Kurtley Beale: Scored the opening try of the match
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The Rebels registered a deserved 34-23 win over the Blues in their bottom-of-the-table clash at AAMI Stadium in Melbourne on Thursday.
It was easy to see why these teams are struggling this season as the match was not a great spectacle and characterised by several errors.
After James O'Connor and Gareth Anscombe traded early penalties, the match came alive in the eleventh minute when Kurtley Beale intercepted a wayward pass from a Blues player close to his try-line and ran the full length of the field before scoring the opening try of the match.
That was the only try of the opening half as O'Connor and Anscombe added more penalties but the match was still evenly poised at half-time with the Rebels leading 11-9.
The visitors were first out of the blocks after the break, when Rudi Wulf got their opening try in the 43rd minute. This after latching onto a pass from Rene Ranger close to the touchline. Anscombe converted, but the Blues failed to capitalise on their lead.
The Auckland-based side were guilty of several indiscretions and O'Connor succeeded with two further penalties midway through the half which restored his side's lead.
The inside centre - who eventually scored 24 points in the match - added a try to his tally in the 65th minuter after replacement hooker Ged Robinson did well, in the build-up, by winning a crucial turnover inside the Blues' 22 before getting his pass away to O'Connor.
After landing the conversion the Wallaby added another penalty in the 72nd minute but the Blues kept their faint chances of winning alive when Chris Lowrey scored their second try from a scrum close to the home side's try-line.
However, the Rebels were not done yet and their captain Gareth Delve capped a fine performance when he scored in injury-time under a mass of bodies.
The win means that the Rebels have moved up to tenth position in the standings while the Blues - who were amongst the favourites to win the title at the start of the competition - are now firmly rooted at the bottom of the table.
The scorers:
For Rebels:
Tries: Beale, O'Connor, Delve
Cons: O'Connor 2
Pens: O'Connor 5
For Blues:
Tries: Wulf, Lowry
Cons: Anscombe 2
Pens: Anscombe 3
Rebels: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Lachlan Mitchell, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 James O'Connor, 11 Mark Gerrard, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Gareth Delve (c), 7 Michael Lipman, 6 Jarrod Saffy, 5 Hugh Pyle, 4 Luke Jones, 3 Rodney Blake, 2 Adam Freier, 1 Nic Henderson.
Replacements: 16 Ged Robinson, 17 Laurie Weeks, 18 Alister Campbell, 19 Tim Davidson, 20 Richard Kingi, 21 Julian Huxley, 22 Lloyd Johansson.
Blues: 15 Rudi Wulf, 14 Lachie Munro, 13 Benson Stanley, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rene Ranger, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Brad Mika, 7 Dan Pryor, 6 Chris Lowrey, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Filo Paulo, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Liaki Moli, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Michael Hobbs, 22 Hadleigh Parkes.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Comments
kahui says...
beale is looking poor!
Posted 04:53 06th April 2012
NotajokeBok says...
@ kiwiLad.......
Sorry oak but the ugliest thing is Super Rugby are the NZ cheergirls !!!!!!!!!!!
What's a good looking girl in New Zealand called ?
A. A tourist !
Posted 02:43 06th April 2012
hellovanite says...
Ok this is what is wrong with the Blues.
A loose trio that can't hold onto the ball going forward, what has happened to the Blues loose forwards, are these guy's the best option I thought for a second that I was watching the warriors of 2005.
I'm sorry but we have Rene Ranger "potentially a great inside back" playing on the wing and on the other wing a Munro a flyhalf come fullback come wing. Neither of these guy's are out and out wingers. Where are the out and out wingers in Auckland SOS!!! We have blockbusting players like Ranger out on the wing, but wing is more about running lines and guile not wrecking ball tactics, that to me does not equate to good sense, he would create more space in the centres.
Don't really rate Munro either as a game breaker, can't put my finger on it he's not bad just no real xfactor in that position. seems like the back three in both the forwards and the backs are a bit of a mess.
Lastly I'm concerned that Lam has not created a culture within this team that promotes respect on the field and I'm also uncertain that the likes of Weepu and Nonu have aided in this regard. It is really important that the senior players shoulder some responsibility but are they getting direction from Lam?
Then again it's hard to create a winning culture when the coach rotates the players on a weekly basis. What's next Weepu and Piri on the wings and Munro at flyhalf. What a shambles!
Posted 02:01 06th April 2012
firepower says...
100% agree to you JayStarr:). Auckland Blues is one of the best team in Super Rugby... can't believe they lose to the Rebels:(.
Posted 00:37 06th April 2012
isthatrightref says...
Semi-finalists last year, some ex-Horrorcanes blow in & look what happens...
Posted 23:38 05th April 2012
Euskadi says...
Maybe Mark Hammet was right afterall? i didnt see the match but somehow i dont think I would want to anyway. I was certain that the blues would be a force this year, on paper they are hot...in my opinion what they lack is a 10 but even without a noted 10 the rest of the stars have enough class to make this a decent team. Maybe Pat Lamb should enlist the services of a certain Sir Ted? Perhaps he could get something out of his beloved Auckland...better still replace Lamb altogether then we'd really see if the coach maketh the team...
Posted 19:41 05th April 2012
philipjfry says...
Has a Super Rugby coach ever been dismissed in mid-season?
Posted 18:12 05th April 2012
davodiablo says...
All Blacks will be a different looking side if the Blues ABs don't pull their socks up .
Posted 17:19 05th April 2012
Carpelone says...
The Blues are awful, they lok like the Hurricanes last year.
Maybe Hammet was not that wrong last year, when he got rid of some of the players.
Posted 17:12 05th April 2012
Laurence says...
Time now for a complete overhaul of the Blues and to rebuild the franchise from top to bottom.Pat Lam and half the team will have to go but so too should Auckland manager Andy Dalton who thinks it's alright to be in this position.So many underperforming players,crap combinations,diva like players(Weepu and Williams) plus other tried and tested useless selections.All this from New Zealand's biggest region with the most resources.
Posted 15:45 05th April 2012
darthbok says...
I blame it all on bryce lawrence -- trying to penalise kiwi teams to compensate for his bias in the world cup --- trying to prove he`s not biased really -- still really hopes he comes to SA at some stage , or will unlce paddy still look after the hero of the RWC
Posted 15:40 05th April 2012
Dylbull says...
Nick Mallett is available!
Posted 15:38 05th April 2012
NHsaints says...
What's wrong with the blues this season? They've got the players and the skills to win the damn tournament...not lose it! The only thing I can really put it down to is injury and lack of a top class 10...still no excuses and I'm expecting better from them later in the season...
Posted 14:17 05th April 2012
colvin says...
I'm afraid the Blues forwards didn't play as a pack and were constantly outnumbered and therefore hammered at the breakdown. They need to get stuck in up front and stop trying to play like pretty boys in the backline.
Posted 13:56 05th April 2012
JayStarr says...
What a CRAP game..!
I knew the Blues were struggling... but COME ON! That was pathetic!! You have Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Ali Williams, Alby Mathewson, Piri Weepu, Ma'a Nonu, Rene Ranger, Rudi Wulf..... and you lose to the REBELS!? How bad a coach is Pat Lam!?
No no no... Forget about waiting until the end of the season to fire this loser - they should've done it at the end of last year already! Fire him NOW - a new coach might still be able to pick up the pieces before the end of the season.
The Rebels DID NOT play well! They play like a very good South African high school team... Yet they put 34 points on the Auckland Blues..!
It's a disgrace. And I'm a Stormers supporter - can't even imagine how the Blues fans must be feeling...
Do you agree that Pat Lam needs to be fired RIGHT NOW?
Posted 13:04 05th April 2012
KiwiLad says...
In the history of Super Rugby, the only thing uglier than Kurtley Beales face, are the 2012 Auckland Blues,
One third of NZs population, deserved bottom team.
Surely NOW Pat Lamb must go.
Posted 12:35 05th April 2012