Winger Vuna smiling despite Rebels loss

Updated March 03, 2012 10:36:17

Melbourne may have started its Super Rugby season with a loss to New South Wales but it was a victory of sorts for Rebels winger Cooper Vuna.

The Rebels lost 35-19 to the Waratahs at AAMI Park and were disappointing in a first-half display of a spiteful match, missing almost 30 tackles.

Despite the inclusion of Wallaby back James O'Connor, they also did not manage to get across the tryline except for a penalty try in the second half.

O'Connor contributed the rest of the team's points with his boot.

But Vuna could still manage a smile after the match, happy that he had done his best in an outclassed outfit in which he had few attacking opportunities.

Last year the explosive league convert came under fire as a defensive liability, but against New South Wales he showed how much work he had done, including losing seven kilos in the off-season.

New South Wales centre Tom Carter got past him to score the Waratahs' opening try but Vuna was not the only guilty party.

The 24-year-old felt he had come a long way since his rugby debut after switching codes from the Newcastle Knights.

He attributed much of his improvement to defence guru John Muggleton, who had great success with the Wallabies.

"He's probably one of the best defensive coaches I've ever had and he's helped me a lot and it's paying off," Vuna said.

"Last year I was more of a league winger, flying out of the line trying to sniper someone.

"But this year, with the help of (Mark) Gerrard, Kurtley (Beale) and James O'Connor, I'm learning off all them."

The Rebels will wait to hear from the citing commissioner after they received a white card from Bryce Lawrence following a complaint by Carter that he was eye-gouged by lock Adam Byrnes midway through the first half.

While coach Damien Hill said he did not see the incident, stand-in skipper Gareth Delve did not believe there was any intent.

"It certainly isn't the type of thing I've known Byrnesy to even consider doing," Delve said.

The task does not get much easier for the Rebels, who take on the champion Queensland Reds in Brisbane next round.

Hill was happy with his side's improved second-half performance and made special mention of his forwards.

"I think the forwards' display impressed me the most.

"We have been working very hard on our set piece and I thought our scrum, our lineout in attack and defence was outstanding and something that we can really take some positives out of."

AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted March 03, 2012 10:36:17

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Hickey upbeat despite 'Tahs loss

Posted June 4, 2011 14:04:00

NSW Waratahs coach Chris Hickey remained optimistic about his injury-ravaged side's Super Rugby finals hopes, despite a 23-17 loss to the Bulls and incurring several more casualties.

The result in Pretoria on Saturday morning (AEST) enabled the defending champions to leapfrog NSW into fifth place on 49 points.

NSW dominated possession, but could not convert enough opportunities and played the last 13 minutes with 14 men, after replacement lock Pat O'Connor was sent off for an alleged head butt.

Television footage of the incident appeared inconclusive and Hickey expressed reservations about the decision, but O'Connor was scheduled to front a judiciary on Saturday evening (AEST).

Another Waratahs lock, Kane Douglas, was cited to appear before the judiciary for an alleged dangerous tackle, after allegedly grabbing Bulls centre Wynand Olivier in a headlock.

Already without captain and flanker Phil Waugh, number eight Wycliff Palu, winger Drew Mitchell, prop Sekope Kepu and centres Rob Horne and Ryan Cross, NSW lost four more players inside the first 50 minutes.

Prop Benn Robinson and number eight Ben Mowen (ankle), winger Lachie Turner (hamstring) and replacement prop Paddy Ryan (AC joint) joined the lengthy injury list.

Hickey said Robinson, who lasted just 18 minutes, was in doubt for next Saturday's critical home clash with the eighth-placed Highlanders, but the extent of all four injuries would not be known until the casualties had scans after returning home.

The Bulls scored two tries to one, but a bonus point moved NSW onto 47 points, level with the Sharks, who were scheduled to play the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein early on Sunday (AEST).

And Hickey knows NSW cannot afford another defeat in their two remaining games at home to the HIghlanders and Brumbies.

"The Stormers, the Bulls and the Sharks have got all got to play each other over the next three weeks, so it just means we start to ride other teams results, which you prefer not to," Hickey said.

"But I still feel think if we can take care of our own games against the Highlanders and then the Brumbies I'm still reasonably optimistic that the other results may flow our way and get us into that top six spot."

Both teams kicked two penalties before converted tries to Olivier and winger Bjorn Basson in six minutes either side of half-time gave the Bulls a 20-6 lead.

NSW battled their way back to within three points after scoring the next 11, from two penalties to full-back and man-of-the-match Kurtley Beale and a try to replacement winger Atieli Pakalani.

Five-eight Morne Steyn gave the Bulls some breathing space by kicking the penalty awarded for O'Connor's transgression.

Beale cracked the Bulls defence with a chip and regather in the closing minutes, but NSW could not finish off the opportunity.

"I'm certainly proud of the effort and the character that the team showed in difficult circumstances," Hickey said.

"If you are going to look at our performance critically, you'd say we had quite a few possessions in the Bulls 22 and we failed to complete them for points."

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, south-africa

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