Melbourne Rebels win first match.

[nickdnz]

The Melbourne Rebels, playing their first ever match, have defeated Tonga 43-13 at Olympic Park.

The pre-season match, the maiden game of first class rugby played in the Southern Hemisphere for 2011, was the debut outing for the 15th Super Rugby team.

Played at Olympic Park, in front of a crowd of 8,123, the Melbourne Rebels proudly closed the curtain on one of the cities oldest grounds, due to be redeveloped in the coming months.

It was a warm humid night of about 25 degrees, and the ground showed signs of heavy rain in recent days.

Played over four quarters, Tonga showed real mettle in the early stages, actually leading 13-12 at one stage.

Coach Rod Macqueen actually rotated his entire team in the second half, and in a ominous sign for the 'first half' players, the Rebels fired in the final stages of the match.

They scored 40 seconds after the halftime restart.

The Rebels came back strongly as the game progressed, scoring almost at will, as Cooper Vuna (former Auckland school rep, NZ Warrior and Newcastle Knight) particularly impressed with a hat-trick.

Scrumhalf Richard Kingi, a former Queensland Red, also directed traffic well coming on in the second half.

The two teams will play again in Morwell on Friday night.

More details to follow...

Melbourne Rebels 43
Tries: Cooper Vuna 3, Afusipa Taumoepeau, JP du Plessis, Lachlan Mitchell, Peter Betham
Conversions: James Hilgendorf 2, Danny Cipriani, Richard Kingi

Tonga 13
Tries: Taumei Hikila; penalties Viliami Hakalo 2
Conversions: Hakalo

Halftime: 12-13 (Tonga)

Melbourne Rebels (from): Peter Betham, Rodney Blake, Adam Byrnes, Alister Campbell, Tom Chamberlain, Danny Cipriani, Sam Cordingley, Tim Davidson, Gareth Delve, JP du Plessis, Nic Henderson, James Hilgendorf, Luke Jones, Richard Kingi, Michael Lipman, Hoani Macdonald, Lachlan Mitchell, Kevin O’Neill, Nick Phipps, Hugh Pyle, Ged Robinson, Jarrod Saffy, Greg Somerville, Afusipa Taumoepeau, Heath Tessmann, Cooper Vuna, Laurie Weeks

Tonga (from): Ofa Faingaanuku, Viliami Vatamaki Pola, Maleko Latu, Sila Puafisi, Antonio Halangahu, Johannsi Pataleone Vi, Taumei Hikila, Samisoni Masima, Josateki Veikune, Paula Kaho, Alfred Pinomi, Ofa Finau, Christopher Aho, Daniel Morath, Soane Havea, Thomas Palu, Vaea Poteki, Sione Piukala, Charles Mateo, Damien Fakafanua, Otulea Katoa, Viliami Hakalo, Soane Hupeto Sinisa, Ratu Maafu

http://www.allblacks.com/news/15251/Melbourne-Rebels-beat-Tonga-in-first-Investec-Super-Rugby-trial

 

[Hulk Hogan]

I don't think I've heard of any of those Tongans :\

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Doesn't body well for Cippers and Delve making the Super 15 starting XV (that they were involved in the poor first half, that is)

 

[Thingimubob]

According to the Beeb Delve was captain and Cipriani vice-captain though

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The guy in charge (his name escapes me) said that for all the warmups the no.8 will be cap, and the 10 vice cap for all the warmups, as they're not deciding on a cap until just before the Super15 season starts

 

[TRF_Cymro]

The guy in charge (his name escapes me) said that for all the warmups the no.8 will be cap, and the 10 vice cap for all the warmups, as they're not deciding on a cap until just before the Super15 season starts

Yep Rod Macqueen did say that, Mortlock is favourite to be skipper with Delve as vice apparently, the Delve one is just a rumour but the Mortlock one is the bookies clear favourite. By the sound if it Delve did not have a bad game, Cippers was a little raw.

 

[Hulk Hogan]

Mortlock won't survive 4 games, so making him Captain would be like putting Matt Dunning in charge of rations when your plane crashes in the desert.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Mortlock won't survive 4 games, so making him Captain would be like putting Matt Dunning in charge of rations when your plane crashes in the desert.