Completely satisfied Monday G&GRs, and what a superb Monday it’s. The Waratahs are firmly ensconced on the underside of the ladder and unable to make the finals. It’s good for rugby. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Anyway sufficient of kicking the Tahs whereas they’re down, let’s get critical.
With solely two of the Australian groups getting up this weekend (and the Brumbies had been bloody fortunate simply quietly between us G&GRs), issues are beginning to get tight, and the finals are inbound. So are the groups going for top-of-the-table positions to get a house remaining, or saving their boys and making an attempt to be contemporary to struggle from the place they’re on the ladder? Who is aware of. However let’s pull that one aside.
Let’s get into the rugby. It was an attention-grabbing spherical, with groups making an attempt to claim themselves for the finals. So let’s take a look at Spherical 13, then have a look at the SRP ladder, and large congratulations to one among our favourites. So seize an enormous cup of☕, and let’s have a look at rugby, G&GR fashion, and no, Yowie, there’s no scope for Gangnam fashion jokes there!
As all the time this can be a fan-run website and any contribution is welcome, be at liberty to achieve out to me at bris@greenandgoldrugby.com.au be it with an article an concept, or an opinion piece. There’s additionally a ‘Submit a Story’ choice. So be at liberty to have a crack because the extra the merrier.
Tremendous Rugby Pacific 2024 – Spherical 13
Wellington Hurricanes 32 defeated Moana Pasifika 24
KARL’s beloved Canes have fought their method again to the highest of the desk with a harder-than-expected victory over Tana Umaga’s Moana Pasifika 32-24 in a match that will’ve had Nutta salivating because it was a Piggies Paradise. The Canes rested a swag of gamers for this sport and it nearly got here again to chunk them on the arse, being pressured up entrance and hammered in scrums. The factor that basically saved them was their bench.
The sport was performed at a breakneck tempo with Moana driving the tempo, and piggies had been bagging meat pies left proper, and centre, with three props and a hooker scoring, in contrast to their possibilities within the pub after the sport. The Canes began the sport strongly, and led the entire method by means of the sport, however had been by no means in a position to break freed from the MPs. Going into the shed for oranges the Canes had been up 19-12. The MPs got here out firing after halftime, impressed by a Tana Umaga rocket, scoring first after the break to shut the hole to 2 factors.
However the Canes went to their bench and steadied the ship, managing to carry out the Pasifika boys. It was a raffle that paid off for the Canes, however coach Laidlaw could have regretted his choice there for some time.
Waikato Chiefs 26 defeated Melbourne Rebels 23
Talking of groups that will’ve shat themselves this spherical, that will undoubtedly embrace the Chiefs of their 26-23 simply snuck residence victory over the Rebs in Melbourne on Friday night time. The Rebs’ intent was proven from the beginning, popping out of the blocks at a blistering tempo and snatching an early lead.
The Chiefs lastly awakened and bought themselves again within the sport, to step out to a 12-point lead. However the Rebs to not be outdone had been rallied by the house crowd and and bought again into the sport. Reb Lachie Anderson managed to seize two meat pies to get the scores again to stage with lower than 10 to go on the clock.
Nevertheless it was the boot of that smiling murderer, DMac, who slotted a penalty to present the Chiefs the lead with 3 minutes to go and held out till the hooter. The Rebels are nonetheless an opportunity to make the finals regardless of this loss, however have a very exhausting homeward run.
Wallaby Watch – Carter Gordon, Lachie Anderson and Filipo Daugunu actually stood out for the Rebels. Particularly Gordon who appeared a special participant with out the kicking obligations.
Fiji Drua 28 defeated Queensland Reds 19
The Reds didn’t simply crap themselves, they completely shat the mattress in an actual John Denver kind rocks and diamonds efficiency of their 28-19 loss to the Fiji Drua in Suva on Saturday afternoon. All groups now realise that Fiji are a basically totally different workforce once they play at residence. The group lifts them they usually appear to have 20 gamers on the sphere.
The Reds had a surprising begin, scrappy and error-ridden. This allowed Fiji to blitz off to a 12-0 lead earlier than the clock had even hit the 8-minute mark. The Reds had simply began to drag their finger out when Reds’ perennial whipping boy Suliasi Vunivalu was handed an enormous slice of cheddar cheese 🧀 for a brain-snapping second of a deliberate journey. Down a participant, and to be trustworthy, it’s not like Suliasi contributes so much, the Reds went on the assault when Lawson Creighton nailed a stupendous cross-field kick that was gathered by debutant Floyd Aubrey, diving over for a pleasant 5-pointer.
The Reds, now again to fifteen gamers, remained on the assault this time by means of Creighton, who bought a stupendous dummy and bypassed a lot of defenders to nab himself an excellent meat pie to convey the rating to 15-14. Quickly approaching oranges the Fijians bought themselves a penalty and Valetini (not Sideshow Bob) grabbed the tee and slotted a 53-metre penalty to go to the sheds at 18-14.
However to not be outdone by his stupidity within the first half, Suliasi Vunivalu in defence once more went to journey one other Fijian incomes himself a second serve of 🧀, which was promptly upgraded to a 🍷 in a two-for-one sale. Fark Me! This left the Reds with solely 14 for twenty minutes, and now down a participant, the inevitable strive that adopted left the Reds with a 25-14 deficit in actually humid situations that had been sapping the Reds power and decreasing their probabilities of grabbing victory.
The Reds tried to remain within the sport, closing the rating to 25-19, however half-hour of taking part in with 14 males in Fijian situations damage them badly. Fiji was in a position to keep management and slot one other penalty to shut out the sport.
The Reds and Les Kiss gambled with this sport, in all probability underneath the presumption that they had been in all probability going to lose in Fiji anyway, as all however one Tremendous Rugby workforce have this season. They rested a lot of their key starters, in all probability wanting to save lots of them some sport time as we push near the finals. However this sport was ripe for the taking they usually let themselves down. Suliasi Vunivalu has to both return to gaol ball or membership rugby till he can show he is aware of sufficient concerning the sport to play. His slot within the Reds just isn’t warranted.
Wallaby Watch – Lawson Creighton, Tate McDermott, Seru Uru, and James O’Connor had good video games in what was a poor efficiency for the Reds.
ACT Brumbies 31 defeated Canterbury Crusaders 24
The Pet Killers have snuck residence with a 31-24 win in what needs to be their luckiest victory to this point, because it wasn’t a convincing efficiency by the Australian convention’s strongest workforce. The Brumbies initially defended effectively, however what ought to be scaring the crap out of Bernie Larkham is the Brumbies capability to modify off for intervals of the sport.
The primary half was a fairly sturdy efficiency by the house aspect, with Lolo controlling the sport effectively with the Ponies up by two tries within the opening 20 minutes. It remained a Brumbies sport for the remainder of the primary half. Popping out from oranges, nonetheless up by 10 factors, that is the place issues modified. At this level, issues began to go awry for the Brumbies. Noah Hotham scored a strive with simply 10 minutes to go, after which a late penalty kick from the 55-metre mark by Fihaki, which to be trustworthy may have been nailed from 60+. This, and a serve of 🧀 for Tamati Tua for a excessive shot on Jone Rova actually had the Darkish ones on a roll.
The Crusaders motivated, and again within the sport, pushed the Brumbies exhausting. The scores had been stage at 24-24 with 5 minutes on the clock and looking out just like the Brumbies had been going to shit the mattress. However luck, and by luck I imply critical luck was on the Brumbies aspect. The Ponies had been on the assault down the right-hand aspect of the paddock when Tom Wright threw a ahead go. And never just a bit bit ahead however a mile ahead. The sensitive, Gus and the TMO stayed schtum, and play continued. However even one-eyed Brumby commentator Goog Harrison was amazed that it wasn’t known as. The sport resulted in a little bit of farce with the Crusaders conceding a penalty attempt to give the Ponies the match.
The Brumbies had been nice in patches and horrible in others. With entire intervals of the second half the place they took their foot off the fuel and let the Saders muscle them uncontrolled. If that ahead go was known as, it could’ve been golden level or, presumably, a Saders win.
Wallaby Watch – Tom Wright, Andy Muirhead, and Lolo had good video games. Jimmy Slips had a shocker for as soon as.
Auckland Blues 47 defeated Otago Highlanders 13
The lads from Auckland have consolidated their ladder lead with a convincing win over the Clan on Saturday night. Within the North v South conflict, the Blues 47-13 flogging of the Highlanders actually demonstrated the place each groups stood in 2024. Regardless of struggling some late modifications and resting some gamers, the Blues had been commanding of their efficiency.
Kurt Ekland for the Blues was dominant scoring two of the Blue’s tries, enabling the Blues to carry a gradual however not wonderful 21-13 lead at oranges. However, after they got here out of the shed the Blues actually turned it on, and their ahead pack attained complete dominance. The Blues by means of Kade Banks bagged a stupendous attempt to that opened the floodgates for the Blues to take management of the sport and shut it out comfortably.
Western Drive 27 defeated NSW Waratahs 7
The Twiggy Forrest All-Stars have given the hapless Tahs a spanking of epic proportions of their 27-7 victory in Perth on Saturday night time. The injury-plagued Waratahs bought off to a superb begin getting up 7-0 within the early phases of the match, however that’d be the final time they bothered the scorer for the night time, with the Drive slamming down 27 unanswered factors to finish the Tahs likelihood of reaching the finals and cementing them to the underside of the SRP ladder.
In Waratahs skipper’s Jake Gordon’s a hundredth Tremendous Rugby sport, the Tahs by means of Marky Mark and his Funky Bunch crossed for a very nice strive. However after that, the wheels fell off. The Drive then went on to pile up 20 unanswered factors for the half, with their pack very dominant, particularly at scrum time. Kuenzle banged down a pleasant strive, intently adopted by Donaldson within the twentieth minute.
The Tahs night time bought worse when Brad Amituanai was given some 🧀, making the Drive’s job simpler, permitting Reed Prinsep to attain shortly thereafter. And from there it was simply time ’til the Drive closed out the sport, making the Tahs look as common as they had been.
Wallaby Watch – Donaldson, Rodda, Kuenzle and Harry Hoopert had a robust efficiency. Gordon’s a hundredth was not a sport that he’ll keep in mind with fondness.
Congratulations to Angus Gardner
Whereas we give the refs a good serve on G&GR, I need to go on my and G&GR’s sincerest congratulations to Angus Gardner on drawing stage with Jaco Peyper’s file for essentially the most Tremendous Rugby video games as a whistle-blower. Racking up his 114th sport as a referee, Angus will go on to beat the file subsequent week.
Angus is by far the very best of the Aussie pea blowers, and I hope that this achievement is simply the beginning, and that he goes on to set a file that those that observe will discover exhausting to beat. Bravo!
Tremendous Rugby Pacific 2024 – Spherical 12 – The Ladder
The ladder has began to lock itself in with the Blues taking the highest spot and the Tahs the underside. The Drive are catching up on the Drua to make the finals. The highest 4 are just about locked in, together with fifth and sixth, however the seventh and eighth positions are nonetheless actually up for grabs.
The Crusaders have crawled their method off the underside, however their probabilities of making the finals have in all probability dissipated. The Tahs and the MPs are just about shot on the underside of the ladder.
Anyway, sufficient of this previous man rambling on. Over to you G&GRs, have at it.
