Super time livens up a rugby bore draw

It was just as well history was made as the first Super Rugby AU super time draw was fought out, as there was little else going for it.

Marika Koroibete was strong for the Rebels before he was forced off after falling victim to a high tackle. Picture: Getty Images

It was just as well history was made as the first Super Rugby AU Super time draw was fought out by the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels on Friday at Brookvale Oval because the low-quality game wasn’t memorable for any other reason.

Full-time was just a few teasing seconds away when Rebels five-eighth Matt Toomua launched a long raking kick down the middle of the field where it was claimed by his Reds counterpart James O’Connor. Just 10 minutes earlier O’Connor had thrown the pass which Rebels centre Billy Meakes had intercepted to race away and score what looked to be the winning try, taking the Melbourne side out to an 18-8 lead.

But the Reds, who had clawed back a 74th minute penalty goal to just stay in touch, were determined to go down all guns blazing. O’Connor sprinted left after taking the catch, unloading to winger Chris Feauai-Sautia who looked to have wasted the opportunity by ignoring number eight Harry Wilson on his outside. But just as he went to ground in the tackle, he flicked the ball ambitiously into the air for another likely-looking “villain”, hooker Alex Mafi, to make up for all his errant lineout throws by pulling it in and racing away for the try.

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With O’Connor landing the simple conversion, the match was all tied up at 18-all and, under the new experimental rules in use for this Australian-only competition, that sent the game into extra time. Two five minute halves were played, with the winner the first team to score by any means.

In the end, the extra time proved to be as chaotic as the previous 80 minutes, with the only semblance of a chance coming when Bryce Hegarty missed a 50m shot at penalty goal by the narrowest of margins. He held his pose long after hitting the ball, like a golfer admiring his drive, but at the last moment it faded to the right of the posts.

For a while it seemed like the experimental rules had also allowed for “force’em back” as O’Connor and Hegarty for the Reds traded kicks with Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge and Toomua, and although the Rebels may have taken a points victory, it wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard.

Wet conditions provided the excuse for sloppy handling, 11 lineouts won by the opposition – the Rebels principally – and multiple turnovers but never was the gap in standard between Super Rugby AU and New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aotearoa more evident. The Kiwis regularly play in similar conditions without gifting their opponents the ball at virtually every turn.

One thing stayed constant throughout – the Reds scrum was dominant. But the Queenslanders shot themselves in the foot repeatedly in the first half by pushing off the mark. Still, it did mean plenty of camera time for the two personalties of the game, Rebels tighthead Pone Fa’amausili and his rival number three Taniela Tupou.

They are, as expert commentator Rod Kafer described them, “both big boppas” who could be of great use to Wallabies coach Dave Rennie later this season. Both ran the ball thunderously, with one charge by Fa’amausili evoking memories of ex-NRL prop Martin Lang. Well, it was played at a rugby league ground. That said, the man he thundered directly at, Reds lock Angus Blyth stood his ground and made a flawless tackle.

The Rebels led 6-0 at the break, from Toomua penalty goals in the 5th and 40th minutes, the second goal coming from an incident where Reds centre Hamish Stewart failed to release in the tackle and was yellow carded. No matter the Reds scored in his absence, as winger Filipo Daugunu did as he had done against the Waratahs, accepting a long ball out wide, standing his ground as the would-be tackler – Haylett-Petty – overshot and then scampered over in the corner.

But when the Rebels responded with a set piece try to Hodge from a line-out – Test winger Marika Koroibete showing he is as deft at creating a try as he is at scoring them – it was all starting to run the Rebels’ way. And when the Reds’ other centre Hunter Paisami was also yellow carded for a sloppy tackle on Koroibete which ultimately forced him off, it seemed it was all running the Rebels way. Until the two players who seemingly had dug Queensland’s grave suddenly conjured a way out.

Aside from the wrecking ball front-rowers, few players stood out, although backrower Richard Hardwick turned in a wholehearted display for the Rebels, while Harry Wilson – though again well-marked – was a constant source of inspiration for the Reds.

Still, do yourself a favour. Wipe this game from your memory.