- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
In a sense you have to feel for the Rebels, with tonight’s game against the Blues their third match in succession against a top New Zealand franchise. We’ll have live scores and commentary from 5.35pm AEST.
It is highly unlikely to find a tougher sequence of matches than having to play the Crusaders, Chiefs and Blues on the trot.
Bravely, they have taken the Crusaders and Chiefs on, challenging both these teams for a full 80 minutes.
One might say that the Crusaders benefited from a succession of penalties in the last 15 minutes. The Rebels conceded half a dozen penalties through their scrummaging.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, raced to a comfortable lead, but the never-say-die attitude that we have come to appreciate from these bottom-feeding teams shone through.
With the deployment of Kurtley Beale onto the paddock, the Rebels fought back and although being outscored by six tries to five, showed there are more quality in them than most would give them credit for.
Unfortunately for the Rebels, Beale has again been involved in off-field controversy and has been stood down indefinitely, meaning he won’t be suiting up for the visitors tonight.
So the 33-39 loss to the Chiefs and a 26-30 loss to the Crusaders might not be what they would have wanted, but it will most definitely warn the Blues of what is to come.
The Blues, on the other hand, have not had the best of times in the previous two weeks.
A 11-12 loss to the Reds in a low-scoring affair, and the boot of Chris Noakes having saved them against a Stormers outfit which outscored them two tries to nil, would suggest that despite gaining five points out of their previous two matches, they aren’t in the greatest form.
The Rebels have a leaky defence, and there is no use denying it.
They have conceded 41 tries in 10 matches, and that is as bad as it gets, so defensive organisation and commitment in defence will be the key for them.
If they can somehow correct the issues in defence and work on their set pieces, then the Blues might just be in for a surprise.
The Blues, on the other hand, will want to get the momentum going again for the business end of the competition, as there are only seven matches to go.
They are still in with a shot at qualifying, but having to travel to South Africa and tough derby matches to go, this will be seen as a must-perform match for them.
Because this is a home match for the Blues and the fact that they will have more to lose than the Rebels, I pick them beat their opponents by 20 or more.
They have met only twice before. The Blues beat the Rebels 40-23 in 2011 at home, and the Rebels turned the tables on them in 2012, with a 34-23 home win.
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.