Resplendent Rebels rout sorry Sharks

The Rebels thrashed the Sharks 46-14 at AAMI Park in Melbourne with a six-star performance, collecting a bonus-point along the way.

Dave Wessels’ team controlled this game from start to finish, scoring a record number of points against any South African opposition.

It was also the Rebels’ biggest winning margin against any team in Super Rugby, scoring six tries in the process.

Tries from Anaru Rangi, Amanaki Mafi, the ageless Will Genia, Billy Meakes, Ross Haylett-Petty and Fereti Sa’aga helped the Rebels to this record victory.

It was the Rebels’ defence, which crumbled against the Waratahs last week, that stood strong.

The Australians kept the visitors to two converted tries from Lwazi Mvovo and Marius Louw.

The Sharks went in at half-time 15-7 down, despite having Curwin Bosch in the bin for 10 minutes, they did not concede any points and defended stoutly.

However, the home team ran riot in the second half, scoring 31 points as the Sharks wilted under the lights.

Hodge goes into the record books.

Reece Hodge kicked a second-minute penalty to give his side an early lead.

In doing so, the centre became the Rebels’ highest points scorer in Super Rugby with 210.

Robert du Preez could not level the scores, missing his shot at goal.

Rangi was over after a driving maul. Marika Koroibete had a try chalked off after Hodge was adjudged to have obstructed Louw, in the build-up.

Bosch was then yellow carded for a deliberate knockdown, which almost certainly saved a try.

The Sharks had been all at sea but managed to keep the Rebels scoreless during the 10-minutes that the fullback spent in the bin.

It was the visitors who scored. Lukhanyo Am slipped Hodges tackle, played the pass to Robert du Preez.

The flyhalf fed his brother Jean-Luc du Preez, who put Mvovo away and the Sharks on the scoreboard.

Joy was short-lived.

Hodge missed a penalty. It did not matter because Mafi scored after another excellent driving maul dismantled their opponents.

Jack Debreczeni extended his side’s lead after the break before Genia was over for the Rebels’ third.

Trailing 25-7 with more than half-an-hour to play, one worried for the tourists.

The floodgates opened.

The Sharks were tiring entering the final quarter, especially after all the defending they had to do with 14 men.

Adam Coleman’s break inside his own half after Genia’s turnover started a free-flowing move involving several players for Meakes’ try.

The centre was tackled short but managed to twist his body and ground the ball.

Five minutes’ later, Fereti Sa’aga spun out of Am’s tackle, galloped forward and sent Haylett-Petty away. Debreczeni added his third conversion to make it 39-7.

It was James Maddocks’ turn in the bin for a deliberate knockdown. The Sharks, with the extra man, scored through Louw.

Sa’aga added his own five-pointer to round off a fabulous display by the Melbourne team, the day the records fell.

The Rebels have laid down a marker.

Final score: Rebels 46 (15) Sharks 14 (7)

Scorers

Rebels
Tries – Rangi, Mafi, Genia, Meakes, R. Haylett-Petty, Sa’aga
Pen – Hodge, Debreczeni
Con – Hodge, Debreczeni (4)
Drop –
Cards – Maddocks (Yellow, 72′)

Sharks
Tries – Mvovo, Louw
Pen –
Con – R. du Preez, Bosch
Drop –
Cards – Bosch (Yellow, 18′)

Match Officials
Referee: Shuhei Kubo
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Damon Murphy
TMO: Ian Smith

Teams

Rebels

15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Sefa Naivalu, 13 Reece Hodge, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Will Genia, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Colby Fainga’a, 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Adam Coleman (captain), 4 Geoff Parling, 3 Jermaine Ainsley, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Tetera Faulkner.

Replacements: 16 Mahe Vailanu, 17 Fereti Sa’aga, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Ross Haylett-Petty, 21 Richard Hardwick, 22 Michael Ruru, 22 Tom English.

Sharks

15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Lubabalo Mtembu, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Ruan Botha (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Jacobus van Wyk, 23 Garth April.