Super Rugby_ WARATAHS 28 & REBELS 9

April 30, 2011
FULL TIME: WARATAHS 28 REBELS 9

80 MIN: Mumm crashes over after good work from Carter and Turner. That's decent reward for an improved showing by the stand-in captain.

79 MIN: TRY TAHS!

77 MIN: Hilgendorf loses it in the tackle just as the Rebels are threatening to grab a consolation try - that's the 200th knock on tonight.

76 MIN: It's very messy as time run out. A series of knock ons and poor ball protection by both sides. Beale is replaced by Kingston. His knee didn't seem to hinder him too much.

74 MIN: Barnes hobbles off and is replaced by Halangahu. But it doesn't look serious.

72 MIN: Beale converts and it's 23-9 Tahs.

70 MIN: From the lineout the Tahs produced a driving maul that included Carter and Barnes. They won a penalty as they edged closer to the line and then spread it wide to Dennis, who reached over.

70 MIN: TRY TAHS!

69 MIN: From the scrum the Tahs win a penalty and Beale clears into the Rebels half. Can they finish with a flourish?

68 MIN: Rebels back in Tahs territory after a nice Gerrard penalty. But do they have the ability to get through the Tahs line? Not on the evidence so far. And now they knock on.

66 MIN: But they are penalised for obstruction as they try to get the lineout drive going and the Tahs get out of trouble. It's really pouring down now.

65 MIN: Cirpiani kicks it away - why? - but some good defence forces out Turner 10m from his own line and the Rebels have a great attacking chance.

64 MIN: Lipman off, Davidson on. Rebels get a lucky scrum feed after Kaplan incorrectly rules a Beale knock on. They are 30m out.

63 MIN: Robinson off, Baxter off. Also Blake is on for Weeks. From the restart Turner makes a hash of the clearance but from the lineout McCutcheon makes the steal.

60 MIN: BEALE PENALTY. 16-9 Tahs.

60 MIN: Somerville loses it in contact and the Tahs kick it clear and then win another penalty following a strong run from Timani. An easy chance for Beale coming up.

59 MIN: Cipriani has already added some width to the Rebels attack. Rebels hot on attack here. 10m out.

58 MIN: Cipriani misses to the left, so we're still at 13-9 Tahs. Mortlock looked beaten up as he trudged off. He plays hurt. Another solid shift.

57 MIN: Another warhorse, Mortlock, is also off. Cipriani is on. And he'll immediately get a chance to kick a penalty from 40-45m on the angle. Ulugia on for Tatafu.

56 MIN: Tatafu is helped off the pitch. Looks very groggy. That's been a weekly event this year.

55 MIN: Tatafu is down again. As he tried to tackle Huxley he hit his head into the fullback's knee. He looks in trouble. But now he's sitting up! He's made of stern stuff.

54 MIN: Vuna is on for Betham.

54 MIN: BEALE PENALTY. 13-9 Tahs.

53 MIN: Tahs win a penalty under the posts and Kaplan is having a word to Mortlock and Delve for repeated infringements. Beale should throw this over.

52 MIN: They are working it through the forwards - it's slow motion stuff - but they are only metres out.

51 MIN: From the defensive scrum Burgess puts a huge tackle on Delve - that's the part of his game that he does well - and the Tahs get it back.

49 MIN: Now Timani loses it in contact. The handling is terrible.

48 MIN: Burgess, Robinson and Timani rumble it up before the Tahs turn it over again - with little imagination in attack - and the Rebels boot it clear.

47 MIN: Barnes puts a trickly little grubber through and Mortlock knocks on while scrambling back. Tahs get the scrum, which is just as well as Barnes dropped it cold from the next phase. Attacking set piece from 20m out.

45 MIN: Mumm hammered back in the tackle in midfield as the Rebels warm to their work.

44 MIN: They swing it left and right but then Barnes fires a tough pass Mumm in midfield and he knocks on and the Rebels clear. The visitors are getting right into this.

43 MIN: Tahs have an attacking lineout 40m out.

42 MIN: HUXLEY PENALTY. 10-9 Tahs.

41 MIN: Mortlock carries it up strongly from the lineout and earns his team a penalty. Not released in the tackle. of McCutcheon. Kickable.

41 MIN: Rebels get us underway again and we're immediately into the up and unders again. Then Burgess kicks out on the full from his 10m line. Aimless.

HALF TIME: Perhaps they are feeling the effects of last week's brutal derby with the Reds. The Queenslanders ceratinly seemed to struggle to back up after that emotional high against the Canes earlier. As for the Rebels, they are hanging tough, as you'd expect. Let's hope Cipriani gets a run soon. He'll either be brilliant or woeful, but he'll liven it up.

HALF TIME: The danger for the Waratahs is that the longer the Rebels stay in touch the more it brings the referee into the equation. Kaplan's record hasn't been kind to them but he's not the one dropping balls and kicking aimlessly.

HALF TIME: Nobody likes to play in wet weather but the last time I checked rugby is a winter sport and has been for a very long time. It can be equally compelling in these conditions if played right, but there has been no sign of that from either outfit.

HALF TIME: Conditions are not ideal but by no means unplayable and as Tom Carter says in his half-time interview there are "no excuses" for what has been served up. Way too many mistakes from both sides. The Waratahs are showing their knack for making the game look very difficult. It's been poor. 

40 MIN: Rebels batter away but after five or six phases in the forwards Somerville gets a little isolated and McCutcheon is over the ball to win an important penalty 10m out. That's the end of the first half.

38 MIN: Two scrum collapses and Kaplan guesses in the Rebels favour, so Gerrard gets the pen and sets up an attacking lineout on the 22m.

36 MIN: Dreadful midfield bomb from Beale is stolen but then Gerrard loses it and the Tahs attack from their own half. But there is yet another knock on, so we go down for a scrum on halfway.

35 MIN: Beale hooks the penalty badly so it's still 10-6.

35 MIN: Tahs finally put some phases together and they are rewarded with a penalty. About 25-30m out with the angle, but kickable for Beale.

34 MIN: A kicking duel has developed as both sides aim for territory first. The Rebels are well served in that department with Gerrard and Huxley.

30 MIN: But now the Rebels attack nicely from lineout, Mortlock and Gerrard combining in midfield to punch a hole. But just as the danger was building Mumm comes charging from the line to force an error out of Pyle. Good work by the captain.

29 MIN: Handling error after handling error.

28 MIN: I think we can now safely wheel out 'arm wrestle' to describe what we're going to see for the rest of this encounter.

27 MIN: Rebels win back the pill from the restart and they rumble it up. But a mistake from Phipps allows Mumm to hack it forward. Now the rain is coming down hard and it's turning into a kickfest.

26 MIN: BEALE PENALTY. 10-6 Tahs.

24 MIN: Burgess puts a tidy nudge down the touchline but the ref's assistant spots a late hit. That's soft. Kickable penalty to Tahs.

24 MIN: At least their scrum is working. They win back possession from scrum pressure on the Rebels feed.

23 MIN: Tahs have really gone off the boil after a positive start. Again. It's frustrating stuff.

22 MIN: HUXLEY PENALTY. 7-6 Tahs.

21 MIN: Another penalty to Rebels after a good Betham run. This is right out in front. Should be a gimme.

20 MIN: Robinson amusingly tackles himself trying to put a step on and the Rebels have it back. Huxley kicks to Tahs 10m line.

19 MIN: I wonder how long Cipriani will be on the bench? Rebels attack is very uninspiring.

18 MIN: HUXLEY PENALTY! 7-3 Tahs.

17 MIN: Turner concedes a penalty about 45m out for playing the ball on the ground and Huxley lines up the shot.

16 MIN: Again Barnes peppers that Rebels' left hand side for a lineout and the Tahs are trying to pressure the visitors at set piece.

15 MIN: Excellent take from Beale under the bomb. It has been a weakness in the past but he dealt with that well. Rebels get the lineout and attack through Hilgendorf but he is smashed and knocks on in midfield.

13 MIN: Beale converts for 7-0. Good work from Turner and Mumm in the lead up for the try and you won't stop Tatafu from 10m.

13 MIN: TRY AWARDED! 5-0 Tahs.

12 MIN: TRY TAHS! Tatafu piles over! But the ref is having a look to see if he was held up. Video ref called.

11 MIN: Rebels win a kicking duel thanks to the excellent Gerrard, but Mumm rises to steal the Rebels lineout and the Tahs have it again. Dominating the possession stats.

9 MIN: Now Barnes drops one cold with a few forwards bearing down on him. Wants to protect that head no doubt. And you can't blame him.

8 MIN: Tahs attack from deep through Turner and Beale - that's more like it - but Beale chip kicks it into touch. Why does he keep doing that? Back your pace Kurtley!

7 MIN: The Rebels go right from the lineout and swing back to Pyle but the attack breaks down. Both sides lacking a cutting edge. Burgess' delivery is slow again. Bob Dwyer won't be happy.

5 MIN: But they fail to capitalise again and Gerrard boots it away 50m. From the ensuing counter attack from Beale the Tahs are offside and the Rebels will have the chance to relieve some pressure.

4 MIN: Tahs forwards bashing away again, just 15m out.

3 MIN: Tahs turn over the ball under the posts and Rebels scramble it clear but the traffic has been one way so far. Huge pressure on the visitors.

2 MIN: Tatafu sporting some questionable corn rows tonight, but it hasn't harmed his ball running.

1 MIN: Barnes has kicked deep twice to Betham's corner. Obviously spies a weakness in Rebels right winger.

0 MIN: He goes deep and the Tahs monster Betham to force an attacking lineout from 22m. But it's stolen.

0 MIN: Barnes kicks off so let's get it on.