Highlanders run Rebels ragged

Highlanders run Rebels ragged

30 Mar 2012

GARETH DUNCAN watched the Highlanders display an all-out attack in their 43-12 bonus-point win over the Melbourne Rebels in Invercargill.

The Highlanders’ tactical and goal kicking was poor. In fact, kicking out of hand was rarely an option taken by the hosts, even in their own territory. But their effective expansive approach laid the platform for this victory as they broke the Rebels defence on numerous occasions and crossed the chalk seven times to seal a worthy win.

Fullback Ben Smith and flank Adam Thomson were central to this success. While the former completed a brace and the latter starred with a hat-trick, they also carried the ball strongly and helped create continuous attacking momentum. No 8 Nasi Manu, hooker Jason Rutledge and flank James Haskell also deserve special mention for their contribution.

It was risky early on, with the visitors capitalising on favourable field possession and the Otago franchise’s ill-discipline and failure to hold on to the ball (they conceded possession on 14 occasions in the first half). While they struggled to find chinks in the Highlanders’ guard, they gained the lead thanks to James O’Connor boot, who found the target from all four of his penalty attempts in the first half.

The Rebels received a yellow card when Lloyd Johannson dropped Haskell awkwardly off the ball. The replays showed that referee Marius Jonker was harsh to follow through with his assistant’s advice, but the men from Melbourne weren’t punished during their one-man disadvantage as the Highlanders still struggled for continuity on attack.

Although errant in the first quarter, Jamie Josephs’ charges showed good ticker near the break to draw level at 12-12. Smith brushed off two defenders on his way to the chalk in a move that was created after a poor Kurtley Beale clearance, while Thomson touched down in the final move of the half to remove the deficit.

The Highlanders managed to hold on to their attacking ascendancy in the second half, with two quick tries after the restart – Thomson and Kade Poki on hand to give their team the lead for the first time.

The Rebels faltered against the Highlanders’ juggernaut-like offense. They persisted to kick play into the home team’s half and hoped to enforce errors, like in the first stanza, but their resolve deteriorated in the final 40 as Smith, Thomson and Jamie Mackintosh completed the rout.


51 Comments

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  • 1.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:36 am

    Cmon Rebels do the Business Dragons!

  • 2.Hoops: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:42 am

    Landers all the way. Hope they play some good rugby!!!

  • 3.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:45 am

    It’s always amazing to me how the Home games in NZ are often played in these small regional stadiums.

    This one looks like it holds maybe 5000 max,

    And there’s room to spare.

  • 4.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:46 am

    Yes go Rebels first points on the board.

  • 5.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:53 am

    oh yeah oh yeah go rebels!

  • 6.houston, we have a problem...: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:55 am

    come on rebels….

  • 7.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:58 am

    No commentary this morning guys?

  • 8.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 08:59 am

    Who got a yellow card now?

  • 9.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:00 am

    And who missed all those penalties?

  • 10.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:02 am

    Rebels 12 for a tip tackle.

  • 11.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:06 am

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-10: Thanks.

  • 12.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:07 am

    9 – 0 Rebels.

    They are dominating play at the moment.

  • 13.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:10 am

    yes go Rebels. Scoring points while you have a man in the sin bin is always a good sign you are going to win the game.

  • 14.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:10 am

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-12: Great stuff. I have them by 3 on Superbru.

  • 15.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:11 am

    Ben Smith TRY Highlanders!

    Great move.

  • 16.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:13 am

    @Sasuke(Sasuke)-14: I’ve got the highlanders. Typical.

    Although it’s down to 2 points.

  • 17.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:17 am

    Oh oh no rebels. Its ok you guys still got the lead.

  • 18.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:18 am

    Yes great come back

  • 19.Nils: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:21 am

    Another game where favourite will struggle.

  • 20.Nils: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:23 am

    Phew, try at least.

  • 21.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:27 am

    Wow what a finish to the half. Yes Adam Thompson Fox Fantasy points! Cmon Rebels i still believe you guys can pull this one out of the bag.

  • 22.HHS: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:36 am

    Thompson is a try scoring machine. :)

  • 23.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:43 am

    @HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-22: yep, in super rugby he is superb but that’s his ceiling unfortunately :cry:

  • 24.houston, we have a problem...: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:48 am

    silly rebels…

  • 25.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:51 am

    No rebels what are you doing to me!

    I am happy about Adam Thomson scoring though. It is nice Fox Fantasy points for me. Rebels can still do this.

  • 26.Beertjie: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:53 am

    The next Aussie franchise to take a 50-pointer?

  • 27.Bagel: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:55 am

    @Sasuke(Sasuke)-25: No they can’t.

  • 28.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:58 am

    @Bagel(Bagel)-27: Nooooo!

  • 29.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 09:59 am

    Mackintosh! Yes Supersport Fantasy points!

  • 30.WP Till I Die: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:00 am

    This is turning into a rout.

  • 31.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:01 am

    **** another try!

  • 32.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:02 am

    jamie joseph’s boys came to collect maximum here…

  • 33.houston, we have a problem...: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:03 am

    they really are rubble these rebels…

    could somebody please explain to me how they got a super franchise again..?….

  • 34.ufo: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:03 am

    Sheesh…

    Rebels getting thumped…

    Highlanders looking very good….

  • 35.WP Till I Die: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:09 am

    @houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-33:

    Greedy Australians, that’s how.

  • 36.ufo: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:09 am

    Rebels without applause…!

  • 37.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:13 am

    adam thompson what a player. I am getting a truckload of fantasy points because of this guy!

  • 38.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:16 am

    @Houston
    They bought a whole lot of Kiwis, and a Zimbabwean, so they could keep them in Oz long enough to qualify for the Wannabes.
    Got to look at the big picture.
    The cricket team will be heavily reliant on boat people. mostly Afghanis.

  • 39.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:19 am

    Who got a yellow card on the highlanders side?

  • 40.Bagel: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:21 am

    How did Haskell play?

  • 41.houston, we have a problem...: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:26 am

    @WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-35:
    @AiDoc(AiDoc)-38:
    ridiculous really.
    there’s more merit to the kings inclusion than there is to this bunch of palookas.

  • 42.ufo: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:29 am

    @Bagel(Bagel)-40:

    only had one eye on the game…

    couldn’t really watch individual players…

    just saw the highlanders running though the rebels with what looked like great ease…

  • 43.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:30 am

    @ufo(ufo)-36: Nice one!

  • 44.ufo: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 10:32 am

    @stormersboy(stormersboy)-43:

    :wink:

  • 45.kingcorn: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 11:01 am

    I really don’t see the point of having such a week team in the competition. Great play by the Highlanders, but it took them 40 min to get going. Any other team would have punished them.

    That is why I believe that there should be fewer teams rather than more. I hate watching games where there are no contest.

    I think they should split it into two leagues.

  • 46.pompies2: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 11:19 am

    how refreshing to see counter-attacking rugby with interplay between forwards and backs displaying phase-appropriate skills. The Thompson try after half time was a class team try. Much better than the dour manure the stormers dish out.

  • 47.Hoops: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 11:26 am

    King what are tou saying?

    They should just go back to the old system with every team playing every team once. That was the best format unill aus pulled one over saru

  • 48.kingcorn: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 12:01 pm

    That is exactly what I’m saying, go back to fewer teams and let the best team slog it out. Non of this conference rubbish. I remember in the super 12 when the team in 12th position can beat the team number 1 team.

    In the past I had more of patriotic approach to the competition, meaning I would watch all of the SA teams slog it out against the foreign teams, but now I only want my team win. I use to hate bulls being a WP man, but ened up shouting for them just so that an SA team can win the dam thing. Now that doesn’t matter anymore. Your team has to win his conference and end up top of the league to have a chance. It doesn’t matter if you end up 3rd in the league and 2nd in your conference.

    Yep, NZ and SA let that one slip through their fingers.

  • 49.ufo: Reply to this comment
    30 Mar 2012, 12:16 pm

    @kingcorn(kingcorn)-48:

    yeah… i’m with you on this absolutely…

    pity SARU can’t see further than their noses and allowed aussie to dictate a deal that guarantees them a playoff – no matter what…

    sure.. it also guarantees sa and nz a top 3 slot… but hell… if our teams aren’t good enough, they shouldn’t get a slot…

    as you say… let them slog it out for top honors…

  • 50.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    31 Mar 2012, 03:56 am

    Highlanders scared everyone away.?

    @kingcorn(kingcorn)-48:
    Whats the odds of having an all Nz Super Final?

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