Author: Ben Marczyk

After what could only be  described as the biggest upset (and  best Wallaby performance in years) we are off to Eden Park with the wind in our sails. With the RWC looming, and the knowledge  that the All Blacks  rarely put in two bad games in a row, it is with some trepidation that the Walllabies travel to Eden Park, a place they have’t won at since before the World Cup was even a thing. With the rain sweeping in just before kick off, let’s see how it all panned out… THE MATCH THE FIRST HALF The AB’s got out…

We come into this game with both teams in a similar place- not having won for a while (Blues drew last week), and little to play for other than the potential of representative honours for a few. There are some interesting sub-battles at play here, like Samu Kerevi vs Ma’a Nonu, will Kerevi leave and the run on debut of Scott Malolua. With not much more than pride on the line, let’s see how the last home game of the season pans out for the Reds. THE MATCH Things didn’t start well for the Reds when Blake Gibson…

In the midst of the other code having their big boy fight on Wednesday, the average Queenslander might be forgiven for forgetting the Reds back up at home again this week, their final home game for the season. Squeezed in between Origin 1 and an NRL local derby on Sunday, a Super Rugby battle between two under performing teams is unlikely to get the blood pumping. There are a few interesting story lines playing out from a Queensland perspective- what will happen to Samu Kerevi, who is playing for their future and how low will the crowd be? Read on…

With the season all but over from a finals perspective, the Reds face a stern test at home to Jaguares team that is riding high on the top of the South African conference. They have rung the changes this week after a few weeks of what if rugby, including some significant returns and some key positional changes. With some fringe World Cup spots still up for grabs, there is ample motivation to perform. Whether this will be enough to draw a crowd that will distracted by the evil corporate monstrosity that is State of Origin is anyone’s guess but the…

Each and every week, it seems the Reds are facing a make or break game for their season, at least if you believe the media pundits. And to some extent, you must, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. At some point the stories are actually true, and the game means more than a simple W in the column. Excuse the hyperbole, but this is that time- a win is vital on a few levels here. A win keeps the Reds in touch with the Brumbies and the Rebels, and keeps the dream of an unlikely finals appearance alive. On the…

The yo-yo season that is 2019 continued last week for the Reds, with what can only be described as an insipid performance against the Bulls. This comes after the inspired second half against the Stormers, which followed an ugly loss to the Rebels. I think you all get the point by now. No matter which way you cut it, consistency from week to week or even half to half is an issue that hasn’t been resolved yet, and ultimately it will be what sinks the Reds season. So as the Reds head down to the coast of South Africa to…

The pin was applied to my balloon last week, as the Reds of 2014/15/16/17 and 18 put in a cameo appearance, and all the good work of the previous two weeks flew out the window. Granted, it was a special night for a certain someone, and for all intents and purposes, the Queensland squad were made to look like second rate pretenders. They back up again against the Stormers before embarking on their own South African odyssey. Let’s take a peek… FORM The Reds are confusing and frustrating as ever, perhaps even more so this year. Major cleanouts of the…

He who must not be named is back. The Reds have won two on the bounce. The judiciary chocolate wheel turned up a winner. Taniela Tupou has been benched. So many threads to pick up on this week, so let’s dive in and preview things as the On-A-Roll-Reds (trademark pending) clash with the Just-Back-From-Africa Rebels. FORM A simple look at the form guide shows a story of polar opposites. The Reds have gone back to back, with a gritty comeback against the Sunwolves followed by a rousing performance last Sunday against the Brumbies. On the other hand the Rebels have…

After a near miss against the Highlanders over in the Shed last week, the Reds fronted to their first home game of 2019 with proclamations of not letting the close games slip and making the moments count. Let’s see how they fared against a Crusaders side that has been riding high on a 17-match win streak Both sides were 1-23 as per program With the Crusaders in an unfamiliar all white strip to counter the now permanent maroon kit, we kicked off on a night of high expectation from a good sized crowd. The Reds were showing a willingness to…

Super Rugby is back. Well, technically it was back last week. For Red’s fans however, it all starts here. After an off-season where Brad Thorn jettisoned the last players who did not fit “the culture”, it is time to see how the 2019 edition fares. The first challenge is a tough one, against a Highlanders team with the wind in their sails following an impressive come from behind victory against a Chiefs outfit that had a man advantage.  So let’s dive into the preview of the game to see how things shape up. FORM This is perhaps the one time of…

On a balmy February evening, the Reds played in front of a decent crowd at their spiritual home, the sad old man of rugby, Ballymore. They lined up against perennial powerhouse the Chiefs. With both sides being relatively young, would a high scoring encounter be on the cards? Join me for something of a stream of consciousness observation of the game. (Like the teams, I’m saving my best stuff for the season proper). – The Reds appeared to be pretty close to full strength, bar JP Smith and Izack Rodda in the forwards. The backline looks like Thorn is trying…

This is the time of the year that rugby fans love- the time when their team is equal top of the table, and in most cases, anything is possible. All teams are equal, though some are perhaps more equal than others. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the 2019 Reds squad, where we can see the results of Brad Thorn’s “culture” regime taking shape in his first full off-season in charge. While on the face of it there seems to be some key changes, bear in mind that two of the biggest names out the door didn’t…

Mark the day. 23 October 2018. This is the day that Brad Thorn finally got his way. This is the day that Quade Cooper did not get his way. This is the day that, for better or worse, will define a large part of the Thorn legacy at Ballymore. But ultimately, today (and the preceding 24 hours), is the day that proved Brad Thorn right. Before everyone replies to tell me that this is just an absolute character assassination of Quade, or that I have it in for him or some other some such guff, let me put this on…

Queensland Country and the Western Force fought out a high scoring game when they met at Bond University in the regular season, with the Force prevailing. With a place in the big dance on the line, who would book their seats for the daunting flight to Fiji? On paper, these are two very evenly matched teams, so as long as nerves don’t play a part, we should be in for a good one. The Match: Under a backdrop of a gathering storm, the teams ran onto the field, and Hamish Stewart got us underway. The Force looked keen to throw…

With a place in the finals on the line, the Canberra Vikings travelled to a sodden Easts Rugby Club in suburban Brisbane to take on home-town Brisbane City. Which team would handle the conditions best? Who would emerge with a daunting semi-final trip to Fiji? The Match: As the game started, it was obvious that whoever adapted first to the diabolical wet would probably end up on top. Standing water was everywhere and much of the touchline closest to the clubhouse was a line of dirt and mud. So it was the Vikings who made the first error, with Hawera…

After a first up loss to the Western Force last week, how would Brisbane City react against the Drua, in what is arguably the hardest road trip in the NRC. With only minimal changes to the squad, there was opportunity to build combinations, but ultimately what would the scoreboard say? The Match: The first ten minutes were relatively quiet as both sides tried to work their way into the game, a bit of back and forth. There were some warning signs there for City as the Drua threatened. At this point you also sensed that it didn’t matter if they…

On a gorgeous Father’s Day Sunday, the campaigns of the Western Force and Brisbane City kicked off in front of a massive crowd at Norths Rugby Club in Brisbane. With the Force the favourites, could a Quade Cooper driven City squad upset the odds. Let’s find out. The Game: Early on the teams split possession with the Force setting out to test rookie winger Emori Waqavalugi and it paid early dividends with the outnumbered Fijian jumping foolishly at a high psss, leaving veteran Rod Davies with the easiest of tries. Prior missed the conversion and it was 5-0 Force after…

The 2018 edition of the NRC is on the horizon, and both Queensland teams will be looking to feature when it gets down to the pointy end. While Brisbane City will be looking to improve, Queensland Country are aiming to go back-to-back. In a laudable move, the Country squad has been bolstered with some members of the Country Heelers squad, hooker Jack Cook and outside back Will Gilbert as development players, in what should be a good experience for them. With a new coach, and some squad changes, let’s take a look and see how the Country squad shapes up.…

As I make the step up to the adult table and progress to the wide world of match reports, the Queensland Reds looked to come back from the June International break with a promising performance against a Blues side that has struggled mightily and hadn’t won a game at home all season. It was cold clear night at Eden Park, as Jerome Kaino played his last home game before his move to France at the end of the season. In a classy move, the Reds joined the Blues in forming a tunnel to clap the warhorse onto the field. It…

As we sit here today, we are perhaps six weeks away from the announcement of the two Queensland NRC Squads. After last years heroics, not only are Queensland Country presumably after a new coach following Brad Thorn’s elevator ascension to the Reds top job, several of the squad have become either Reds regulars, or in the case of Taniela Tupou, a key cog in the Wallaby squad. In the construction of this little exercise I based it on a couple of assumptions- firstly that the overall squad size (including the allocated Wallabies) would be 35, and that the Reds squad…