No report on the 2nd game - slack guys, slacl.
Rebels turn up the heat in Morwell
Paul Roberton - January 21st 2011
The Rebels turned up the heat on an already balmy evening in Morwell, running out 54-0 winners against Tonga.
The forwards lost none of their assertive nature in the last 6 days, reinforcing expectation they’d form an intimidating, effective pack. The more polished outside backs made it a fair more rounded affair than last Saturday.
In front of a crowd of 3,853 at La Trobe City Sports Stadium, things started to click.
Cipriani handled the ball and his centres with composure and deft touch. His precision in close and some incredible cut out passes created opportunity after opportunity and the outside backs reaped the dividends.
Defence was the big improvement. The Tongans scrambled hard in the second half and were particularly unlucky to have a try disallowed for a double movement, but take nothing from the Rebels defensively, they ground out big efforts on their defensive line.
The small crowd could sense the opportunity for the Rebels to keep a clean sheet, and roared their approval every time they snuffed out the Tongan attack.
The big tackling forwards netted their share of tries tonight, with 5 pointers to #8 Tim Davidson, prop Laurie Weeks and league convert cum flanker Jarrod Saffy.
Cooper Vuna continues to prove the bolter with 2 tries from Centre. Victorian amateur Chris Slade scored his first try in Rebels colours with Afusipa Taumoepeau and Nick Phipps chiming as well.
Cipriani struck a perfect 5 from 5 from the tee before he was rested at half-time. James Hilgendorf took over for the remainder of the night, returning 2 from 3.
The first try of the night went to Laurie Weekes in the 3rd minute. The Rebels drove towards the line early, through heavy the heavy Tongan resistance. The prop managed to ground the ball amongst all the bodies cluttering the goal line.
Sam Cordingley was extremely effective starting at scrum-half, getting a lot of ball early and marshalling the Rebels big men between the breakdowns. He just seemed to follow the ball all over the ground, creating a headache for Macqueen who hasn’t yet settled on half back yet.
Jarrod Saffy’s first came out of a messy ruck, with the league convert scoring his first try in rugby union since he left the code in 2005. Midway through the 2nd quarter, ( about the 33rd minute by normal standards) Tim Davidson, who captained the side from #8, accepted a terrific inside ball, found space and touched down next to the left upright.
Shortly afterwards, Afusipa Taumoepeau collected a tumbling ball while running in support, and accelerated through the 22 for the Rebels fourth. By the time the first 40 minutes were over, Laurie Weeks had carried the ball inside before unloading to a flying Cooper Vuna for his fourth try in 6 days.
The Tongans saw much more of the ball in the second half, and looked to wear the Rebels out, but the men in blue absorbed the pressure. Ball handling errors by the Rebels gave the Tongans second and third chances. When it seemed the Sea Eagles would make them pay, a double movement cost them dearly.
The Rebels managed to settle down again around the hour mark when Nick Phipps reminded the coaches of his early favouritism for the scrum-half spot, swooping for the right goal-line flag and scoring in the corner.
The Rebels 2nd half squad capitalised on the tiring Tongans, who struggled through the final term. Victorian amateur Chris Slade, who was again selected in the outside backs, swooped on a Hilgendorf outside pass to score his first try for the Rebels.
Cooper Vuna closed out proceedings late in the game with a double. Hoani Macdonald set off on a run which Adam Freier described(via twitter) as a “Harlem globe trotter type run to setup Vuna under the sticks.
The Tongans accommodation of Macqueen’s 15 fresh men for the 2nd half of each game was a generous gesture but will no doubt benefit both teams: given that the pacific nations historically lack the endurance to last 80 minutes and allowed Macqueen to continue an examination of his potential combinations.
The Tongans again missed their European contingent, who would have given the Rebels a very different experience. They were certainly better off for the opportunity to test their depth of their local talent.
Rod Macqueen offered little in his post match comments through the Rebels media unit, reiterating his point from last week about the standard needed to succeed in Super Rugby:
“We were looking to try a few different things, and a lot of those came off tonight. Overall, we’re happy with the performance, considering it was the second trial... but it’s important to keep things in perspective and understand we’re about to enter into one of the hardest competitions in world rugby and if we play like we are now, we wouldn’t be successful.”
To the Herald Sun’s Russell Gould; Macqueen elaborated;
“We're realistic (about the opposition) but it's not about winning and losing, it's about trialling things under pressure, and we certainly had pressure.We started to see a lot of the team structure, too, a lot of phases of play coming off. It will be a step up next week against Fiji, and then again against the Crusaders, but all in all I'd have to be happy with where we are, but keeping things in perspective”
In another pleasant surprise for the unsuspecting fans, the Rebels blooded yet another Victorian amateur, forward Sam Nonu Jnr from the Southern District Pirates.
The Rebels hit the road again next week, for a Saturday evening game against Fiji at St Patricks in Ballarat, in Central Victoria.
Melbourne 54;
Tries: Cooper Vuna (2), Jarrod Saffy, Laurie Weeks, Tim Davidson, Afusipa Taumoepeau, Nick Phipps and Chris Slade
Cons: Cipriani 5/5, Hilgendor 2/3
Def Tonga 0.
