Pre Season '16: Rebels v Blues

[RugbyReg]

2016 Melbourne Rebels Trial Match Schedule:
Auckland Blues v Melbourne Rebels
Thursday 4 February 2016
Pakuranga Rugby Club, Auckland
Kick off: 5.30pm (NZ) / 3.30pm (AEDT)

Rebels team for trial v Blues
Starting line up:
1. Toby Smith,
2. James Hanson,
3. Laurie Weeks,
4. Steve Cummins,
5. Luke Jones,
6. Jordy Reid,
7. Sione Taufa,
8. Ta Hosea,
9. Ben Meehan,
10. Jack Debreczeni,
11. Tom English,
12. Mike Harris,
13. Mitch Inman,
14. Dom Shipperley,
15. Reece Hodge
Reserves:
16. Jordon Uelese,
17. Cruze Ah Nau,
18. Ryan Cocker,
19. Murray Douglas,
20. Pom Simona,
21. Angus Fowler,
22. Dan Hawkins,
23. Paul Asquith,
24. Tom Moloney

 

[oztimmay]

From the Blues website. Interesting to see the ex Melbourne Storm winger Matt Duffie get a run.

The Blues players to get game time, including All Black and Blues captain Jerome Kaino, on Thursday are:
Sione Mafileo, Nic Mayhew, Sam Prattley, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Namatahi Waa, Quentin MacDonald, Matt Moulds, James Parsons, Josh Bekhuis, Patrick Tuipulotu, Hoani Matenga, Scott Scrafton, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Steven Luatua, Jerome Kaino, Joe Edwards, Jack Ram.
Backs: Billy Guyton, Bryn Hall, Sam Nock, Ihaia West, Piers Francis, Matt McGahan, Michael Little, George Moala, Melani Nanai, Rene Ranger, Jordan Trainor, Lolagi Visinia, Matt Vaega, Tevita Li, Matt Duffie.

 

[oztimmay]

Match will be live tweeted by @BluesRugbyTeam. I'm assuming the @MelbourneRebels will fire up wit some twitter updates too.

 

[oztimmay]

Surprised it's not being streamed, can see cameras there. Oh well.

 

[oztimmay]

7 - 0 Blues.

 

[oztimmay]

End of the first quarter. Still 7 - 0 Blues.

 

[oztimmay]

14 - 0 Blues.

 

[oztimmay]

Rebels with a converted Try. Blues still lead 14 - 7.

 

[oztimmay]

Few quick tries to the Blues. Scores now 26 - 7.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

No side: 59 - 7

 

[oztimmay]

Ouch ouch ouch

 

[RugbyReg]

really? Yikes.

 

[oztimmay]

I'm guessing both teams emptied the bench. They had Super Rugby on the pine; we had a mix of NRC, DS and Super players. Expire nice was bound to get the Blues over the line.

Meh, it's only pre season. Without seeing footage, I'm not losing sleep.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

Sounds like we took a good old pantsing in the second half.

I did hear the Blues were planning to use 33 players.

 

[TOCC]

That's a poor start for the Rebels


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[I like to watch]

Sounds like we took a good old pantsing in the second half.

I did hear the Blues were planning to use 33 players.

Yeah but not all at once,despite what it looks like on the scoreboard

 

[zer0]

"This was a Rebels team with only 14 fully contracted players - former All Blacks Adam Thomson and Tamati Ellison among those absent.

After rolling out nine rookies in the opening quarter, Umaga had the luxury of calling on the likes of All Blacks Jerome Kaino, Steven Luatua, Patrick Tuipulotu, George Moala and Rene Ranger in the third and final quarters. Their collective impact was immediate - the Blues scoring seven tries in the second half."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...but-tana-umagas-reign-starts-on-positive-note

Would explain the second half result.

But I'll wait to see how the shambles go in the actual season before handing out messiah status and boarding hype trains -- the Akira Ioane one excepted. That one has long since barreled out of the station, with no breaks attached.

 

[Highlander35]

Hopefully we've got something far closer to full strength come the Samoa game. 2 extra weeks of recovery time, Ellison and Thomson joining the squad and no adding flying risks should hopefully help.

 

[oztimmay]

Naturally my Kiwi mate found this footage of the all-mighty Rene Ranger in BEAST mode. Still, rose coloured glasses on, I'm sure there is some Rebel goodness here. Rycee Hodge managd to beat Rene at least once.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Naturally my Kiwi mate found this footage of the all-mighty Rene Ranger in BEAST mode. Still, rose coloured glasses on, I'm sure there is some Rebel goodness here. Rycee Hodge managd to beat Rene at least once.

Yeah, and Ranger hasn't been skipping leg days.