Oracle of Delphi
KC Hill
Denise Gabbard
Paladin
Craig HillSuper 14 Round Three Results
March 1st 2009 21:01
The Queensland Reds have opened their account for the 2009 Investec Super 14, concluding the third round with a 22-3 win over the Cheetahs of South Africa in Brisbane this afternoon.
A frantic but at times scrappy contest, which was played in temperatures that hovered around the 33 degree mark, saw the Reds score three tries but miss out on at least four other try-scoring opportunities as they were denied an additional bonus point.
Queensland led 7-3 at halftime, finally cracking the Cheetahs’ defence in the 25th minute when former Canberra Raider rugby league star Mark McLinden crossed for his first Super Rugby try.
That represented a relatively disappointing return for a half where the Reds dominated, but were guilty of taking short cuts, when showing more patience on the ball may have reaped greater returns.
A breakout 60 metre try after halftime kicked the Reds 15-3 clear. They then had a try from the best movement of the game, which was completed when Quade Cooper cross-kicked for Hugh McMeniman, ruled out for an earlier infringement by Cooper.
The Reds eventually got a third try, when quick thinking from lock Van Humphries set up Peter Hynes in the 76th minute, but both sides were literally exhausted by the end, which came with Queensland 22-3 to the good, but still one try short of a five-championship point return.
While the Reds first win of the campaign snapped a six-game losing run in the competition dating back to April last year, round three saw the Brumbies slump to their first loss of the campaign, beaten 25-16 by a plucky Western Force side in Canberra last night.
Qantas Wallabies winger Cameron Shepherd provided the star turn for the visitors, becoming just the second Western Australian player to score three tries in a Super Rugby match, but it was the Brumbies-bound flyhalf Matt Giteau who orchestrated the result, as the Force scored four tries to one.
The Qantas Wallabies star controlled the game for the visitors, providing the Force with a level of depth and variation in attack that the Brumbies couldn’t match.
The Brumbies led 9-8 at the mid-point, and then closed to 16-20 with a penalty try as the game entered its dying stages, but had their hopes finally killed off when Shepherd ran in his third try.
The win was just the Force’s third from 10 against Australian sides in Super Rugby, while it was just the second time from 16 Super Rugby games against Australian sides in Canberra that the Brumbies had lost!
The third weekend had opened across the Tasman on Friday night with the end of another long-standing run of outs.
In this instance, the Hurricanes recorded just their fourth win from 18 games, and their first in Christchurch since 2001, against the Crusaders.
The visitors, who were snapping a seven-game losing streak against the South Islanders, held off a furious late rally from the defending champions, lasting to win 30-24, after they had forged to a 30-12 advantage an hour into the contest.
All Black midfielder Ma’a Nonu, who scored one of the Hurricanes’ three tries, was a constant menace for a Crusaders outfit that was further hindered by injuries which have placed the future involvement of centre Casey Laulala and winger Kade Poki in doubt.
Laulala, who is the competition’s joint leading try-scorer with four, grabbed one of them in the match, as the Crusaders scored four tries to claim two bonus points for a mid-table position.
The unbeaten Waratahs also scored four tries later in the evening, allowing skipper Phil Waugh to celebrate his 100th Super Rugby appearance in style with a 34-16 win over the Highlanders at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Waugh became the 13th Australian, and the 23rd player in Super Rugby, to make a century of appearances in the competition.
He was joined in the hundred club 24 hours later by Blues veteran Justin Collins, who also celebrated in style after the Auckland-based side rounded out its three-match tour with a gutsy 14-8 win over the Stormers at Cape Town.
The Blues return to Auckland having taken 10 points on the road, which represents a more than satisfactory start for new coach Pat Lam.
Coming off the franchise’s worst ever loss a week earlier, where the Blues had leaked seven tries to the Bulls, the New Zealanders’ defensive work improved immeasurably as they shared a try apiece with the Stormers.
The two sides were tied 8-8 at halftime, but Blues winger Paul Williams kicked the only points of the second spell with two penalty goals to get his side home.
Williams, who had never been a first choice goal-kicker prior to this year, scored all of his team’s points.
The Stormers’ defeat, which dropped them to a one-win, two-loss, record thus far; pushed them further behind the three unbeaten sides; the Sharks, Bulls and NSW Waratahs.
Although they were denied a bonus point for the first time in three outings, the Bulls were satisfied with the four log points gained from a hard fought 16-9 win over local rivals, the Lions, in Johannesburg.
The Bulls worked to a 16-0 halftime advantage, scoring the only try of the game through in-form No 8 Pierre Spies, then held firm in the second half as the Lions rallied to close to within seven via three penalty goals.
The result maintained the Bulls’ position at the head of the standings, on point’s differentials over the Waratahs, with the Sharks moving to third after they inflicted a third straight defeat on the Chiefs at Hamilton.
Played in wet conditions, the Sharks scored three tries to two, although they were forced to fight off a determined late charge from the home side, which saw them three times denied by the match officials in their quest for tries.
A frantic but at times scrappy contest, which was played in temperatures that hovered around the 33 degree mark, saw the Reds score three tries but miss out on at least four other try-scoring opportunities as they were denied an additional bonus point.
Queensland led 7-3 at halftime, finally cracking the Cheetahs’ defence in the 25th minute when former Canberra Raider rugby league star Mark McLinden crossed for his first Super Rugby try.
That represented a relatively disappointing return for a half where the Reds dominated, but were guilty of taking short cuts, when showing more patience on the ball may have reaped greater returns.
A breakout 60 metre try after halftime kicked the Reds 15-3 clear. They then had a try from the best movement of the game, which was completed when Quade Cooper cross-kicked for Hugh McMeniman, ruled out for an earlier infringement by Cooper.
The Reds eventually got a third try, when quick thinking from lock Van Humphries set up Peter Hynes in the 76th minute, but both sides were literally exhausted by the end, which came with Queensland 22-3 to the good, but still one try short of a five-championship point return.
While the Reds first win of the campaign snapped a six-game losing run in the competition dating back to April last year, round three saw the Brumbies slump to their first loss of the campaign, beaten 25-16 by a plucky Western Force side in Canberra last night.
Qantas Wallabies winger Cameron Shepherd provided the star turn for the visitors, becoming just the second Western Australian player to score three tries in a Super Rugby match, but it was the Brumbies-bound flyhalf Matt Giteau who orchestrated the result, as the Force scored four tries to one.
The Qantas Wallabies star controlled the game for the visitors, providing the Force with a level of depth and variation in attack that the Brumbies couldn’t match.
The Brumbies led 9-8 at the mid-point, and then closed to 16-20 with a penalty try as the game entered its dying stages, but had their hopes finally killed off when Shepherd ran in his third try.
The win was just the Force’s third from 10 against Australian sides in Super Rugby, while it was just the second time from 16 Super Rugby games against Australian sides in Canberra that the Brumbies had lost!
The third weekend had opened across the Tasman on Friday night with the end of another long-standing run of outs.
In this instance, the Hurricanes recorded just their fourth win from 18 games, and their first in Christchurch since 2001, against the Crusaders.
The visitors, who were snapping a seven-game losing streak against the South Islanders, held off a furious late rally from the defending champions, lasting to win 30-24, after they had forged to a 30-12 advantage an hour into the contest.
All Black midfielder Ma’a Nonu, who scored one of the Hurricanes’ three tries, was a constant menace for a Crusaders outfit that was further hindered by injuries which have placed the future involvement of centre Casey Laulala and winger Kade Poki in doubt.
Laulala, who is the competition’s joint leading try-scorer with four, grabbed one of them in the match, as the Crusaders scored four tries to claim two bonus points for a mid-table position.
The unbeaten Waratahs also scored four tries later in the evening, allowing skipper Phil Waugh to celebrate his 100th Super Rugby appearance in style with a 34-16 win over the Highlanders at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Waugh became the 13th Australian, and the 23rd player in Super Rugby, to make a century of appearances in the competition.
He was joined in the hundred club 24 hours later by Blues veteran Justin Collins, who also celebrated in style after the Auckland-based side rounded out its three-match tour with a gutsy 14-8 win over the Stormers at Cape Town.
The Blues return to Auckland having taken 10 points on the road, which represents a more than satisfactory start for new coach Pat Lam.
Coming off the franchise’s worst ever loss a week earlier, where the Blues had leaked seven tries to the Bulls, the New Zealanders’ defensive work improved immeasurably as they shared a try apiece with the Stormers.
The two sides were tied 8-8 at halftime, but Blues winger Paul Williams kicked the only points of the second spell with two penalty goals to get his side home.
Williams, who had never been a first choice goal-kicker prior to this year, scored all of his team’s points.
The Stormers’ defeat, which dropped them to a one-win, two-loss, record thus far; pushed them further behind the three unbeaten sides; the Sharks, Bulls and NSW Waratahs.
Although they were denied a bonus point for the first time in three outings, the Bulls were satisfied with the four log points gained from a hard fought 16-9 win over local rivals, the Lions, in Johannesburg.
The Bulls worked to a 16-0 halftime advantage, scoring the only try of the game through in-form No 8 Pierre Spies, then held firm in the second half as the Lions rallied to close to within seven via three penalty goals.
The result maintained the Bulls’ position at the head of the standings, on point’s differentials over the Waratahs, with the Sharks moving to third after they inflicted a third straight defeat on the Chiefs at Hamilton.
Played in wet conditions, the Sharks scored three tries to two, although they were forced to fight off a determined late charge from the home side, which saw them three times denied by the match officials in their quest for tries.
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