Author: Scott Rea

Can the Rebels secure a maiden play-off spot, or will the Western Force have the last laugh in 2020? On behalf of all Australian rugby fans, I would like to thank both the Melbourne Rebels and Western Force, who could both adopt the name the Traveling Wilburys. Both teams have been away from home, families and friends for three months to ensure the Super Rugby Au competition could occur. On Saturday afternoon, the Rebels will host the Force at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. The Equation On the ladder, the NSW Waratahs are on 19 points but have a last…

The Western Force host the Melbourne Rebels in Round Five of Super Rugby AU. First, how awesome is it to have the Western Force back in Super Rugby (AU)? The Force will once again play host at Leichardt Oval. This week the Force are playing the Melbourne Rebels. The Rebels definitely have a Force flavour to them from the coaching box to the field to the casualty ward. While the Rebels have the upper hand in the head to head nine wins to four, in 11 games between the two teams the margin has been seven points or less. Form…

The Rebels host the Reds (in Sydney?) in Round Two of Super Rugby AU. First, I wanted to go off script (from a Rebels v Reds preview) for a moment. I wanted to welcome the Western Force back to Super Rugby, where they always should have been. All the best to the Western Force staff, players and supporters on Saturday night against the Waratahs and for the rest of the season. Now, back to the match preview… 2020 continues to throw up surprises and scenarios that no one would have ever thought off. The Melbourne Rebels are playing a home game…

The Rebels ventured to Fukuoka to kick off their celebratory tenth season in Super Rugby. Going into the match Rebels fans would have been hopeful that the celebration will culminate in an inaugural finals campaign. Whilst the Sunwolves started what, unfortunately, is to be their last season in Super Rugby. This is disappointing considering the impact the Rugby World Cup had in Japan. Alas the “Moondogs”, as they are affectionately known by some, was probably likely to fail from the start because the JRFU were unable to obtain the buy-in of the Top League teams (and ultimately Japan’s biggest companies).…

The NSW Country Eagles hang on against a resurgent Melbourne Rising, with a 29 – 19 victory. The Rising headed into their second home game of the season in Adelaide after a big loss against the Canberra Vikings. Rising fly half and Barossa Rams product Michael Moloney had two genuine home games, with last week’s game being played at his Dewar Shield home Box Hill and this week heading back to South Australia. The NSW Country Eagles reached the Apex in Dubbo taking bragging rights over Sydney in a high scoring thriller and headed into this match as the favourite.…

The Rebels headed to Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo needing a win and preferably a bonus point win to stay in touch with both the Brumbies at the top of the Australian conference and the rest of the top eight. They were greeted by a 31-degree Tokyo day and the Rebels delivered the much-needed bonus point win with a healthy boost to their points difference. First half Gerhard van den Heever intercepted a long pass from Quade Cooper before van de Heever passed to Jason Emery, who passed back to van de Heever. The Sunwolves winger than lost the…

The Rebels are hosting the Bulls in a match which should be an absolute cracker. Both sides are second in their respective conferences, sitting 6th (Rebels) and 7th (Bulls) both on 28 points with only 3 points separating them on points difference. Form Rebels The Rebels got back on the winners’ list last Friday against the Queensland Reds with a 30 – 24 victory at AAMI Park. Prior to that, the Rebels had three losses in a row against the Stormers, Waratahs and Hurricanes with a bye in the middle. The Rebels would have been happier with a performance which…

The Rebels were coming off the bye and unfortunately, they did not return from the bye until around twenty minutes into the match where the Hurricanes led 26 nil. To the Rebels credit they did fight back after that, only conceding one more score a penalty goal but with Cooper’s missed penalty goal, it was a day where the Rebels walked away empty handed. First half From a line out inside the first minute, the Hurricanes spread the ball wide with the two wingers Wes Goosen and Chase Tiatia linking up with each other. Tiatia gained 35 metres and was…

After a month on the road, the Melbourne Rebels finally return home to host the Sunwolves. The Rebels may be top of the Australian conference, but many pundits are expecting this to be a close match. At times this season, the Sunwolves have looked the giant killers; a far cry from previous seasons. Form So, how are the Rebels and Sunwolves tracking in 2019? Rebels The Rebels are unbeaten in Australia this season, winning in Round 1 in Canberra, Round 3 and 4 v Highlanders and Brumbies at AAMI Park and last week v the Reds at Suncorp. The win…

The Melbourne Rebels defeated a fast-finishing Highlanders 24-19 at AAMI park. Melbourne’s weather turned on a ripper for the Rebels’ first home game of the season and the first day of autumn with a maximum temperature of 40 and a temperature of 32 at kick off. While the Highlanders were invoking the All Blacks RWC year resting policy, with a number of key players left out of the lineup. First Half It was a high octane start virtually from the kick off Quade Cooper threw a flat pass to an attacking Billy Meakes to put Meakes’ nose through the Highlanders’…

It took the Melbourne Rising six weeks to find their compass and to play a match in Victoria at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong. The Western Force were looking at continuing their good form winning four of their five matches. This match was somewhat of a reunion with former Western Force / Perth Spirit players Mees Erasmus, Richard Hardwick, Isi Naisarani, Anaru Rangi and Michael Ruru playing for the Rising. Whilst former Melbourne Rebels Heath Tessmann and Jack McGregor were playing for the Western Force. First half Inside a minute Laurie Weeks got in an awkward position trying to lay a…

The resumption of Super Rugby on Friday brings with it a top of the (Australian) table clash between the Rebels and Waratahs. The Waratahs are only one point ahead of the Rebels but sit in third spot of the overall table by virtue of the fact they are on top of the conference compared to the Rebels in eighth spot. Importance of match Given the significance of the match this in my opinion is the most important match in Melbourne Rebels history. The only other match that could rival it, in the lead up to the match, is the Rebels’…

The Rebels had a big home win thrashing the Sunwolves 40-13. The Rebels went into this match needing a big win to keep in touch with both the Waratahs at the top of the Australian conference and with the top eight. The Sunwolves, on the other hand, were coming off two wins in a row. Although a significant number of Sunwolves, including coach Jamie Joseph, were rested for the Japanese tests v Italy and Georgia. First half After receiving an early penalty the Sunwolves had a lineout just outside the Rebels’ 22. The Sunwolves had seven phases where they did…

This week the Melbourne Rebels wrap up their tour to South Africa with a match against the Stormers at Newlands in Cape Town. The Rebels are still looking to break their duck in South Africa. FORM The Stormers have won three and lost six matches and the Rebels have won 4 matches and lost 4 matches in 2018. Both teams have lost their last three matches. The Stormers had several chances last week against the Sharks to score late and to pinch a draw, but to no avail.  All three of the Stormers’ wins have come at Newlands, making the…

After the bye the Rebels were back home for an important match v the Jaguares before heading on their trip to South Africa. First half The Jaguares received a wet and windy welcome to Melbourne but amazingly the sun was out come kick off time. The ground staff were using pitch forks to make running repairs to the surface prior to the game. Jaguares winger Ramiro Moyana made an incisive run for the Jaguares gaining forty metres. The Jaguares were unable to convert three attacking line outs but were dominating possession. After eight minutes Nicolas Sanchez put the Jaguares on…

The first contest between an Australian and NZ team this season was eagerly awaited. After four bonus point victories in five matches, how far had the Rebels come? After thirty minutes the Rebels led 19 points to eight. Unfortunately for Rebels fans, this was eerily similar to their match against the Waratahs. The Hurricanes grabbed the lead before halftime and didn’t look back from there, with the Canes scoring the last 42 points of the match. The first thirty minutes were positive for the Rebels as was the crowd of 16,135, the Rebels’ biggest home crowd since 2012. First Half…

Chiefs 41 Bulls 28 The first half saw the Bulls pound the Chiefs into submission in both the forwards and backs, with the Chiefs conceding the first eight penalties and the Bulls having 62% of possession. The Bulls’ first try came from a lineout on their attacking 10 metre line following a sublime inside ball from Kriel to Ismail who blew through a massive hole in the Chiefs defence and sent Gelant over in the corner. Fa’auli took advantage of two Bulls handling errors, picking up the ball five metres out from the line and strolling over unopposed for the…

Finally!  Rugby is back.  And not a minute too soon. After an annus horribilis for Australian Rugby both on and off the field, I don’t know how a major sporting competition/body can expect to grow in the future with the significant contraction that occurred in 2017. (I am sorry I digress, I am also sorry to the Western Force fans and I hope to see the Force back in a meaningful competition sooner rather than later). Thankfully the 2018 Super Rugby season kicks off on Friday night (for the Australian and NZ teams at least with two matches in South…

The Melbourne Rising held off a fast-finishing Greater Sydney Rams 41-31 at Harlequin Park. Melbourne dished up some typical weather with windy conditions, some rain and even some blue skies. This was a match of two halves; the Rising getting out to an early lead, the Rams hitting back in the second half. The Rising were able to withstand the Rams charge to register their first win of the season. A late change to the Rising team; Nic Stirzaker was out injured, replaced by Australian u20’s Scrumhalf Scrumhalf Harrison Goddard. First Half The Rising had a couple of early attacking lineouts…

Both the Sydney Rays and Melbourne Rising headed to Pittwater Park on Saturday looking for their first win of 2017. Both sides played some wonderful rugby despite a strong wind, however, the Rays had too much class and composure in the end for the Rising. Unfortunately for Melbourne rugby fans 2017 has been a tough year with only a solitary win thus far in total for the Rebels and the Rising. Although on a positive note the 2017 NRC Rising side is more inexperienced than prior Rising teams and the younger players are gaining valuable experience. The start of the…