tigerland12
John Thornett (49)
I have no idea how Huxley still has a Super Rugby contract. Bloke is useless.
Rebels v Cheetahs - Round 4 - Super Rugby 2012
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Ruggo
Mark Ella (57)
Rome wasn't built in a day. It is great that people are having positive comments to say about the teams. Everything Bruce said could also apply to the Cheetahs. Good on them and I hope there rise continues.
If one big lesson is to be had out of this round it is there are no easybeats in this comp.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
Huxley's first half was as bad as his worst games last year.
he moderately stepped it up in the second half, but if he plays another game this year i will be astounded.
mate - its basics - catch the ball side on. he had so much time on that knock on.....one of many.
zero pace and a ratshit boot. terrible up and unders. i would've done phipps at 9 and kingi at 15.
lloyd didnt impress me either. dont think he was as bad as previously suggested though, he was clearly carrying an injury for his last few minutes.
Luke Jones, Hugh Pyle, Laurie Weeks, Henderson, Saffy and Delve all looked sharp. Timmy davo was a bit quiet I thought. Chamberlain was strong again, but off from last week. some good carries and a few solid hits. he hit the rucks well again.
Kingi definitely our top 9, though i was impressed with phipps' quickness when he came on.
i still reckon danny is more of a liability than an asset, but he did ok today when he came on.
gerrard scrambled well to make some much needed tackles....
mitchell - you little beauty
he moderately stepped it up in the second half, but if he plays another game this year i will be astounded.
mate - its basics - catch the ball side on. he had so much time on that knock on.....one of many.
zero pace and a ratshit boot. terrible up and unders. i would've done phipps at 9 and kingi at 15.
lloyd didnt impress me either. dont think he was as bad as previously suggested though, he was clearly carrying an injury for his last few minutes.
Luke Jones, Hugh Pyle, Laurie Weeks, Henderson, Saffy and Delve all looked sharp. Timmy davo was a bit quiet I thought. Chamberlain was strong again, but off from last week. some good carries and a few solid hits. he hit the rucks well again.
Kingi definitely our top 9, though i was impressed with phipps' quickness when he came on.
i still reckon danny is more of a liability than an asset, but he did ok today when he came on.
gerrard scrambled well to make some much needed tackles....
mitchell - you little beauty
C
Cave Dweller
Guest
It is amazing how many games ended where one team score with the last kick of the game.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
can i just reiterate that huxley is terrible.
wonderful guy, but he is just too old now and his skills are way way way off.
wonderful guy, but he is just too old now and his skills are way way way off.
C
Cave Dweller
Guest
He has lost a yard of pace that he never had
Dumbledore
Dick Tooth (41)
THIS. I was absolutely frothing in the stands. Gutless in contact - he makes Cipriani look willing. Disgraceful performance. Speaking of Cipriani though, he was excellent when he came on - ran the ship better than Bieber did.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Yep he made a couple of tackles, but I still say would be nice if he actually did all the core tightie roles which also include rucking and mauling, he has always been a seagull, I was hoping he would grow out of it.
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
I haven't really focussed on Rodney Blake recently, Dan, but I endorse your general principle. A player who is selected as a tight forward has to do just that, play tight. Otherwise he is bludging on his mates.
ACT Crusader
Jim Lenehan (48)
Thought Kingi's quick work from breakdown to breakdown, as well as his option taking was very good in the 2nd half. I thought that was the main reason the Rebels were going forwards rather than backwards.
Rabbit looked like a 2nd year Giteau out there, especially in the 2nd 40. Quick, bouncing off tackles and elusive. 2nd 5 is definitely his best position IMO (as was Giteau's).
Forward pack played pretty good. Took their chances, but failed to get organised in the dying seconds.
Well done to the Cheetahs. I'm liking that there are a lot of close matches this season.
Rabbit looked like a 2nd year Giteau out there, especially in the 2nd 40. Quick, bouncing off tackles and elusive. 2nd 5 is definitely his best position IMO (as was Giteau's).
Forward pack played pretty good. Took their chances, but failed to get organised in the dying seconds.
Well done to the Cheetahs. I'm liking that there are a lot of close matches this season.
Dumbledore
Dick Tooth (41)
Adriaan Strauss was seagulling all afternoon, had an absolute stormer of a game though. I don't mind if a player plays loose, as long as it's understood within the team that that is his role. What I don't like is when a player doesn't hit rucks and/or make his tackles because he's too lazy/unfit.
While we're on the forwards, I've been impressed with the Rebels mauling so far this season - I'd like to see them go to it more often.
While we're on the forwards, I've been impressed with the Rebels mauling so far this season - I'd like to see them go to it more often.
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
So why is there always uproar when Higginbotham plays loose as a loose forward?
James Buchanan
Trevor Allan (34)
There's not a lot of happiness I took out of that loss. But what there is, is expressed in these two quotes.
In particular, I love that it has been the Rebels forwards who have been the strength of the team in these early losses. Too often prior to the start of the season we were dismissed as having no forward pack. I think in the games that the Rebels have played so far, that statement has been thoroughly proved incorrect.
I would have added Ged to your list of Forwards who looked the goods; he was a leviathan in the second half when he came on. Mitchell punched above his weight all day; I was thoroughly impressed with him.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
I would suggest our forwards (lineout aside) have largely been our strength.
Line out was improved yesterday. Pyle is a great jumber with excellent hands. Both Freier and Ged have a solid throw in as well and their ability to hit the target is improving. still a few key misses though, particularly in the attack zone.
Where we were let down yesterday was yet again in missed tackles (Huxley, JOC (James O'Connor), and Johannson in particular) Cipriani made a few good tackles but still is a bit soft. JOC (James O'Connor) picked it up but there were just too many bad misses from a player of his calibre. No doubt we missed less than against the Tahs, but we missed some key ones at pivotal moments.
The return of Inman will be a massive boost, allowing gerrard to shift to 15 and JOC (James O'Connor) back to working with him at 12 (assuming Cips is fit).
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that beales calf tear is not going to heal in time and that overall this exceptional player is not going to feature in too many games throughout the first half of the year...regreattably i don't have a positive outlook on his fitness at the moment.
Mitchell has earned another start and I think vuna needed about a half a foot of extra space and he'd have been through for some great breaks.
on that basis - Davo will be the only change in the forward pack with saffy taking his place (how does he make so many tackles?!)
backline of Kingi, Cip, Vuna, JOC (James O'Connor), Inman (if fit) Gerrard and Mitchell
back bench of phipps, hilgendorf and here's the curve ball - Huxley dropped completely, Johannson probably injured so Isaiah Mosese to cover wing/fullback.
i will be stunned if huxley gets a sniff of the bench again barring numerous injuries.
Line out was improved yesterday. Pyle is a great jumber with excellent hands. Both Freier and Ged have a solid throw in as well and their ability to hit the target is improving. still a few key misses though, particularly in the attack zone.
Where we were let down yesterday was yet again in missed tackles (Huxley, JOC (James O'Connor), and Johannson in particular) Cipriani made a few good tackles but still is a bit soft. JOC (James O'Connor) picked it up but there were just too many bad misses from a player of his calibre. No doubt we missed less than against the Tahs, but we missed some key ones at pivotal moments.
The return of Inman will be a massive boost, allowing gerrard to shift to 15 and JOC (James O'Connor) back to working with him at 12 (assuming Cips is fit).
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that beales calf tear is not going to heal in time and that overall this exceptional player is not going to feature in too many games throughout the first half of the year...regreattably i don't have a positive outlook on his fitness at the moment.
Mitchell has earned another start and I think vuna needed about a half a foot of extra space and he'd have been through for some great breaks.
on that basis - Davo will be the only change in the forward pack with saffy taking his place (how does he make so many tackles?!)
backline of Kingi, Cip, Vuna, JOC (James O'Connor), Inman (if fit) Gerrard and Mitchell
back bench of phipps, hilgendorf and here's the curve ball - Huxley dropped completely, Johannson probably injured so Isaiah Mosese to cover wing/fullback.
i will be stunned if huxley gets a sniff of the bench again barring numerous injuries.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
SAH. Watched this game with genuine hope the Rebels would break through and win.
I concluded this, FWIW: the Rebels have excellence in the making, but they're just being badly held back by some inexplicable, ordinary retentions of older players that are way past it when, in NSW and QLD, there are almost certainly talented younger elite players that are not in their state S15 teams but could justify promotion (certainly v the likes of Huxley and Gerrard) and who would love to start at the Rebels and get the leg up. It's as though your selectors have been too entranced with 'experience', yet they've purchased exactly the wrong kind. And are not ditching that wrong kind anything like fast enough.
James Buchanan
Trevor Allan (34)
From looking at their recruitment, I think that they've attempted to look at young kids in various positions. There is likely a number of older players on two year contracts who will not be renewed at the end of the year. But, its complicated beast, you don't want to have too many kids in a team, because while that offers potential in a few years, it doesn't provide structures and very little opportunity of winning games early. The AFL expansion teams have been a great demonstration of this; however they are backed by guarantees of financial support by the AFL.
Dumbledore
Dick Tooth (41)
Very harsh on Gerrard there RH. Certainly in regard to Huxley, Johansonn, Davidson though. I wish they'd seriously invest in some youth now, while we're going to take some beatings. If they aren't taking a very serious look at the likes of Lala Lam, Fainga'a Jr., Quirk, Toua and similar over the next year or so, I'd say heads need to roll in the recruiting department.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
wouldn't agree boxing Gerrard with Huxley
last year and so far this year, Gerrard has been a leader in the backline and played very well.
Agree re huxley though. Baffles me that Rod kept going with him last year and i truely hope hill doesnt make the same mistake.
I was dissapointed and probably still am that we got rid of Betham. still can't believe he isn't playing anywhere. why the force don't sign him is beyond me.
last year and so far this year, Gerrard has been a leader in the backline and played very well.
Agree re huxley though. Baffles me that Rod kept going with him last year and i truely hope hill doesnt make the same mistake.
I was dissapointed and probably still am that we got rid of Betham. still can't believe he isn't playing anywhere. why the force don't sign him is beyond me.
D
daz
Guest
No need for me to add to most of what has been said. I would like to point out a couple of things that have not been mentioned:
1) Letting the Cheetahs in for try #1 within the first 90 seconds of the match was unforgivable.
2) When JOC (James O'Connor) went for the touch line rather than taking the points with 7:34 on the clock, I was horrified, even though the crowd seemed to appreciate it. Luckily the Rebs got over the line, but it still seemed like a bad percentage play. I say take the points on offer, especially in the first 7 minutes of the game.
3) The Rebels are not the first team to let through a try after the siren and they won't be the last, but gee, that really hurt. Sitting in my seat surrounded by real Rebels fans (myself being a bit of a blow-in) the reaction afterwards was one of real disgust.
4) I heard very little booing, even though it has been reported by others that there was. I didn't hear any myself. Also, there was very sportsmanlike applause for the Cheetahs good play, especially the kicking of the Cheetahs #10. Well done to the Rebs crowd.
5) By hell, those Cheetahs boys are huge. 1-3 are some of the biggest units I have seen. The Rebs 1-3 combined only just equalled the Cheetahs hooker!
6) Huxley had a shocker, yes, I agree, but by golly he wasn't alone. Phipps seems to have had a complete self confidence meltdown and Kinghi is really the Rebs #9 moving forward.
7) JOC (James O'Connor) got MOM honours, but I thought he had a pretty ordinary game by his standards. Even forgetting the intercept pass he threw, alot of his off-loads were just awful.
8) The yellow card for the Cheetahs #11 was yellow every day of the week. (Yes, that is directed to the vocal gent sitting behind me who nearly had a stroke during the game)
And finally, I know it has been discussed around the edges, but I really worry about how the Rebels are going to cope without Delve. He is the heart and soul of the team right now, and leads by example. I don't have his stats for the year on hand but his workrate and tackle count is probably covering for a few of the others at the moment. He is just everywhere. Respect, even if he is British...
The end.
1) Letting the Cheetahs in for try #1 within the first 90 seconds of the match was unforgivable.
2) When JOC (James O'Connor) went for the touch line rather than taking the points with 7:34 on the clock, I was horrified, even though the crowd seemed to appreciate it. Luckily the Rebs got over the line, but it still seemed like a bad percentage play. I say take the points on offer, especially in the first 7 minutes of the game.
3) The Rebels are not the first team to let through a try after the siren and they won't be the last, but gee, that really hurt. Sitting in my seat surrounded by real Rebels fans (myself being a bit of a blow-in) the reaction afterwards was one of real disgust.
4) I heard very little booing, even though it has been reported by others that there was. I didn't hear any myself. Also, there was very sportsmanlike applause for the Cheetahs good play, especially the kicking of the Cheetahs #10. Well done to the Rebs crowd.
5) By hell, those Cheetahs boys are huge. 1-3 are some of the biggest units I have seen. The Rebs 1-3 combined only just equalled the Cheetahs hooker!
6) Huxley had a shocker, yes, I agree, but by golly he wasn't alone. Phipps seems to have had a complete self confidence meltdown and Kinghi is really the Rebs #9 moving forward.
7) JOC (James O'Connor) got MOM honours, but I thought he had a pretty ordinary game by his standards. Even forgetting the intercept pass he threw, alot of his off-loads were just awful.
8) The yellow card for the Cheetahs #11 was yellow every day of the week. (Yes, that is directed to the vocal gent sitting behind me who nearly had a stroke during the game)
And finally, I know it has been discussed around the edges, but I really worry about how the Rebels are going to cope without Delve. He is the heart and soul of the team right now, and leads by example. I don't have his stats for the year on hand but his workrate and tackle count is probably covering for a few of the others at the moment. He is just everywhere. Respect, even if he is British...
The end.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
a few comments....
1) Letting the Cheetahs in for try #1 within the first 90 seconds of the match was unforgivable.
-> the first 15 minutes looked like the dark days of yesteryear, complete with Huxley at 15!
6) Huxley had a shocker, yes, I agree, but by golly he wasn't alone. Phipps seems to have had a complete self confidence meltdown and Kinghi is really the Rebs #9 moving forward.
-> didn't think phipps was that bad, but he is definitely behind kingi and I would dare say a fair bit behind. That said, Phipps probably stayed at 9 last year on the back of a couple of solid games and the fact that kingi was creating chances out wide often.
7) JOC (James O'Connor) got MOM honours, but I thought he had a pretty ordinary game by his standards. Even forgetting the intercept pass he threw, alot of his off-loads were just awful.
-> did not think he deserved MOM. Delve or Mitchell did. That said, the MOM is texted in by the fans.....
And finally, I know it has been discussed around the edges, but I really worry about how the Rebels are going to cope without Delve. He is the heart and soul of the team right now, and leads by example. I don't have his stats for the year on hand but his workrate and tackle count is probably covering for a few of the others at the moment. He is just everywhere. Respect, even if he is British...
->Best player on the team week in week out. we don't have an 8 man capable of even remotely replacing him. He was chasing down backs in the final minutes yesterday. Smashing his body up against some of this big Boers and getting up to do it again ad naseum. to the extent the rebels can, they should be chucking 3rd party endorsements at him as much as possible. excess cash from DCIP should be used to tie up Delve.
danny's cash could tie down delve (if he wants to stay) and find another back
1) Letting the Cheetahs in for try #1 within the first 90 seconds of the match was unforgivable.
-> the first 15 minutes looked like the dark days of yesteryear, complete with Huxley at 15!
6) Huxley had a shocker, yes, I agree, but by golly he wasn't alone. Phipps seems to have had a complete self confidence meltdown and Kinghi is really the Rebs #9 moving forward.
-> didn't think phipps was that bad, but he is definitely behind kingi and I would dare say a fair bit behind. That said, Phipps probably stayed at 9 last year on the back of a couple of solid games and the fact that kingi was creating chances out wide often.
7) JOC (James O'Connor) got MOM honours, but I thought he had a pretty ordinary game by his standards. Even forgetting the intercept pass he threw, alot of his off-loads were just awful.
-> did not think he deserved MOM. Delve or Mitchell did. That said, the MOM is texted in by the fans.....
And finally, I know it has been discussed around the edges, but I really worry about how the Rebels are going to cope without Delve. He is the heart and soul of the team right now, and leads by example. I don't have his stats for the year on hand but his workrate and tackle count is probably covering for a few of the others at the moment. He is just everywhere. Respect, even if he is British...
->Best player on the team week in week out. we don't have an 8 man capable of even remotely replacing him. He was chasing down backs in the final minutes yesterday. Smashing his body up against some of this big Boers and getting up to do it again ad naseum. to the extent the rebels can, they should be chucking 3rd party endorsements at him as much as possible. excess cash from DCIP should be used to tie up Delve.
danny's cash could tie down delve (if he wants to stay) and find another back
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