“Hand Me My Basting Brush”: Commentator Addresses Suaalii’s ‘Glazing’ Allegations

The Super Rugby Pacific burst into life over the weekend.

In fact, it’s tough to recall a more thrilling debut in the competition’s illustrious history.

Two fixtures were decided after the full-time whistle, another two featured unforgettable comebacks, and one was a rematch of the grand final with matching intensity.

Aside from the customary chaos in Suva, the crowds were robust and vocal.

Who knows, this revamped 11-team format might actually prove successful.

Right, here’s our rapid recap for week one, starting off in Sydney.

THE AMONE EFFECT

‘Sifa’ Amone emerged as the NSW hero at the death, clinching a narrow victory against a formidable Highlanders side.

The towering prop is set to garner a passionate following in Sydney following his two-try heroics.

Remarkably, he’s shed 25kg from his physique by ditching ‘comfort’ food and pushing himself to the limit during pre-season training.

His explosive pace for try number one was astonishing, yet his breakout performance wasn’t unexpected for those who have witnessed his ascent through the ranks with Norths in the Shute Shield.

Outside of rugby, Amone enjoys catching some solid sleep.

A man after my own heart!

TO GLAZE OR NOT TO GLAZE

I must say, I was tickled to see the Stan Sport commentary team alleged of ‘glazing’ during Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s debut for the Waratahs.

I was also rather perplexed considering the only ‘glazing’ I’ve done recently was when I applied an apricot and chilli flake glaze on a Christmas ham.

It appears it’s also a popular term online for ‘over-praising’ and ‘lavishing too many compliments.’

Someone help me out here, because I thought these were the facts heading in.

Suaalii is the highest-paid player in Super Rugby and the very face of the tournament in Australia.

He was also named player of the match during his Test debut against England.

Suaalii returned to his old NRL home ground, this time donning a Waratahs jersey.

He was swarmed by children during the short walk from Rugby Australia to Allianz Stadium.

Various NRL stars were there to cheer on their former teammate.

NSW Origin stars such as Angus Crichton and Spencer Leniu, along with Roosters players Daniel Tupou and Mark Nawaqanitawase, received a warm welcome from Waratahs fans on the night.

I’m sure in time, the excitement levels will balance out for the down-to-earth fullback, but for now, pass me that basting brush.

Let’s revel in the fact that we have a drawcard superstar performing weekly in Australian rugby.

‘BABY’ BRUMBIES DELIVER GUTSY WIN

The ACT Brumbies’ triumph over the Fijian Drua on Saturday will be remembered as one of their finest performances ever.

It seemed nearly impossible for them to kick off the year with a win after considering the following:

• 12 hours of travel to Suva.
• Conditions that were 32 degrees, feeling like 39.
• A number of their Wallabies players back in Canberra, a lineup of debutants, and a scoreline reflecting an eight-point deficit with 20 minutes remaining.
• To top it off, no Australian team had ever managed a victory on the island.

Enter Luke Reimer.

After clearing an HIA test and returning to play, the dynamic on-baller created turnovers and scored a pair of tries, leading to a remarkable victory.

That was an extraordinary effort on his part and will definitely keep him in the thoughts of Joe Schmidt following his Wallabies debut last year.

By the time the final whistle blew in Suva, the tanks of Reimer and the Brumbies were running on empty, with many too fatigued to raise their arms in celebration.

It will be interesting to see how Stephen Larkham’s squad fares next week.

Last year, most teams struggled in the week following a trip to Fiji, which is known as the toughest road trip in Super Rugby.

WESTERN FORCE’S FANTASTIC FINISH

Who would’ve thought the Waratahs’ last-minute victory could be overshadowed just a day later by the Western Force, who clinched their win in the 84th minute?

After 14 years of calling Force games from Perth, I can confidently say this has to rank among the most unforgettable victories I’ve witnessed.

In fact, many Sea of Blue supporters may consider it a top-five moment in the club’s history.

With just six minutes left on the clock, the Force trailed by 13 points against an impressive Moana Pasifika team.

They were also down a man and their scrum was in chaos.

This didn’t seem recoverable for Simon Cron’s squad.

The match appeared lost.

Then, hope emerged.

Force debutant Dylan Pietsch crashed over, and crucially, Ben Donaldson slotted a challenging conversion.

The gap had narrowed to six with just three minutes remaining.

With only 23 seconds to go, the home side earned a penalty on their 22.

They opted for a lineout and embarked on a remarkable phase of play stretching an astonishing 26 passes!

They may not have advanced, but they wore down the defence and then BOOM, Donaldson broke from 70 metres out.

He sprinted away, kicked the conversion, and sealed the victory on one good leg after earlier sustaining an injury. Remarkable!

It was a breathtaking win against a Moana team that had looked formidable for substantial portions of the match.

Two-try winger Kyren Taumoefolau was exceptional, with Ardie Savea leading them for the first time.

REFEREES NAIL IT IN ROUND ONE

The Stan Sport team was joined by new refereeing boss and former Waratahs scrumhalf/ Super Rugby champion Brendan McKibbin in the lead-up to the season commencement.

‘Kibbo’ stated that referees would be on high alert for blatant time-wasting and tactical injuries, aiming to cut down on ‘dead time’ in matches.

They also scrutinised existing rules through a lens aimed at maintaining momentum.

From what I observed, they did a stellar job in that respect throughout the weekend.

This led to a more adventurous style from teams adopting a fast tempo, best illustrated by the Highlanders’ quick line-out, which set up a try from 50 metres away.

More of this, please, it was fantastic.

FANTASY FOOTY GOES PAST 50K MANAGERS

Fans have long been clamouring for Super Rugby fantasy, and their wishes finally came true over the weekend.

Leagues are springing up everywhere, the user experience is simple, and it’s easy to grasp.

It’s also incredibly addictive!

Congratulations to those clever managers who deployed their ‘one time only 3x points booster’ on Damien McKenzie against the Blues.

When D Mac scored, those managers were likely performing backflips.

If you’re keen to join the Between Two Posts vs Rugby Heaven league, where Michael Atkinson (Atkos Avengers) is currently ahead of Matt Burke (Burkeys Barracudas), click here.

BIG WEEK AHEAD ON BTP

Catch us tonight on the Stan platform for our weekend review, and don’t miss Donaldson and Reimer, who will be on BTP Extra tomorrow.