The Waratahs have played the Melbourne Rebels 15 times in Super Rugby since 2011, the Tahs have won 13 matches and lost twice.
The Waratahs 13 wins out of 15 games gives them a record of winning 87% of their matches against the Rebels.
- The NSW Waratahs have won four wins on the bounce against the Melbourne side most recently.
- The Rebels are searching for a third consecutive victory on the road against fellow Australian teams, only once before have they won three on the bounce (February-July 2016).
- The Waratahs have averaged 39 points scored against Australian sides from their last five home games, including scores of 50 and 51 against the Rebels.
- The Rebels completed just 64% of their tackles in the last round against the Stormers, their lowest ever rate in a Super Rugby match.
- Michael Hooper (NSW Waratahs, 102) and Luke Jones (Rebels, 94) have made more tackles than anyone else in Super Rugby 2019.
- Hooper is playing in his 100th Super Rugby game.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kickoff.
In the meantime why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at the famous Sydney Cricket Ground where the Waratahs will be looking to put a turbulent couple of weeks behind them following the Israel Folau scandal.
2.00: Jack Maddocks is down after taking a knock. He has eight tries in seven games, this season.
3.00: There is something not right about playing rugby on cricket fields. It never sat well in Perth and it doesn’t sit well now, either.
4.00: Both teams going to the boot in search of territory in the opening exchanges.
6.00: It’s basically a kicking-fest at the SCG. The game is being played around the halfway line before someone boots the ball away.
7.00: Kurtley Beale thinks he’s away, but the referee calls the fullback back because of a knock on. The Tahs do get a penalty, however.
8.00: another penalty for offsides by the Rebels. Bernard Foley looks around before deciding to kick to touch.
9.00: OH DEAR! Foley’s kick goes out over the in-goal area. Scrum, Melbourne.
10.00: The Rebels have won 93 of 96 lineouts at 97%, no wonder they play the percentages in certain match situations.
11.00: Michael Wells breaks forward but loses the ball forward. The rebels counter-attack and win a penalty at the breakdown.
12.00: Quade Cooper calls for the kicking tee, instead of going for the corner. Take the points on offer in tight derbies!
13.00: PENALTY! Cooper puts his team ahead despite having 35% possession. 0-3
14.00: Maddocks will not return, he’s failed his HIA. Campbell Magnay will stay out on the pitch.
16.00: It’s been a stop-start affair in Sydney. The Rebels lead, but it’s the hosts who have had most of the ball.
18.00: TRY! Adam Ashley-Cooper finishes off a wonderful attack. Rob Simmons breaks the line before offloading to Harry Johnson-Holmes. The ball was recycled to Jed Holloway, who threw a no-look pass on his inside shoulder to the supporting Ashley-Cooper to score. 5-3
19.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds the extras. 7-3
23.00: Hooper is pinged for not releasing at the breakdown. Cooper boots the ball deep into the Tahs’ 22.
24.00: TRY! Billy Meakes gets his fourth try of the season after an eight-phase attack inside the 22. The centre scooped up a bouncing ball from an Alex Newsome knock on and coasted over the chalk. 7-8
25.00: CONVERSION! Cooper adds the extras. 7-10
27.00: The Waratahs go through the phases, looking to punch holes in the midfield before attacking the wide channels. They earn a penalty, which Foley puts out on the Melbourne 22.
29.00: It’s scrappy out there; Newsome knocks on again after Jake Gordon’s loose pass between the legs was almost intercepted by Magnay, but he loses the ball in contact.
30.00: Cooper pins the Tahs back inside their 22 with a raking grubber. The Rebels win the turnover, but another error kills a good attacking opportunity.
33.00: Isi Naisarani carries forward after a scrappy lineout. It takes three players to bring him down. Melbourne wins a scrum after a handling mistake by the hosts.
34.00: BIG SCRUM! Melbourne’s forwards celebrate winning the scrum-penalty. Cooper will take a shot from out wide.
35.00: MISS! The standoff mishits his kick, pushing it wide of the right-hand post. 7-10
39.00: TRY! Reece Hodge ghosts through a massive hole and finishes under the posts for his 25th Super Rugby try and sixth of the season. The TMO checked to see if there was any foul play in the build-up by Marika Koroibete but saw nothing. 7-15
39.00: CONVERSION! Cooper makes no mistake from in front. 7-17
41.00: Luke Jones leaked a penalty at the rolling maul. Hodge will take a long-distance shot at goal.
42.00: PENALTY! Hodge curls in the long-range effort. 7-20
The halftime score was Waratahs 7 Rebels 20
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway on the Australian east coast.
43.00: Tahs win the free kick at the scrum. The Sydney men take it quickly before Jack Dempsey loses the ball forward. The ball is slippery but the coaches cannot be happy with the handling.
46.00: The Waratahs forwards win a scrum-penalty of their own. Foley kicks into the oppositions 22, five metres out.
47.00: NO TRY! Damon Murphy spoke to his assistant before asking the TMO to check for grounding. The television ref cannot see a grounding by Johnson-Holmes, so it’s a five-metre scrum to the home team.
47.00: Will Genia’s tackle dislodges the ball from Gordon’s hands, and the Rebels clear to halfway. superb by the veteran No. 9.
48.00: Melbourne has multiple players caught offsides. It was lazy by Wessels’ men. Foley will take a shot from in front, and about 25 metres out.
49.00: PENALTY! Foley reduces the deficit. 10-20
51.00: Cooper gets away with one after kicking a clearance out on the full from outside his 22. The ball landed out on halfway to the derision of the home crowd.
52.00: Tom English has been issued a final warning for multiple infringes; the next penalty will result in a card.
53.00: PENALTY! Foley keeps chipping away, adding another three. 13-20
55.00: Some more good work by the Waratahs; they win another penalty that Foley boots to the opposition’s 22.
56.00: Daryl Gibson’s men earn a scrum after Meakes’ knock-on. It’s inside the 22 and about 12 metres out.
57.00: Cooper gets back to collect Beale’s grubber; it was a wasted opportunity by the home side.
58.00: TRY! Foley picks up the loose ball from a wayward lineout throw by Anaru Rangi, and he races 60 metres to score under the sticks. He is so good at getting to overthrown lineouts; it was his second snaffle from such a situation. 18-20
59.00: CONVERSION! Foley converts his score. 20-all
62.00: The Rebels have been poor after halftime; their ill-discipline is going to cost them the game.
64.00: PENALTY! Foley extends his side’s lead. 23-20
65.00: The ref has to talk to English about his side’s poor discipline. One last warning when a yellow should have already been produced.
68.00: Foley’s cross-kick was just too long for Ashley-Cooper. It was a mismatch between Ashley-Cooper and Genia, who is down hurt after falling awkwardly.
70.00: Genia is down again. He was squashed in a tackle by Tom Staniforth. His team did win a penalty at the ruck, and Hodge calls for the tee. It’s about 46 metres out and to the left of the poles.
71.00: MISS! Hodge’s kick hits the post and bounces out; the ball is cleared. 23-20
72.00: YELLOW CARD! The ref has had enough, this time and sends Sam Talakai to the bin. 23-20
74.00: Time is running out for the visitors; they need to find something; dig deep and all the other cliches if they are to get out of jail.
77.00: time is running out for the visitors. Tick tock. They won a penalty and cleared to halfway.
78.00: Scrum to the Rebels.
80.00: the Rebels are going through the phases, patiently building an attack deep inside the Tahs’ half.
82.00: The attack has gone 15 phases before a knock on wins the game for the home team.
FULL TIME
To refresh this page click HERE. Live In-Play Betting.
The final score is Waratahs 23 (7) Rebels 20 (17)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Ashley-Cooper, Foley
Pen – Foley (3)
Con – Foley (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Rebels
Tries – Meakes, Hodge
Pen – Cooper, Hodge
Con – Cooper (2)
Drop –
Cards – S. Talakai (Yellow, 72′)
Match Officials
Referee: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Jordan Way
TMO: James Leckie
Teams
Waratahs
15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Cam Clark, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Karmichael Hunt, 11 Alex Newsome, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Jack Dempsey, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Harry Johnson-Holmes.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Tuala, 17 Rory O’Connor, 18 Chris Talakai, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Will Miller, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Lalakai Foketi, 23 Curtis Rona.
Melbourne Rebels
15 Reece Hodge, 14 Jack Maddocks, 13 Tom English (captain), 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Luke Jones, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Matt Philip, 3 Jermaine Ainsley, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Matt Gibbon.
Replacements: 16 Hugh Roach, 17 Tetera Faulkner, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Ross Haylett-Petty, 20 Rob Leota, 21 Michael Ruru, 22 Campbell Magnay, 23 Sione Tuipulotu.
