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Watch: Jordan Petaia showcases AFL-style aerial theatrics to score screamer against the Brumbies
Jordan Petaia has been compared to a late All Blacks great following the Reds come from behind 24-22 win over the Brumbies on Saturday.
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The 21-year-old stood out in two moments of brilliance in particular, which helped the Reds claim the crucial victory.
Playing in front of the Brisbane crowd, the Brumbies rushed out to a 12-0 lead after just 16-minutes, with Folau Fainga’a and Tom Banks both scoring tries. Fainga’a scored after a driving maul, while Banks read a James O’Connor pass to perfection, intercepting it before running roughly 70 metres to score.
While two James O’Connor penalties helped bring the Reds back to within a converted try of the lead, a long-range Nic White penalty saw the visitors lead 15-6 at the break.
10 minutes into the second half, Reds centre Josh Flook crossed for his first Super Rugby try, with quite an incredible effort. Getting the ball just inside the Brumbies 22, the former Australian Schools and U18 captain bumped off winger Andy Muirhead, before beating two Brumbies defenders to the line with his pace.
With the Brumbies hitting back shortly after through a Tom Wright try, it seemed as if it was getting to now or never territory for the Reds.
In the 63rd minute, with the hosts down 13-22, Jordan Petaia earned a cheer from the Brisbane crowd with a clever heads-up play. After getting the ball from a Noah Lolesio kick, Petaia managed to beat Wright with the boot, as he successfully found the sideline to kick a 50-22.
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From the lineout that followed, the Reds set up a driving maul and soon were rewarded with a penalty advantage. Petaia played a part in getting the ball to Filipo Daugunu on the left-wing, before getting the ball himself soon after.
In the fifth phase following the lineout, Petaia went airborne, beating Tom Banks in the air to claim a James O’Connor kick. From there, he managed to get the ball down for the vital score.
While two James O’Connor penalties in the 69th and 76th minutes ultimately handed the hosts the win, it was Jordan Petaia’s heroics that seemed to have spurred the Reds on.
Following the match, coach Brad Thorn mentioned how Petaia and the late Jonah Lomu were similar.
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“I just think he’s one of those special guys, they’re just good,” Thorn said.
“There was a move in the All Blacks: pass the ball to Jonah because he’s good…Jordie, if you give a reasonable footy to him, he can beat defenders, or you put a kick up in the air and [there is a] good chance he’ll come down with it.”
Some fans on Twitter have also praised Petaia for his efforts in round eight, while also letting their opinions known on what they believe his position may be.
Yep. Underline that.
— Sam Bruce (@Sambruce86) April 10, 2021
#REDvBRU the moment people start to write off petaia he does something brilliant
— Gabrizelle (@RealAn0n) April 10, 2021
#REDvBRU what a game! O’Connor & Petaia great performance ?
— Agustín_Bacigalupo (@ABLupo) April 10, 2021
Two HUGE bits of play from Petaia! 50 – 22 and then the try. What a game! #REDvBRU
— Abdullah Mahmood (@AbbyDno7) April 10, 2021
No better rivalry either side of the Tasman.
Let them play every week.
PS – think we now know Jordy Petaia’s best position ?#REDvBRU
— Sam Phillips (@samphillips06) April 10, 2021
The Reds have locked in a home Super Rugby AU Grand Final for next month, after extending their undefeated record for this season against the Brumbies. They have a bye in round nine but will finish their regular season away to the Western Force on the 23rd of April.
Comments on RugbyPass
Havili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar 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.
11 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.
61 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.
7 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
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 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
61 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?
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