MONDAY’S RUGBY NEWS
Monday’s rugby news rounds up Premier Rugby from around the nation, Super Rugby from around the hemisphere, Oceania Championships from down the road and the Brumbies have more injury worries.
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Oceania Under 20
You beauty!
Amidst the turmoil besetting Aussie rugby of late there are rare moments that buck the trend.
One such moment came on a drizzly Saturday night down the Gold Coast with the Aussies claiming the Oceania Under 20’s title with a resounding win over the Kiwis.
Will Harrison had the radar working as he got the boys in gold out to a 12-0 halftime lead with his four from four off the kicking tee.
Despite the rain and the loss of a player to the bin for the first ten minutes, things opened up a little and the Junior Wallabies managed to add another 12 points in the second half, this time courtesy of tries to Triston Reilly and Fraser McReight leaving the final score 24-0 to the good guys.
The team’s focus now switches to the upcoming World Cup and they aren’t going to let the weekend’s win allow them to get ahead of themselves.
Talking to rugby.com.au (who also have the full replay of the match) Captain McReight said,
“There were probably comments around this team in the lead-up that we weren’t up to scratch but we knew deep down that New Zealand weren’t going to stand a chance with us and we showed that tonight and we were able to back up our talent on the ground.
“That just sends a message.
“We’re not there to be an average battling side, we’re there to win it.
“And that just sends a message to all of Australia and all the other teams watching us.”
Their coach (Jason Gilmore) echoed his captain’s sentiment,
“But we can’t get ahead of ourselves either. World Cup rugby is completely different and in 2016 we beat New Zealand here as well (without winning the overall title) and lost the first game to Scotland over there.
“So, we’ve got to make sure that we keep grounded and keep working hard and keep enjoying what we’re doing.”
In the other match over the weekend, Fiji relegated Japan to zero wins for the tournament as they registered their first W, 57-39.
The Under 20 World Cup will be held in Argentina during June this year.
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Super Rugby Round 12
Well then, what a weekend of Super Rugby. Two draws and the biggest winning margin was a miserly 10 points. After three months of footy only seven points separate 3rd from 13th. To the results.
Crusaders vs Sharks went down to the 83rd minute with Mitchell Hunt scampering over for a late try he then converted to (annoyingly*) salvage three competition points for the home side. (*two for the draw, one for scoring three tries more than the opposition) The Sharks almost made the Crusaders pay the ultimate price for the referee having the temerity to penalise their indiscretions, only a late Curwin Bosch miss kept a 21-all draw on the table, and so it was.
Quote of the day: “A draw is like kissing your sister. It’s not nice but you’ll take it”-Dylan Langes, GAGR.
The Reds managed to eek out the least convincing win of the season. Four yellow cards to the Sunwolves and a red card apiece to go with some generally poor play wasn’t a great display but for Brad Thorn’s young side and the long-suffering fans they’ll probably take the 32-26 win.
QOTD: “I don’t think my liver’s up to task if they lose this”-Andrew Handyside, GAGR.
With the opportunity to assert their dominance over the Aussie conference the Rebels will be ruing leaving Wellington without a single point. From 26-0 down the Melburnians couldn’t quite pull it off and succumbed 29-19.
QOTD: “You, rebel scum” Renz in Jedi, also probably the Rebels’ fans.
Down in Dunedin the Highlanders and Chiefs played out another draw (31 all)(how boooring is New Zealand rugby?) With nine tries and scoring plays into the final minutes one might try to argue it was actually a cracker-jack match and you know what? They’re probably right. The Chief faithful must be absolutely scratching their heads at how they sit in second-last on the table.
QOTD: “it’s all here- fast kickin’, low scorin’. And ties? You bet!” Soccer ad, The Simpsons.
After the Rebels failed to score any competition points the Brumbies had a chance to (almost) draw level in the Aussie conference when they faced the renewed Blues. Recovering from some early stumbles the Brumbies overcame a 12-point deficit to just hand on in the end by 26-21. Fainga’a chipped in with another three tries to keep his incredible spree going.
QOTD: “Controversial as Folau scores with a threesome”, Steve Lenthall, GAGR.
For the Waratahs, their woes continued at altitude. Some bad play and worse luck conspired against them as the Bulls got away to an early lead. The ‘Tahs worked some backline magic and with it, their way back into the match but it was all to no avail as they fell 28-21 to start their SA tour with a loss.
QOTD: “Probably let them in a bit easy there”, Michael Hooper.
Rounding out the err, round, The Jaguares got the better of the Stormers at home. The 30-25 win sees the Argentinian team move to within a solitary point of the top of the conference.
QOTD: “A penalty try, AND a yellow card”, unknown commentator.
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Premier Grade Results
Brothers sat out round 6 of QLD prems but still hold a commanding lead overall.
Elsewhere, Souths beat Bond, 25-20.
Jeeps crushed Norths 38-12.
Easts out-pointed Wests 29-21.
While Uni slayed Sunnybank 40-10.
Shute Shield
Easts overcame West (Harbour) 36-30.
Gordon got over Uni 37-29.
Manly bested Southern districts in a close, high-scoring affair 41-39.
Randwick defeated Norths 32-23
And in the other East (Eastwood) vs West (ern Sydney) it was again the eastsiders winning, 39-24.
In Victoria’s Dewar Shield Melbourne eased past Footscray 36-15.
Power House were no match for Harlequins 55-15.
Box Hill pummelled Moorabbin 54-5.
Uni rolled Endeavour 47-13.
ACT’s John I Dent cup saw the Royals top Uni-Norths 33-25.
Easts ruined the Easts-beating-Wests trend this weekend losing to Wests 27-44.
Tuggeranong raised the bat against Queanbeyan 50- 29.
Coopers Premiership in South Australia and it was Souths over Woodville 60-29.
Burnside just edged Onkaparinga 24-22.
Old Collegians went down to Brighton 26-22.
Elizabeth were smashed by Barossa 41-24.
Port proved too strong for Uni 38-16.
WA’s FMG Premier Grade saw some close matches and some blowouts.
Nedlands routed Curtin Uni 112-0.
UWA sank ARKs 34-19.
Palmyra lost at home to Wests 43-31.
Cottesloe and Southern Lions were barely separable as the latter prevailed 15-14
Kalamunda won vs Wanneroo 43-31
Brothers got the better of Bayswater 49-0.
And finally, Associates downed Cavaliers 59-22.
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Brumbies Injury Woes Worsen
Is there something in the water in Canberra?
How many more injuries can the Brumbies pick up before Mulder and Scully turn up and start poking around?
Pocock has spent the entire season struggling with a calf complaint (although, that one wasn’t anything to do with Canberra) and their backrow stock are rapidly thinning with McCaffery and Rob Valentini still on the mend with knee injuries.
Add to that the recent season- and potentially career-ending ACL to Josh Mann-Rea and now Wallaby-capped lock Rory Arnold has picked up an ankle injury while James Slipper also left the field earlier than anticipated against the Blues after a head-knock put at end to his night.
Coach Dan McKellar anticipated the difficulties his front-rowers face when he spoke of his effort to get Slipper, a third test-capped prop, to the club.
“That was part of the reason I pushed hard to get Slips here,” he said.
“It’s a tough position to play and Scotty (Scott Sio) and Slips are managing nicely at the moment, and Al (Allan Alaalatoa) has had some big shifts but he’s phenomenal in terms of his ability.”
The loss of Pocock, McCaffery and Valentini has been tempered to some degree by the form of the wider squad players that have come in and done a good job.
Again, McKellar, “We’re in a nice a position to be able to have that sort of quality and depth throughout the front row but then I look at the rest of the pack a well and the job our back-rowers have done.
“Six months ago, nobody had a clue who Jahrome Brown was, myself included.
“He’s been tremendous, as have Pete Samu, Tom Cusack, Murray Douglas and Darcy Swain.
“It just gives you a lot of confidence in the depth of the group.
“These boys are doing a lot of work, which we’re really conscious of, but I think they’re enjoying it.
No diagnoses as yet on Arnold’s injury nor confirmation whether Slipper will line up this weekend against the Sunwolves.
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