The Melbourne Rebels cannot make the Super Rugby AU playoffs after the Western Force upset the previously undefeated Queensland Reds, yesterday.
This is essentially a dead-rubber, but the Waratahs will be looking for a first win of the 2021 season.
- The Rebels have won three of their last four Super Rugby matches against the NSW Waratahs (L1), after winning only two of their 17 meetings prior (L15).
- The NSW Waratahs will be looking to avoid becoming the fifth team to complete a Super Rugby season without a win (Bulls in 2002, Lions in 2010, Western Force in 2020 Super Rugby AU, and Chiefs in 2020 Super Rugby Aotearoa).
- NSW Waratahs have scored the opening try of the game in five of their last seven Super Rugby games against the Rebels.
- The Rebels have made eight offloads per game this Super Rugby AU season, the most of any team in the competition and two more per game than they have conceded (6).
- NSW Waratahs’ duo Ben Donaldson (6/6) and Tane Edmed (2/2) are the only players to have attempted multiple kicks at goal this Super Rugby AU season and maintained a 100% success rate.
- Marika Koroibete is still try-less this season.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in western Sydney, Parramatta.
0.34: TRY! The Rebels strike after 34 seconds after Stacey Ili catches Matt To’omua’s crossfield kick and scores in the corner. What a start! 0-5
3.00: CONVERSION! To’omua adds the sideline conversion. 0-7
4.00: Waratahs get a kickable penalty in front of the posts.
5.00: PENALTY! Ben Donaldson puts the hosts on the board. 3-7
8.00: NSW tries a cheeky lineout move on the Rebels 22, but the referee calls them back for a retake.
10.00: NSW gets another penalty, Donaldson calls for the tee.
11.00: PENALTY! The kick is good. 6-7
12.00: TRY! Michael Wells scores after a blindside break from the scrum by Isi Naisarani. That was too easy for the visitors, and also equally poor by the Tahs. 6-12
14.00: MISS! The kick is wide. 6-12
16.00: NO TRY! Robert Leota slips a weak tackle to score, but the try is chalked off for obstruction by Cameron Orr. 6-12
18.00: PENALTY! To’omua slots the penalty from right in front. 6-15
20.00: RED CARD! Naisarani hits Max Douglas with a high shot to the head, a scuffle broke out afterward between both sets of players. 6-15
24.00: The Rebels make their way into the opposition’s 22 with ease before winning a couple of penalties. Matt To’omua will take the points.
26.00: PENALTY! Matt To’omua extends his side’s lead. 6-18
28.00: Another botched attack by the Tahs, who loses possession with some shoddy handling; they are so poor.
30.00: NSW regain possession several times in the last series, but they either lose the ball with poor handling, lose a turnover at the ruck, or throw an interception when they have the numerical advantage.
31.00: TRY! Izaia Perese picks up a rolling ball with one hand, attacks the space before offloading (Matt To’omua and Joe Powell hanging off him) to Mark Nawaqanitawase, who dives over in the corner. 11-18
33.00: MISS! The conversion is wide. 11-18
35.00: PENALTY! To’omua keeps the scoreboard ticking over. 11-21
37.00: Another lost chance for the hosts, who get near the try line but botch the attack at the ruck.
38.00: TRY! Can you believe it, the Tahs manage to finish a sustained attack, although they almost did not get in for the score because Harris dropped the ball. However, he dropped the ball into Jack Maddocks’ hands and the fullback bashed his way over the line. 16-21
40.00: CONVERSION! Donaldson slots the wide kick. 18-21
The halftime score was NSW Waratahs 18 Melbourne Rebels 21
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Australia.
43.00: TRY! Robert Leota flops over the whitewash after a powerful driving maul. 18-26
44.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 18-28
47.00: The Tahs are on the attack near the Rebels’ try line.
49.00: A couple of penalties go against Melbourne, the referee speaks to To’omua, warning him that another infringement will lead to a yellow card. Tahs kick to the corner.
50.00: TRY! David Porecki is awarded the score after a long TMO review. That took way too long to check. 23-28
50.00: CONVERSION! Donaldson adds the extras. 25-28
53.00: PENALTY! To’omua punishes the Tahs. 25-31
58.00: Melbourne should have scored there, but poor handling allows the Tahs a reprieve.
63.00: Frank Lomai cannot stay in touch while running down the touchline. Lineout to the hosts inside the visitor’s territory.
66.00: TRY! Matt Gibbon crashes over from close range. 25-36
68.00: MISS! The kick is wide. 25-36
72.00: The Tahs go through the phases, picking and driving close to the try line after an attacking maul went nowhere.
73.00: The hosts have a penalty in front of the posts, they opt for a scrum.
75.00: YELLOW CARD! James Hanson goes to the bin. 25-31
77.00: RED CARD! Pone Faamausili is sent off. 25-31
79.00: Joe Cotton scores, but the try is not awarded – oh, dear!
81.00: The Rebels win the scrum penalty with only seven men, game over!
FULL TIME
To refresh this page, click HERE. Live In-Play Betting.
The final score after is Waratahs 25 (18) Rebels 36 (21)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Nawaqanitawase, Porecki
Pen – Donaldson (2)
Con – Donaldson (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Rebels
Tries – Ili, Wells, Leota, Gibbon
Pen – To’omua (4)
Con – To’omua (2)
Drop –
Cards – Naisarani (Red, 20′), Hanson (Yellow, 75′), Faamausili (Red, 77′)
Match Officials
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 1: Amy Perrett
Assistant Ref 2: Brett Cronan
TMO: James Leckie
Teams
NSW Waratahs
15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Lalakai Foketi, 11 James Ramm, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Jake Gordon (captain), 8 Will Harris, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Lachlan Swinton, 5 Max Douglas, 4 Hugh Sinclair, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 David Porecki, 1 Angus Bell
Replacements: 16 Joe Cotton, 17 Te Tera Faulkner, 18 Darcy Breen, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Michael Wood, 21 Charlie Gamble, 22 Jack Grant, 25 Mark Nawaqanitawase
Melbourne Rebels
15 Tom Pincus, 14 Frank Lomani, 13 Stacey Ili, 12 Campbell Magnay, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Matt To’omua (captain), 9 Joe Powell, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 Brad Wilkin, 6 Michael Wells, 5 Ross Haylett- Petty, 4 Robert Leota, 3 Cabous Eloff, 2 Jordan Uelese, 1 Cameron Orr
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Matt Gibbon, 18 Pone Faamausili, 19 Steve Cummins, 20 Richard Hardwick, 21 Joshua Kemeny, 22 Carter Gordon, 23 George Worth
