It’s funny how it happens. A moment takes place in a game which might stand out at the time, or you might come to realise its significance a little later on.
But the result is the same; the moment registers in your subconscious as the difference between two teams in a contest.
This one moment that’s stuck with me from the weekend has bigger implications than just from the Rebels-Brumbies game on Friday night, however.
With the Reds still firmly in the work-in-progress ‘project’ category that Brad Thorn referred to on Saturday night, and the Waratahs in a proper state of flux that probably isn’t truly captured by their current 1-1-1 record, this one moment properly envelopes the ups and the downs of the four Australian sides after Round 4.
This was that moment.
67th minute. The Melbourne Rebels led 21-10, with Reece Hodge having just scored in the corner a few minutes earlier, following Brumbies replacement prop Les Leulua’iali’i-Makin being sent to the sin bin. The Brumbies were back on attack in the Rebels half, where they had spent most of the second half to that point, but Henry Speight’s 55th minute try was all they had to show for it.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Scrumhalf Matt Lucas passed from the base of a ruck on the Rebels ten-metre line, around 25 metres in from the left-hand touch line. His pass found replacement hooker Folau Fainga’a, and he in turn looked outward to fire a pass at barnstorming number 8, Isi Naisarani. But the pass hit Naisarani’s left shoulder and flew backwards, into a no-man’s land behind Naisarani but in front of the trailing Wharenui Hawera, and with Fainga’a and Lucas both tracking in from the left, too. The four Brumbies are all closer than three Rebels defenders.
Fainga’a actually regathered the ball on the ricochet, but then threw a rushed pass to Hawera on his outside, who was promptly monstered by Marika Koroibete; the Wallabies winger seeing exactly what was happening and timing his shot perfectly. The ball spilled loose, and it was 50-50 if Tom Cusack or Rebels’ skipper Tom English were closer.
Regardless, it bounced English’s way, though he attempted to hack the ball downfield in the manner of Rebels’ teams of the past – it seemed like a good idea, but there was no real plan to it.
The ball deflects left off Cusack’s leg and straight into the arms of replacement prop Sam Talakai, who immediately promotes to lock Ross Haylett-Petty, who was well covered by Naisarani and Hawera, now back on his feet. Outside Haylett-Petty is at least four Rebels – two now with their arms out – plus Brumbies centre Kyle Godwin still on the ground among them.
(Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
The ball finds Amanaki Mafi across the face of Richard Hardwick, and already Matt Philip and Hodge are calling for the ball. There’s at least three other Rebels now presenting on either side as options and there’s really no Brumbies defenders in the frame.
Mafi comes to one of the Arnold twins, but fires a no-look flick pass out the back before contact; he has literally no idea where the ball has gone, or who is there to get it. Philip and Hodge are in motion, and Jack Maddocks is now on their outside.
The ball bounced a metre in front of Philip, but then fortuitously up for Maddocks who is immediately looking up and eyeing off what to do next. Philip and Hodge remain on his inside, and I can count another six Rebels players trailing in midfield, and only four Brumbies, none of whom are anywhere near Maddocks.
Maddocks is quickly over halfway and is off, not to encounter a Brumbies cover defender until Lucas intercepts his path on the Brumbies’ 22-metre line. Maddocks puts a bog-standard in-and-away on Lucas and runs to the try line to score. But he’s not quite done, and casually runs it around to score behind the posts. There isn’t a Brumby in sight.
From Lucas’ pass to Talakai’s pass off the ground to Haylett-Petty, seven seconds elapsed. It took another six seconds for Maddocks to cross halfway in space, and another ten seconds had passed by the time he got the ball down. By my count, less than twenty seconds from turnover caused by their defence in their own half to Maddocks scoring at the other end.
For the last hour of the match, ‘intensity’ was a common theme throughout our ABC Grandstand radio call of the game. After Maddocks scored, I recalled a discussion with a Brumbies’ coach last season in which I’d been told they identified that, on average, New Zealand sides were scoring tries around twenty to thirty seconds from turnovers.
On average. By the same measure, at the same point in the season, Australian sides were taking upwards of a minute and though the Brumbies weren’t the worst, they weren’t the best either. The Rebels had just done exactly what Australian fans have been crying out for; converted a turnover into points in Kiwi-time.
Amanaki Mafi (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)
Co-commentator, former Brumbies and Wallabies centre Pat McCabe, elaborated and added that the Rebels’ line speed and defensive pressure meant the Rebels were, “playing very much like a New Zealand side”.
And that wasn’t the last time they did it, either. Only four minutes later, Hardwick picked up a loose ball from the back of a Brumbies ruck that had fallen apart and scooted away before finding Michael Ruru.
Throughout the game, when nothing was happening for the Brumbies, the Rebels were able to create opportunities for themselves all from their defensive pressure. Sometimes, like Hardwick’s turnover, sheer luck played a part. But you can create your own luck, too. Other times, like Koroibete’s hit on Hawera, the opportunity came from pure and simple hard work.
The result is the same though: just when we’ve been crying out for Australian sides to ‘be more like the Kiwis’, the Rebels look the most like a side capable of that.
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Along with the defensive pressure though, the Rebels’ speed and intensity is a clear point of difference among the Australian teams. They don’t need ball to find points, and don’t necessarily need territory. They won 33-10 on Friday night despite playing most of the second half at their end of the ground, and they only had 42 per cent of possession for the game.
Speed and intensity are the goals in 2018. Everyone without it wants it. The Lions have it, and the Blues showed it in snaring their late win at Ellis Park. The Stormers started the season with it. The Jaguares found it Sunday morning, but mainly because the Waratahs handed it to them on a platter.
Speed and intensity created that 67th minute play for the Rebels on Friday, and it showed us everything we need to know about the Aussie conference currently. No other Australian side can boast the speed and intensity the Rebels are already playing with, just three games in.
You haven’t had to look hard for reasons not to watch Australian sides in the last season or two, but now, just maybe, the Rebels are already giving us reasons to tune back in.
Malo
Guest
Brett wrong again. Rewrite how great the rebels are. Do you actually follow rugby
Fox
Roar Guru
True John but any team who has played the Sunwolves has an edge in those stats me thinks
Jibba Jabba
Guest
Its only pk, so no cred...don't lose any sleep over his commenting.. where 1 in 10 is reasonable..
Jibba Jabba
Guest
But that is a losers perception... :)
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Alleged by who? Not a single individual has even been charged with anything.
Jibba Jabba
Guest
One positive is the eastern staters have all the alleged criminals running the organisation... karma will come biting soon...
Joe King
Guest
I agree with you Brett, there is a style of rugby that is highly effective and great to watch being played by the NZ sides ATM. I'm surprised that Australian coaches are not talking about it and trying to emulate them more than they are. Instead Cheika has been saying that fitness is the main problem for the Wallabies! I guess it's related, but he should be speaking mor about what he wants to achieve by having fitter players. That's key in my mind.
Joe King
Guest
Exactly Brett! If the Australian teams played like the NZ teams, people would find it thrilling. And I can't believe Cheika thinks it's just a matter of fitness!
zhenry
Guest
This has been edited. This guy repeats repeats derogatory things about the ABs constantly constantly. That is used by the Murdoch styled corp media, but not from a supposed referee. The AU media attempt “to influence referees against the ABs by this repeat illegal play, and its working, the ABs are finding refs focus entirely on them, so that opposition teams can set up AB players with illegalities, such as jumping before being tackled right in front of the AB goal posts.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I watched Mikey H do a bang-up job in the Pindan Final for Soaks and half a game in NRC I think it was they one they pulled out of the bag at the finish, with most of the top shelf players with the BaaBaas. The Force is strong in this one too.
zhenry
Guest
Has PetetK ever viewed a number of AB v WB games with a NZ ref as biased as PK is, and compared the illegalities? There was a fairly recent ABvWB test where the WBs were blatantly over the limits, but described by the Aust media as tough without even a hint of the phrase ‘foul play’ with further comments that the WBs should play ‘like that all the time’. This attitude comes from the Aust Rugby’s foundations; private schools and the ‘big dogs of town’: We get what we want and we don’t care how, and if anyone interferes they get the derogatory finger point, ‘cheat’ whatever, but we can do it to them. Such is the smugness and righteousness of AR towards NZers NZRU can never trust Aust Rugby, they have already been deceived once big time, and numerous other times. AR will try any thing to beat the ABs; mostly through their Aust owned NZ media (NZs silly naive fault), they have NZ journalists by the b...., phoney court trials and that bulkwark of integrity, Murdoch. The present scenario with R Castle should be treated with extreme caution: She is head of AR for one reason only; to get consessions from her mate Tew that will benefit AR. The ‘big dogs’want to break down the barriers of the NZRU, if they succeed they will cause NZR havoc.
Harry Jones
Expert
Good read, B-Mac! Speed and intensity is still with the Stormers; unfortunately only on offense, not in the wings on defense.
MitchO
Guest
Meakes could only come back to Oz because the Force had a place for him and he was determined to have a crack at super rugby. The ARU do need to have a proper think about central contracting so they spread players around to make all teams stronger and to make sure players are getting enough game time. I don't mind if a 20 year old future star decides to go Europe or NZ or SA and play for a few years before coming back. We'll lose a few but it'd be good for them and good fun. No one wanted DHP so he went to France and improved his rugby. Meakes went to Europe and got some good experience.
Bakkies
Guest
Mafi should be playing for the Sunwolves not the Rabble.
Bakkies
Guest
'It must be time to move on by now… surely!?' Move on to what Cameron? The Rugby public in WA are still waiting.
Bakkies
Guest
Speaking of fárces.
Ex force fan
Guest
It breaks my heart to see someone I followed from under 9 that played with my son in juniors playing for the Rebels... Very conflicting feelings, he has been part of the Force since under 14 years and I am very proud of the man Richie become, but very sad that he had to move almost 4,000 km away from his close knit family just to play the sport he loves. There will be many Richard Hardwicks that will never have the opportunity to become professional rugby players or run out for their country - thanks to Clyne, Pulver and Eales...
Fox
Roar Guru
Hi Brett - nice read and good article. I agree with you on the Rebels - they use turnover ball better than the other three Australian sides to date but still have reservations. The Brumbies are not firing and not the Brumbies we once knew The Reds were fresh with anew coach and many untested players at this level and went down to 14 men early and then 13 The Sunwolves well - they are still getting up to speed in some areas of the game like defence, So until they have played a side that is firing and away, I am reserved but positive about their progress so far. The Tahs were dreadful last week but pulled off a draw away and perhap a fortuitous win against the Stormers but they took the opportunity when it came. On paper they have the players to test the Rebels and maybe - just maybe - the Jagueres did them a favor before facing the Rebels. I would not be surprised to see a Tahs win this weekend if they regroup and get their wobbly set piece better A Reds win in Argentina will send some messages to the rest of the Australian conference as well and Thorn is proving to be a shrewd coach already and Lance is the best fly half in the country right now IMO on form and especially in the D. Both games will answer some questions about all the sides at this stage of the season at least.
jimbo81
Guest
I don't think he will repeat the same mistakes. That would be like accepting the same win ratio as 2016/17 which clearly isn't going to earn him any lasting legacy as Wallaby coach (which is what I think he's after). Consider the number of players available in each spot - he simply cannot wheel out the same lame-selections as last season! Props: Slipper, Kepu, Faulkner, Sio, Tupo Hooker: TPN, Ulese, Latu Locks: Rodda, Coleman, Arnold, Phillips, Simmons, Douglas 6: Dempsey, Dardy, Tui 7: Hooper, Pocock, Gill 8. Higgers, Timani, Holloway, Naisrani? 9. Genia, Tuttle, Gordon, Powell 10. Beale, Lance, Cooper, Harris, Le-lo, Debracini, Utility Backs: Folau, DHP, Hodge, Beale 13: Kurindrani, Kerevi, English Wing: Folau, Korobeite, Maddocks, Peni, Nabuli, Speight, Naivalu, Naiyaravoro. Consider that last season Tupo and Pocock were absent, we were robbed of Dempsey and Rodda through injury, and we still had can't kick Folau at FB (no exit strategy) with Fooley at 10 (poor passing / kicking / stunted attack / terrible defence). If you shifted Folau to the wing and added Lance (convince him to stay) at 10, your defence, distribution and game management will improve out of sight. Pocock at 7 and Hooper on the bench as a finisher.
John R
Roar Guru
There was an article on that on Foxsports yesterday, Tahs are literally the worst in the comp for gain line stats. Rebels are 1st at 71.8% and Waratahs last at 48.2%