Some light...

It's been a good weekend for Australian rugby.

The Tahs have had a bye week (which I think they needed to get their house in order), the Brumbies had a loss (which I think was inevitable given the ludicrous number of injuries they've suffered), and both the Force and Reds have pulled off inspirational wins.

The Force had a forgettable first half against the Blues, but the amount of pressure they amounted in the second made for some impressive displays. Giteau is clearly the in form fly half at the moment.

The changes Phil Mooney has instilled into the Reds has shown instant progress. While I wouldn't say they looked so slick to be the second coming of the Crusaders, they at least showed a lot of discipline with their lines and breakdown. On the other hand, the Bulls were embarrassingly undisciplined, and frankly showed a lot of arrogance in their approach (especially at the breakdown -- I can't recall seeing a single Bulls player roll away at any given time). Quade Cooper looked like a perfect complement to Sam Cordingley, and when Berrick Barnes (who has played very hard in the last few weeks) gets back it will be very interesting to see how well those combinations work. But more importantly, the forwards put in quite a respectable game at the set piece.

Congrats, Phil -- your bets paid off!