Rebels thumped by Waratahs
There was no fairytale start for the Rebels as they were thumped 43-0 by the Waratahs.
By Tony Curtis
Last Updated: 18/02/11 11:31am
There was no fairytale start for the Rebels as they were thumped 43-0 by the Waratahs.
The Melbourne franchise have a big hill to climb if their debut in the Super Rugby competition is anything to go by.
They leaked seven tries as they struggled defensively, while their scrum and lineout both failed to function.
And this all came after a promising opening spell, that saw the visitors dominate possession without gaining any reward.
But from the moment Kurtley Beale scored the first of his two tries in the 25th minute, it was tough going for the Rebels.
Drew Mitchell also crossed twice, while Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rob Horne and Phil Waugh got their names on the scoresheet. Berrick Barnes added three conversions, while Beale slotted over one.
A Danny Cipriani penalty attempt was the closest the visitors came to their first-ever points during a disappointing opening.
Cipriani, a ninth-minute replacement for James Hilgendorf, and fellow Brits Michael Lipman and Gareth Delve performed well, but it was one-way traffic against the Tahs.
