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Sam Gilbert the hero as Highlanders claim much-needed win over Rebels

By AAP
(Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

The Melbourne Rebels’ slim hopes of making the Super Rugby Pacific finals have suffered a hammer blow as they lost to the Highlanders in heart-breaking fashion in Dunedin.

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The match looked headed towards golden point before Highlanders centre Sam Gilbert booted the match-winning penalty in the 84th minute to break the deadlock and collect a 20-17 victory.

Both teams went into Saturday’s game on 15 points, three outside of the finals-bound top eight and desperate for victory.

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After a try-saving tackle by Rebels fullback Andrew Kellaway, who managed to roll and hold up Highlanders flanker James Lentjes as he tried to score in the 75th minute, Melbourne went on the attack but knocked the ball on after 10 phases.

Gilbert stepped up after Rebels No.8 Richard Hardwick, who had been one of their best, was pinged at the breakdown.

Melbourne were made to play the final 10 minutes with 14 men after Jordan Uelese was given a yellow card after the reserve hooker brought down a Highlanders player without the ball, mistiming his tackle.

It was a heavy price with Gilbert also booting a penalty to tie up the match at 17-17.

With in-form playmaker Carter Gordon missing the match with a bruised knee and Reece Hodge at five eighth for the first time this season, Melbourne’s attack lacked punch and polish early on.

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The Highlanders also made life difficult for the visitors at the breakdown by playing usual loose forwards All Black Shannon Frizell and Max Hicks in the second-row.

The home side looked to have crossed after two minutes but Rebels winger Lachie Anderson somehow got his hand under the ball to stop Gilbert grounding it for a try.

Former Sevens star Anderson also pulled off a try-saving tackle later in the half when he bumped Sean Withy into touch as he surged toward the line.

The Highlanders did manage to score in the 13th minute through fullback Connor Garden-Bachop before Melbourne levelled when Hardwick dived across from the back of the ruck.

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With turnovers cruelling the Rebels’ attack, the Dunedin side went into halftime up 14-7 after All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot broke through the goal-line defence at the 30 minute mark.

Melbourne again locked up the game when Stacey Ili, who set up Hardwick’s try, found a hole and then Hodge gave his team a 17-14 lead with a successful penalty strike.

But it didn’t prove enough to keep the home side at bay, with Melbourne’s season now effectively over with two rounds to play.

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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