Author: 22metri

After clinching the first win outside of Australia’s shores in Rebels’ history, the coach is calling for another milestone – back-to-back wins Tony McGahan wants to build on his team’s first round win against the Crusaders in Christchurch and hopes for a big crowd at AAMI Park to support the Rebels in their battle with the reigning champions, the Waratahs.  McGahan is aware of the challenge ahead of his team but is confident in that “every one has the ability to win against everyone this season”. Tomorrow the Rebels will face a wounded team on the rebound from an unexpected first round loss.  The challenge for…

All  last year’s conference winners lose their first matches The most remarkable result of the first round of Super Rugby and the first of our Tuesday Top Five is that the Waratahs, Crusaders and Sharks all  lost their first game at home against relatively easier opponents The reigning champions, the losing finalists, and the dominant South African team of 2014, all lost their first game comprehensively, and with no excuses. Both the Force and Cheetahs earned a four-try bonus in their game and overcame some important  absences in their lineup. The losses of the best three teams of the 2014…

Here the top XV Aussies players for round 1 2015 The Green and Gold best XV is out, some choices were no brainers, for other ones we had a bit of a debate, the verdict is out, open for comments, as usual. Our first row is dominated by the Brumbies, as well as the midfield, but it is not only the ACT that shine in the ideal Aussie XV. In the second and third rows players from both surprise winners, the Force and Rebels, make their mark. At flyhalf Mike Harris at his first start with the Melburninans gets the…

Departing Rebels’s co-captain Scott Higginbotham spoke before his team’s season debut. Starting the Super Rugby 2015 season in Christchurch is as hard as it can be, but the Rebels co-captain said his team are up for the challenge. “It’s very exciting going into the first game of the season, the guys took a lot out of the NRC and hopefully we can show it in the first round”, in what he candidly admits to be a “very tough game”. Asked about the start in New Zealand and facing the runners up of 2014 season, the Crusaders, Higgers laconically stated that ”there…

Harlequin’s quest for third title in a row will start March 21st The highlight of the Dewar Shield’s season will be the Grand Final rematch between Harlequin and Box Hill to be played as a curtain raiser to the Rebels Bulls game at AAMI Park Saturday 6th June, Queen’s Birthday week-end. The season will kick off on March 21st with double defending champions Harlequin hosting Melbourne Uni and Box Hill travelling to last season semi-finalists Moorabbin. Tricky first game for the other semi-finalist of 2014, Melbourne, who will play away at Footscray. The clash between Endeavour Hill s and Power House…

The tighthead prop extends his contract with the Super Rugby franchise In a press conference in front of iconic Sir Weary Dunlop statue, the player greets the journos with a huge smile and a spanish “bueno!” that summarises his sentiment toward the announcement of his contract’s extension. At 28, Weeks does not see this move as his last grasp of Super Rugby, but is more than happy to stay: “I think I have still some more years left in me, but I can see myself finishing (my career) at the club, we got an amazing foundation already laid in the past years, but…

Both semi-finals will be a replay of the Round 4 encounters. On Friday September 11th the Perth Spirit flew east to Melbourne to be heavily defeated by the Rising by 20 points. Not to mention, the Rising got a bonus point in that game, they got a bonus point in every match they played in the regular season. Compared to the XV that played the Spirit on Round 4 Sean Hedger’s Rising have made only 3 changes, while David Wessels has made wholesale changes for the Spirit. Melbourne Rising One of the Rising’s changes is forced by injuries: Telusa Veainu’s…

Using lasers to distract kickers in Argentina is a disgraceful act that shames a nation and needs action

The sixth round of the Buildcorp NRC will start tomorrow with front runners Melbourne Rising hosting the University of Canberra Vikings. The home side is red hot favourite for the overall win of this inaugural season of the long awaited domestic competition with five bonus point convincing wins out of five games, but tomorrow’s game will face them with a strong opponent. The visitors have started badly with a narrow loss against Perth at home and then won two in a row, after their bye they managed a draw against the Sydney Stars and are now sitting fourth on the…

With five bonus point wins the Melbourne Rising dominate the NRC

Endeavour Hill’s Lautolo-Molimau to make his run on debut in the NRC The undefeated Melbourne Rising travel to Orange to play the Eagles on Saturday in the match of the round 5 of the national competition. Sticking to his conservative tactic to inject carefully inexperienced players into a solid framework, Sean Hedger was forced to make changes in the back line due to injuries. Endeavour Hill’s winger Rennie Lautolo-Molimau has been chosen to start on the right side with impressive “dancing” Telusa Veainu moved to the fullback position for injured Jonah Placid (knee), who is forced to miss the trip to…

Morabbin’s Joe Kamana to debut from first minute in Melbourne Rising clash against Perth Spirit

Rising keep to winning formula for the top of the ladder encounter Melbourne Rising are top of the ladder with better points difference from NSW Country Eagles and will face third placed and undefeated Brisbane City at Ballymore on Saturday at 3:00 pm. Plenty of experience will again be on display from the Melbourne team with Head Coach Sean Hedger operating only one changes in the well oiled team to face another unbeaten team in round three of the NRC. Tom Sexton, the Melbourne born former Leinster Irish player will have his long awaited run on debut in Australia after skipping the entire…

Only one change for the Rising facing Sydney Stars on Sunday. Another Melbourne Rebels filled squad announced by coach Sean Hedger for the second game of the NRC: in the starting XV only outside centre Sefanaia Naivalu is not (yet) part of the Super Rugby franchise. Despite an impressive display in his first game at national level Harlequin’s Sione Taufa loses his place in the starting squad to Australia’s U20 captain and 7’s Commonwealth bronze medallist flanker Sean McMahon. McMahon was rested for the first game due to his recent involvement in the Commonwealth games and will bring to an already Super Rugby filled…

For their first game on Sunday the Melbourne Rising have name a team full of Super Rugby experience along with some Dewar Shield talent. Coach Sean Hedger has chosen a conservative approach for his first game as NRC head coach, introducing only two players with no national experience in the Melbourne Rising team starting XV: Sefanaia Naivalu and Sione Taufa. Box Hill centre Naivalu is the top scorer of the Dewar Shield, a quick decision maker with an excellent boot, and Harlequin flanker Taufa is a solid player newlty crowned Dewar Shield champion on Sunday. All nine Dewar Shield clubs…

Harlequin takes second title in a row with an easy 33-12 victory in the Dewar Shield Grand Final. In a cold afternoon at Sparks Reserve, home of the Box Hill Rugby Club, the fairytale season of the Broncos ended with a comprehensive loss in the Gran Final. The much improved team wasn’t able to contest the win to the defending champions in a one sided match where the only highlight was the hattrick for Bill Seveti. From the very beginning the defending champions set the pace of the game and they could have scored a try at the 4′ minute with an…

Dewar Shield’s Preliminary Final down to the wire: Box Hill’s fairy tale season continues with a after the siren win against Melbourne. Let’s start from the end, with the game tied at 19 all, Box Hill visit almost for the first time the opponent’s 22. The balls is very hot and heavy in the Bronco’s hands and it slips for a knock on, referee Darren O’Brien stops the game but instead whistling the end of it approaches touchie Oliver Kellett, who points him out a shoulder charge from a Melbourne player: penalty from the 22 meter line, slightly on the…

Moorabbin come close to upsetting Melbourne in the Dewar Shield minor semi final. In a bruising encounter at Romanis Reserve the host managed to pass a rampant Rams side by 4 points. In the first half the two teams were very nervous and the spectators could feel that the stakes where high. The game was pretty much an affair for the forwards, with the backs, when involved, not able to put their mark on the game. The Rams were the first team to go on the scoreboard, thanks to a forwards try which saw excellent prospect Tui Tuiatua over the line. The hosts…

The Melbourne Rising presented themselves to the Victorian community rugby on Wednesday night. The event was hosted in the premises of Harlequins Rugby Club, where the NRC team will train all the season long and the first 6 weeks of pre-training has been held so far. Victorian Rugby Union director and Melbourne Rebels GM of Community Rugby Peter Leahy, was the first to address the public made up from VRU clubs officials, Victorian Rugby Referee Association members and Melbourne Rising team members.  As often happens in the NRC teams presentation, Leahy praised the founding of the new national competition which “creates a clear pathway for young…

Harlequin crowned minor premiers After seventeen rounds in the Dewar Shield, only percentage was separating the reigning champions from the surprise package, Box Hill. In the last round Harlequin made the best of a weaker opponent, smashed Southern Districts 38-15, when their rival managed to narrowly defeat third placed Melbourne by a point. Harlequin will host Box Hill next week in the major semifinal, whilst the unicorns will host Moorabbin in the minor semifinal. Footscray over Endeavour Hills with a bag of tries In the last game of the round, with the top fliers set, the remaining five teams played…