Monday, April 30, 2012
Genia signs new three-year deal with Queensland
Will Genia has completed a dramatic turnaround and signed a new three-year deal with the Queensland Reds, knocking back a substantial offer from the Western Force.
Genia had been offered up to $600,000 a season to defect to the Force.
The Wallaby number nine said he changed his mind several times over the weekend before announcing this morning he will be staying in Queensland.
"I kept coming back to the satisfaction and pride I felt from our win over the Blues (on Friday) and I feared I wouldn't feel that way again playing with another club,'' Genia said.
"Singing the team song (after the match), it was a scary thought I might not have the chance to do that again next season.
"It was too hard to give away ... too hard to walk on.''
The announcement this morning followed a bizarre sequence of events on the weekend that included the Queensland Rugby Union announcing on Saturday that Genia would be joining the Force.
Genia said he had been offered more money to go to the Force and Queensland had not increased its offer.
"It's not about money," Genia said.
"It's about where I'm happy, and this is where I will be happy.
"The financial gains for me to go to Perth were greater but I wanted to stay at the club where I was happy."
"I love the environment, I love the culture, and I love where this club is heading.''
McKenzie said when he spoke to Genia at the weekend he was told that the playmaker was moving on.
"That was the message at that point of time ... this is a complicated business," McKenzie said.
"There's a lot of contract things going on, domino effects going on, so we moved on.
"As a coach I moved on mentally and started thinking about plan B as you do, but then that changed.
"I always say in rugby never say never, and sure enough late yesterday afternoon things changed.''
McKenzie emphasized the three-year deal is on the proviso the the Australian Rugby Union will come to the party and top up Queensland's offer to the level expected.
Genia said he had not even told all the Reds' players before announcing his decision to the media this morning and was anxious to let them know what was happening.
"I didn't have the opportunity to tell them but word will spread and hopefully it's good news to them as well."
Queensland moved quickly to re-sign utility back Ben Lucas on the weekend who could have replaced Genia at halfback.
The Reds priority now is to re-sign other big name players including injured fly half Quade Cooper.
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, qld First posted April 30, 2012 06:57:56Sunday, April 29, 2012
Highlanders snatch victory with thrilling comeback
Otago Highlanders wiped out a 21-point deficit during the second half to pip Central Cheetahs 36-33 in a Super Rugby thriller.
The first time the New Zealand visitors led was in the final minute when replacement fly-half Chris Noakes kicked his second penalty at a silent Free State Stadium.
Highlanders won possession from the resultant kick-off, kept the ball among the forwards until the full-time hooter sounded, and replacement scrum-half Jimmy Cowan belted the ball into the main stand.
As if facing an at-times rampant South African team was not enough, the men from Dunedin were two short for several first-half minutes after hooker Andrew Hore and England flank James Haskell got yellow cards.
Cheetahs replacement fly-half Sias Ebersohn bowed his head and tried to hold back tears after the final whistle as he fluffed a simple penalty attempt just before Noakes snatched victory.
Ebersohn came off the bench on the hour mark when pivot Johan Goosen, who had contributed 18 points, was forced to retire after hurting his shoulder while scoring the Cheetahs' third try that was converted for a 30-9 advantage.
Highlanders hit back with three converted tries to draw level only to fall behind again before nerve-less Noakes slotted penalties on 72 and 80 minutes to keep his team second in the New Zealand conference and fifth overall.
"That was an unbelievable match," said Highlanders loose-head prop and skipper Jamie MacKintosh. "We were bloody awful and indisciplined until we discovered some momentum during the second half.
"I really feel for the Cheetahs, who are a great attacking side, but we felt their defence was a bit narrow so once we started getting our hands on the ball the plan was to go wide and get around them."
Cheetahs hooker and captain Adriaan Strauss found it hard to accept that his team had let a big lead slip and remain 11th on the southern hemisphere provincial championship standings, six points off the last play-off spot.
"I am so disappointed as we had chances to finish the game off when well ahead. We just were not smart enough as the Highlanders started finding space and running at us," he admitted.
Cowan scored two tries and Noakes one for Highlanders, all of which Noakes converted and he added two penalties to the three kicked by fly-half Mike Delany during the opening half which ended with Cheetahs 23-9 ahead.
Leading Super Rugby points scorer Goosen raised his season total to 145 with a try, two conversions and three penalties while Ebersohn contributed one conversion and one penalty from five attempts at goal.
Loose-head prop Coenie Oosthuizen and debutant lock Andries Ferreira scored first-half tries for the home team, whose only consolation was a bonus point for losing narrowly.
Cheetahs host struggling Australian outfit Western Force next Saturday while Highlanders travel south to Indian Ocean city Durban for a showdown with Coastal Sharks the same day.
Highlanders 36: (Tries: J Cowan 2, C Noakes. Conversions: Noakes 3. Penalties: M Delany 3, Noakes 2)
Cheetahs 33: (Tries: C Oosthuizen, A Ferreira, J Goosen. Conversions: J Goosen 2, S Ebersohn. Penalties: Goosen 3, Ebersohn)
AFP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, new-zealand, south-africa First posted April 29, 2012 06:32:39Force eye big names after Genia
After lining up Wallabies half-back Will Genia for next season, the Western Force have set their sights on recruiting more big names to rebuild the struggling Super Rugby team.
Languishing in last place in the Australian conference, the Force pulled off the rugby coup of the year by luring Genia from the champion Queensland Reds, with the 24-year-old set to put pen to paper once his Australian Rugby Union contract is sorted.
Genia is rumoured to have turned down an offer in the vicinity of $400,000 at the Reds in order to take up a deal worth upwards of $500,000 at the Force, despite the club denying the deal was done.
"All I can say is that we have spoken to Will Genia's manager and other players' managers about recruitment in the past couple of weeks," RugbyWA chief executive officer Vern Reid said.
"Nothing has been finalised, I'm certainly not in a position where I'm going to make any announcements about Will or any other player.
"It's mystifying (the statement by the Reds) simply because no details have been finalised."
The Perth-based franchise has also been in close talks with their captain and Wallabies star flanker David Pocock, who is almost certain to re-sign with the Force.
And, in a further major boost, veteran Wallabies lock and former Force skipper Nathan Sharpe is expected to consider reversing his decision to retire at season's end.
Genia's arrival plus the expected retention of Pocock could help attract a host of other high-calibre players to the Force.
Luring a world-class five-eighth is high on the Force's agenda, but more game-breaking players in the backline are also badly needed.
"We're speaking to a number of players and are clearly looking to strengthen our inside backs," Reid added.
And of course, a new coach to replace the departed Richard Graham is also in the works.
The Force are yet to make the finals since their inception in 2006, and are desperate to build a squad capable of reaching the business end of the season.
Interim Force coach Phil Blake confirmed the club was already in talks with top-line players from around the world.
"I know the club's been very proactive throughout Australia and offshore in regards to acquiring certain players that we feel will benefit the club moving forward," Blake said.
"That will never change.
"We are on the front foot.
"We're speaking to numerous players in various positions to make sure this club reunites and gets stronger moving forward.
"So everyone else be warned that we are looking."
Pocock was saying little about his own contract situation, but Force chief executive Vern Reid said he was "increasingly confident" the 40-Test veteran would stay.
"You could call it poor form the way information's leaked and all the rest but, at the end of the day, that's how it works," Pocock said of the rumours he was about to re-sign.
The Force's finals hopes for 2012 were all but dashed on Saturday night in a 17-3 loss to the high-flying Stormers.
The Force take on the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next Saturday, before facing the Sharks in Durban a week later.
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, perth-6000 First posted April 29, 2012 12:53:56Tahs too late as Fruean runs rampant
Giant centre Robbie Fruean went on a rampage against New South Wales, as the Crusaders recorded their 10th straight Super Rugby win over the Waratahs with an enthralling 37-33 victory at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The human wrecking ball scored two tries and set up another to put the brakes on a spirited Waratahs outfit in front of 30,663 fans, and secure the Crusaders a bonus point and their fifth win from their past six starts.
After trailing 14-13 at the break, the Waratahs hit the lead thanks to a Wycliff Palu try in the 46th minute and, despite Adam Whitelock answering for the visitors with a five-pointer of his own, the boot of Brendan McKibbin kept the Waratahs within a point, down 24-23 with less than half an hour remaining.
However, just like he had been in the first half, 190cm and 104kg Fruean proved the difference.
With an All Blacks debut beckoning this season, Fruean combined beautifully with Israel Dagg and Zac Guildford in a sweeping backline movement, before backing up on the inside and escaping down an impossible blindside to score the try which broke the Waratahs' promising hold on the match.
From there, penalty goals were traded between McKibbin and Crusaders fly half Tom Taylor, before Tahs replacement scrum-half Sarel Pretorius showed great speed to score from a scrum and close the margin to four points in the 74th minute.
Despite some late field position, the Waratahs could not quite muster a miracle - but the depleted outfit can still take plenty from a gutsy performance.
Ironically, Fruean was the man found out when the Waratahs crossed for the first try of the afternoon after just 11 minutes.
A crisp ball from New South Wales five-eighth Berrick Barnes put Adam Ashley-Cooper on the outside of the dynamic number 13 and, after ghosting through the line, Ashley-Cooper drew full-back Dagg to put winger Atieli Pakalani over in the corner.
However, it was not long until Fruean gained an emphatic revenge.
Working off the back of a line-out win, half-back Andy Ellis poked his head through the line and hit Fruean with a flat pass - and from there, it was shut the gate.
Fruean's awesome combination of power and acceleration put him into the back-field, before a big right-foot step did the rest.
McKibbin steadied the ship for the hosts with a penalty to put them in front 10-7, before it was over to Fruean to strike his second major blow.
The 23-year-old managed to get on the outside of centre Tom Carter, powered his way towards the line, before waiting until the last moment to flick a ball back to Guildford to touch down.
Crusaders: 37 (R Fruean 2, Z Guildford, A Whitelock tries; T Taylor 4/4 cons; Taylor 3/4 pens)
Waratahs: 33 (A Pakalani, W Palu, S Pretorius tries; B McKibbin 2/2, Berrick Barnes 1/1 cons; McKibbin 4/4 pens)
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, new-zealand First posted April 29, 2012 18:05:47Stormers rain on Force's parade
Western Force failed to celebrate their stunning coup of securing Will Genia for 2013 after going down 17-3 to the Stormers at a wet and slippery Perth Oval.
The news that Reds and Wallabies half-back Genia had agreed to terms with the Force filtered through just before kick-off, but the home side was unable to take advantage of the positive vibe.
A controversial try to centre Bryan Habana and Peter Grant's 12-point contribution set up the win for the Stormers, who remain equal top of the South African conference.
In contrast, the Force's seventh loss of the season all but ended their slim finals hopes, with the franchise a worrying 14 points adrift of the Brumbies with just seven matches remaining.
But the big talking point was about the Force's work off the field, with the franchise gaining the services of Genia for next season.
And in a bonus, captain and openside flanker David Pocock is also set to re-sign with the club.
On the field, things were not looking all that good for the Force when Habana intercepted Force fly half David Harvey's ambitious pass to score the opening try of the night in the 20th minute.
Habana ran 60 metres before diving under the posts untouched.
But replays showed the ball actually slipped out of Habana's arms just centimetres short of the tryline, with the referees not close enough to see the mistake.
Tempers threatened to boil over in the 25th minute when several players engaged in a wrestle near the touchlines.
No yellow cards were given, but tensions continued to simmer for the remainder of the half.
Force winger Napolioni Nalaga pulled off a brilliant try-saving tackle in the 26th minute to deny Stormers full-back Joe Pietersen in the corner, but a glut of unforced errors from both sides in the slippery conditions ensured the score remained 7-3 to the visitors at half-time.
A penalty to Grant gave the visitors a 10-3 edge early in the second half, and the Stormers were well on their way to victory when the playmaker charged over for a try in the 49th minute.
From then on, the only question was whether the Stormers could notch the four tries needed for a bonus point.
They failed on that front, but notched their eighth win from nine games.
Players struggled to keep their feet for much of the match, with heavy showers ensuring a water-logged pitch.
Stormers: 17 (B Habana, P Grant tries; Grant 2 cons, pen)
Western Force: 3 (Harvey pen)
AAP/ABC
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, perth-6000 First posted April 28, 2012 21:29:10Saturday, April 28, 2012
Shorn Chiefs rout Waratahs
A shaven-headed Chiefs side bided its time before smashing New South Wales in the second half to win their Super Rugby clash 30-13 in Hamilton on Saturday.
The Chiefs players, sporting sheer hair-cuts to raise money for charity, scored two tries after the break and conceded only three points to notch their fourth win of the season from five matches.
"It's good to get back in front of the home crowd and grind out a win," Chiefs captain Craig Clarke said in a pitchside interview.
"That's good to just be playing winning rugby, it's fun to be a part of (but) we're off on a road trip now and we've got a lot of hard work in front of us," he said of their three-match tour of Australia and South Africa.
The Waratahs held more than 72 per cent of the territory in the first half but still found themselves trailing 13-10 at the break.
Winger Tom Kingston put the visitors on the board in the fifth minute with a try, slicing through a pack of players to take a quick inside pass and reaching his arms behind him to plant the ball on the line.
The Chiefs made the most of their few chances, however, and levelled at 7-7 after livewire winger Tim Nanai-Williams cut the Waratahs defence to shreds with a breathtaking run through midfield.
Nanai-Williams's incursion allowed the Chiefs to spread the ball wide where full-back Robbie Robinson crossed in the left corner.
Aaron Cruden slotted a 47-metre penalty kick to cancel out one from Brendan McKibbin a few minutes earlier and the All Black fly half drilled a second after Wycliff Palu strayed offside directly in front of the posts.
The Waratahs were frustrated by several fruitless drives to the line in the final minutes of the first half, and had the wind taken out of their sails minutes after the break when Sona Taumalolo crossed for the Chiefs' second try.
Sonny Bill Williams dribbled a poor kick straight into a defender's legs but the deflection cannoned into the path of charging outside centre Richard Kahui, who scooped up the ball and fed it wide to prop Taumalolo for a soft try in the right corner.
Cruden slotted his third penalty kick in the 62nd minute to stretch the advantage to 10 points and flanker Liam Messam delivered the match-sealing try five minutes later after a demoralising turnover by the Waratahs.
Replacement Sam Cane intercepted a pass out of a ruck intended for Sarel Pretorius and fed Tawera Kerr-Barlow, who sprinted down the right wing before passing inside to Messam for an easy try.
Cruden converted to maintain a perfect six-from-six kicking game and a fatigued Waratahs side never looked like clawing their way back into the game.
Chiefs: 30 (L Messam, R Robinson, A Taumalolo tries; A Cruden 3/3 conversions, 3 penalty goals)
Waratahs: 13 (T Kingston try; B McKibbin 1/1 conversions, 2 penalty goals)
Reuters
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, new-zealand, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted March 31, 2012 20:02:54Brumbies make two changes for Bulls
The Brumbies have recalled outside centre Andrew Smith and prop Ben Alexander to their starting line-up for their crucial Super Rugby test against the Bulls in Pretoria on Sunday.
They are the only two changes coach Jake White has made from the side that crushed the Rebels 37-6 at Canberra Stadium almost a week ago.
White has stuck with monster forward Fotu Auelua at number eight for just his second Super Rugby game, pushing skipper Ben Mowen from his usual position to blindside breakaway for the second week running.
Smith returns to the starting 15 in place of young gun Tevita Kuridrani, who has been relegated to the bench.
Alexander replaces Tevita Kuridrani.
"This is a big occasion for a young side like this, the Bulls crowd is one of the most vocal of the Super Rugby competition so it will be a huge test for them to block that out," White said.
"We've had a good week of preparation on the High Veldt and recovered nicely from the flight over so there won't be any excuses there.
"This will be our toughest battle of the year. The Bulls are a strong team with Springboks right across the park. But we will be in this match to the end, it should be a fantastic game of rugby."
Brumbies:
Jesse Mogg, Henry Speight, Andrew Smith, Pat McCabe, Joe Tomane, Christian Lealiifano, Nic White, Fotu Auelua, Michael Hooper, Ben Mowen (capt), Sam Carter, Scott Fardy, Dan Palmer, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander. Res: Anthony Hegarty, Ruaidhri Murphy, Peter Kimlin, Ita Vaea, Ian Prior, Robbie Coleman, Tevita Kuridrani.
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, canberra-2600, act, australia, south-africa First posted April 19, 2012 11:53:16Waratah Horne suspended for two weeks
New South Wales centre Rob Horne was suspended for two Super Rugby matches on Sunday for his lifting tackle on Melbourne full-back Kurtley Beale.
Horne was cited by SANZAR for his dangerous tackle in Saturday night's 30-21 win, which sparked a series of tweets from Queensland counterparts Digby Ioane and Quade Cooper, who claimed their Wallabies team-mate should be rubbed out for a lengthy period.
In discussions with the Waratahs on Sunday, the SANZAR judicial officer initially gave Horne a four-week suspension, but that was scaled back to two because of his good record and an early guilty plea.
Horne might consider him lucky, after Ioane was handed a five-week suspension for a dangerous tackle of his own back in round four against the Sharks - which many thought was excessive.
SANZAR chief executive Greg Peters said Ioane and Cooper will not be sanctioned for tweeting their opinions on Saturday night on how long Horne should spend on the sidelines.
Peters said Super Rugby players needed to be cautious about what they post on social media but, in SANZAR's view, Ioane and Cooper did not break the code of conduct.
The governing body's chief executive said the tweets from the Queenslanders were in "a game context" and "didn't cross the line."
Ioane was embroiled in a Twitter controversy last year when he tweeted "worst ref ever" after the Reds lost a close match in Wellington.
On Saturday night, he wrote that Horne's lifting tackle on Melbourne star Kurtley Beale was worth six-eight weeks, while Cooper chipped in that he thought the incident deserved 10 weeks.
Waratahs captain Benn Robinson said he thought the comments made by Ioane and Cooper, surprisingly about their Wallabies team-mate Horne, could well have landed them in strife.
"I think contractually those boys might get in a bit of trouble there," Robinson told Triple M.
"It's not disappointing. It's just a bit of a shock to me that those boys would jump on there straight away and make those comments."
New South Wales coach Michael Foley said as far as he was concerned, the Twitter drama was "irrelevant" and the Waratahs were focused solely on the judiciary process which has now been completed.
The Waratahs say they need another 24 hours to determine the extent of full-back Bernard Foley's shoulder injury.
Foley did not return for the second half on Saturday night after he came off second best in an attempted tackle on Rebels winger Lachlan Mitchell.
"We won't find out until tomorrow. He's had scans and we're just waiting for the results and the specialist's opinion.
"He's seen our medical staff this morning but we need another 24 hours before we can be more certain how that's pulling up.
"He felt better on (Sunday) morning which is positive."
Michael Foley said if his namesake was not fit to face the Crusaders this week, he would consider shifting playmaker Berrick Barnes back to number 15.
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, sydney-2000, australia, nsw First posted April 22, 2012 15:17:39Wales appoints caretaker coach
Former international Rob Howley has been named as Wales caretaker coach for the upcoming tour of Australia.
Howley will take charge of the side while head coach Warren Gatland recovers from injuries he suffered when he fell off a ladder in a domestic accident.
Gatland was cleaning the windows at his family beach house in New Zealand when he lost his balance and fell some three metres on to concrete, taking the full impact on his heels.
He suffered multiple fractures to the right heel bone and also a fracture to the left heel and will not be fit enough to lead the party.
Howley was one of Gatland's first appointments when he took charge of the Welsh coaching set-up in 2008. The former half-back won 59 caps for Wales, captaining his country 22 times.
Wales faces the Barbarians at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on June 2 before leaving for a three-Test series in Australia, with the first match against the Wallabies in Brisbane on June 9.
Reuters
Tags: rugby-union, sport, wales, united-kingdom First posted April 20, 2012 06:38:50Tahs unchanged for Force fight
Benn Robinson will lead an unchanged Waratahs side for the third match running as New South Wales travel to Perth for Friday's crucial Super Rugby clash with the Western Force.
"It took a number of weeks to get this 22 together," coach Michael Foley said.
"In our performance against the Sharks, we showed what we are capable of.
"There were some good signs against the Chiefs but there were areas to adjust too and we've worked hard on those over the past two weeks."
Coming off a bye and with a 2-4 record from their first six matches, a win on Friday is crucial to the Waratahs' hopes of moving up the Australian conference table as the second half of the season beckons.
With 17 points from seven rounds, the Waratahs sit equal second with the Queensland Reds and two points adrift of the Brumbies.
Only a bonus point and a bye separate them from the bottom-placed Force.
"Derby games are always intense affairs and there's a lot at stake over the next month," said Foley of the Australian conference.
The team will be hoping for an away win to nullify the loss inflicted on them when the sides last met four weeks ago in Sydney, a match Foley describes as the team's worst performance.
"We are very determined to push forward with a much better performance this week," he said.
"The harder we work to get in position and the more we offer, the better we play as a team."
Waratahs:
Bernard Foley, Tom Kingston, Rob Horne, Tom Carter, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes (vice capt), Brendan McKibbin, Wycliff Palu, Chris Alcock, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Dean Mumm, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson (capt). Res: John Ulugia, Paddy Ryan, Sitaleki Timani, Lopeti Timani, Jono Jenkins, Sarel Pretorius, Daniel Halangahu
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, nsw, australia, wa First posted April 11, 2012 13:35:09Tahs turn it on to sink Sharks
New South Wales avoided its worst ever start to a Super Rugby season after a try in the dying minutes secured a spirited come-from-behind 34-30 victory over the Sharks at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Trailing 30-27 heading into the final six minutes, lock Dean Mumm made a huge run downfield to pave the way for winger Tom Kingston to slide in to score in the right-hand corner and give the Waratahs hope in 2012.
Inside centre Tom Carter almost went from hero to villain minutes earlier when he gave away a penalty from close-range to allow Sharks fly half Patrick Lambie to boot the visitors into the lead.
It was the recalled number 12 who had put the Waratahs into the lead in the 58th minute when he crashed over the line from close range.
The Waratahs were far from perfect but, unlike last week's humiliation against the Western Force, Michael Foley's men backed themselves with the ball in hand to fight back against the South Africans and scored four tries to pick up a fifth bonus point for the season.
In his first ever starting match for the Waratahs, scrum-half Brendan McKibbin was awarded man-of-the-match, for a first-half try and a flawless display with the boot.
McKibbin said the side realised they had to change a few things after successive losses to the Highlanders and Force.
"Definitely our ball carrier fought very hard in the contest and that got us over the advantage line," he told Grandstand.
"And the forwards worked particularly hard to give me some clean ball which allowed us to fire some shots in second phase and get a little bit of momentum after that."
Sharks prop Jannie du Plessis said the Sharks were punished for not playing the full 80 minutes.
"If you look at all the other games in the Super Rugby, it's been won in the last 10 minutes," he said.
"We knew that and the Tahs snatched it at the death.
"We tried our best, it was a great rugby game, unfortunately we couldn't pull it off."
Sharks star hooker Bismarck du Plessis scored a soft try in the 49th minute to put his side up 24-13 and the signs were ominous.
But the Tahs responded with ball in hand and posted tries to full-back Bernard Foley and Carter to take the lead.
When Lambie's late penalty put the Sharks ahead going into the final five, it would have been easy for the Waratahs to throw in the towel.
But Berrick Barnes, in his first game at five-eighth for the year, showed a touch of class to get out of trouble on his own line from a kick-return and set the foundation for the final roll of the dice.
Mumm surged down the field, putting on a huge fend, and after the Waratahs were awarded a scrum, they managed to open up some space a couple of rucks later down the right for Kingston to sneak over for the match-winner.
Waratahs: 34 (T Carter, B Foley, T Kingston, B McKibbin tries; McKibbin 3, Berrick Barnes cons; McKibbin 2 pens)
Sharks: 30 (K Daniel, B du Plessis, L Mvovo tries; Patrick Lambie 3 cons; 3 pens)
ABC/AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, south-africa First posted March 24, 2012 17:34:41Brumbies rein in Rebels
The Brumbies halted a two-match losing streak and maintained their place on top of the Australian conference with a 37-6 win over Melbourne Rebels at Canberra Stadium.
The home side burst out of the blocks to secure a bonus point with four tries before half-time, at which point they led 30-6.
They sealed the win in the second term with Scott Fardy crossing for his second try of the evening, the victory moving the Brumbies to a 4-3 record from their seven matches.
The bonus point win allowed the Brumbies to stay ahead New South Wales and Queensland on top of the Australian conference and kept them in contention to finish in the top two and host a semi-final.
They were far too strong for a disappointing Rebels outfit, who were a shadow of the team that overwhelmed the Blues the week before.
Under new coach Jake White, the young Brumbies recovered well from their recent loss to Queensland and were never threatened by the visitors from Melbourne.
"We weren't happy the way we played last week," Brumbies captain Ben Mowen said.
"The training during the week was good and obviously the first 40 minutes tonight laid the platform."
The Brumbies dominated territory and possession from the outset and were rewarded with two Christian Lealiifano penalties in the opening 10 minutes.
The Rebels hardly touched the ball in the early stages but they struck back after 15 minutes with a massive 53-metre penalty from Danny Cipriani.
But the Brumbies responded immediately when inside centre Pat McCabe brushed aside fellow Wallabies James O'Connor to score under the posts.
O'Connor replied with a penalty, only for the Brumbies to seize control with tries for flanker Michael Hooper and lock Scott Fardy, both coming from sloppy defending around the edge of the rucks.
Things went from bad to worse for the Rebels when captain Gareth Delve was shown the yellow card for persistent offences.
During his 10 minutes off the field the Brumbies scored a fourth try when Mowen steamed onto an inside ball from McCabe to touch down beside the posts.
The Rebels were far more committed in the second half and tried hard to break down the Brumbies defence, but a series of unforced errors continually handed the advantage back to the home side.
The Brumbies absorbed everything the Rebels threw at them, then had the final say when Fardy crashed over for his second try.
The Rebels face the Waratahs in Sydney next weekend, while the Brumbies their two-match trek to South Africa with a meeting against the Bulls in Pretoria.
Brumbies: 37 (S Fardy 2, M Hooper, P McCabe, B Mowen tries C Lealiifano 3 cons, 2 pens)
Rebels 6 (D Cipriani, J O'Connor pens)
AFP/ABC
Tags: sport, super-rugby, rugby-union, canberra-2600 First posted April 14, 2012 21:25:00Elsom named on Tahs bench
Former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom has been named on an eight-man bench for the Waratahs' Super Rugby clash with the Melbourne Rebels at Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.
Elsom appears set for his first New South Wales appearance since 2008, after finally declaring himself back to full fitness following an ongoing hamstring problem.
Coach Michael Foley has named the flanker as an interchange player, and will wait until game day before he cuts his squad back to 22.
Although Elsom is the Waratahs' captain, prop Benn Robinson will maintain the leadership duties for the Rebels match.
Foley has elected to stick with the same starting side that defeated the Western Force last week in Perth.
A derby win on home soil on Saturday would move the Waratahs to four wins from eight matches and could potentially put them on top of the Australian Conference at the halfway mark of the season, if other results go their way.
Meanwhile, former NRL star Cooper Vuna will make his return from suspension for the Rebels on Saturday.
The ex-Warriors and Newcastle Knights winger has been named on the Rebels' interchange bench and is likely to be injected into the action as an impact player.
Melbourne desperately needs a derby win on the road to stay alive in the Australian Conference.
The match represents the 50th Super Rugby cap for prop Rodney Blake and the first time ex-Waratah Kurtley Beale will line-up against his former team-mates.
Luke Jones moves from flanker to lock, while Michael Lipman gets his starting chance at number seven.
Mitch Inman's broken hand injury opens the way for Victorian-born centre Lloyd Johansson to return to the starting side at outside centre.
The Rebels have maintained the same playmaking combination of Nick Phipps at half-back, Danny Cipriani at five-eighth and James O'Connor at inside centre.
Waratahs:
Bernard Foley, Tom Kingston, Rob Horne, Tom Carter, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Brendan McKibbin, Wycliff Palu, Chris Alcock, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Dean Mumm, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson (capt). Res: Rocky Elsom, Daniel Halangahu, Jono Jenkins, Sarel Pretorius, Paddy Ryan, Lopeti Timani, Sitaleki Timani, John Ulugia.
Rebels:
Kurtley Beale, Lachlan Mitchell, Lloyd Johansson, James O'Connor, Mark Gerrard, Danny Cipriani, Nick Phipps, Gareth Delve (capt), Michael Lipman, Jarrod Saffy, Hugh Pyle (vc), Luke Jones, Rodney Blake, Ged Robinson, Nic Henderson. Res: Luke Holmes, Jono Owen, Al Campbell, Tim Davidson, Richard Kingi, Julian Huxley, Cooper Vuna
AAP
Tags: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, melbourne-3000, vic First posted April 19, 2012 15:22:16Ioane outed for four matches
Queensland winger Digby Ioane has been suspended for four matches for a lifting tackle on Sharks flanker Marcell Coetzee.
The incident occurred during the Reds' 27-22 loss to the Sharks in Durban last Sunday morning (AEST).
Two previous disciplinary matters relating to dangerous tackles in 2008 counted against Ioane, who will be sidelined until the Reds' round nine match with the Blues in Auckland on the ANZAC Day weekend.
He would have missed five matches, but the Reds have a bye in round eight.
The Wallabies star's suspension deepens the Reds' backline crisis ahead of this weekend's showdown with the Bulls in Pretoria.
Inside backs Ben Lucas and Mike Harris have returned home from South Africa because of hamstring injuries, the pair joining Quade Cooper (knee) on the sidelines and depriving the Reds of a recognised goalkicker.
Joel Rapana and Nathan Eyres-Brown have joined the Reds squad in South Africa.
AAP
Tags: rugby-union, sport, super-rugby, south-africa, brisbane-4000 First posted March 20, 2012 16:50:29Genia guides Reds past Blues
Queensland scrum half Will Genia orchestrated an impressive 23-11 win over the Blues on Friday night in the franchise's first-ever Super Rugby win at Eden Park.
In scoring three tries to one the Reds kept alive their hopes of a play-off berth, while the Blues remained rooted to the bottom of the Super 15 table with one win in nine matches and six losses on the trot.
And the defending champions felt the impact of Digby Ioane's return from a five-week suspension instantly.
Ioane, who played at outside centre in his first appearance since round four against the Sharks, scored in the opening minute of his 50th game for the Reds.
Fly-half Ben Lucas found Rob Simmons with a pin-point kick that the lock offloaded for Ioane to score in the corner.
Lucas then set up the Queenslanders' second after a turnover five minutes later, slipping the ball to Luke Morahan, who sliced through a shambolic Blues' defence for a try out wide.
Mike Harris nailed his second conversion attempt to make it 12-0 after just seven minutes.
The Blues were unable to mount a cohesive attack until they elected to run the ball after winning a penalty mid-way through the half, Luke Braid forcing his way over the tryline from the base of a rolling maul.
They threatened again when George Moala was held up on the line but did enough to gain a penalty, with Gareth Anscombe narrowing the gap, only for Harris to restore the Reds' seven-point buffer just before the break.
The Reds struck again soon after the re-start, pressuring the Blues down the middle then again punishing the Blues out wide when Genia sent a looping pass to Dom Shipperley on the wing.
The Blues managed a penalty before sending Benson Stanley and Alby Mathewson on to give fresh legs to the attack but could not break through the solid Queensland defence.
When asked what the key to victory was in front of a lacklustre Auckland crowd, Genia told Grandstand: "Just attitude, plenty of enthusiasm."
"We started well and we spoke about it at half-time that we need to maintain that energy because we felt if we did that they couldn't keep up with us and that's what eventuated," he said.
"We worked hard in defence and the little fellas did their jobs. I got a pilfer - I think that's my first ever pilfer in six years.
"It comes down to attitude, that's what defence is, credit to the guys they did exceptionally well.
"It was either heartache for them or heartache for us when we get back home, so I guess we're on the better end."
North Harbour product Harris had an uncharacteristically off night with the boot, converting just one of his side's tries, but he hit two of his three penalty attempts in his return to Eden Park.
The battling Blues, who sit at the bottom of the table with 12 points, passed up on Harris in 2010 before the Reds secured his services later that year and then took the Super Rugby title the next season.
"Obviously it feels good to win, I feel for some of the guys in that team," Harris said.
"I've played a lot of rugby with some of them and I know that they're hurting at the moment.
"But they're all good blokes and I hope to have a beer with them after the game."
Harris said Queensland aimed to get off to an early lead and then make the Blues fight their way back into the contest.
"We knew the Blues hadn't been going as well as they'd wanted and we were hoping that they'd try and force a few things tonight," he said.
"We got off to a good start and applied a bit more pressure [than them] probably.
"We've been in that position before, we've been chasing games and it's bloody hard work.
"We took our lead and then tried to make them chase the game and unfortunately when you chase the game you make a few errors.
"Defence wins the competition so we really tried to man up."
Reds: 23 (D Ioane, L Morahan, D Shipperley tries; M Harris 1/3 conversions, 2/3 penalty goals)
Blues: 11 (L Braid try; G Anscombe 2/3 penalty goals)
ABC/AFP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted April 27, 2012 19:18:34Force star to miss six weeks
The Western Force are pinning their hopes on Ben Seymour to flourish in the key playmaker's role after James Stannard was ruled out for the next six weeks with an ankle injury.
Stannard had a pin inserted into his ankle on Thursday after suffering the injury early in last week's 45-19 win over the Queensland Reds.
Five-eighth Seymour was solid after replacing Stannard at the 15-minute mark, and will be handed his first Super Rugby start in Friday night's clash with the Chiefs in Perth.
The inclusion of 21-year-old Seymour was the only change to the Force's starting line-up, with former Brumbies and Waratahs half-back Josh Holmes named on the bench after signing for the rest of the season.
Utility back Patrick Dellit has recovered from a leg injury and will join Holmes on the pine, but Cameron Shepherd (leg) and Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga (ankle) miss out yet again.
Western Force coach Richard Graham was pleased with Seymour's performance against the Reds, and believed he gained invaluable confidence from the hit-out.
"Benny kicks the ball really well and he's quick, so he's able to challenge the line," Graham said on Thursday.
"And if you watched last week, his ability to shift the ball in attack will continue to give us some width in our game."
The Chiefs have won four of their five games this season, and Graham is all too aware of the attacking threat posed by All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams.
Williams' magical off-loads in the tackle have become a feature of his game.
But Graham has been working hard on plans to nullify Williams.
"You get a sniper from the stands to bring him down early," Graham joked.
"He's an incredibly good athlete and we've obviously got some plans for how we want to stop it.
"To stop the off-load, there's a couple of ways to do it; you either make a dominant tackle or you look to wrap up the ball.
"The players have been training throughout the season because, in every team, there's an individual who presents that."
The Chiefs, riding a four-game winning streak, welcome back hooker Mahonri Schwalger and winger Lelia Masaga to their starting line-up.
Western Force: David Harvey, Samu Wara, Nick Cummins, Winston Stanley, Alfie Mafi, Ben Seymour, Brett Sheehan, Matt Hodgson, David Pocock (capt), Richard Brown, Nathan Sharpe, Toby Lynn, Salesi Ma'afu, Nathan Charles, Pek Cowan. Res: Elvis Taione, Kieran Longbottom, Phoenix Battye, Ben McCalman, Josh Homes, Rory Sidey, Patrick Dellit.
Chiefs: Robbie Robinson, Lelia Masaga, Richard Kahui, Sonny Bill Williams, Tim Nanai-Williams, Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Kane Thompson, Tanerau Latimer, Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick, Craig Clarke (capt), Ben Tameifuna, Mahonri Schwalger, Arizona Taumalolo. Res: Hika Elliot, Josh Hohneck, Michael Fitzgerald, Sam Cane, Augustine Pulu, Andrew Horrell, Jackson Willison.
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, australia, wa, perth-6000 First posted April 05, 2012 14:45:44O'Connor back at 10 for Rebels
Rebels star James O'Connor will have his work cut out when he returns at playmaker against the Highlanders in their Invercargill Super Rugby fortress on Friday night.
O'Connor (hamstring) was named on Wednesday to come back in place of injured Englishman Danny Cipriani at fly half for the daunting assignment at the bottom of New Zealand's South Island.
Cipriani suffered a hamstring injury of his own while playing a starring role in the Rebels' first win of the season over Force last Friday night.
O'Connor joins Wallabies full-back Kurtley Beale (calf) in returning to the starting XV to play behind an unchanged forward pack.
Unheralded pairing Lachlan Mitchell and Lloyd Johansson get another chance to develop their centre partnership after impressing against the Force.
One of the form teams in 2012, the Highlanders have delighted home fans with their all-out attacking game playing in their new closed-roof stadium in Dunedin, instead of the old "House of Pain", Carisbrook.
But the Rebels will not enjoy the luxury of those firm, dry and windless conditions.
They have to play at Rugby Park in Invercargill where visiting teams typically strike the cold, wet and muddy conditions.
Rebels coach Damien Hill says his squad is up for the challenge.
"They (the Highlanders) are four from five this year and playing really good football, but the team's very confident," Hill said.
"It's a hard place to play, but we're all looking forward to it."
Rebels squad:
Kurtley Beale, Mark Gerrard, Lachlan Mitchell, Lloyd Johansson, Cooper Vuna, James O'Connor, Nick Phipps, Gareth Delve (captain), Tom Chamberlain, Jarrod Saffy, Hugh Pyle, Luke Jones, Laurie Weeks, Adam Freier, Nic Henderson
Reserves: Ged Robinson, Rodney Blake, Alister Campbell, Michael Lipman, Nic Stirzaker, James Hilgendorf, Julian Huxley
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, new-zealand First posted March 28, 2012 13:26:35Force stun lacklustre Waratahs
Western Force posted their first win of the season and consigned the New South Wales Waratahs to their worst start to a Super Rugby campaign in 15 years.
Debutant full-back Dave Harvey enjoyed a dream start to his Super Rugby career as the Force squeezed out a spirited 21-20 victory in the Australian conference derby at Sydney Football Stadium.
Harvey, the 29-year-old nephew of Australian cricket great Neil Harvey, contributed 16 points from a try, conversion and three penalty goals.
And the two-times Ken Catchpole Medallist as Sydney club rugby's best and fairest player produced his starring role in front of family and friends just days after signing a four-week contract for the injury-depleted Force.
The Gordon playmaker was not the only debutant to enjoy a memorable night out, with winger Samu Wara crossing for the match-winning try in the 64th minute.
"Very proud of the team and the way we gutsed it out," Force captain and openside flanker David Pocock said in a pitchside interview.
"It's been a tough time as a group but we know where we are going and we have hung pretty tough and we have got our first win."
While the Force will be rejoicing after finally breaking their duck, the Waratahs' frustrations continue.
After suffering similarly narrow defeats against the high-flying Highlanders and titleholders the Queensland Reds, the Tahs have won just one from four, matching the franchise's poor start in 1997.
"We let ourselves down and that is what is going to happen in Super Rugby if you don't turn up on your game," Daniel Halangahu said after the Waratahs' second loss in four matches.
The Waratahs looked to be back in business when five-eighth and captain Halangahu put his side four points in front with successive penalty goals in the 57th and 62nd minutes.
But Wara had the final say when he accepted a nice pass from hooker Nathan Charles and stepped inside Halangahu to dive over in the right corner two minutes later.
Despite proving somewhat of a fortress over the years, the Force's against-the-odds win continues the Perth side's impressive record in Sydney.
They have won two and drawn another of their four away clashes with the Waratahs.
The Waratahs had started well enough, with winger Adam Ashley-Cooper tagging on to a rolling maul and being rewarded for his initiative with the opening try after just five minutes.
Halangahu converted for a 7-0 lead.
Harvey notched his first points in Super Rugby with an easy 10th-minute penalty goal to reduce the deficit to four.
He then benefited from an inside off-load from fly half James Stannard to cross and convert to give the Force a surprise 10-7 lead.
New South Wales regained the advantage just before the break with a fortuitous try to winger Tom Kingston.
Tahs scrum-half Sarel Pretorius appeared to knock the ball out of the hands of his Force opposite Brett Sheehan, but New Zealand referee Jonathon White ruled play on.
Pretorius toed the ball ahead and Kingston, with all the time in the world, calmly regathered and dived over in the corner.
Halangahu's conversion had the Waratahs four points in front before Harvey's second penalty in the 40th minute made it a one-point ball game at half-time.
Ashley-Cooper had a try denied early in the second half when centre Rob Horne was penalised for obstruction before Harvey put the Force briefly ahead again with a penalty in the 53rd minute.
The Tahs briefly regained the lead, only for Wara to crash the party late.
Force: 21 (D Harvey, S Wara tries; Harvey conversion, 3 penalty goals)
Waratahs: 20 (A Ashley-Cooper, T Kingston tries; D Halangahu 2 conversions, 2 penalty goals)
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted March 17, 2012 21:37:17Rebels star cited after Highlanders defeat
Melbourne's Cooper Vuna has become the latest Australian winger to be cited for a dangerous tackle.
Former rugby league utility Vuna lifted Highlanders winger Kade Poki, whose shoulder hit the ground first, in the 56th minute of Friday's 43-12 loss in Invercargill.
Although referee Marius Jonker penalised Vuna at the time, he did not issue the former Newcastle Knights and Warriors NRL star a card.
However, the citing commissioner deemed the tackle worthy of a red card after watching footage of the incident and the case will now be heard by SANZAR duty judicial officer Mike Heron.
Melbourne centre Lloyd Johansson also got into trouble for a lifting tackle on James Haskell earlier in the game.
But no further action was taken against Johansson following the white card referral, with the sanctions at the time deemed to be sufficient punishment.
Just under two weeks ago, Wallabies star Digby Ioane was given a five-week suspension - effectively a four-game ban with a bye - after the Reds winger pleaded guilty to lifting Sharks flanker Marcell Coetzee.
Meanwhile, Melbourne coach Damien Hill insists the Rebels are heading in the right direction despite their fourth loss in five fixtures and another deflating defeat on overseas soil.
The loss to the Highlanders was the Rebels' fifth in as many offshore games since they entered the competition last year and they have conceded at least 38 points in each of those matches.
Despite Melbourne conceding seven tries, Hill still praised his team for some of its defensive efforts.
He was looking for improvement in tackling and kicking for next Thursday's home game against the Blues though.
"Our defence needs to be more consistently low and our kicking needs to be more accurate," Hill said.
"When opportunities arise, we need to be able to take them.
"Overall they are working hard and they are moving in the right direction.
"We just need to get better at a few things."
The Rebels made a good start, leading 9-0 and 12-7, with gun backs James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale both looking sharp upon their return from injury.
O'Connor kicked four penalties from as many attempts but later tweeted he could not remember any of the Rebels' calls after being accidentally kneed in the head by Highlanders centre Tamati Ellison in the 14th minute.
The Highlanders scored two tries before half-time to go in 12-12 at the break and piled on 31 unanswered points in the second half.
With a short turnaround before the Blues' game at AAMI Park, Melbourne will have a very light week on the training track, according to Hill.
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted March 31, 2012 17:05:15Tahs hold off spirited Force
New South Wales survived a frenetic second-half comeback from Western Force to post a 23-18 Super Rugby triumph in Perth on Friday night.
The Waratahs appeared set to run away with the match after tries either side of half-time to winger Tom Kingston and flanker Dave Dennis gave the visitors a 17-3 lead.
But a brilliant 20-minute period for the Force, in which the home side piled on 15 unanswered points, put the match in the balance.
The Waratahs were clearly rattled but the reliable boot of Berrick Barnes got them over the line, the fly half's penalties in the 64th and 74th minutes securing victory in front of 12,838 fans.
The Waratahs' third win of the season moved them to top of the Australian conference on 21 points, but the Brumbies have the chance to leapfrog them when they take on the Rebels on Saturday night.
The Reds' points tally will increase to 21 once they get the automatic four points for their bye this week.
The Force, with just two wins from eight matches, remain last in the Australian conference on 13 points ahead of next week's bye.
Both sides were willing to throw the ball around in the opening half, but the Waratahs created the better opportunities.
The Waratahs went ahead through an early Brendan McKibbin penalty and they were celebrating the first try of the match in the 26th minute when Kingston burned off Force flanker Matt Hodgson to touch down in the corner.
Force fly half David Harvey's 31st-minute penalty brought the margin back to 10-3, but the home side were on the back foot for the remainder of the half.
The unrelenting pressure eventually took its toll, with Force prop Salesi Ma'afu sin-binned in the 38th minute for repeated infringements.
The Force's defence was on the job in the first half, but fell asleep two minutes after the break.
Dennis could not believe his luck as he sliced his way through to the tryline after collecting a short line-out and things were looking bleak for the Force at 17-3 down.
But just 20 minutes later Force half-back Brett Sheehan started the fight-back when he poked through a number of arms and legs to touch down in the 50th minute.
And when Waratahs full-back Bernard Foley was yellow carded in the 58th minute, the visitors looked vulnerable.
The Force turned down the easy three points on offer and were duly rewarded, with a series of quick passes allowing full-back Alfie Mafi to stroll over.
A penalty to Harvey gave the Force the lead for the first time in the match, but Barnes was ice cool when it counted, nailing two crucial penalties to seal victory.
New South Wales: 23 (D Dennis, T Kingston tries; B McKibbin 2 cons, pen; B Barnes 2 pens)
Western Force: 18 (A Mafi, B Sheehan tries; D Harvey con, 2 pens)
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, perth-6000 First posted April 13, 2012 23:00:33Rebels have Byrnes ban overturned
Melbourne Rebels lock Adam Byrnes' 10-week suspension from Super Rugby has been overturned by a SANZAR appeals committee.
Byrnes was banned by a judiciary officer who found him guilty of dangerous play in making contact with New South Wales Waratahs centre Tom Carter's eye area during the teams' round two clash on March 2.
"I have been playing Rugby Union for 20 years and throughout this time, I have never been suspended or received a red card. I certainly play the game with a competitive spirit, but I know that I have always done so within the rules," Byrnes said.
"The allegation levelled against me was of an extremely serious nature and is something that has no place in Rugby Union. To be cleared of this charge is a tremendous relief for myself and my family."
The three-man appeals committee chaired by Nicholas Davidson has found there was insufficient proof to sustain the charge.
"This was a serious allegation and must be clearly established on the balance of probabilities," SANZAR said in a statement.
The appeals committee said its examination of the evidence included extensive "but inconclusive" video footage from the match.
"Applying the standard of proof required under the rules, the appeal committee concluded that it could not be said that a breach of the laws occurred to the requisite standard as an act of recklessness which involved contact with the eye area.
"In the circumstances, the appeal was allowed and the sanction was set aside."
The initial judiciary hearing rejected the notion that Byrnes' action was eye-gouging or constituted an intentional attack.
But he was deemed to have acted dangerously in applying a headlock to Carter, which involved recklessness in making contact with the eye area.
The appeals committee first dismissed a submission by the Rebels that the judicial officer was wrong to amend detail of the citing which originally alleged an attack to the eyes as the players were getting up after clearing out.
Tully considered video footage before the players fell to ground, not as they were getting up, and that founded his decision to impose the ban.
The committee said there was no unfairness in the process adopted.
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted March 22, 2012 16:19:10Reds ruing missed opportunities
Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie says the Reds failed to convert their chances at key moments in the 23-13 loss to the Stormers at Lang Park on Friday night.
The Reds suffered their fourth defeat of the season but still produced a committed display against one of this Super Rugby season's pace setters.
The hosts were down 20-3 early in the second half, however late in the match they trailed by just seven points (20-13) only to see Peter Grant land a penalty goal at full-time, which denied them a much-needed bonus point.
The defeat was soured by serious injuries sustained by star centre Ben Tapuai (broken collarbone) and young fly half Sam Lane (knee), who was making just his second appearance at the Super Rugby level.
Lane is out for the season and Tapuai is expected to be sidelined for 10 weeks.
McKenzie felt the Reds could take a lot way from the result, although he highlighted they did not capitalise on several attacking opportunities in the second half.
A James Horwill try in the 61st minute helped lift the Reds' intensity with ball in hand, but the pressure they built in phase play could not get them again across the Stormers' try line.
"I honestly thought we were going to win the game with 15 (minutes) to go, we were coming back and they were flagging," he told Grandstand.
"We forced pressure situations but just didn't convert them."
The Stormers deserved credit for their patience in attack, especially in the first half when they set up a 17-3 lead at the break on the back of tries to Gio Aplon and Grant.
They converted on rare entries into the Reds' 22 and defended stoutly when the home side had possession.
The visitors, who now hold a 7-1 record from eight matches, had only conceded eight tries going into Friday night's encounter and McKenzie noted that such a watertight defence made it harder for the Reds once they were trailing the Stormers.
"I think the effort was there the whole time, we just gifted them two tries," he said.
"Two tries made it easy and we were just chasing the scoreboard. It's really hard against such a good defence to chase the scoreboard."
Reds loosehead prop Ben Daley agreed that he and his team-mates failed to capitalise on the pressure they built in attack, illustrated by the fact that Horwill's try was their only reward for a number of visits to the Stormers' 22.
"I feel just a few execution errors let us down, one or two more passes we would have had some points," he said.
'We need to go back to the drawing board."
The Reds face the Blues at Eden Park next Friday night and amid the loss of Tapuai and Lane, they can at least look forward to welcoming back winger Digby Ioane from suspension and possibly centre Anthony Faingaa from a foot injury.
Inside backs Mike Harris and Ben Lucas, who were making their first appearance since round four after both sustaining hamstring injuries against the Sharks, came through the Stormers clash unscathed to gain some valuable match fitness.
Lucas started from the bench and played almost the entire match after replacing Lane inside the opening five minutes.
The Reds could slip to third on the Australian conference at the conclusion of round nine should New South Wales beat Melbourne Rebels in Sydney on Saturday night.
Tags: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, brisbane-4000 First posted April 21, 2012 13:43:32Rebels hold on to pip Force
A dream came true for Melbourne Rebels winger Mark Gerrard, who slotted a penalty to give his gutsy side a 30-29 win over the Western Force in their Super Rugby clash.
The fans at AAMI Park held their breath as it appeared the Rebels were set for more heart-break after they surrendered a 21-0 lead.
But Gerrard got his chance at glory in the 72nd minute after Force skipper David Pocock was penalised at the break-down.
"I've done it in my dreams a stack of times," the veteran said after the match.
"I looked across at Hux (Julian Huxley) and James (Hilgendorf) and they both shook their head so I said, 'I'll have a crack'."
As well as a stern Force fightback the Rebels were forced to overcome injuries to their playmakers James O'Connor and Danny Cipriani before and during the match.
Wallaby O'Connor withdrew before the match after damaging his hamstring during the week at training while Cipriani grasped at his own hamstring as he scored a try in the 22nd minute and left the field soon after.
The Force took a 29-27 lead in the 64th minute after full-back Dave Harvey converted a Nick Cummins try and the Rebels looked like stretching their winless streak of 12 straight losses.
But Pocock was penalised at the ruck and Gerrard stepped up after Cipriani and Huxley shared the earlier kicking duties.
Skipper Gareth Delve said the team had learnt from their loss after the final hooter to the Cheetahs last round.
"You learn a lot from losses and that came through in the final five," Delve said.
"I was really proud of the way the lads worked."
Before his departure mercurial Englishman Cipriani had his best match of the season, and the Rebels their best start.
They scored three tries in the opening 22 minutes, through centres Lachlan Mitchell and Lloyd Johansson, and then Cipriani's effort.
Despite the best efforts of his replacement Hilgendorf, the Rebels did not have the same verve in attack after they lost Cipriani and their defence became ragged.
The visitors got on the scoreboard twice within five minutes through Pocock and then centre Winston Stanley.
Melbourne still led 24-12 at half-time but the Force struck three minutes into the second half through winger Alfie Mafie, who beat at least four defenders to touch down.
Force captain Pocock was disappointed his side did not go back-to-back after their 21-20 win over New South Wales last round and lamented their slow start.
"We let them get off to a flyer and they capitalised on their opportunities," Pocock said.
He said he did not think there was much in his costly penalty.
"It was one of those ones; sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't," he said.
Rebels: 30 (D Cipriani, L Johansson, L Mitchell tries; Cipriani 3/3 conversions, J Huxley 2, Mark Gerrard penalty goals)
Force: 29 (N Cummins, A Mafi, D Pocock, W Stanley tries; D Harvey 3/4 conversions, penalty goal)
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, perth-6000, wa First posted March 23, 2012 21:24:13Carter busting to make Crusaders return
Dan Carter says he is excited to be making his long-awaited comeback from injury in the Crusaders' clash with the Cheetahs in Christchurch on Saturday.
Carter has not played since last September, having sustained a groin injury during an All Blacks' training session at the World Cup that saw him miss the tournament's finals stage.
He has been named on the reserves bench to meet the Cheetahs with Tom Taylor starting at fly half in place of Tyler Bleyendaal.
Carter is expected to come on early in the second half, as the Crusaders make their first appearance at the new Christchurch Stadium.
It will be their first Super Rugby appearance in Christchurch since the devastating earthquakes that hit the city in February, 2011.
"I've experienced a lot of things in my life and this is right up there in terms of excitement for a couple of reasons," Carter said.
"The first one is that I'm coming back from an injury, which was pretty devastating so the chance to play again is very exciting.
"Secondly, there's no better way than doing it in front of our home people and in a new stadium."
The Crusaders have made four changes to their starting XV to face the Cheetahs.
Ryan Crotty will play at inside centre, outside Taylor, while Luke Whitelock will replace eldest brother George (Achilles) at blindside flanker in what will be his run-on debut.
Another of the Whitelocks, All Blacks lock Sam, has been named in the second row in place of Tom Donnelly.
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand First posted March 23, 2012 13:24:09Harris on edge for Eden Park return
Kiwi recruit Mike Harris will finally get a first-hand chance to show the Blues what they missed when the Queensland Reds take on Super Rugby's "sleeping beasts" on Friday night.
Queensland's round-10 clash at Eden Park holds special significance for Harris, who was overlooked by the Auckland-based franchise before the Reds pounced to sign him in late 2010.
The former New Zealand Schoolboys and under-20s back was a revelation for the Reds in their charge towards the 2011 crown before being cut down by a season-ending knee injury.
Rubbing extra salt into his wounds was the fact he sustained the patella injury just a week before Queensland was set to face the Blues at Lang Park.
A North Harbour product, Harris admitted he had looked forward to playing the Aucklanders all season until disaster struck.
"Obviously, I'm pretty excited to get out there and play a team that I was on the fringes for for a couple of years," the Reds superboot said.
"There's a bit more meaning behind that for myself."
He will have his parents among a large family contingent at Eden Park but his supporters will also be inside the enemy camp with his North Harbour mentor Jeff Wilson the Blues skills coach.
Former All Black Wilson went in to bat for Harris in a big way in 2010 trying to help him to gain a NZ Super Rugby contract, first with the Blues and then with other provinces, but with no joy.
The closest he came was as a member of the Blues' wider training squad.
Now a serious Wallabies prospect due to an Australian-born grandmother, Harris is looking to keep his unbeaten record at the NZRU's spiritual home after enjoying NPC and representative age success there.
He is expected to line up at inside centre, opposite destructive All Blacks Ma'a Nonu and Rene Ranger in the midfield, with Ben Lucas likely to start at five-eighth in an injury-riddled Reds backline.
Semi-finalists last year, the last-placed Blues have been 2012's major disappointments but all at the Reds are wary about the under-achievers clicking into gear.
"They'll be disappointed with the way they've gone this time but, at the same time, I think they're a bit of a sleeping beast and they are a team that can bite you if you don't turn up so we really have to be on our game," Harris said.
"They love to attack and they don't try to hide that. They love to run the ball and they've got good skilled players right throughout their team and, if their offloads stick, they're definitely hard to stop."
Wallabies winger Digby Ioane is set to make his return from suspension next to Harris in the centres while there is hope fellow Test back Anthony Faingaa (foot) can come back on the bench.
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted April 23, 2012 17:14:40Carter returns to Crusaders' starting side
Dan Carter will get his first start of the Super Rugby season after being named in the Crusaders XV against the Lions in Johannesburg this weekend.
Carter was in the reserves in the last match against the Cheetahs in Christchurch and came on as a replacement in the second half.
It was his first match back since suffering a groin injury during the Rugby World Cup last year.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has made four changes to the team that beat the Cheetahs.
George Whitelock and Wyatt Crockett both return to the starting 15 this week, with Luke Whitelock and Ben Franks moving to the bench.
Crusaders:
Israel Dagg, Sean Maitland, Robbie Freuan, Tom Taylor, Zac Guildford, Dan Carter, Andy Ellis, Kieran Read, Matt Todd, George Whitelock, Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Corey Flynn, Wyatt Crocket. Reserves: Quentin MacDonald, Ben Franks, Tom Donnelly, Luke Whitelock, Willi Heinz, Ryan Crotty, Tom Marshall.
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand First posted March 29, 2012 09:47:17Blues skipper critical of unfit Weepu
The underperforming Blues have suffered because of All Blacks half-back Piri Weepu's poor shape according to team captain Keven Mealamu.
The Blues have underperformed in Super Rugby with just one win from six games and many people have pointed the finger at Weepu, recruited after falling out with Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett last year.
Mealamu, who admitted he was lacking confidence in his own game, says Weepu was needed by the Blues but his fitness was letting him down.
"He's probably not in the top condition that he's been in in his career and that's what we really need from him, to be at that top fitness level," he told Radio Sport on Wednesday.
"If he'd turned up in better condition then he'd be able to contribute more to us.
"That's something he's going to have to look at, we're going to have to look at as well. We're all professionals here, we should never have to turn up in that sort of shape."
Weepu has not had as much game time as might have been expected but Mealamu said the half-back was "a player that we can definitely do with out there".
Mealamu hasn't been in peak form himself and said he was "lacking a bit of confidence at the moment".
"I think that's across the board in our team. As the season's gone on, in lacking a bit of confidence, the boys have sort of made errors that we're all dropping our heads at the moment," he said.
"It hurts that I haven't been able to lead this team in getting those results. I don't think we've ever been in this position before."
Blues coach Pat Lam has also been under fire but Mealamu said the team backed him and were committed to performing for him.
The Blues play the Sharks at Eden Park on Friday night.
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, new-zealand First posted April 11, 2012 09:48:58Ioane returns in centres
Wallaby winger Digby Ioane will return from suspension at outside centre for the Queensland Reds against the Blues in Auckland on Friday night.
Ioane was suspended for five weeks for a dangerous tackle in his side's loss to the Sharks in round four.
He will mark a milestone on his return, playing his 50th game for the Reds.
"It has been a long five weeks watching from the sideline, but I'm glad to be back now and to be playing my 50th game for Queensland," Ioane said.
Anthony Faingaa also returns from a foot injury and will start the game on the bench for the Reds.
Coach Ewen McKenzie said he had no reservations about starting Ioane at outside centre rather than on the wing.
"Digby has also played a lot of rugby at outside centre and is familiar at the position so we won't lose much there," McKenzie said.
"Digby has been a man possessed at training during his suspension and is raring to go. Everyone is excited to have him back."
In the backs McKenzie will start Ben Lucas at fly half after he played 76 minutes agianst the Stormers replacing the injured Sam Lane.
Queensland will be without injured replacement lock Van Humphries in Auckland while regular starting number eight Radike Samo has been left out of the squad.
Scott Higginbotham will start at number eight and Liam Gill comes off the bench to play flanker.
The Reds and Blues last met in the 2011semi-final in Brisbane which the Reds won on their way to the Super Rugby title.
The Blues have won only one match this year but a victory at Eden park won't come easy for the Queenslanders.
Queensland: Luke Morahan, Dom Shipperley, Digby Ioane, Mike Harris, Rod Davies, Ben Lucas, Will Genia, Scott Higginbotham, Liam Gill, Beau Robinson, James Horwill (c), Rob Simmons, James Slipper, James Hanson, Ben Daley. Reserves: Albert Anae, Greg Holmes, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Jake Schatz, Ed Quirk, Nick Frisby, Anthony Faingaa.
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, australia, qld, brisbane-4000 First posted April 26, 2012 13:07:25Brumbies make six changes for Rebels
The Brumbies are beefing up their back row ahead of their vital clash against Melbourne Rebels on Saturday, naming 120kg strongman Fotu Auelua at number eight to make his Super Rugby debut.
It is one of six changes coach Jake White has made to the side that went down last week to the defending champions Queensland.
Auelua's inclusion has pushed captain Ben Mowen to blindside at the expense of Peter Kimlin, who will start from the bench, while Scott Fardy has been brought back into the starting line-up to combine at lock with Sam Carter.
Tevita Kuridrani has also claimed his first run-on start after being named at outside centre over the hard-working Andrew Smith.
Smith will warm a place on the bench along with Ita Vaea, who has been replaced at number seven for the Rebels game by the promising Michael Hooper.
The match - the Brumbies' last at home before a two-week trip to South Africa - also signals the much-awaited return of Robbie Coleman, who went down with a groin injury in the season-opening win against Western Force.
He will start on the bench, with White saying he could be brought on in a variety of positions in the backs.
White has also chosen to rest Wallabies prop Ben Alexander, which gives Ruaidri Murphy his second run-on start of the season.
Meanwhile, the Rebels have named an unchanged backline for the first time this season for the trip to the nation's capital.
Rebels playmaker James O'Connor was man of the match in last week's win over the Blues and will line up at inside centre with English import Danny Cipriani at five-eighth and Kurtley Beale at full-back.
The Rebels will be without injured hooker Adam Freier (calf) while Ged Robinson comes in to the run-on side at hooker with Luke Holmes as reserve rake.
Luke Jones switches from the second row to blindside breakaway, with Jarrod Saffy moving from blindside to openside breakaway and Michael Lipman dropping to the bench.
Al Campbell comes off the bench in the second-row.
Prop Eddie Aholelei has been named on the bench with Rod Blake at tighthead following the shoulder injury to Laurie Weeks last round.
Brumbies:
Jesse Mogg, Joe Tomane, Tevita Kuridrani, Pat McCabe, Henry Speight, Christian Lealiifano, Nic White, Fotu Auelua, Michael Hooper, Ben Mowen, Sam Carter, Scott Fardy, Dan Palmer, Stephen Moore, Ruaidri Murphy. Res: Anthony Hegarty, Ben Alexander, Peter Kimlin, Ita Vaea, Ian Prior, Robbie Coleman, Andrew Smith.
Rebels:
Kurtley Beale, Lachlan Mitchell, Mitch Inman, James O'Connor, Mark Gerrard, Danny Cipriani, Nick Phipps, Gareth Delve (capt), Jarrod Saffy, Luke Jones, Hugh Pyle, Al Campbell, Rodney Blake, Ged Robinson, Nic Henderson. Res: Luke Holmes, Eddie Aholelei, Michael Lipman, Tim Davidson, Richard Kingi, Julian Huxley, Lloyd Johansson.
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, canberra-2600, act, australia, melbourne-3000, vic First posted April 12, 2012 14:58:56Rebels star trio shine in win
Star Melbourne trio James O'Connor, Kurtley Beale and Danny Cipriani gave a tantalising demonstration of the threat they can pose together as they combined for the first time for the Rebels.
The three have become great friends off the rugby field and their brilliance and cohesiveness was on show as the Rebels secured a 34-23 upset win over the Blues at AAMI Park with a great team performance on Thursday night.
Due to injury and illness, it was the first time the three amigos had made it on to the park together in a Super Rugby match since the off-season arrival of Wallabies stars Beale and O'Connor.
Man of the match O'Connor was confident the best was still to come from the combination.
While he has strong claims to be the Wallabies playmaker in the first Tests of 2012, he enjoyed the opportunities provided playing at inside centre beside accomplished English five-eighth Cipriani.
O'Connor made several elusive runs and scored in the second half while full-back Beale was also in great touch and intercepted a Blues pass to notch his first try for the Rebels in the opening stanza.
"I think I just got given a lot more time and space as Danny created a lot of opportunity out there for me," O'Connor said.
"Having Danny inside me I can play the role that I want because he controls the game really well so I can have more of a run and get into that second receiver a little bit more and obviously I've got a world class player outside me in Kurtley Beale as well as Mitch Inman, who's really stepped up."
O'Connor said the Rebels finally played out a full 80 minute performance and stuck to their game plan.
"We know what our game's about and we know what our strengths are," he said.
Melbourne coach Damien Hill said it was a great team effort across the park but singled out lock Luke Jones and flanker Jarrod Saffy as well as his classy and tireless skipper Gareth Delve, who was almost ruled out with a back injury but was one of his side's best, scoring its final try.
Delve had two hours of physio on game day before he was cleared to play.
"It was touch and go but to his credit he's played probably one of the best 80 minutes he's done for the club," Hill said.
The coach was reluctant to say their second win could be a turning point in the season.
"The confidence is definitely there and while we've still got a lot to work on, I think it was a big game for this club.
"If we can start to put together two 40 minute performances like we know we can do, we'll stick with most teams."
Meanwhile, Rebels lock Adam Byrnes has been charged with a code of conduct breach over quoted comments about Waratahs centre Tom Carter who had accused him of eye-gouging.
Governing body SANZAR on Friday laid the new charge over remarks attributed to Byrnes in a newspaper article two weeks ago following his successful appeal against a 10-week Super Rugby ban for dangerous play.
In the Daily Telegraph story Byrnes said he believed Carter had brought the game into disrepute and described his action in following though his complaint as a "disgrace".
He now faces a hearing for the code of conduct charge by SANZAR judicial officer Nigel Hampton QC on Tuesday.
Byrnes has not played since the second round clash with the Waratahs on March 2 which led to Carter's claim as he suffered an arm injury but he is on track to come back for the return match against New South Wales on April 21.
In the newspaper article, Byrnes criticised Carter for supplying a written report to the SANZAR judicial panel which banned him.
His suspension was later overturned when the appeals committee found there was not enough evidence to support such a serious charge.
"To be falsely accused with such a slanderous tag as Tom has said is extremely poor form," Byrnes was quoted as saying.
"I didn't do anything. The public perception has not been nice and it has taken a toll, more so on my family than myself.
"... To carry on in terms of bringing another player down and potentially ruining their livelihood, it is a very poor quality to have as a human being.
"You can hear on the mike that he makes the complaint, 'Adam Byrnes just eye-gouged me'...I understand that in the heat of battle things are said. But to follow that through in a written statement and go through this process is a disgrace.
"I think that is bringing the game into disrepute, and it is the type of character that I would never like to portray."
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted April 06, 2012 12:47:08Brumbies fall short against Sharks
The Sharks warded off a desperate last-gasp attack from the Brumbies in a nail-biting Super Rugby clash at Canberra Stadium to wind up 29-26 victors on Saturday night.
In an arm wrestle of a game, the visitors looked to have the match wrapped up at 29-19 with 10 minutes to go before the Brumbies scored in the dying minute through Nic White.
Then, after the siren having sounded, the home side played on for another five minutes and gained 50m in the hope of adding more points before finally turning the ball over.
The three-point victory was a significant one for the Sharks - their first away win this season and their first at Canberra Stadium since 1998.
For the Brumbies it was also noteworthy, but only in that it was their first defeat at home this season after four games.
The Brumbies had taken a 16-15 lead at half-time, but the Sharks set themselves up for victory early in the second half by piling on two tries through Willem Alberts and Lwazi Mvovo.
In the end, it was enough to secure them victory in a game where the lead changed seven times.
The game was tight from the outset, but the Sharks were the first to draw blood when full-back Riaan Viljoen scored controversially on the wing in the 22nd minute after appearing to knock the ball on.
But the Brumbies were quick to wrestle back the lead and they did it in style.
Jesse Mogg pulled off the try of the night after leaping onto a team-mate's pass a good 50 metres out and then delivering a kick-and-chase that bounced perfectly over Odwa Ngundane's head and back into Mogg's hands just before the line.
Viljoen crossed again in the 35th minute to give the Sharks another lead, before the Brumbies stole it back before the break courtesy of a Christian Lealiifano penalty.
The Brumbies finished the night with more injury concerns, with Matt Toomua re-injuring his knee and Henry Speight also limping from the field.
Sharks: 29 (R Viljoen 2, W Alberts, L Mvovo tries; F Michalak 3/4 conversions, penalty goal)
Brumbies: 26 (J Mogg, N White tries; C Lealiifano 2/2 conversions, 4 penalty goals)
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, act First posted March 31, 2012 21:52:27Wales sweep to grand slam with win over France
Wales swept to its third Six Nations grand slam in eight seasons on Sunday (AEDT) and its 11th overall in the European championship with a 16-9 win over France in Cardiff.
Flanker Dan Lydiate, the outstanding Welsh player of the tournament, was named man-of-the-match for a series of thunderous tackles, one of which forced the turnover which led to the only try of the match.
Lydiate jolted the ball out of France captain Thierry Dusautoir's hands midway through the first half. Wales quickly recycled and right wing Alex Cuthbert brought the capacity 72,000 crowd at the Millennium Stadium to their feet by cutting inside to score.
England's revival under caretaker coach Stuart Lancaster after their embarrassments on and off the field at the World Cup in New Zealand last year continued with an emphatic 30-9 win over Ireland at Twickenham to secure second place.
Lancaster's chances of succeeding Martin Johnson as the permanent England coach were further boosted by another vibrant display by his young side who completely dominated the second half at a rain-drenched Twickenham.
At the other end of the table, Scotland lost the battle to avoid the wooden spoon when Italy prevailed 13-6 in Rome.
Promise fulfilled
Cardiff was awash with Welsh fans anticipating another triumph for a young team fulfilling the promise it showed at the World Cup.
France had won seven of its last eight games against the Welsh, including a one-point victory in the World Cup semi-final after captain Sam Warburton was sent off.
Warburton left the field with a shoulder injury at half-time on Sunday (AEDT) but his replacement, former skipper Ryan Jones, underlined the depth of talent available for coach Warren Gatland with a storming performance.
"We knew we were pretty fit and there's no real fear factor," Gatland said. "These guys have been a real credit to themselves, Wales and Welsh rugby."
Defending champions England overwhelmed a tough and experienced Ireland forward pack in the scrums, further evidence of the improvements Lancaster and his coaching team have made in their brief time together.
After leading by three points at half-time, the England eight won a penalty try after pouring on the pressure near the Irish line and replacement scrum-half Ben Youngs raced through a gap to score from a quick tap and run after yet another scrum penalty,
"We were outstanding in every department," Lancaster said. "At the outset there was a long-term plan, it was around giving some young players some experience but they showed great belief."
Lancaster would not be drawn into speculating on his chances of securing the fulltime England job. "That's for others to decide," he said.
The final weekend of the championship began in bright spring sunshine at the Stadio Olimpico with Italy and Scotland fighting to avoid bottom place in the championship.
Italy deservedly won a turgid match 13-6 with wing Giovanbattista Vendetti scoring the only try of the game in the second half. It was the first victory for its French coach Jacques Brunel who took over after the World Cup.
Scotland did its cause no favours by losing Nick De Luca and Jim Hamilton to the sin bin and coach Andy Robinson's future does not look bright although he is contracted until 2015.
Reuters
Tags: sport, rugby-union, wales, united-kingdom First posted March 18, 2012 08:05:44