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MELBOURNE Rebels heaped more woes on Tana Umaga’s dire Blues, who now have only the Sunwolves to see when looking over their shoulder.
It was a sloppy display by home side Blues at Eden Park, where a Billy Meakes double condemned them to defeat. It continues a woeful passage in the club’s history as they are yet to win at home in 2018 and are destined to extend their barren exile from the competition’s play-offs – seven years on from last reaching that stage.
Victory for the Rebels delivers huge momentum for their own play-off aspirations, as they enter the season’s break for the June internationals just one point below Australian Conference leaders Waratahs, who they meet at the AAMI Park in their next fixture.
The Rebels dented the Blues stronger start to the match when centre Meakes scored the first of his two tries in the 12th minute, allowing Reece Hodge to add the extras to give the visitors a 7-3 lead.
After both sides had tries ruled out by the TMO, it was the Blues who overcame the setback the quickest as Meakes’ opposite number Terrence Hepetema sold the Rebels’ defence short with a dummy to cross over in the 35th minute.
The Rebels went into half-time with a marginal advantage, however, as fullback Dane Haylett-Petty dotted down before the whistle.
Whatever instructions Umaga had for his side at the brak fell on deaf ears as the penalty count ratcheted to hamper the Blues in the second-half.
This ensured the Rebels had an easy ride holding onto their lead once Meakes finished off a move that started with a chipped-kick by Haylett-Petty, to make the score 10-17 to the Victorians.
While the Blues may have been aggrieved at having another TMO decision go against them following a ‘topuchdown’ by hooker Matt Moulds amidst a pile of bodies, the 13 penalties handed the Rebels the control they needed to win.
Speaking after his side failed to end their sixmatch losing streak at home, Umaga conceded: “It doesn’t make us feel good at all when you’re seeing fans walking out early. It’s tough.”
Things continue to go from strength-to-strength for reigning champions
Crusaders. They notched up their tenth victory on the spin by outsmarting the
Chiefs in Waikato. Richie Mo’unga was the brains behind a 34-20 win, putting in a performance that threw shade over fellow All Blacks fly-half Damian McKenzie and put him in pole position to be Beauden Barrett’s back-up come the June internationals against France.
The 24-year-old looked a threat whenever he had ball in hand and was worth more than his nine points off the kicking tee.
Showing their clinical edge from start to finish, the Crusaders took the lead within five minutes when a quick tap from hooker Codie Taylor caught the Chiefs napping and No. 8 Heiden Bedwell-Curtis went over in the corner.
Two quick-fire tries through Sean Wainui and Luke Jacobson saw the lead switch hands.
Towards the end of the first-half the missed conversions which followed those tries proved costly, as the Saders fought back through a line-out drive finished off by captain Matt Todd and a Mo’unga penalty soon afterwards to leave the score at 13-20.
Wing George Bridge then continued his hotstreak by crossing over soon after the restart for his ninth try of 2018.
But the Chiefs put up a fight to cut the deficit to seven, with former New Zealand U20 star Jacobsen bagging his second of the match after a signature Anton Lienert-Brown break, 20-27.
It took until the 77th minute for the Crusaders to blow the wind out of their opponent’s sails when lock Luke Romano burrowed over to strengthen the team’s grip on top spot to 14 points.
The Suncorp Stadium witnessed a try-scoring epic as the Waratahs beat the Reds 52-41.
In a result that saw defensive duties abandoned in this Queensland versus New South Wales clash, tries by centre Curtis Rona, No. 8 Michael Wells, wing Taqele Naiyaravoro and full-back Israel Folau gave the Waratahs a 19-28 lead at half-time.
In the 42nd minute, scrum-half Nick Phipps spun off the back of a lineout drive, finding the gap in between two defenders to score.
Folau dotted down for his second of the match, before Jake Gordon and Cam Clark took the ‘Tahs to a half-century points tally and a win which keeps them top.
The Hurricanes hopes of getting a play-off bye are looking more futile after the Highlanders downed their New Zealand rivals 30-14.
It was a twelfth straight win at home for Ash Dixon’s side, who saw Tevita Li, Aaron Smith, replacement Tyrel Lomax and Waisake Naholo all cross over to make it backto-back defeats for the ‘Canes.