Rebels run Sunwolves ragged

There was a cheerful and generous crowd at the Prince Chichibu Stadium in Tokyo on a Saturday afternoon after morning rain and they had a good first half while the Sunwolves kept in close touch, but their enthusiasm waned as the second half played out and the Melbourne Rebels pulled away to a comfortable victory.

The Sunwolves promised so much. The Rebels kicked off and the home side started running from behind their own goal-line. They did so effectively and the Rebels were penalised and Tusi Pisi goaled from 41 metres out. 3-0 after two minutes.

Play was lively, and then from a scrum, on their right, the Rebels went left. Tall Jack Debreczeni forced his way into a halfgap and gave to right wing Dom Shipperley who sped for the line. He was tackled about five metres out but the Rebels bashed away with Adam Thomson close. They then went right and Jordy Reid was over for the try. The Rebels led 5-3 after 12 minutes.

From a line-out the Sunwolves had an excellent attack with quick hands and a variety of angles till Akihito Yamada, last week's star, knocked on.

Instead it was the Rebels who scored but the Sunwolves were penalised at a tackle and Debreczeni goaled. 8-3 after 25 minutes. From the kick-off the Rebels were penalised at a tackle and Pisi goaled. 8-6 after 27 minutes.

Then came the most remarkable passage of play in the match. The Rebels were attacking and kicked ahead. Pisi got the ball next to the touchline at his right cornerpost. He kicked and the kick was partly charge, putting the Sunwolves onside. They attacked down the left and only Shipperley's intervention prevented a try. And then, hot on the attack, the Sunwolves were penalised.

Penalties certainly affected the Sunwolves' efforts. The penalty count in the match was 12-5 against them. They were penalised twice when right on the Rebels' line, destroying gilt-edged opportunities.

Another tackle penalty gave Debreczeni the chance put his side 11-6 up after 36 minutes, after which the Sunwolves attacked. Harumichi Tatekawa was close but Lopeti Timani won a turnover and the Rebels survived.

From the kick-off the to start the second half, the Sunwolves attacked and Pisi kicked his third penalty goal. 11-9 after 42 minutes.

Not long after this the Rebels took over when strong Jonah Placid beat four would-be tacklers and have to scrumhalf Ben Meehan who skipped over for a try. 18-9 after 49 minutes. From now on the Rebels had their tails up and Sunwolf enthusiasm waned.

First Debreczeni goaled a penalty and then a penalty gave the Rebels a line-out some 45 metres out on the left. They went right and left wing Tom English came racing into the line. He sped through the defence on a 50-metre run to the line for a splendid try. 28-9 after 57 minutes.

In a last hurrah the Sunwolves launched a hectic attack from a turnover in their own half. Timani was sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge at a tackle and the Sunwolves opted for a five-metre scrum instead of the penalty in front of the posts. Again they attacked but again were penalised almost on the Rebels' line.

the Rebels were deep in the Sunwolves' half when the home side tried to run out of their own 22. The ball squired out of a breakdown and Meehan picked it up to flick a reverse pass to Mitch Inman who thundered ahead before giving to Thomson who gave to Sean McMahon who was over for the final try, converted by Daniel Hawkins who was on for Debreczeni.

Man of the Match: The candidates are probably Jack Debreczeni, Sean McMahon and, our choice, Dom Shipperley for his world on attack and defence, especially in the first half when it mattered most.

Scorers:

For the Sunwolves:

Pens: Pisi 3

For the Rebels:

Tries: Reid, Meehan, English, McMahon

Cons: Debreczeni 2, Hawkins

Pens: Debreczeni 3

Yellow card: Lopeti Timani (Rebels, foul play – shoulder charge, 60)

Teams:

Sunwolves: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Akihito Yamada, 13 Harumichi Tatekawa, 12 Yu Tamura, 11 Mifiposeti Paea, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 Atsushi Hiwasa, 8 Edward Quirk, 7 Andrew Durutalo, 6 Yoshiya Hosoda, 5 Timothy Bond, 4 Hitoshi Ono, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Shota Horie (captain), 1 Keith Inagaki.

Replacements: 16 Takeshi Kizu, 17 Masataka Mikami, 18 Shinnosuke Kakinaga, 19 Shinya Makabe, 20 Tomas Leonardi, 21 Kaito Shigeno, 22 Derek Carpenter, 23 Yasutaka Sasakura.

Melbourne Rebels: 15 Jonah Placid, 14 Dom Shipperley, 13 Tamati Ellison, 12 Mitch Inman, 11 Tom English, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Ben Meehan, 8 Adam Thomson, 7 Sean McMahon (captain), 6 Jordy Reid, 5 Lopeti Timani, 4 Luke Jones, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Pat Leafa, 1 Toby Smith.

Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Cruze Ah Nau, 18 Jamie Hagan, 19 Sam Jeffries, 20 Scott Fuglistaller, 21 Nic Stirzaker, 22 Dan Hawkins, 23 Stone Tuipulotu.

Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)