Game and a half

For those of you who might have taken this week's heading as alluding to a fantastic game of rugby, sorry. It's a little more literal.

That's right, of all the rugby played in Round 13, I watched precisely a game and a half.

Now before the booing starts let me explain the half ... It was 2am, and the Bulls had already score 6 tries in under 40 minutes!!

To give you some indication of the fight the Rebels were putting up, let me quote a ridgey didge Melbourne supporter. At one stage, I must have dozeily asked how things were going and got this response: "Well the Rebels are doing quiet well actually ... It's been 10 minutes since they conceded a try" - actual conversation, scout's honour.

The Rebels were always going to face an uphill battle without a solid first five - the fact that it was the players themselves who elected to leave Cipriani behind is indicative of just how much respect the rest of the team have for the former golden boy.

Obviously keen to make amends for his transgressions, Richard Kingi on the other hand seemed to be everywhere.

Granted that could sometimes have been due to the fact that Joel Stransky obviously had no idea who any of the Rebels replacement players were and called about 3 of them, including Luke Rooney on the wing and Afusipa Taumoepeau in the centers Kingi (when he was actaully playing at full back....).

It was all pretty much one way traffic, but the Bulls third try deserves a special mention.

Everyone thought Zane Kirschner had knocked it on, except the referee. And after a cheeky "oh well I might as well kick the ball away" hack at the pill, Busson found himself in acres of space - everyone, both sides, had stopped playing - with Dani Russo bellowing at him to run. So, run he did, and scored one of the more bizarre tries I've seen in Super Rugby.

It all underscores that fundamental commandment of competitive sport ... Don't let up until you hear the whistle, because as any sports fan can attest ... The officials are often BLIND.

Apparently they Rebels had a much better second half, and the final score backs up what I had initially supposed to a very one eyed assessment, 47-10 at full time after trailing 40-3 at the break.

Now I had very high hopes for the Reds v Blues game (see I'm not biased, I didn't even watch the Crusaders game this weekend) but it wasn't one I would have liked to call one way or the other ... Which is lucky really since, for the first time this season, I forgot to lodge my picks ..... GRRRRRR

The Reds claimed first blood, and second, and third. But the Blues fought back late in the first half with 2 quick tries. The Aucklanders seemed to be their own worst enemies, and why they were playing in their away strip is anybody's guess.

I've always been under the impression that it's red and green that gave colourblind folks trouble, but apparently, red and blue are also too close as the Blues trotted out in their alternative white jerseys.

The Blues opened the scoring in the second half, and seemed to have the momentum, but it wasn't to be.

The Reds played well, but they didn't take or play the Blues out of the game, the Kiwis did that to themselves.