The Rebels host the Crusaders in the second game of Super Rugby this morning, with the Rebels without a few key players and the Crusaders making use of the opportunity to rest some of theirs.
The Rebels are still without James O’Connor, as well as releasing Danny Cipriani from his contract prematurely, are left with Aussie Kurtley Beale taking over the reigns at flyhalf. They have been struggling for most parts of the season, and one will not expect much from them this morning.
The Crusaders started the season a little slow, but are hitting form ahead of the International break, and just need to keep beating the teams below them to stay in the playoff zone.Richie McCaw starts his first game of the season while the likes of Ben Franks, Andy Ellis, Kieran Read and Israel Dagg sit on the bench and will be sure to make an impact later in the game, if needed.
Rebels: 1. Nic Henderson, 2. Ged Robinson, 3. Rodney Blake, 4. Cadeyrn Neville, 5. Hugh Pyle (vc), 6. Tim Davidson, 7. Michael Lipman, 8. Gareth Delve (c), 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Kurtley Beale, 11. Cooper Vuna, 12. Lachlan Mitchell, 13. Mitch Inman, 14. Mark Gerrard, 15. Julian Huxley.
Replacements: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Jono Owen, 18. Al Campbell, 19. Ryan Hodson, 20. Nic Stirzaker, 21. James Hilgendorf, 22. Stirling Mortlock.
Crusaders: 1. Wyatt Crockett 2. Corey Flynn 3. Owen Franks 4. Luke Romano 5. Samuel Whitelock 6. George Whitelock 7. Richie McCaw (C) 8. Luke Whitelock 9. Willi Heinz 10. Tom Taylor 11. Zac Guildford 12. Dan Carter (VC) 13. Robbie Fruean 14. Sean Maitland 15. Tom Marshall
Replacements : 16. Ben Funnell 17. Ben Franks 18. Tom Donnelly (Ross Kennedy) 19. Kieran Read 20. Andy Ellis 21. Ryan Crotty 22. Israel Dagg
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 1:James Leckie
Assistant Ref 2:Will Houston
TMO : Matt Goddard
OK, the most exiting part of this game will be if my FL players from the Saders be the one’s scoring the point.. Let’s hope…
Rebels into Saders 22…
For the second time the Rebels gets into the Saders 22 but it comes to nothing as the Saders turn the ball…
Rebels with a lot of possession, 5 meter scrum…
Beale doing all the play..
TMO for Rebels try….
Phipps score…
Beale to convert, over
Rebels 7 – 0 Crusaders
13 min
90% possesion for the Rebels
Rebels with 90% possession what a start for them keep it up
Penalty for the Saders at the scrum, kickable
Taylor PK
Rebels 7 – 3 Crusaders
16 min
Saders getting their hands on the ball… Up to Rebels 10..
Another penalty for the Saders, Rebels going over the ball…
Taylor PK
Rebels 7 – 6 Crusaders
19 min
Rebels starting to let themselves down with silly penalties,
Rebels 10 meter out..
Penalty, hands in on the ground…
Beale to go for post,
Over
Rebels 10 – 6 Crusaders
24 min
Vuna with a break down the side line, Rebels 10 out…
A poor pass after 10 phases gives the possesion back to the Saders….
Clearance kick and the Rebels attack again…
Turn over and the Saders right back into Rebels half,
Sam Whitelock in for the Saders first try…
Taylor conversion good..
Rebels 10 – 13 Crusaders
31 min
Crusaders with a kick and chase, good rucking and a penalty to stretch the lead
Taylor PK
Rebels 10 – 16 Crusaders
33 min
Crusaders with a scrum straight in front off the sticks…
Geez don’t think Peyper having a good game
Awards the Saders a penalty kick on HALF TIME
Rebels 10 – 19 Crusaders
Go Rebels
3 from 4 so far
@JarsonX (Comment 26) : only 3 results so far..
Rebels loose the ball 5 from the line, Saders hack it forward..
Rebels gets a penalty, Saders slowing the ball down…
Beale PK
Rebels 13 – 19 Crusaders
47 min
Score pluueeaase
G Withelock in from the side, Rebels opt for line out from the penalty…
And the Saders turn the ball over… And clearse…
Wow what a kick from Gerard..
Warning to the Saders for hands in, slowing the ball, this time the Rebels going for goal…
Rebels you can do it ,keep the pressure up. Go mortlock
Beale PK
Rebels 16 – 19 Crusaders
54 min
Mortlock on…
Saders knock from a set move…
Gerrard with another snotter of a line kick….
Read on, line out, Read down… Limping off, bad fall as his mates drop him in the line out…
Rebels down the side line, 8 meter away
And they loose it…
Gerrard with a break…
And Phipps score under the sticks…
Great try…
Rebels you stars…..game on!
Beale conversion over
Rebels 23 – 19 Crusaders
68 min
And Mortlock intercepts and scores…..
Beale conversion miss
Rebels 28 – 19 Crusaders
70 min
Saders on attack, bundeld out, 7meters away from the line…
Wat gaan aan! Do the Rebels NOT know that they are supposed to lose against the Saders…my Bru my Bru!
@Just a Fan (Comment 51) : they missed that memo… They running for dear live now….
Now that’s how you play as a team these boys are charged up, very good to see you go Rebels well done.
@spyderco (Comment 53) : seems Cipiriani leaving was a good thing…
The Rebels stealing my FL starting 15 wins here…
Can U believe it…
What’s the score and how much time is left?
1 min to go and the Saders to score twise….
18000+ fans and they going wild….
Def gonna have to watch this game later…
@Just a Fan (Comment 56) : Rebels 28 – 19 Crusaders
79 min
@Just a Fan (Comment 54) : So true what a game
Saders going for bonus point….
REBELS REBELS REBELS!!!
McCaw drops it…
ITS ALL OVER!!!!!
Rebels 28 – 19 Crusaders
FULL TIME
This was a much better game than anticipated…
Mortlock is just a guy but he lifted this team even more when he came on with 20min to go. Now this was entertainment whoop whoop!
Cheeeeetahs you can do it tooooo!!!
2 LMS eliminations in this game.
I’m surprised only 2 people picked the Crusaders.
Wonderful upset result. This is what the rather flat Super rugby needs an injection of. C’mon Cheetahs, you can do it too!
Now, the ball is entirely in the Sharks court. Win today with a bonus point and you will overtake two teams and go straight into the play-off positions, and only 1 point behind the Crusaders in 5th place.
It’s all up to you Sharks, and how much you want it. The fans want nothing less than a bonus point win over this Force rabble.
@siorc (Comment 68) : I don’t want to be counted as one of those fans.
A late season rally will see Plumtree get a stay of execution and I don’t want that.
both games this morning have gone the way the sharks would have wanted them too, maybe the tide is turning for the sharks.
It is time to start believeing and the time is now
wth …
@BR (Comment 70) : believe in? That we will once again scrape into the play-offs for Plumtree to make us suffer through yet another season in 2013?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 72) : I don’t think another scrape into 6th place will be enough to save Plumtree.
@Franshark (Comment 66) : hehehe…wishful thinking!
I pray that we win with an extra bonus point.
We need to get 5 log points from today’s game…Come on Sharks..
Don’t underestimate any team in SupeRugby.
That was unexpected…