1 week Ago By Luke Pentony
The Queensland Reds went down 27—15 in a top-of-the-table clash with the Chiefs in round eight of Super Rugby Pacific. Meanwhile, the NSW Waratahs fell apart in their 45—28 defeat to Moana Pasifika and the Western Force scored a spirited 29—20 victory over the Highlanders. As anticipation builds ahead of the Wallabies' three-Test series against the British and Irish Lions, here are some of the key talking points from the latest Super Rugby Pacific matches.
Tupou a concern for 'Tahs and Wallabies The Waratahs' horror New Zealand road trip may have consequences for not just their Super Rugby Pacific campaign. Saturday's loss to Moana Pasifika in Albany saw Dan McKellar's side outscored 38—7 in the second half. The result, which followed an embarrassing 57—12 defeat to the Hurricanes in Wellington, left the Waratahs clinging to sixth place on the standings.
They face the daunting task of needing a win against the competition-leading Chiefs in Sydney on Friday night to consolidate a top-six berth and boost the chances of their players earning Wallabies selection to face the Lions. In the fallout from the defeat to Moana Pasifika, Waratahs tighthead prop Taniela Tupou has come under scrutiny for his efforts late in the match. The Waratahs were trailing 38—28 in the 76th minute when Tupou — who came off the reserves bench — was penalised for allegedly swearing at referee James Doleman.
In the sequence of play that followed, Tupou made a poor attempt to tackle Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa as the Moana Pasifika number eight charged his way to the line to score the final try of the match. The lack of discipline and defensive intent from Tupou flew in the face of McKellar's pre-match statement of hoping to "get more out" of the Wallabies front rower, who joined the Waratahs following the demise of the Melbourne Rebels. Tupou finished 2024 as the Wallabies' starting tighthead prop.
McKellar had been concerned enough with Tupou's performances this season to drop the 28-year-old following the loss to the Hurricanes. Wallabies selectors should also be worried about Tupou's form and on-field attitude, as he started at tighthead prop in eight Tests last year. Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa wore the number three jersey in the remaining five Tests and should be regarded as the frontrunner to play tighthead against the Lions.
Tom Robertson is in the mix for a bench position, having shown encouraging signs for the fourth-placed Force, and he presents another challenge for Tupou to overcome if he wants to keep a spot in the Wallabies' match-day squad. Suaalii shows return on investment Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's stocks rose amid the Waratahs' heavy loss in Albany. The former Sydney Roosters NRL star — playing fullback against Moana Pasifika — produced his best display so far in Super Rugby Pacific, illustrated by the role he played in three of the Waratahs' tries.
He threw a perfectly weighted pass to land the ball on Triston Reilly's chest for the winger's first try down the left flank and set up his teammate again later in the opening half. Taking the ball at first receiver off a scrum only five metres out from the Waratahs' line, Suaalii beat two defenders, before executing a 'draw and pass' to send Reilly away for a runaway five-pointer. Despite the Waratahs' struggles in the second half, Suaalii showed his value in attack by attracting three would-be tacklers to open up space for his support player Teddy Wilson, who scored the Waratahs' fourth try.
Coughing up the ball in a one-on-one strip late in the match was a rare blemish from Suaalii in an otherwise competent performance. It may reignite debate about whether Suaalii can wrest the Wallabies' number 15 jersey off Tom Wright, however there is still the second half of the Super Rugby Pacific season to play out. Reds lose no admirers in Chiefs loss The Reds were in the hunt for much of the match against the Chiefs in Hamilton, only for the home side to skip away when it counted most.
Leading 13—10 in the 70th minute, the Chiefs proceeded to score two converted tries through Samisoni Taukei'aho and Xavier Roe, establishing a 17-point lead. A Tom Lynagh try for the Reds at the death reduced the winning margin to 12 points, although the match was closer than the final scoreline suggested. The Chiefs deserved the victory, but the Reds did themselves no favours at times.
Harry McLaughlin-Phillips failed to ground the ball properly when he crossed the stripe in the 48th minute, conversion attempts were missed and the Reds lost the penalty count 12—7. Tate McDermott helped keep the Reds in the contest against the Chiefs. Still, the reputations of the Reds' Wallabies contingent remain intact, despite the result.
Tate McDermott and Harry Wilson were prominent for the visitors and hooker Matt Faessler marked his return from injury with a trademark try from the back of a driving maul. The Reds next meet the Brumbies in Brisbane on Saturday night, providing another discussion point over how the Wallabies squad may look for the Lions series. Wallabies lock returns to Australia Who starts in the Wallabies' second row for the opening Lions Test is anyone's guess, with multiple contenders throwing their hands up for consideration.
Josh Canham did his selection hopes no harm with a solid match for the Reds. He was strong with his carries and clean-outs, and managed a line-out steal, although he was shaky at times on the Reds' throw in the set-piece. Canham's second-row partner Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was another admirable performer in a losing side.
Matt Philip is returning to Australian rugby after a stint in Japan. There are several locks among the four Australian teams with Test experience, while another is about to return home from Japan. The Waratahs announced on Sunday Matt Philip had signed a two-year deal, making the former Rebels and Force player available for the Lions series.
Philip played 31 Tests for the Wallabies between 2017 and 2031, proving to be a capable performer with a high work rate. He won't appear in Super Rugby Pacific until next year but is eligible for selection when the Waratahs meet the Lions in a tour match in Sydney on July 5. Philip's absence from the local scene will make his chances of a Wallabies call-up remote, but he does give coach Joe Schmidt another Test-standard option.
Tizzano stars again for Force Like clockwork, Carlo Tizzano was again immense for the Force in their stoic triumph over the Highlanders in Perth. He scored an early try — the 11th this season — and was effective elsewhere with his link play in attack. On the defensive side of the ball, Tizzano made 17 tackles and executed two pilfers at the breakdown, the second of which came in the final moments of the match to secure the Force a much-needed bonus point.
Carlo Tizzano (centre) turned in another impressive effort for the Force. Those who watched Tizzano play for the Waratahs between 2020 and 2022 wouldn't be surprised to see the form he's producing. What he needed was a guaranteed start at openside flanker, which he now enjoys under Force coach Simon Cron.
Making his Test debut last year has taken his game to another level and he's nipping at the heels of Wallabies incumbent Fraser McReight. McReight returned for the Reds against the Chiefs after three matches on the sidelines and has played well enough this season to retain his spot in the Wallabies XV. But Tizzano is applying the pressure and McReight will know he can't rest on his laurels.
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