Super Rugby: Wins for Reds and Highlanders
Friday 23 February 2018 12:15, UK
The Melbourne Rebels demolished the 14-man Reds 45-19 while the Highlanders won a 41-34 thriller against the Blues.
Rebels 45-19 Reds
The Melbourne Rebels got their Super Rugby season off to a record-breaking start with a 45-19 bonus-point demolition of the 14-man Reds in the Australian derby on Friday.
A red card after 10 minutes for visiting captain Scott Higginbotham left the Reds a man short and the Rebels took advantage, running in seven tries, the most they have managed in Super Rugby, and setting a new mark for points scored by the team in one game.
Winger Sefanaia Naivalu, full-back Dane Haylett-Petty and fly-half Jack Debreczeni scored two tries each to go with a score for centre Tom English as the Rebels ran riot.
The Reds managed three tries through centres Duncan Paia'aua and Samu Kerevi, and winger Chris Feauai-Sautis, with two of those converted by scrum-half James Tuttle.
Highlanders 41-34 Blues
Tei Walden came off the bench to score two second-half tries and lift the Dunedin-based Highlanders to a 41-34 win over the Auckland-based Blues on Friday in the first match of the Super Rugby season in New Zealand.
Walden touched down twice while the Blues were reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of replacement Antonio Kiri Kiri. That pushed the Highlanders ahead for the last time in a match which featured nine tries and six lead changes.
Center Rob Thompson also scored two tries for the Highlanders, while backrower Akira Ioane had a pair of tries for the Blues.
Bryn Gatland, son of Wales coach Warren Gatland, scored the first try after 14 minutes of end-to-end rugby, answering an early penalty by Lima Sopoaga for the Highlanders. Gatland also kicked four conversions and two penalties for 19 points.
