Super Rugby

Rebels beat Moana Pasifika in Melbourne

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The Melbourne Rebels and Moana Pasifika will clash in Super Rugby for the first time. The Rebels have won only two of their last 11 Super Rugby games when facing a team for the first time (L9).

The Melbourne Rebels have won only two of their last 14 Super Rugby games (L12); one of those two wins came against Fijian Drua in Round 6 of this season (42-27).

  • The Rebels have won two of their last four home games against teams from outside Australia in Super Rugby (L2); their most recent win in such fixtures, was a 42-27 victory over the Fijian Drua (Round 6, 2022 Super Rugby Pacific).
  • Moana Pasifika has lost their last six consecutive games in Super Rugby. Indeed, they have won only one of their nine games in the competition (L8), which was also the only game they scored 20+ points (Round 6, def. Hurricanes, 24-19).
  • Melbourne has kicked 80% of their conversion attempts, the highest rate of any team in the competition, and 15 percentage points higher than Moana (65%), who are ranked third-last.
  • Moana Pasifika (7.6) and the Melbourne Rebels (8.3) have made the fewest and second-fewest attacking 22m entries per game, respectively, of any teams in 2022.
  • Both teams have each made 20 line breaks through the first 10 rounds, fewer than any other teams in the tournament.

Players to watch

  • Matt Philip has made dominant contact on 36 carries, the most of any player in the competition, and more than two times the tally of any Moana Pasifika player.
  • Cabous Eloff has conceded 16 penalties in 2022, more than any other player in the competition, while Moana Pasifika’s Ezekiel Lindenmuth (13) is tied for the third-most.
  • William Havili (2) is the only player to have kicked more than one 50-22 kick, while not a single Rebels player has logged one.

Match detail

We are waiting for the kick-off.

In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.

1.00: PEEEP! We are underway at AAMI Park, Melbourne.

3.00: a lot of territorial kicking going on at the beginning of the game.

6.00: Tima Fainga’anuku’s break down the sideline leads to a penalty for offside against the Rebels.

9.00: Superb defence by the home team to hold up the visitors. The Rebels repel the first maul illegally and get a warning.

10.00: TRY! A superb rolling maul sees Alamanda Motuga crash over to open the scoring. 0-5

11.00: CONVERSION! Christian Leali’ifano adds the wide conversion. 0-7

15.00: Moana manages to stop a powerful driving maul with a turnover.

17.00: TRY! Take two! The visitors cannot stop another bulldozing maul from the hosts. James Hanson gets the try. 5-7

18.00: CONVERSION! Reece Hodge levels. 7-7

21.00: A missed forward pass by the ref does not cost the hosts because the islanders knock on anyway.

24.00: Rebels are camped inside the opposition’s 22.

25.00: Another penalty will be kicked to the corner after a white side entry.

26.00: Damon Murphy calls over Moana Pasifika’s boss Sekope Kepu to give him and his team a final warning.

27.00: TRY! Hanson has a brace after another patient but a devastating rolling maul. 12-7

28.00: CONVERSION! Hodge extends from wide. 14-7

30.00: Kepu charges through a hole midfield to set up a thrilling counter-attack that ends with a review.

31.00: NO TRY! Levi Aumua dots down, but Henry Taefu could not keep hold of the ball in contact. Scrum, five for the Aussies. 14-7

34.00: Cameron Orr does not get his hands off the ball at the ruck. Leali’ifano calls for the tee.

35.00: PENALTY! Leali’ifano makes no mistake from in front. 14-10

37.00: Richard Hardwick earns his team a penalty. Leali’ifano boots to the corner.

40.00: Ray Nu’u and Carter Gordon, and Michael Wells all go close after Moana Pasifika repelled the driving maul. Wells’ try, however, is not awarded. Scrum to the hosts.

42.00: Superb defending by the visitors to keep the home team at bay.

The halftime score was Melbourne Rebels 14 Moana Pasifika 10

41.00: PEEEP! We are back underway down under.

43.00: Lots of kicking in the early stages of the second half.

46.00: Both teams have kicked into double figures (Reb 10 – Moa 11). The tactic seems to be ‘play in the other team’s half’ and hope for a mistake.

49.00: TRY! Abraham Pole is helped over by Sekope Kepu from close range after Timoci Tavatavanawai went close. 14-15

51.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 14-17

53.00: TRY! Reece Hodge sells Danny Toala a dummy before cutting inside the fullback and slipping Tima Fainga’anuku, to put the Rebels back ahead. 19-17

54.00: CONVERSION! Hodge converts his try. 21-17

62.00: Cabous Eloff steals possession from inside his 22. Matt Philip combined with Joe Powell, who races into the opposition’s half. Powell waited for support before his pass is defelected into the path of Hodge. Hodge sucked in two defenders before sending Andrew Kellaway in for the score. 26-17

64.00: MISS! The kick is pulled wide. 26-17

68.00: Moana are not giving up, they are on the charge again, but lose possession inside the Rebels’ 22.

71.00: a bit of a break as the players get strapped and checked for injuries.

73.00: Carter Gordon chases Lincoln McClutchie down, knocks the ball out of his hands, and saves a certain try. WOW!

77.00: TRY! Lincoln McClutchie made up for his previous error by sending a long, floated pass to Timoci Tavatavanawai, on the wing. Tavatavanawai gathered and cut inside Kellaway to score. 26-22

78.00: MISS! The kick is wide. 26-22

81.00: RED CARD! Ray Nu’u is off for a high hit on Leali’ifano. 26-22

82.00: Oh dear! Lincoln McClutchie misses touch, and that’s the game.

FULL TIME

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The final score is Rebels 26 (14) Moana 22 (10)

Scorers

Rebels
Tries – Hanson (2), Hodge, Kellaway
Pen –
Con – Hodge (3)
Drop –
Cards – Nu’u (Red, 81′)

Moana
Tries – Motuga, Pole, Tavatavanawai
Pen – Leali’ifano
Con – Leali’ifano (2)
Drop –
Cards –

Match Officials
Referee: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 1: Jordan Way
Assistant Ref 2: James Palmer
TMO: Oli Kellett

Teams

Melbourne Rebels: 15 Reece Hodge, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Stacey Ili, 12 Ray Nu’u, 11 Glen Vaihu, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 James Tuttle, 8 Michael Wells (captain), 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Brad Wilkin, 5 Rob Leota, 4 Matt Philip, 3 Cabous Eloff, 2 James Hanson, 1 Cameron Orr

Replacements: 16 Efi Ma’afu, 17 Matt Gibbon, 18 Pone Fa’amausili, 19 Josh Hill, 20 Tamati Ioane, 21 Joe Powell, 22 Nick Jooste, 23 George Worth

Moana Pasifika: 15 Danny Toala, 14 Tima Fainga’anuku, 13 Levi Aumua, 12 Henry Taefu, 11 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 10 Christian Leali’ifano, 9 Ereatara Enari, 8 Henry Time-Stowers, 7 Alamanda Motuga, 6 Michael Curry, 5 Samuel Slade, 4 Veikoso Poloniati, 3 Sekope Kepu (captain), 2 Ray Niuia, 1 Abraham Pole.

Replacements:
16 Luteru Tolai, 17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 18 Joe ‘Apikotoa, 19 Sione Tu’ipulotu, 20 Solomone Funaki, 21 Jonathan Taumateine, 22 Lincoln McClutchie, 23 Solomone Kata.

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