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Melbourne Rebels
40
Match Complete
Queensland Reds
34
| C. Gordon |  | 68 | ||
| A. Smith |  | 67 | ||
| 65 |  | J. O'Connor | ||
| C. Gordon | | 57 | ||
| J. Pincus | | 56 | ||
| 54 | | J. O'Connor | ||
| 53 | | J. Flook | ||
| 50 | | R. Smith | ||
| 44 | | J. Petaia | ||
| V. Ekuasi | | 37 | ||
| C. Gordon | | 32 | ||
| M. Gibbon | | 30 | ||
| C. Gordon | | 25 | ||
| J. Kemeny | | 23 | ||
| C. Gordon | | 18 | ||
| R. Louwrens | | 17 | ||
| 16 | | J. O'Connor | ||
| 15 | | J. Petaia | ||
| 10 | | J. O'Connor | ||
| 9 | | J. Flook |
| 6 | Tries | 5 | ||
| 5 | Conversions | 3 | ||
| 0 | Penalty Goals | 1 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
Show Preview
The Rebels host the Reds on Saturday evening at AAMI Park, Melbourne. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 7:35pm (AEDT).
This is a moment of truth for both teams. Defying early season expectations, the Rebels have shown great improvement so far this year. Interplay between their backs and forwards have been a great watch. Can they kick on from here?
The Reds have not shown improvements yet, especially against Kiwi teams. They almost lost to the Drua, and were trounced by the Brumbies. Can the Reds redeem themselves?
Last week, the Rebels suffered a similar defeat as the Reds against New Zealand opponents, But they managed to score four tries against the competition leaders. The Reds scored only one try against the Hurricanes in round one. As a comparison, the Rebels scored five tries against the Wellingtonians in round two.
Today is expected to be typical Melbourne weather, which hopefully will be a dry track for the most part. The attack should be in full display for both teams, especially the playmakers and backrowers. Second-half action should be exciting, when the tired factor kicks in.
Against the Chiefs, the Rebels scored lots of tries, but they fell asleep in defence on either side of the halftime break and let in four successive Chief tries. The Reds are bristling with talent, but their attack is unable to perform against strong teams. So today, we will see how strong the Rebels are.
In terms of defence, this is a good opportunity for both teams to get their act together. But I do not expect much. Breakdown efficiency is still an issue for both teams, in particular the Reds.
The forwards battle will be big. The front row from both sides will be interesting partly because all of them except one played for the Reds at one time or the other. I suspect the second-half front row from the Rebels will get the better of the Reds and will impact the outcome heavily.
Regarding the backs, the Reds’ Tom Lynagh is out for a fortnight. It is hard to tell how many rings Sam Gordon will run around James O’Connor. But O’Connor should be able to exploit plenty of opportunities. The outer backs from the Reds are better known, with more Wallaby caps, but it seems the Rebels are able to deploy their centres and speedsters more effectively this year.
Prediction
This does not seem to be the Rebels of old. I think they will score tries, especially as their super subs enter the fray. The Reds are favourites – if lucky, they will squeak out a win. But I am guessing an upset is in the cards.
Game information
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-off: 7.35pm (AEDT)
TV: 9Gem
Streaming: Stan Sport
Betting: Rebels $2.75, Reds $1.45 – odds via PlayUp
Teams
Rebels (1-15): Matt Gibbon, Alex Mafi, Sam Talakai, Trevor Hosea, Tuaina Taii Tualima, Josh Kemeny, Brad Wilkin, Vaiolini Ekuasi, Ryan Louwrens, Carter Gordon, Monty Ioane, David Feliuai, Stacey Ili, Lachie Anderson, Joe Pincus.
Replacements: Anaru Rangi, Cabous Eloff, Pone Fa’amausili, Angelo Smith, Daniel Maiava, James Tuttle, Glen Vaihu, Nick Jooste.
Reds (1-15): Dane Zander, Matt Faessler, Zane Nonggorr, Ryan Smith, Seru Uru, Liam Wright, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, Kalani Thomas, James O’Connor, Filipo Daugunu, Hunter Paisami, Josh Flook, Jordan Petaia, Jock Campbell.
Replacements: Richie Asiata, Peni Ravai, Phransis Sula-Siaosi, Jake Upfield, Connor Anderson, Tate McDermott, Isaac Henry, Taj Annan.
Referee: Graham Cooper
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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.