Melbourne returned to their bad old ways on Saturday, with flimsy defence handing the Blues a 36-30 win in their Super Rugby clash in Auckland.
In a game that pitted the top-placed Australian side against New Zealand’s bottom, it was the Rebels who looked like the battlers.
Melbourne’s defence was once their weakness and they wound back the clock with their worst effort of the year, missing 30 tackles, including 18 in the first half.
Surprisingly the Rebels had a chance to win the game, with late tries to Colby Fainga’a and Sefa Naivalu getting them to within striking distance with just over 10 minutes left.
They had a lineout five metres from the tryline with two minutes on the clock and attempted to drive the ball over but referee Craig Joubert penalised them for obstruction, ending their hopes.
Melbourne skipper Nic Stirzaker said the missed tackles proved their undoing.
“We showed plenty of spirit and fightback … but missed tackles in the first half really hurt us,” he said.
The Rebels started well, striking in the third minute when centre Reece Hodge pounced on the ball thrown back in-field by Blues hooker James Parsons, who tried to stop it going into touch.
Parsons, who took over his team’s captaincy this week, made amends 12 minutes later when he spun out of a tackle and dived over the line.
That try opened the floodgates for the home side, who scored a further three tries in the following 16 minutes.
Melbourne flanker Jordy Reid gave his side some credibility with a try just before halftime for a 24-18 deficit.
Their second half got off to the worst possible start with winger Tevita Li at the end of some quick Blues hands across the backline just two minutes in.
The score blew out to 36-18 before the Rebels mounted their fightback but fell agonisingly short.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Fiji rugby's long season of success has come to a sudden end when the Fijian Drua were beaten 34-10 by the Blues in the…
With rugby’s off-season dominated by Eddie Jones’ shift to Japan, and the confirmation that Rugby Australia really doesn’t have any money, the start of…
Winger Mark Telea scored four tries for the Blues who beat the Wellington-based Hurricanes 36-25 to stiffen their challenge for a Super Rugby Pacific top-four place.…
What more does Nicho Hynes have to do to earn a starting 17 spot in Origin 1?
The Rebels have been left to rue a second half collapse, as Brad Wilkin’s walking wounded were punished by Beauden Barrett’s Blues in Melbourne.…
A tough week of tipping in Super Rugby Pacific, with a couple of tosses of the coin.
