The first Australian teams to play Super Rugby in 2018 are Melbourne’s Rebels and Queensland’s Reds who meet at the AMI Stadium in Melbourne.
The Rebels have played the Reds 13 times since they joined Super Rugby in 2011 and they have won four matches and lost 9.
- Each of the last three games between these teams has been decided by a margin of no greater than five points, with the Rebels picking up two wins in that span.
- The Rebels have won four of their last five season openers, though they were trounced 56-18 by the Blues in Round 1 last year.
- The Reds have won just one of their last 16 games away from home; however, that win came against the Rebels in Round 12 last season.
- The Rebels scored just 16 points per game last season, the fewest of any team in the competition and five fewer per game than the Reds.
- New Rebels signing Geoff Parling (who played all three Lions Tests v Australia in 2013) won a team-high 90 lineouts for Premiership champions Exeter Chiefs last season.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEP! We are underway in Melbourne for the first Australian conference match of 2018.
3.00: MISS! Jono Lance pushes his penalty wide. 0-0
5.00: Will Genia steals the ball from his old mate Scott Higginbotham.
8.00: The Reds milk the penalty after a big scrum.
10.00: Higginbotham leads with the shoulder on Matt Philip’s head. The TMO is having a look.
10.00: RED CARD! Higginbotham is not happy, but he is off.
10.00: MISS! Reece Hodge misses and it is still scoreless in Melbourne.
14.00: There isn’t much tempo to this game.
17.00: The Reds lose the ball inside the Rebels 22. Phillip’s won the turnover but nothing comes of it.
19.00: It’s another scrum reset.
20.00: TRY! Duncan Paia’aua crosses for the score. The TMO checked for a knock-on by Samu Kerevi, but the defender punched the ball out of the centre’s hands. 0-5
21.00: CONVERSION! James Tuttle adds the extras. 0-7
23.00: Referee Brendon Pickerill is conferring with TMO Ian Smith for a spear tackle on Adam Coleman.
23.00: YELLOW CARD! Lukhan Tui is in the bin.
24.00: The Rebels are piling on the pressure, but their handling is letting them down.
25.00: TRY Sefa Naivalu! Finally, after several phases, the home team get the score. The final pass to the winger was wonderful by Amanaki Mafi. 5-7
26.00: CONVERSION! Jack Debreczeni levels the scores. 7-all
28.00: TRY! Samu Kerevi restores the Reds’ lead. 7-12
29.00: CONVERSION! James Tuttle adds the extras. 7-14
31.00: TRY! Tom English is over! It came from Genia’s quick-tap penalty and wide pass to the centre. 12-14
32.00: CONVERSION! Debreczeni levels the scores, again. 14-all
33.00: TRY! Naivalu has his second.19-14
34.00: MISS! Debreczeni can’t extend the Rebels’ lead. 19-14
36.00: It is end-to-end in Melbourne.
37.00: The Reds are starting to tire. Both cards are taking their toll.
38.00: TRY Dane Haylett-Petty! The Rebels suck in the Reds forwards with a driving maul. Genia goes wide, Hodge offloads to English, who breaks and passes to the fullback for the home team’s fourth. 24-14
39.00: CONVERSION! Debreczeni hits his third conversion of the half. 26-14
40.00: The hooter sounds.
The half-time score was Rebels 26 Reds 14
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Melbourne. The Rebels restart proceedings.
42.00: Adam Korczyk is pinged at the breakdown. The Rebels kick to the corner.
42.00: TRY! Debreczeni changes the point of attack from right to left and ghosts through the porous Reds defence. 31-14
43.00: CONVERSION! Debreczeni makes no mistake. Game over! 33-14
45.00: The Rebels are penalised for offsides. The Reds will kick to the corner.
47.00: TRY! Haylett-Petty intercepts Lances long, blind pass and races away to score. 38-14
48.00: MISS! Debreczeni’s kick is wide. 38-14
50.00: Genia breaks blind, but puts his kick into touch on the full.
55.00: The Rebels dismantle the seven-man Reds scrum.
56.00: TRY! Debreczeni grabs his second. The Reds are a rabble. All too easy. 43-14
57.00: CONVERSION! Debreczeni converts his five-pointer. 45-14
63.00: The Reds are flooding the field with substitutes. 20-year-old South African-born scrumhalf Liam Wright is on for his debut.
67.00: TRY Chris Feauai-Sautia! Wright goes close before Aidan Toua’s long pass sends the winger in for the score. 45-19
68.00: MISS! Tuttle can’t convert. 45-19
73.00: The Rebels are going through the phases. Some good defence by the Reds, but they are under the pump.
76.00: Good scrumming by the Reds; they win the penalty and Lance clears.
78.00: The game is a bit scrappy as the Reds try to spread the ball.
80.00: The hooter sounds.
FULL-TIME
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The final score is Rebels 45 (26) Reds 19 (14)
Scorers
Rebels
Tries – Naivalu (2), English, Dane Haylett-Petty (2), Debreczeni
Pen –
Con – Debreczeni (4)
Drop –
Cards –
Reds
Tries – Paia’aua, Kerevi, Feauai-Sautia
Pen –
Con – Tuttle (2)
Drop –
Cards – Higginbotham (Red, 10′), Tui (Yellow, 23′)
Match Officials
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
Assistant Ref 1: Nicholas Berry (Australia),
Assistant Ref 2: Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Ian Smith (Australia)
Teams
Melbourne Rebels
15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Jack Maddocks, 13 Tom English, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Sefa Naivalu, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Will Genia, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Angus Cottrell, 6 Lopeti Timani, 5 Adam Coleman (captain), 4 Matt Philip, 3 Jermaine Ainsley, 2 Jordan Uelese, 1 Tetera Faulkner.
Replacements: 16 Anaru Rangi, 17 Fereti Sa’aga, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Sam Jeffries, 20 Ross Haylett-Petty, 21 Michael Ruru, 22 Semisi Tupou, 23 Billy Meakes.
Reds
15 Aidan Toua, 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 13 Samu Kerevi, 12 Duncan Paia’aua, 11 Eto Nabuli, 10 Jono Lance, 9 James Tuttle, 8 Scott Higginbotham (captain), 7 Adam Korczyk, 6 Caleb Timu, 5 Lukhan Tui, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Alex Mafi, 17 JP Smith, 18 Sef Fa’agase, 19 Kane Douglas, 20 Liam Wright, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Hamish Stewart, 23 Filipo Daugunu
