A late penalty try at last gave the Melbourne Rebels something to smile about as they recorded a breakthrough 30-21 win over the Stormers in their Super Rugby clash at AAMI Park on Friday night.
After coming tantalisingly close in their past four matches, the Rebels finally finished in front to earn their third win of the season and their first-ever over a South African opponent.
Even more impressive, they did it without their Wallabies stars James O’Connor (injured) and Kurtley Beale (suspended).
It looked like Melbourne were in line for more heartbreak when they trailed 21-20 heading into the final 10 minutes, but the TV match official Matt Goddard ruled a penalty try that gave them the lead.
Halfback Nick Phipps grubbered the ball ahead and was held back by Stormers hooker Martin Bezuidenhout, who grabbed his jumper as they raced to the ball over the tryline.
Goddard said it was foul play and that Phipps would have likely scored, with referee Mike Fraser awarding the try and yellow carding the No.2.
Fullback Jason Woodward converted and minutes later added a penalty to seal the win.
The Stormers will be ruing four possible chances to kick for a penalty goal in the second half as they went for tries but came up empty-handed.
The Stormers led 14-13 at halftime, although the Rebels got first points through their inspirational skipper Scott Higginbotham, scoring his sixth try of the season.
The visitors’ tries came through halfback Louis Schreuder, who pushed aside some flimsy defence and former Springboks winger Bryan Habana.
Melbourne lock Hugh Pyle gave his side the lead with a try in the 52nd minute but again the Stormers hit back, with Test locks Eben Etzebeth and Andries Bekker combining to score out wide.
That handed the Cape Town-based team a 21-20 lead, which they held until the controversial penalty try.
Higginbotham said it was a fantastic performance by his team.
“They pushed up but we hung in there and played a great brand of footy,” he said.
Stormers captain Jean De Villiers was bitterly disappointed, describing his team’s performance as “embarrassing”.
It means the Stormers return to South Africa with only one win from four games in New Zealand and Australia.
Sam
Guest
I was well-pleased with Stirzaker. Yes, the kid needs bucket-loads of development but after warming the bench behind Nick Phipps for the last two years, the poor bugger's going to be rusty. I just hope he doesn't end up being bench-warming behind Luke Burgess. Hegarty, well yes, he needs to learn how to spiral pass a rugby ball, but I actually liked his kicking game. The low stabbing kick makes for some messy, grubby bouncing which I personally like- puts more pressure on the receiving fullback.
felix
Guest
no excuses AC must go,he's done a fair job but was never good enough I'm not a fan of HM but 1 small guy is enough for such a big franchise huge mismatches if your backline doesnt impose in the air or make 85% tackles you will never win a finals match or come close
Jerry
Guest
Helluva poach, more like...
jutsie
Guest
Lol jez ur a mind reader. Thats exactly who I had in mind when I wrote that
Dan H
Guest
Hahahahahahahahahaha... "increased tempo with phipps great flat passing game". That is all.
Dan H
Guest
Lol. Jenez yeah I should probably take some ownership over my decisions. “Damn those rebels! Went out on purpose to ruin my tipping inconsiderate mongrels”. I dont think ive been using much logic lately. Lost my mojo jiggles had the right idea. Tipped the force too although they did have that game at one point… did a good job in giving it away to the sharks who looked as tired as I expected. If only they would play like that against the reds.
Dan H
Guest
FrankJ
Guest
Gold MD gold!!
JDP
Roar Guru
Agree - Stirzaker defintely has potential, and i can see that they want to give him game time in advance of phipps leaving. Hegarty barely scrapes a pass mark for me. His passing and kicking were not that great.
JDP
Roar Guru
I found hegarty very disappointing, very poor kicking game. Woodward is a helluva find for the Rebels though. Great to see Pyle playing well as well, I watched this game straight after the Canes v Chiefs, geez this was a better game to watch
JDP
Roar Guru
Agree, on the execution. This will get better with experience though. Have to disagree with the appraisal of Strzaker, I thought he was very poor in the first half and it was a good sub for Hill to pull him. In fact in Hills halftime comments he made sure to note that the halves were poor. Phipps (despite all his haters on this site) had a GREAT game. The rebels tempo lifted with his flat passing and he played fast and direct. HIgginbotham continues to cause selection headaches
Jerry
Guest
Yes, Schalk Burger completely refutes the notion that the Stormers rely on big forwards bashing it up and have little attacking skill. Duh....
Jiggles
Roar Guru
You mean that blonde guy who is constantly Pocock's fluffbunny?
Jiggles
Roar Guru
I tipped this one. My rational was that despite a couple of losses the Rebles were actually playing some positive rugby and scoring tries. It was their defence that has been letting them down. On the flip side the Stormers can't score a try to save themselves. The rebels would be up for it and the Stormers would already have their minds on home.
jeznez
Roar Guru
you can't have Cheika - he is ours.
AdamS
Roar Guru
Stormers would have gotten a point out of it if they had taken their kicks. Penalty try AND a card is steep though. Maybe it should be a captains call of either.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I ruined my tipping.
soapit
Guest
really played right up in the line as well
soapit
Guest
i never saw an angle that showed higginbum touching the ball in the tackle. hit his arm yes but not the ball
BC
Guest
The win by the Rebels proves that Australian Rugby (and the Rebels) can do without and fair far better without the likes of O'Conner & Beal who seem to disrupt any organisation they are apart of, with their own individual product of Narcissism. Both are over rated and lack the ticker and right attitude to be a wallaby, send them back to grades to learn the basics firstly thump into them that the game is not about them!