Western Force vs ACT Brumbies Saturday 10 May, 5:35pm WST

[tjs10]

This is not an excuse for our errors but a symptom of the way our boys are sometimes pre-judged. Haven't (& won't) watch a replay.IIRC @ 14-7 our boys hammering their line under the posts. They have only their left wing out to our right. They cheat like f@ck to stop us spreading right. Eventually sir blows us a penalty. Just after we do the same at the other end & CdeC gets a YC. :

CdeC's yellow was a team yellow though as we were on a general warning at that point.

Yes, our tackle success percentage was very high but, given how many tackles we made over the game, even with a 95% success rate, we still missed 10 more tackles than Brumbies did across the game.

[shasta]

CdeC's yellow was a team yellow though as we were on a general warning at that point.

True; but cynically cheating long enough to get another 2 or 3 defenders across and stop a try is a straight YC - imo.

[bootsetal06]

Here’s a thought… Half time looming. Ryan Coxon on the wrong side of the ruck but standing clear not attached and hands in the air ….no warning penalty then try. Brumbies defenders leaning over the ruck momentarily slowing the ball warned to get out then standing hands in the air no action….. mmmm

[GIGS20]

This is not an excuse for our errors but a symptom of the way our boys are sometimes pre-judged. Haven't (& won't) watch a replay.IIRC @ 14-7 our boys hammering their line under the posts. They have only their left wing out to our right. They cheat like f@ck to stop us spreading right. Eventually sir blows us a penalty. Just after we do the same at the other end & CdeC gets a YC. :

They were at least 1/2 a meter offside all night with impunity, Why would you expect it to change just because the tryline is near?

Tom Donolly even took the risk of mentioning it in the halftime coach cross.

The refiing team were atrociously one-sided the only time we caught a break was when they failed to call the Brumbies into touch (Think it was Toole) and somebody (think it was Grealy) hoofed it downfield before Lolesio played the ball off his feet and hurt himself in the process and Lonergan made a tackle outrageously offside, both actions should have been a Yellow card, but at least it wasn't called back to the horrible miss of the AR.

We didn't get a single 50-50 call. not one.

[Tazzmania]

Rugby.com.au selects its Team of the Week from the Australian teams in Round 13.

1. Angus Bell
While Ryan Coxon did put in a solid shift for the Force with an impressive 21 tackles, Angus Bell is still the player to beat when it comes to the number one jersey.

The Wallaby incumbent managed 16 carries and 33 post-contact metres - by far the most of any Waratahs player.

2. Josh Nasser
Nic Dolly continues to knock on the door of Wallaby contention with a strong effort over the weekend, however, he'll be finishing up as runner-up again this week.

The Reds' Josh Nasser put in a fantastic shift off the bench, not only having a perfect night at the lineout and picking up a try for his efforts, but helping to galvanise the Reds pack into the ascendency in the second half - with his efforts contributing to a tough night for his opposite number, Mahe Vailanu.

3. Tom Robertson
The growing competition at tighthead prop is one of the most exciting to watch in Australian rugby, with Zane Nonggorr and Allan Alaalatoa both enjoying strong performances at the weekend.

However, the Force's Tom Robertson takes top spot for a consecutive week, thanks to a Herculean effort on the defensive front.

Across his 65-minute performance, the Force prop managed a perfect defensive record - a mammoth 29 tackles, the second highest across the whole competition for the weekend.

4. Jeremy Williams
In singling out Robertson's efforts, there is one player who bettered him - his captain, Jeremy Williams.

Williams had plenty of competition across the weekend, with Nick Frost and Josh Canham (bar his yellow card) both performing well.

However, an astounding 31 tackles (with none missed) and five carries were capped off with a strong lineout performance, creating all sorts of headaches for the Brumbies.

5. Darcy Swain
If Williams has made the list, his running mate Darcy Swain isn't far behind, with the 17-capped Wallaby looking right at home in Perth.

In addition to making 20 tackles, the lock has set down a marker for the Force lineout, becoming one of the most effective set piece disrupters in the entire competition.

6. Rob Valetini
In a weekend where Seru Uru and Rob Leota also put in strong performances in Sydney, Rob Valetini's efforts against a strong Force defence sent a reminder to the rest of the competition why he is arguably the in-form Australian player coming into the Lions series.

Amassing 19 carries and busting three tackles in his performance against the Force, Valetini, alongside Tom Hooper, was a key driving force for the Brumbies in Perth.

7. Kane Koteka
Yep, one of the big surprises this week lands here - and in a week where Fraser McReight and Charlie Gamble went head to head, both players would be deserving of making the list.

However, Perth local Kane Koteka exceeded both this week, not only for scoring a try, but across his 80-minute performance pulling off a mammoth 25 tackles (with no misses) and a turnover.

It was a welcome return after a long stint on the sidelines for Koteka - and bodes well should he maintain his current form.

8. Tom Hooper
While Langi Gleeson also stood out for the Waratahs, Tom Hooper's sheer effort on attack warrants his selection this week - an encouraging sign that a blossoming contingent of loose forwards will be putting plenty of Wallaby selection pressure on the likes of Valetini, McReight, Wilson and Tizzano.

Hooper picked up a try for his efforts, had a perfect defensive game and capped it off with 21 carries against the Force - the most by any Australian player this week, and second only to Wallace Sititi (22) for the Chiefs across the whole weekend.

9. Tate McDermott
The Reds co-captain is back in the team this week, and his performance against the Waratahs serves as another marker as to whether he should be starting for the Wallabies.

Not only did he pick up a try and bust three tackles, but his combination with Harry McLaughlin-Phillips in the second half lit up the Reds' attacking potency in the backline.

10. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips
It was a tough weekend for the Australian flyhalves, with Noah Lolesio picking up a nasty injury, Ben Donaldson struggling to get any ball, and Tom Lynagh and Tane Edmed trying to regain form.

It's what made Harry McLaughlin-Phillips' second-half performance off the bench even more of a delight, with the flyhalf not only getting the Reds go-forward, but himself managing three tackle busts, two line breaks and a perfect night with the boot.

It will be a much-needed confidence booster following the loss in Fiji - and a reminder that competition for positions remains fierce at the Reds.

11. Corey Toole
It was not a perfect performance from Corey Toole on the weekend, with questions around his defence still persisting - something his competitors Tim Ryan and Mac Grealy bested him at this weekend.

However, when it comes to attack, Toole is on a whole other level right now.

Three line breaks, three tackle busts, a try and two offloads - with one leading to the Ollie Sapford try that clinched the match in the west for the Brumbies - it's more a matter of when he gets called into the Wallabies, not if.

12. Joey Walton
The Reds' Dre Pakeho also enjoyed a strong 80-minute performance against the Waratahs, but his opposite number Joey Walton takes top spot again this week, with his sheer work rate suggesting big things lie ahead for this talented Waratah.

On top of a strong 20 tackles, seven carries, and one tackle bust, Walton's work rate off the ball has been just as impressive as on it.

13. Len Ikitau
Filipo Daugunu is asking a lot of selection questions of the outside centre position following his performance against the Waratahs, with the Reds star and Len Ikitau head-to-head in terms of attacking go-forward and defenders beaten.

Ikitau retains his spot, however, thanks to a better defensive record and a try for his efforts against a strong Force defence. With 19 carries across his 80-minute performance, he sent another reminder as to why he is the incumbent Wallaby outside centre.

14. Lachie Anderson
The right wing position was a two-way horse race between Lachie Anderson and Brumby star Andy Muirhead, with both players matching up in terms of metres made, defenders beaten and a perfect defensive record.

However, Anderson takes the top spot for the only thing that could separate them: the perfectly executed try in the 76th minute that proved the difference between the Reds and Waratahs.

15. Tom Wright
With 16 carries, a linebreak and four tackles broken, Tom Wright might not have scored against the Force, but he certainly caused the most defensive headaches.

It served as another reminder of why he is the incumbent Wallaby fullback - but it bodes well for Joe Schmidt to have so many promising fullbacks at his disposal, with Jock Campbell also starting to rediscover his form, alongside Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

[GIGS20]

I think that's a reasonably fair assessment

None of our backs even got a mention (well Donno and Grealy both got fleeting mentions, but those were also pretty appropriately reflective of the night)