The third game of the day and it is not even lunch time yet! The Reds host the Rebels in an Australian derby this morning, the Reds having won both their opening games and looking like they are going to make it three from three against a Rebels team that looks a lot like the team they were last year, when they finished stone last.
The Reds, without their key playmaker Quade Cooper, has done extremely well with a talented Mike Harris standing in for Cooper, and with a much better kicking percentage, is sure to be included somewhere in team once Cooper does return.
The Rebels finally have both their tar recruits available, with Kurtley Beale overcoming his injury to start his first game for the Melbourne team.
I can only really see this game going one way, but it has been a weekend of strange results so far, so we will have to wait and see what happens.
Reds: 15. Luke Morahan, 14. Dom Shipperley, 13. Ben Tapuai, 12. Jonathan Lance, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. Mike Harris, 9. Will Genia, 8. Jake Schatz, 7. Liam Gill, 6. Scott Higginbotham, 5. James Horwill (Captain), 4. Rob Simmons, 3. James Slipper, 2. James Hanson, 1. Ben Daley
Replacements: 16. Saia Faingaa, 17. Greg Holmes, 18. Van Humphries, 19. Radike Samo, 20. Beau Robinson, 21. Ben Lucas, 22. Rod Davies
Rebels: 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. Mark Gerrard, 13. Mitch Inman, 12. James O`Connor, 11. Cooper Vuna, 10. Daniel Cipriani, 9. Richard Kingi, 8. Gareth Delve (Captain), 7. Tom Chamberlain, 6. Tim Davidson, 5. Hugh Pyle, 4. Luke Jones, 3. Laurie Weeks, 2. Adam Freier, 1. Nic Henderson
Replacements: 16. Luke Holmes, 17. Rodney Blake, 18. Alister Campbell, 19. Jarrod Saffy, 20. Nick Phipps, 21. Lachlan Mitchell, 22. Julian Huxley
Tweet
Snoozefest ?
Don`t want any team in red to find momentum today! Come On the Rebels!
No commentary?
@Original Pierre (Comment 2) : A Rebels win will result in a LMS massacre.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : GO REBELS
The Rebels are leading 3 – 0 after 31 min
O’ Conner PK
REDS 0 – 6 REBELS
33 min
@Franshark (Comment 5) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : I picked the Reds
Reds with a penalty at scrum, fairly easy kick,
REDS 3 – 6 REBELS
37 min
@JarsonX (Comment 8) : I picked the brumbies… Was a very nerve wrecking Cheetahs game
What the hell is happening in SR this year?!?
@JarsonX (Comment 8) : Same here. No worries it will snow in Durban before the Reds lose to the Rebels.
REDS 3 – 6 REBELS
HALF TIME
@KSA Shark © (Comment 12) :
GO REBELS!!!!!
@Franshark (Comment 13) : The 2nd half is when the Reds decide that enough is enough and rack up a 10 point gap.
@Franshark (Comment 14) : As dit sneeu is daar nog minder mense by KP.
@Ice (Comment 11) : It`s a combination of factors I believe.
The crucial thing we need to learn is that possession is a curse at the moment. The team on the attack is penalised the most.
The end of fetchers maybe?
You want the opponents to have possession deep in their own half all the time. Points will come . . . Well if you have a kicker in your team.
Reds had better win! Blues cost me my lifeline last week! Murder is an option
@KSA Shark © (Comment 12) : Wanna bet your lifeline on it
Rebels get a penalty, O Connor miss the kick
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) : ja maar ook minder oor in LMS
@JarsonX (Comment 19) : he did
Has there been a law change that I’m unaware of? Why are the scores so low and the game so tight this year?
Reds in the corner, TMO, out, no try… That was close
@JarsonX (Comment 19) : already did.
Reds take the line out and scores in the opposite corner,
Shipperley with score
@Franshark (Comment 26) :
REDS 8 – 6 REBELS
57 min
Harris with 1 from 3 attempts tonight… Easy kicks too…
Reds 2meters out again…
20 min to go, Rebels defending their line…., 2nd penalty Reds again take it quickly
Another penalty, this time they looking @ goal, Harris walking closer(slowly)…
@klempie (Comment 23) : The scores are low because more than half the games have been derbies.
Of the 19 matches played so far this year 14 have been derbies. IMO the guys raise their games for the derbies . The 5 non derby games actually had decent scorelines.
Harris PK
REDS 11 – 6 REBELS
63 min
@Franshark (Comment 34) :
There’s 5 of those 10.
@JarsonX (Comment 19) :
Harris puts the ball within the 5meter line.. Defending line out for Rebels…
Rebels scrum, 10 meter from their line
@KSA Shark © (Comment 33) : OK. Thanks oubaas.
@klempie (Comment 38) : Don’t take it as gospel, that’s only my opinion.
The Reds launce another attack, Rebels drive them of the ball and hack it down field, end up inside the Reds 22
@KSA Shark © (Comment 39) : Well, you would be the one to know about any law changes so are the most qualified to answer my question.
As soon as they get a ball, the Reds to feed the scrum
@klempie (Comment 41) : The only major “change” is that the refs are finally being strict on the players at the breakdown.
Rebels scrum their 22
Rebels penalty, line out, Reds 10
Rebels on Reds 22
Unbelievable. O’Connor is still only 21.
Rebels penalty, line out, 7 meters out
And they loose it, hacked through and we are back in the Rebels half
Penalty to the Reds, 1 meter inside the Rebels half, Harris going for goal, 1min to go
Well done Rebels.
Sort, hooter, Rebels attack and the pass goes out
@Franshark (Comment 50) : If they get this they deny the Rebels a losing BP. No love lost between these two teams it seems.
FULL TIME
REDS 11 – 6 REBELS
I’m still alive
To that one person who picked the Rebels on LMS.
WHAT were you thinking?
Relieve on LMS….
@KSA Shark © (Comment 56) : they obviously weren’t
Tight game, hope this shows that you can never underestimate any team in this competition. It’s brutal.