Reds fullback Jock Campbell always appeared to have all the ingredients to be a star โ except one. Call it explosiveness, or top-end acceleration, but it was the one quality that wasnโt always obvious alongside his high rugby IQ. But after five rounds of Super Rugby it might be time to revisit that assessment: Campbell looks fast.
Campbell, 30, has apparently added a yard of pace, and he played a major role in the Redsโ wins against the Brumbies and Waratahs in consecutive weeks. Campbell beat three defenders against the Waratahs, made two clean breaks and set up a try.
Jock Campbell in action for the Reds.Credit: Getty Images
It was also his ability to get some contact on Waratah Reilly that arguably saved a try in the 73rd minute. In what might be a good sign for the Reds later in the season, they are fourth on the table, despite not playing that well collectively.
Campbell has been a massive part of that, and at the other end of the age spectrum it is very hard not to get excited by the glimpses shown by Treyvon Pritchard. The 18-year-old is electric on his feet.
Fijians win again
The scenes in Ba, Fiji, during the home sideโs 42-27 victory over the Brumbies again showed the unique contribution the Drua have made to Super Rugby Pacific. Buoyed by the crowd, the Drua appeared to have found their mojo again after some worrying signs of decline last year.
The Brumbies struggled in the sauna-like conditions, but credit must primarily go to the reborn Drua, for whom big No.6 Etonia Waqa was exceptional during his 53 minutes on the field.
The biggest lesson for the Brumbies is one they already knew: without No.9 Ryan Lonergan they are simply not the same side.
Lonergan almost single-handedly turned the game when injected from the bench with half an hour to go: he has become the heart, soul and brains of the operation in Canberra.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh was also in Fiji for the game. During a brief stint in the commentary box, he hinted at the intriguing prospect of teams from Samoa and Tonga following the Druaโs pre-Super footsteps and joining an Australian competition. That would be a major step forward for rugby in the Pacific.
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A mea culpa โ the refs were right
The match officials for the Brumbies-Reds game in Canberra last week deserve an apology. They got the Daugunu โknock onโ call 100 per cent correct, and those of us who called it wrong are obliged to admit it.
To be clear, the match officials did not request an apology from me, let alone demand one, as some might have, but the additional angles supplied by Rugby Australia showed that Damon Murphy and his team were correct.
The lesson is that slow-motion replays are only one piece of evidence, not the whole truth.
