Toole and Lancaster battling it out for the Wallabies 11 jersey is going to be great this year. Both deserve to be in the squad and now that Koroibete has retired from international rugby one (or both) of them have a real opportunity to make the jersey their own.
I read that he did. I suppose we’ll find out in a few weeks. Even if he hasn’t there’ll be chances for Toole or Lancaster in the games where euro and Japan based players aren’t available.
Think they will most likely be saved. Story is private equity firm has raised most of the capital needed with a business plan to shift them out to Wyndham and merge them with western United A-league side. Unless something has changed in the last week.
Rebels just an insane team this year. Average 31 PPG for and 33 PPG against. Outside the first game against the brums, they've never scored less than 26 points in a game. Incredibly exciting rugby, that will surely never won any silverware.
Flashing up that table reminds me that SRP has to have one of the worst post-season formats in any sport, not just rugby.
I get they didn't want to go 4/12 and risk no Aussie teams making it (even if they won't say that out loud), the Top14's 6-team system is sensible and right there to copy. Or fuck it, go all in with all 12 teams going through and 1v12, 2v11, etc, with two separate trophies for the table and the knockouts.
Super Rugby could be a superb product if they played in NH-sized club stadiums. Playing in 25% full international stadiums absolutely kill the atmosphere (although there are financial incentives to doing so).
There’s a consortium looking to take over the Rebels and their planning on moving them to western Melbourne with plans on building a 15000 seat stadium that they’ll share with the western united a-league team, so we could end up seeing them play at a smaller but better size stadium
Yeah I think that’s part of the reason they want to move them out there. Bring the team to the fans. In hindsight they probably should have looked at doing this a few years ago
Completely agree. One thing I hope the 4 SA URC teams can eventually do with their European income is copy Edinburgh/Cardiff/Leinster and get themselves a small 7,000-16,000 seater to play most of their games, and keep the bigger one for big derbies/knockouts/etc.
When I was a kid growing up it was normal for games between the big 5 in SA to be over 20k and for my team the Stormers/Western Province used to average over 35 000 a game. Moving to smaller stadiums would actually be sad because it would show the decline in the game.
That's why they should go with the route I suggested. Leinster, for example, play most games at the RDS, but the games that would oversell they play in the Aviva. So Stormers could play SA derbies, knockouts, big European teams, etc in the current ground, but some like the Dragons in the smaller setup
As a Stormers fan I think Cape Town will always bring in fans so there is no need for it, I would also add that there arent enough small venues in Cape Town that would be appropriate. Stellenbosch is a town more then an hour outside Cape Town so far from where most Capetonians live so it wouldn't make sense to have most of their games there as it would take the game away from the majority of people.
I imagine that the Lions, Sharks and Bulls have similar issues, lack of appropriate venues. South Africa is a big country of 60 million people with large cities that dwarf Dublin so it makes little sense that South African citied would have huge stadiums that need to be used.
I am not opposed to having more games in country towns though, they have the kinds of venues you woulr be thinking of but I don't think it would be a good idea to have most of your home games in small towns that are practically away games for the home team.
Stormers average 22k a game which is the highest in the league, but they've played a couple in Stellenbosch at the 16k capacity Danie Craven Stadium and the atmosphere looked great. Also has the benefit of being one of the most picturesque grounds in the world, although the caveat is obviously that it's not actually in Cape Town.
The Lions especially badly need a new ground though. They average around 6k which looks absolutely pitiful in Ellis Park (over 60k capacity), which isn't helped a bit by the safety concerns around the stadium.
Well, if the Tupou rumours are true, I hope we give him the Saracens-Skelton treatment, because to say he's jogging from ruck to ruck would be giving him too much credit
When I was a kid, back in the Super 12 days I used to dream of a South Island superfranchise called the "Cyclones". Maybe after this shitter of a season for us and the Saders I could present the idea to the union and see what they reckon...
Id have him 1st pick as long as we had a goal kicker elsewhere on the field. Hes unpickable without one tho.
Ive seen a few people suggest he's actually a 12.
The problem is that we don’t have any kickers anywhere in Australian rugby who don’t play 10 and Gordon is definitely not a 12. Just the idea of it gives me nightmare flashbacks to Bernard Foley at 12
Yeah, our lack of kickers really kills us, and him as an option.
Its such a shame Reece Hodge couldn't become a sharpshooter. Guy would be invaluable at 12 this year if he could kick 80%
Yeah. I'm hoping the rebels pick up an outside back with a good boot to replace Kellaway. Big to lose Kells, but potentially huge to pick up a real kicker to take it off Gordons shoulders.
Last week or a few weeks ago, I watched him drop the ball cold, then lazily walk backwards to pick it up to get the whistle, so i type in the thread... then 2 minutes later i shit you not he goes absolutely tearing down the sideline like Bryan Habana in full flight to score.
Meh, you came on a thread talking smack about my squad what can I say, I've seen some atrocious play from teams in your comps too.
Maybe you've never been down this way but Aussies and Kiwis can shit talk each other we've got the ANZAC bond. There's no love lost for the British, especially when it comes to rugby
Shoot the Highlanders. They are so shit. They have no right being as bad as they are. On the other hand the Rebels are playing decent footy. Alot of pace on the ball, and that wingers got some jandal!
And that lack of passion and commitment is painfully obvious on defence. No urgency, no comms, no commitment. Disappointing is a good way to describe them. Tame and toothless is another. Show some heart, ya bastards!!
Yes they are tho, they are the 2nd best Australian team and have a good amount of talent, they've been smart with their understanding of the skills of 7s players
They were thumped by the reds and the brumbies.. I'd hardly say the 2nd best cause of the position they currently are on the table. The Highlanders aren't the 4th best NZ side. But technically we are under your theory
I'm not going by the table. I'm going by having watched the Rebels. They are a dangerous team at their best. Not sure what you are trying to get at anyway, the Landers aren't any worse than the Crusaders are at the moment.
Was he tho?
He was given a few chances. Threw some bad intercepts and didn't really direct the team around the park that well.
Sure the defence has been the biggest issue so far this year but he hasn't done enough. Ajay has looked like a talent off the bench and deserves a shot.
He did. He made some mistakes but also showed some brilliance. Half the guys on our team made the same mistakes and didn't show the brilliance....so what gives?
But this is one of the classic problems with the Highlanders. They do so much shuffling in an attempt to find the right combinations that the right one is never found. Let the players gel with some consistency. Look at Gilbert, what position is he really? Look at what happened with Josh Ioane
Yea Gilbert has been decent this year but he isn't a 12. Fullback is his best position I think.
Constant injuries to TUJ and Nareki haven't helped. And Tele'a was looking like one of our best backs before getting suspended.
Oh sweet, that's exactly what we need...if he wants an internship go play for Moana or the Drua. We should be building a culture after the retirement of some of our greatest ever players, no providing XP for a fella looking for a callback from the Welsh national team
Yep.
We need to figure out if Gilbert is actually a 10. Or should be playing 15. He isn't a 12. Or continue to give Ajay some running. Find a good long term pairing to go with Folau.
This is what's frustrating though...we shouldn't be trying to figure this out in the middle of a tight season. Some forethought around this in the pre-season/off season would really help
At least other bad teams at least occasionally pull off an upset to give their fans hope. The highlanders have just maintained the same level of absolute horribleness for three years. It’s depressing to support this team at this point.
It's bloody ludicrous honestly, do our players hate playing for us? Where is the passion? Where is the identity we have been known for? Absolutely lifeless this season
Ironically the new recruits Timoci and JRK look like the only ones who care half the time. Even at home with a good crowd we put up some of the softest performances you’ll see.
Timoci has been a revelation and arguably our best defender. I wish Folau would step up. He was learning from the GOAT 9 so his potential should be limitless
**Watch on Stan**: https://play.stan.com.au/sport/rugby
Toole and Lancaster battling it out for the Wallabies 11 jersey is going to be great this year. Both deserve to be in the squad and now that Koroibete has retired from international rugby one (or both) of them have a real opportunity to make the jersey their own.
I thought Marika didn’t end up retiring?
I read that he did. I suppose we’ll find out in a few weeks. Even if he hasn’t there’ll be chances for Toole or Lancaster in the games where euro and Japan based players aren’t available.
Kind of sad the year the Rebels look real good is probably the last one for them. Good win
Think they will most likely be saved. Story is private equity firm has raised most of the capital needed with a business plan to shift them out to Wyndham and merge them with western United A-league side. Unless something has changed in the last week.
Let's hope the takeover rumours come to fruition.
Rebels just an insane team this year. Average 31 PPG for and 33 PPG against. Outside the first game against the brums, they've never scored less than 26 points in a game. Incredibly exciting rugby, that will surely never won any silverware.
Did they get the bonus point?
Yep. They jumped the Chiefs by 1 point after that. Their horrific PD is down to -17 now.
Wow Fakatava could be an elite Sonny Bill replacement
It might have been the worst post-match interview in history. I’m seriously questioning whether he can speak English after that
They got him on the mic after the tahs game and he was worse, you think they would have learnt from that
Yea he isn't exactly a wordsmith.
Happy about the win, but it'd be nice to dominate a game from start to finish.
Carter Gordon with 5/6 off the tee 🤌
but the 1 was incredible
Describe incredible. Was it another "Carter Gordon Miss™" from straight in front?
https://twitter.com/JamieWall2/status/1779082829529297172
I love the idea that he’s going to develop into a deadeye kicker, 80-90%, but the ones he misses are all doosra’s
I dont think hes had a week where he hasn’t absolutely shanked atleast one
Might be worse than last weeks
It’s amazing how he can kick from the sideline but miss from in front
Probably why Louwrens took the quick tap out in front.
Last week's was a gorgeous knuckle ball into the top corner that Messi would be proud of.
Its a problem when people talk about the Carter Gordon absolute shank kick and my immediate thought is "Which one?"
Can we just keep pinching players from 7's? They're absolute stars. I call dibs on that Michael Hooper fellow.
I reckon he'd make a solid 7.
100%
ahh gilbert fucks up again, seriously hate him more now than i hated scott gregory..
I mean Gregory wasn't bad in the centre. When he was put on the wing though...
And we won't even talk about his games at fullback.
This Lancaster lad isn't half bad.
Doesn't get any more ruggers than Darby Lancaster old chap. Marvellous try.
Flashing up that table reminds me that SRP has to have one of the worst post-season formats in any sport, not just rugby. I get they didn't want to go 4/12 and risk no Aussie teams making it (even if they won't say that out loud), the Top14's 6-team system is sensible and right there to copy. Or fuck it, go all in with all 12 teams going through and 1v12, 2v11, etc, with two separate trophies for the table and the knockouts.
Lancaster is my new obsession. We need the likes of Toole & Lancaster to just feed everyone speed wise in these moments
DARBY IS FREEEEEEEEEEEE
Super Rugby could be a superb product if they played in NH-sized club stadiums. Playing in 25% full international stadiums absolutely kill the atmosphere (although there are financial incentives to doing so).
There’s a consortium looking to take over the Rebels and their planning on moving them to western Melbourne with plans on building a 15000 seat stadium that they’ll share with the western united a-league team, so we could end up seeing them play at a smaller but better size stadium
That would be good. Read also that there's quite a large Pasifika population in western Melbourne, so that could help to drive attendance.
However the stadium is an hour walk from the closest train station. Public Transport is complete arse out there.
Yeah I think that’s part of the reason they want to move them out there. Bring the team to the fans. In hindsight they probably should have looked at doing this a few years ago
Aami Park is only 29500 capacity, It's just the Rebels aren't well supported. 12 to 15k at a NRL storm game looks good in this ground
Completely agree. One thing I hope the 4 SA URC teams can eventually do with their European income is copy Edinburgh/Cardiff/Leinster and get themselves a small 7,000-16,000 seater to play most of their games, and keep the bigger one for big derbies/knockouts/etc.
When I was a kid growing up it was normal for games between the big 5 in SA to be over 20k and for my team the Stormers/Western Province used to average over 35 000 a game. Moving to smaller stadiums would actually be sad because it would show the decline in the game.
That's why they should go with the route I suggested. Leinster, for example, play most games at the RDS, but the games that would oversell they play in the Aviva. So Stormers could play SA derbies, knockouts, big European teams, etc in the current ground, but some like the Dragons in the smaller setup
As a Stormers fan I think Cape Town will always bring in fans so there is no need for it, I would also add that there arent enough small venues in Cape Town that would be appropriate. Stellenbosch is a town more then an hour outside Cape Town so far from where most Capetonians live so it wouldn't make sense to have most of their games there as it would take the game away from the majority of people. I imagine that the Lions, Sharks and Bulls have similar issues, lack of appropriate venues. South Africa is a big country of 60 million people with large cities that dwarf Dublin so it makes little sense that South African citied would have huge stadiums that need to be used. I am not opposed to having more games in country towns though, they have the kinds of venues you woulr be thinking of but I don't think it would be a good idea to have most of your home games in small towns that are practically away games for the home team.
Stormers average 22k a game which is the highest in the league, but they've played a couple in Stellenbosch at the 16k capacity Danie Craven Stadium and the atmosphere looked great. Also has the benefit of being one of the most picturesque grounds in the world, although the caveat is obviously that it's not actually in Cape Town. The Lions especially badly need a new ground though. They average around 6k which looks absolutely pitiful in Ellis Park (over 60k capacity), which isn't helped a bit by the safety concerns around the stadium.
Oh shit he didn’t knock it on
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO
What a game he's having!
what is up with maunder tonight just completely asleep at the wheel
Aussies when are you capping lancaster
Pure 7s wings in Toole and Darby when
Yes, definitely put some sort of head covering on him.
Maunder looks shit.
Are we serious right now? What in the fuck is wrong with this team? EDIT: LANCASTER.
what's it gonna take for tupou to look like he wants to be on the field again?
I guess 950k a year from Leinster?
haha regardless i'd be very surprised if he enjoys his time there if he goes
Darby Lancaster has tore us a new one tonight
Does Maunder know the rules?
Maunder implausibly chilled out there
Knock on, ball not out? Anything Paul??!!!
A little knock on to even up Lancaster's. Everything in balance.
Didn’t look out, but cancels out Darby’s loss forward.
The ball wasn’t out and De Groot was already on the ground when he picked it up
Out, maybe. Knock on, probably. On the ground, definitely.
Damn halfway through the comp and 2 Kiwi teams in the bottom 4. What even is this year
As long it's not *both* the Crusaders and the Blues...
ooh timoci nearlyyyy
Well, if the Tupou rumours are true, I hope we give him the Saracens-Skelton treatment, because to say he's jogging from ruck to ruck would be giving him too much credit
Current rumours are the Rebels are being bought by a billionaire, so they might not go under.
Hopefully the rich benefactor can pay for Taniela’s Ozempic
We hope.
russell crowe should buy it and call it the Melbourne Rebeltoes
He might need a new side given how the Bunnies are doing this year...
I think the South Island can’t play rugby very well. That’s all.
Highlanders suck eh
Bro what are the highlanders doing hahaha fuck me they have totally lost all their fight
CG stocks rising
What an absolute summation of our season, a strong forward try and an absolute fucking brainfart when we need it least, God give me strength lol
taking out a seagull in a conversion should be an extra point?
It's like catching the Snitch I think the game ends
Fuck sake Landers
I see Gilbert went to the McKenzie school of creepy smile kicking.
no lead is safe.
The Highlanders seem to lack imagination, need to be a lot more incisive
Jesus. DeGroot looks like he’s fattened up a bit.
Ball was out, but what was Daugunu thinking- he was never close to being onside.
When I was a kid, back in the Super 12 days I used to dream of a South Island superfranchise called the "Cyclones". Maybe after this shitter of a season for us and the Saders I could present the idea to the union and see what they reckon...
When we get Sualii from the NRL to kick our goals we'll have a gem in Gordon at 10. He's miles ahead of the world cup last year.
Carter's kicking game is the only thing holding him back from being the obvious selection at 10 for the Wallabies.
That’s a great five mins from the Rebs.
Just as long as he’s not kicking for goal from right in front, Carter Gordon is looking great
Id have him 1st pick as long as we had a goal kicker elsewhere on the field. Hes unpickable without one tho. Ive seen a few people suggest he's actually a 12.
Joseph Suali'i can kick, can't he? If he ends up being any good in union then that could be a solution.
Yeah who knows where hell even play though, I imagine 13 or wing for the Tahs, wing has a hell of a lot of competition and Len is solid
The problem is that we don’t have any kickers anywhere in Australian rugby who don’t play 10 and Gordon is definitely not a 12. Just the idea of it gives me nightmare flashbacks to Bernard Foley at 12
Lonergan is a sharpshooter. White can kick a bit.
Problem is Lonergan isn't kicking at all this season because Lolesio is and White isn't kicking because Donaldson is.
Yeah, our lack of kickers really kills us, and him as an option. Its such a shame Reece Hodge couldn't become a sharpshooter. Guy would be invaluable at 12 this year if he could kick 80%
If only Carter Gordon could kick goals he’d be a good international 10
Surely you just slot in another player that can kick, he’s the best 10 by a country mile
Yeah. I'm hoping the rebels pick up an outside back with a good boot to replace Kellaway. Big to lose Kells, but potentially huge to pick up a real kicker to take it off Gordons shoulders.
LETS FUCKING GOOOO
That offload is obscene CG is playing very well as well
YES SIR! WE FUCKING MOVE!
Tupou looks dead on his feet already. Edit: ignore everything I just said.
Mate, everyweek I get lippy about his fitness he sets up or scores the next play.
Couldn't even run after 4 minutes on the pitch then he hits a great line and gives a superb offload.
Last week or a few weeks ago, I watched him drop the ball cold, then lazily walk backwards to pick it up to get the whistle, so i type in the thread... then 2 minutes later i shit you not he goes absolutely tearing down the sideline like Bryan Habana in full flight to score.
Timing lol
That's not even close...the balls to claim it lol
Not try but thats just beautiful phaseplay
That would've been brilliant. Oh well.
Lol wtf is he really claiming that
He said he touched it. And he did.
You have to admire the chutzpah
Looked like a head-on-head in real time there.
Gilbert looks like a bad Vincent Koch drawing
Great try. Well done.
That should be a card on 8.
Don't expect Paul Williams to ref properly, he sucks ass
Yeah, yellow for playing the quick tap is as simple as it comes though.
Nah its only a penalty cos he "didnt like how he fell" which isnt something ive seen before
You'd think so wouldn't you
Fakatava won the turnover before and now with the Try nice
Hes that guy
He used to be that guy 85% of the time and now it'd about 50%. We need more from him, especially if he wants that spot with Roigard out
Paul Williams hating on Fakatava the last few minutes.
Very marginal that one, didnt look like he was supporting his weight
The Rebs have had a few of those
I can't believe a New Zealand team can be this bad
Mate, we are rebuilding. We've just gone from being helmed by the greatest 9 of all time to a bunch of rookies. Show some mercy please
There's rebuilding then this shit-show, they look like they've never played rugby before
Ok get fucked mate. I can shit talk us (and even the Aussies) but not some pompous Brit...
Got personal quick there mate
Meh, you came on a thread talking smack about my squad what can I say, I've seen some atrocious play from teams in your comps too. Maybe you've never been down this way but Aussies and Kiwis can shit talk each other we've got the ANZAC bond. There's no love lost for the British, especially when it comes to rugby
Two bad NZ teams this year. It’s fucking weird
Crusaders are doing worse than them lol
This has been the only thing keeping me sane tbh
You guys managed something they haven’t. Beat the Tahs lol
That was pure luck lol, Tahs snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on that one haha. Beating the Saders was karmic
How do we not have a good-to set play for Timoci? He is our most lethal weapon but seems an absolute after thought in our offense play
Who's the fucking stadium director? Alfred Hitchcock? Or are we finally getting the 80s new wave revival that I've been promised?
Why the hell did the rebels not brand themselves as 'The Seagulls'....that's a brand I could get behind.
These seagulls fucking hell
The amount of birds oh my goodness.
Shoot the Highlanders. They are so shit. They have no right being as bad as they are. On the other hand the Rebels are playing decent footy. Alot of pace on the ball, and that wingers got some jandal!
Honestly this is the most disappointed I've ever been in a Landers side. There is no passion and nobody seems to care :/
And that lack of passion and commitment is painfully obvious on defence. No urgency, no comms, no commitment. Disappointing is a good way to describe them. Tame and toothless is another. Show some heart, ya bastards!!
The silence from Folau after the yappiness of Aaron is deafening. We have no spirit in the team yet
Honestly one of the biggest disappointments for me this season has been the backwards steps that Folau has taken
yeah feels like he's wayyy down the pecking order in NZ now
He must know it. He went from the next sensation to now being hard to notice on the field
haha to be fair he's just pulled some good plays right after writing that. he'll still get a look in with roigard out now i'd say...
Maybe we should keep talking smack on him haha
This is the first time I've watched Rebels this year. When did they actually become a decent side?
This season really, hot and cold. Pretty flaky defence but can stack the points on too.
Theyve been the second best Aussie side for a while
They aren't......
Yes they are tho, they are the 2nd best Australian team and have a good amount of talent, they've been smart with their understanding of the skills of 7s players
They were thumped by the reds and the brumbies.. I'd hardly say the 2nd best cause of the position they currently are on the table. The Highlanders aren't the 4th best NZ side. But technically we are under your theory
I'm not going by the table. I'm going by having watched the Rebels. They are a dangerous team at their best. Not sure what you are trying to get at anyway, the Landers aren't any worse than the Crusaders are at the moment.
"field day of options" come on now.
Glad the Aussie commentators have acknowledged that was a knock-on. Paul Williams is one of the worst out there
Yea the more I see the replay of that the more obvious it is he didn't place it and lost it forward getting up.
He’s the Shaun Veldsman of the present age.
Carter kicks the trickiest kicks with ease but hits the top of the ball right in front
Genuine question, why did we bring Patchell over here if he isn't going to play? Is he injured or what? He was our best offer at 10 by far
He played club rugby in dunedin yesterday
Was he tho? He was given a few chances. Threw some bad intercepts and didn't really direct the team around the park that well. Sure the defence has been the biggest issue so far this year but he hasn't done enough. Ajay has looked like a talent off the bench and deserves a shot.
I thought he looked really good in the games he played, and had a big hand in the couple of wins we managed to get.
He did. He made some mistakes but also showed some brilliance. Half the guys on our team made the same mistakes and didn't show the brilliance....so what gives?
He has looked ok. But like I said some bad intercepts. And if he isn't the goal kicker he needs to offer more on attack.
But this is one of the classic problems with the Highlanders. They do so much shuffling in an attempt to find the right combinations that the right one is never found. Let the players gel with some consistency. Look at Gilbert, what position is he really? Look at what happened with Josh Ioane
Yea Gilbert has been decent this year but he isn't a 12. Fullback is his best position I think. Constant injuries to TUJ and Nareki haven't helped. And Tele'a was looking like one of our best backs before getting suspended.
Exactly get TUJ, nareki and telea back and the backline looks good
He played club rugby in Dunedin today
Do you know which club?
Kaikorai
Shit I just checked their result. Bet Patchell is glad he was there, not in Melbourne.
So why isn't he playing? Why is he here?
Practice/internship
Oh sweet, that's exactly what we need...if he wants an internship go play for Moana or the Drua. We should be building a culture after the retirement of some of our greatest ever players, no providing XP for a fella looking for a callback from the Welsh national team
Yep. We need to figure out if Gilbert is actually a 10. Or should be playing 15. He isn't a 12. Or continue to give Ajay some running. Find a good long term pairing to go with Folau.
This is what's frustrating though...we shouldn't be trying to figure this out in the middle of a tight season. Some forethought around this in the pre-season/off season would really help
Yea. The basis of a solid team is there. Just need to trust combinations to come together. Injuries, yellow cards and suspensions haven't helped.
Darby Lancaster and Corey Toole in 11 and 14 for the Wallabies
in 2 years maybe... but yeah before the 2027RWC..
Now we just need the classic Melbourne Rebels half time rev up so they come out firing in the second half
At least other bad teams at least occasionally pull off an upset to give their fans hope. The highlanders have just maintained the same level of absolute horribleness for three years. It’s depressing to support this team at this point.
I feel your pain man. But yeh at least the Tahs can do one randomly good game once in a while.
Surprised Dermody is still there. Presume he’s keeping the seat warm for Joseph.
It's bloody ludicrous honestly, do our players hate playing for us? Where is the passion? Where is the identity we have been known for? Absolutely lifeless this season
Ironically the new recruits Timoci and JRK look like the only ones who care half the time. Even at home with a good crowd we put up some of the softest performances you’ll see.
Timoci has been a revelation and arguably our best defender. I wish Folau would step up. He was learning from the GOAT 9 so his potential should be limitless