Black Mark Tele’a as the Queenslanders looked a real chance of upsetting the Aucklanders.
Ryan, just 20 years of age, scored all three tries within 15 minutes as the Reds began to play with an increase sense of confidence and belief that they could shake up Super Rugby Pacific.
But the Blues didn’t throw in the towel. Kurt Eklund scored with full-time just around the corner but it was Nock’s effort in the 82nd minute which silenced the otherwise vibrant Brisbane crowd.
Match Summary 
1
Penalty Goals
1
5
Tries
6
3
Conversions
4
0
Drop Goals
0
120
Carries
141
7
Line Breaks
6
9
Turnovers Lost
17
9
Turnovers Won
4
Former Junior Wallabies flyer steps up opposite an All Black
About 24 hours after last year’s Rugby World Cup final, All Black Mark Tele’a was named the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year. Tele’a had been quite brilliant, and joked with this writer about what the secret to his success had been.
Before the new Super Rugby Pacific season, it was hard to look past Tele’a as the winger to watch in 2024. The Blues speedster is deceptively strong, big and quick – and knows a thing or two about scoring tries at this level as well.
So, for 2023 Junior Wallabies winger Tim Ryan, the idea of having the mark the All Black was no doubt an intimidating task. But to Ryan’s credit, he didn’t look out of place.
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Ryan, who was named for his first start with the Reds after twice coming off the bench, had fans cheering with a well-worked chip-and-chase early in the first half. The winger found teammate Josh Flook who ran all the way down to the Blues’ 22.
There were signs of promise and potential, but there would be more opportunities for young Ryan to impress. Ryan was stopped twice with the try line in sight, including a stunning tackle attempt from a Blues defender who prevented an early try.
It was shades of Jerome Kaino on Wallaby Digby Ioane at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
What. Just. Happened?!?! 🤩🤯#SuperRugbyPacific #REDvBLU pic.twitter.com/B81AJTKrm9
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) April 27, 2024
But then, not long after the Reds scored through Suliasi Vunivalu, Tim Ryan had his moment. Ryan linked up with Hunter Paisami before running about 50 metres to the house for his first Super Rugby Pacific try.
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By that stage of the contest, with 30 minutes still to play, Ryan had run for almost 100 metres from nine carries, beaten one defender, made one line break and passed the ball once.
Ryan wasn’t done there, either.
The winger scored for second time in the 61st minute with a stunning diving finish down the right edge. It was “the finish the play deserved” as commentator Morgan Turinui explained.
Again, Ryan wasn’t done there.
Ryan completed a sensational hat-trick with a stunning break down the left wing. Beating a few defenders, including Mark Tele’a, to create something special from nothing.
That’s one top, top performance from a young outside back with plenty of potential.
“This kid is made for this level,” Sonny Bill Williams said on the broadcast.
“Tim Ryan, remember that name my friends, Tim Ryan.”
Sonny Bill Williams is both right and wrong about Hoskins Sotutu
Hoskins Sotutu has been on another level this season. After starting the 2024 campaign with five tries in just two matches, the Blues enforcer has carried some consistently impressive form through to the halfway point of the season and beyond.
In an interview with RugbyPass earlier this season, Sotutu spoke about how being left out of the All Blacks and All Blacks XV last year had “lit a fire” within him. Now, there’s daylight between Sotutu and other No.8’s in Super Rugby Pacific.
Two-time Rugby World Cup-winning All Black Sonny Bill Williams said it best during Stan Sports’ half-time coverage: “Big game player alright. He’s just carried on his form from 2024.
“I think the competition’s best No.8, the best probably No.8 in the world currently… he’s got skills to burn.
“What I love is his direct approach to this Blues team this year. He’s leading by the front and his form in that first half just shows that.”
‘SBW’ was certainly right in saying that Sotutu is the best No.8 in Super Rugby Pacific. The Brumbies’ Charlie Cale has also been impressive, as has the Hurricanes’ Brayden Iose, but Sotutu has been the pick of the lot for the entire season to date.
But let’s pump the breaks on Sotutu being, as SBW said, “Probably the best No.8 in the world currently.” Sotutu wasn’t even included in the All Blacks XV’s squad last year, so saying that the backrower is now the best in the world is quite the jump.
That being said, he was fantastic once again against the Reds.
But France’s Gregory Alldritt, Australia’s Rob Valetini and England’s Ben Earl have been eye-catching in the past at Test level and rightly deserve to be considered a step ahead in the race to be “the best” at the moment,
While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.
Unstoppable 💪#SuperRugbyPacific #REDvBLU pic.twitter.com/WxQ6l2zMLc
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) April 27, 2024
Rocks and diamonds from Wallaby Suliasi Vunivalu
It was brilliant until it wasn’t. Stan Sport commentator Sean Maloney exclaimed “where’s this been” after what appeared to be a moment of magic from Wallaby Suliasi Vunivalu, only for the outstanding effort to be called back after a disastrous brain fade.
Reds No.9 Kalani Thomas dinked the ball in behind the Blues’ defensive line for Vunivalu to chase. Only about 30 metres out from the try line when the halfback put foot to ball, it was initially a questionable decision from the young halfback.
But Vunivalu rose highest and confidently collected the ball in the air before fending off Blues first five Harry Plummer, and then proceeding to run in for the score. The Brisbane crowd went berserk as the Reds began to celebrate the stunning early effort.
Vunivalu and the Queenslanders had walked away and switched their focus to the upcoming kick-off when the referee called all the players back in. The Wallabies winger had knocked on the ball on with nobody around him and the try line mere millimetres away.
By attempting to place the ball down with one hand, there’s always going to be a risk. Vunivalu rolled the dice and was made to pay. Even coach Les Kiss shook his head as the broadcaster spanned up to the Reds’ box.
It was a schoolboy mistake.
But later in the match, Vunivalu made amends with a pick and drive. The winger scored to help make it a one-point game at that stage of the contest.
Rocks and diamonds.
There’s a lot to like about Suliasi Vunivalu, especially if you’re familiar with what the former Melbourne Storm flyer achieved in the NRL, but there are also some areas for concern.
With the likes of Corey Toole and Darby Lancaster putting their hands up for Wallabies selection this season, Vunivalu definitely seems to be slipping down the potential depth chart.
Comments on RugbyPass
Free to air is the key to fan expansion. I attended last weeks game at Suncorp (Reds v Blues) and the total cost is prohibitive to most people that wish to attend. Two tickets $130, parking (event day gouging) $75, road tolls $20, dinner beforehand $130, plus some petrol and a beer inside the stadium and a single game starts to cost $300-400. Who can afford that week in week out, I’d love to go more but could only afford this one game to see the Blues, I’d have loved to have seen more NZ teams here but I’d need to stop eating or sell a kidney.
20 Go to commentsBrumbies are looking good and if they keep their home form up a final is not beyond the realms of possibility. They showed against the Hurricanes exactly how clinical they can be as they absorbed pressure in that contest while also scoring points and applying their own pressure. Reds are well placed as well but need to find consistency. They are building a longer term project with a young side and plenty of quality players. Been surprising to see the strength of Aussie sides this year after the debacle of the world cup. Have NZ sides gotten weaker? Have Aussie sides gotten stronger? A bit of both I would say. Whatever the case its good to see some actual competition between NZ and Aus sides again and thats exactly what the fans wanted and is probably driving better viewership numbers. All of this can only be healthy for Aus and Super Rugby and I hope the Brumbies go all the way.
4 Go to commentsDead time reductions are important as is ball in play time increases. Premiership leads the way in terms of ball in play and Northern refereeing standards around the breakdown has sped up the game significantly. Super Rugby is trying new things but its not leading the way in terms of making gains in reducing dead time and ball in play time. Northern administrators are also not against speeding up the game, on the contrary they want a faster game and have been trying things and are embracing increasing the speed of rugby. Super Rugby isnt providing a blueprint for anything, its just part the agreed upon blueprint that administrators across the world are moving to.
20 Go to commentsSome interesting stats that just proved what my first impression of NZ’s drive to speed up Rugby Union would amount to - fine margins here and there to cut a few seconds off the game and nothing else. To do more there would have to be wholesale changes to the game like doing away with scrums, lineouts and bringing back the ELV’s to have free kicks instead of penalties. Very little chance of it happening but, in the end, Ruby Union would be a 15-man version of Rugby League. There are reasons why Rugby Union is globally more popular that Rugby League and what NZ are also not considering is the unintended consequences of what they want to achieve. This will end up turning Rugby Union into a low value product that will not be acceptable to the paying public. If people really wanted a sped-up version of rugby, then why is Rugby Union globally way more popular than Rugby League? Rugby lovers all over the world are also not stupid and have seen through what NZ are trying to achieve here, selfishly to bring back their glory days of dominance over every other nation and compete with Rugby League that is dominant in Australasia. NH countries just don’t have the cattle, or the fantastic weather needed to play like NZ SR franchises do so good luck to whoever has to try and convince the NH to accept going back to the days of NZ dominance and agreeing to wreck the game in the process. I have serious doubts on the validity of the TV stats presented by GP. All they did was expand the broadcasting base by putting it on free to air, not even any indication of arresting the continued drop in viewership. Match day attendance goes hand in hand with broadcast ratings so if there was an increase in the one you should expect to see it with the other. However, the drop in match day attendance is very evident to the casual highlights package viewer. The only club who looks to be getting solid attendance is the Drua. I am calling it now that NZ’s quest to speed up the game will fail and so will the vote on the 20-minute red card.
20 Go to commentsAll of these media pundits always miss the obvious whenever they analyse what is ailing or assisting the game. Rugby always has contentious points for debate when picking apart individual games and finding fault with itself. All this focus and scrutiny on “speeding up the game”, “high ball in play” etc is all contextual to the fan. As a tv viewer, if you’re absorbed into a game, regardless if your team is playing or not, more ball in play time and action are all byproducts of the contest. A good contest subliminally affects your memory in selectively remembering all the good aspects. A poor contest and your brain has switched off because its a blowout and the result is never in doubt or it’s a real chore to watch and remain engaged throughout. The URC, Top 14 and English premiership are all competitions that feel like there’s real jeopardy each week. The dominance of Super rugby by NZ teams was unhealthy from a sustainable interest perspective. You can’t fault those teams or the players, but the lack of competitions won by SA and Australian teams long term was always going to test the faith and patience of die-hard and casual fans from those regions. SANZAR took their eye off the fans and fans voted with their feet and subscriptions. They were so concerned about expanding their product they forgot the golden rule about broadcasting live sport. Viewers tune in more when there’s an atmosphere and a true contest. You need to fill stadiums to create one, host unions need to do more to service ticket buyers, and this year proves the other, there’s more interest in Super rugby this year only because more games are competitive with less foregone conclusions. All these micro statistics bandied about, only interest the bean counters and trainspotters.
20 Go to commentsThe match experience still sucks at SR games, irrespective of the game being a little quicker. Rugby has to compete with so much in the modern world, if you’re going to get people to leave their houses and pay to watch a game in winter then the experience has to be worthwhile.
20 Go to commentsIt’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
6 Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
16 Go to commentsWho got the benefits out of Schmidt, Lowe, Aki, and Gibson Park?
16 Go to commentsWhat’s new its a common occurrence, just the journos out there expecting a negative spin. The outcome will be beneficial to jordie and Leinster. The home grown lads hav got some experience to step up to and be more competitive, that or spend the 6 months keeping the bench warm.
16 Go to commentsI’m all for speeding up the game. But can we be certain that the slowness of the game contributed to fans walking out? I’m not so sure. Super rugby largely suffered from most fans only being able to, really, follow the games played in their own time zone. So at least a third of the fan base wasn’t engaged at any point in time. As a Saffer following SA teams in the URC - I now watch virtually every European game played on the weekend. In SR, I wouldn’t be bothered to follow the games being played on the other side of the world, at weird hours, if my team wasn’t playing. I now follow the whole tournament and not just the games in my time zone. Second, with New Zealand teams always winning. It’s like formula one. When one team dominates, people lose interest. After COVID, with SA leaving and Australia dipping in form, SR became an even greater one horse race. Thats why I think Japan’s league needs to get in the mix. The international flavor of those teams could make for a great spectacle. But surely if we believe that shaving seconds off lost time events in rugby is going to draw fans back, we should be shown some figures that supports this idea before we draw any major conclusions. Where are the stats that shows these changes have made that sort of impact? We’ve measured down to the average no. Of seconds per game. Where the measurement of the impact on the fanbase? Does a rugby “fan” who lost interest because of ball in play time suddenly have a revived interest because we’ve saved or brought back into play a matter of seconds or a few minutes each game? I doubt it. I don’t thinks it’s even a noticeable difference to be impactful. The 20 min red card idea. Agreed. Let’s give it a go. But I think it’s fairer that the player sent off is substituted and plays no further part in the game as a consequence.
20 Go to commentsThose are pretty good draws for the two top Aussie teams. I certainly wouldn't want my Chiefs to have a quarter final in Brisbane. None of the top teams will want the Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsHonestly, I am a bit lost here …. Ireland - RSA was (at least in my opinion) perhaps (from a purely technical / rugby-skills-show point of view) the pinnacle of the RWC2023 - almost flawless playing (putting aside the kicking of RSA which was the difference between the two teams), rugby at it’s very best …. if I were a Bok and after the game some Irish lads came around saying “see you in 5 weeks same place”, I definitely wouldn’t have thought of it as being in any way “arrogant”, rather a sort of jolly “if we both continue to play like this, no one could stop us” - besides, few of us fans would have, at that time, been surprised to see the same teams playing on 23 september and 28 october 2023 ….. well, we all know Ireland chose to hit a slump to keep the QF curse alive …..
138 Go to commentsThere’s value gleaned from having an All Black star running and training with your team. How many games he starts (or even where he plays in the backline) will be decided on a week by week basis based on the needs for that week. But the overall learning and growth for all concerned, I’d think, is massively beneficial. Especially for Irish players.
16 Go to commentsSon, whith just " raw athlete “ , you are able to beat “ better rugby players “ by 74 points…. May be England should recruit in athletics….
1 Go to commentsPffft. It’s not a one-way street bud and Irish teams don’t seem to have had an issue taking kiwi players previously.
16 Go to commentsParticularly great to have captain Scott Barrett back after going off last week for the Crusaders. Codie Taylor a real leader and mighty Tamaiti Williams join Fletcher Newell in the front row. Those 2 will make a big difference. Great bench with the likes of Tom Christie, Jamie Hannah etc who are playing well. Should be a great derby.
1 Go to commentsDoes a blitz defence not have a weekness against a well-placed grubber kick, perhaps angled cleverly. All the defence is up and the full-back can only cover so much ground. Thoughts?
29 Go to commentsWhile Iose is destructive in the Canes set-up, he is not big for an international 8 and could struggle against the top teams. With his speed, he could be developed into a seven but, as Ben points out, he doesn’t show a scavenging game with the Canes or make dominating tackles. Sotutu has shown a step up this year and attitude plus motivation seems to be the big areas of growth. Deserves another AB shot imo.
4 Go to commentsNaholo is my only question mark for this side. He wasn’t the only one who had a forgettable game against the Brumbies but he was passive, defensively poor and generally lacked energy. Needs to get a whole lot busier for me. I would have liked to see Sullivan on that wing with Higgins on the bench (if staying with a 6-2 as BeegMike points out on here!)
3 Go to comments