The 2015 Investec Super Rugby season continued with four games involving New Zealand sides. (The Chiefs, Cheetahs and Bulls all observed a BYE round) and the rugby landscape is now pointed directly towards the business end of the Super Rugby season. With four or five games left for most teams (not counting bye rounds) if you had a chance of pressing your place for a finals spot, then you needed to start to perform, and perform consistently.
Solid performers will sustain this all season, but one upsetting matter has been the ‘disguised’ Rest & Rotation policy from the All Blacks hierarchy. It raised it’s head again when The Blues rested Charlie Faumuina and James O’Connor, removing key firepower where that side in particular had already been devastated by injury – representative de-selection or not, was this what Blues fans would have wanted? Not at all, and we hope it doesn’t impact again in such a negative way.
But all thoughts rested this week with a couple of stalwarts of Super Rugby, Daniel Carter and Richie McCaw. Purportedly playing for the last time in Crusaders red [they might face Argentina if selected in All Black mode] they deserved a good game, a good crowd and a big round of applause.
SUPER RUGBY ROUND 13 – NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
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Match : The Crusaders v The Reds
Venue : AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Score :
We’ve spoken of the tributes, but the action on this balmy Canterbury evening was just as memorable. I don’t only say that only as an New Zealand rugby fan, but I say it as a sports fan. It had it all: emotion for our departing Crusader heroes – Carter, McCaw, Colin Slade, Willie Heinz, Nepo Laulala [Chiefs] and Tom Taylor. It had drama, finesse and thunderous applause. I underline that: tumultuous applause, as the crowd first rose in respect to their team running out, then were upstanding in appreciation and by the 65th minute, they were euphoric as this Crusaders team bounced back for a big win. Enough to resurrect their stuttering campaign? Only time will tell, but it was the best possible response from a team under pressure.
On a perfect surface, the game was set-up early with some power from go-to-man Nemani Nadolo. He received a great ball from Matt Todd on the run, almost climbing over his opposite before he offloaded inside to a sprinting Andy Ellis. As good a start as this team had had in Wellington the week earlier, fans knew not to make too much of it as the opposition did work themselves close at times to the redzone. On a Crusaders counter-attack. the most dangerous man on the field (apart from Nadolo) was Colin Slade, and with Carter sharing the perfect ball he fainted and dummied and went all the way to the tryline. All smiles so far on this night.
By the middle of the first half, it became more balanced as The Reds had all the possession to speak of and confidently used their rolling maul, the home side defending hard, maybe ‘overly hard’ as Dominic Bird infringed and; after earlier penalties, he was marched for a ten minute break. 15-3 and it put the game into control mode, as they had to withstand a Reds side who now had a man advantage. Mauling had only got them so far, so they spread it to big Samu Kerevi. His injection of power was all too much and crossed with 3 tackles on him, so walking into the sheds at 15-10, they were now under clear threat. Blackadder had to remind them that they had a game to win first, before the party back at HQ. They had to concentrate and his troops went straight back out there and did just that, as fast as any response you’ll likely see in Super Rugby Round 13
Reds play maker James O’Connor was strangely employed at wing, and when the ball went out wide his decision to telegraph a ‘pop pass’ went straight to our go-to-man Nadolo and Bang! 5 easy points. So destructive for a naturally big-game player, his score lifted the whole side – no matter they still had only 14 men on the park. They soon threaded together more good passages of rugby that effectively removed The Reds attack from the game. It was champagne rugby time, something they showed glimpses of on tour against The Sharks.
Nadolo got involved and scored his second from a quick tap, powering up to the sideline. Now, who could top that? Of all people, big Sam Whitelock received the ball on his own 40 metre line, centrefield. “Stand back” he cried and ran a good 65m with the vigor of a loose tyro. His run might be in the 2015 highlights reel, reminiscent of the legendary Ian Kirkpatricks run against the British & Irish Lions. He was excellent all night and the crowd was on hand to witness more razzle-dazzle rugby soon after when Matt Todd completed a length of the field team try after another fine breakout by Carter.
Substitutions included a certain Richie McCaw who would be ever-present as usual, but he could not match the presence of Matt Todd. Players like he and Kieran Read are returning to their best and each had some fine touches, as did Crotty and replacement winger Jone Macilai-Tori crossed to keep the scoreboard ticking over, as did Bird to repay for his sin-binning. Sensational play from a mixture of old guard and next generation cracked 50 points over The Reds with the match ending in celebration for the whole side. A tribute for those who might be playing for the last time in their home city.
7 tries will look good on the news highlights obviously, but a key period leading to halftime will be most satisfactory. Can they resurrect their finals goal? Yes, but local derby matches will be a battle within the ‘Super Rugby war’ that is a true test of their desire, and of players and coaching staffs future.
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Match : The Rebels v The Blues
Venue : AAMI Park, Melbourne
Score : 42-22
Some might say “least said about this match, the better” so I could just hit the SKIP button and move on to the game of the round [Hurricanse v Sharks] but that would be disrespecting both sides.
For the hosts, it was an opportunity when facing the weakest NZ Super Rugby sides, they needed to make the most of their chances and that was helped by a visiting side full of enterprise (mixture of young and old) but continually unable to convert their own chances. What resulted was a pulsating first 40 minutes, followed by frustration as The Blues could not buy a try if they had won Lotto. Not helped by injury or All Blacks enforced rest or by a whopping total of 17 unforced errors.
Stand in captain Steven Luatua is not known for his command, but was the most impressive of a team staggering through their worst season in recent years. He would ask his inexperienced side to mount a concerted attack from the get-go and they looked to use the ball early but as would be repeated throughout the game, their completion rate was less than acceptable for a professional side.
Immediately on attack, they could not complete their intentions on this first attempt and it was a strong Rebels side; with Mike Harris back, who made the most from their backline full of potential. They needed to be smart, and Scott Higginbotham was outstanding in his leadership [again] and they profited soon off a dropped Blues ball and instantly struck at the other end. 10-0 was the best start possible, but to their credit The Blues knew that ‘attack was the best form of defense’. They hunted for clean ball and ran with vigor. In one collision, Akira Iaone ran straight into Lopeti Tomani, and the big Rebels flanker was laid out. BOOMFAH! This game would have some venom after all.
The Blues one standout moment of the game came in a set-move that was near to perfection. From a scrum, Jimmy Cowan shared the ball to Keven Mealamu and looked to wrap around, but they fainted and Francis Saili ran the perfect angel to break the Rebels backline. His time with the All Blacks has given him great insight, and on this occasion he passed expertly to a sprinting Melani Nanai who flew over in the corner. Sensational stuff, but unfortunately their highpoint.
The homeside took advantage of familiar surroundings, none more so than when they quickly threw in to an un-set Blues lineout and the referee allowed them to prosper. For most of the game, The Blues attacked when able to but were impotent in converting any chances. Besides a good insertion of pace when Jamieson Gibson-Park replaced an injured Cown, he added some zing and darted across for a solo try on the blindside. Others endeavored like George Moala, who scored a try on the night but he was not able to spark the backline or help them to hold the ball. Repeated dropped ball, poor decisions and committed defense would deny Sir John Kirwan’s men time and time again.
The Rebels were more assured and similar to their victory over The Chiefs, they were quick thinking and on their own restart kick, when The Blues failed to take the ball, a ‘conspicuous looking’ knock-back from Higginbotham lead to Dom Shiperly coasting in for a soft try. That type of thing destroys teams and the game was taken out of The Blues players hands with a maturity not seen in the home side since their inclusion to Super 15 rugby. A growing belief in Melboure will bring rewards for this team with a chance to be in a challenge with The Waratahs and Brumbies to qualify as the conference winner (its possible, not probable) or as a Wildcard spot.
So in the end, there is more despair in his third season in charge and with talk this week that Kirwan might even be kept on as head coach with hand picked support staff would be difficult to understand for fans. If tonight’s game was any indication, the display from his available players, he will need to invest well in the off season. He has been chastised for losing talent like Malakai Fekiatoa, so development players will need to be involved too – but their is the conundrum. Give young players experience means he faces the chances of more nights like this from playing inexperienced recruits. The Blues are stuck in a vicious circle, and if they cannot win at home, the vicious side of Auckland rugby may raise its ugly head.
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Match : The Hurricanes v The Sharks
Venue : Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Score : 32-24
Royal endorsement has always been a marketers dream. Having a his or her Royal Highness (HRH) above your door is good for business, so when Prince Harry was visiting the country what better way to enjoy the city than a Hurricanes v Sharks encounter alongside the Governer-General Sir Jerry Mateparae.
Having covered the ‘glitterati’ it was back to on-field where we saw a fresh Hurricanes pairing of Chris Smylie and James Marshall who assumed the roles of their All Black senior players. One ruled out by injury and the other by that dreaded ‘Rest & Rotation’ policy. While the two players are admittedly an untried unit, they both play for Taranaki. So while Beauden Barrett was away with the representative side, this duo affected the ITM Cup winning season. Julian Savea was also rested, replaced by Matt Proctor who had re-signed along with Nehe Milner-Skudder to this frnachise. The present and the future both look good in Wellington.
With support from the forwards and and their vastly experienced backline, this team needed to hit first but they faced a Sharks team who is laden with talent. Not withstanding their recent form, they are determined and that showed this when they struck early from a lineout mistake on their opponents throw, with a simple forwards burst from Bizmark du Plessis. Taking first blood, it looked like the ‘Canes may find themselves on a tough night at the Caketin, but normality was restored when they penetrated Sharks 22 area and quick ball went to Nonu, the master of the cut-out pass. Cory Jane received it and dotted down to restore the crowds faith. 7-7
More at ease now, using a lineout drive The Hurricanes drew in the defense and when shifted infield to the 40 metre line, an inside Nonu ball allowed Proctor to hit the gainline. Always in support, Conrad Smith then went around the defenders to plant the ball under the posts and Prince Harry would have been well impressed with the display from his hosts. They had polish and even as The Sharks went into their endzone, they failed to penetrate up the middle so Lionel Cronje chose the cross-field kick. Not tactics we are familiar with, so it was an unsettled Sharks team who had to walk to the sheds behind 14-10 and needing to find a way around this well drilled Hurricane team.
Often, the first team to strike after halftime can claim the advantage, so against the run of play a long down-field clearing kick had Proctor take the ball to the line, but a black swarm stole the ball and with more players there, they looked to open the defense. Cory Jane was out of position and the left wing Sibusiso Sithole evaded the final tackle for a good score. That looked to be trouble, but a patient home side did well to score just after from fine pick-and-go recycle ball. Reg Goodes is doing well, as was Motu Matu’u.
While that retained a lead, it did not stop The Sharks who were wise to use the width of the ground, after being denied a try due to harsh interpretation of modern rolling-maul laws. ‘Crossing channels’ is difficult to referee, so it was a cynical call [a turn of the books] which motivated better use of the ball. From phase play, the ball went out to Frans Steyn who freed JP Pietersen to push hard. A clever inside ball saw Odwa Ndungane cross and the lead changed again (swapping 5 times during the match) This was more clinical and if it had not been for an injury to inspiration du Plessis, their challenge may have reflected their better 2014 form.
Gladly, faith in the home side is more underlined, and they strove to drive down field before the final hooter rang. Using the blindside touchline, Brad Shields looked to break the line but cleverly passed to Nonu. On his outside, Ardie Savea received a ball on the very edge of his touchline and miraculously made the inside pass for Jeremy Thrush to score. Super work from the Wellington flanker, he has improved two-fold this year. That put them in front and they never relented, a couple of penalties evading The Sharks ability to even gain a single bonus ‘losing’ point.
That loss destroyed The Sharks outside chances of a semi-final spot, so they will travel to Sydney with only pride to play for. On the end of a 10th season victory (equalling their total best for seasons 2006/2011) Hurricanes now enter a pivotal phase of the season. Home and away matches against The Chiefs will now likely determine whether their opposition can ‘catch-up’ as the ‘Canes have 48 points and are near assured of being in the finals. Not discounting Dave Rennie’s ability to upset the favorites, tonight calculating fightback and their ability to win without several stars only goes to reinforce them as competition leaders. Leading NZ rugby and with a seal of approval from HRH, they can now think of themselves as the incumbents on the throne of Super Rugby Round 13.
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Match : The Lions v The Highlanders
Venue : Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg
Score : 28-23
At the opening of this article, I mentioned consistency. Dictionary meaning is “behaviour or measurement of technique” so it is a description (in terms of sports) of the ability of a team to play in a similar fashion over a series of matches. That being said, it is often the goal for some sides and a hindrance to others. In relation to this match, it proved a positive for The Lions and a poor reflection on The Highlanders strengths and weaknesses.
The visitors would have to withstand a determined Lions sides who have battled hard this season. Upsetting neighboring sides and collecting an incredible 3 wins away in Australia and New Zealand, the home side could have been favorites for many even though this Dunedin side too have played some outstanding rugby in 2015. Possibly match of the round for the ‘next tier’ of sides playing for 5th, 6th and those outside placings, the team who stood tall at the end would gain positions on the ladder – Highlanders could jump above The Chiefs (if they gained 5 maximum points)
Starting the match with a very near-perfect opening try, Aaron Smith’s effort was called back for an illegal play from Partick Osbourne. His misdemeanor resulted in a kicking duel where The Lions benefited from most, a scrum penalty was awarded near the posts. Marnitz Boshoff opened the scoring and the games first quarter was a heated battle – back and fourth, with teams taking play into the others territory only for good defense or poor handling by The Lions especially ending their attacks. The two sides were equally ambitious at times, The Highlanders having the better scrum and The Lions kicking intelligently but a Ben Smith attacking play lead to a home players infringement, and Lima Sopoaga matched The Lions score after 22 minutes.
This even nature might have stagnated the match, so when referee Craig Joubert indicated penalty advantage near The Lions redzone, Sopoaga produced a deft drop-goal to put his team ahead. Uncommon in NZ rugby but just as effective, it gives the attacking side the valuable restart kick so is smart play (and an acknowledgement of his abilities for Steve Hansen to note) With their noses in front, it energized the side and they played well inside Lions territory now. Shifting the ball through many hands, young flanker Gareth Evans scored in the corner and the crowd were hushed. Leading 3-13, it bolstered still the ambitions of the visitors and when they withstood a good drive from The Lions, turnover ball was distributed to Malakai Fekiatoa. His brilliance is well known, and he outpaced defenders and crossed to end the first half in The Highlanders honours.
If the 3-20 score was any indication of the match, then The Highlanders might be in the driving seat and very nearly had more ‘magic’ from Waisake Naholo who only just touched the sideline, with his early try called back soon after the second half kick-off. Exciting for fans in the early hours back in NZ, but desperation for home fans. They needed to reverse this trend and to do that, substitutions were called for. Both halfback and first-five were called off, Elton Jantjies and Faf de Klerk now joining the fray and not often do we see the momentum swing due solely to a call from the coaches box, but the crowd soon noticed the change. So too did the opposition – Sopoaga missed a penalty and the pendulum had swung.
Those changes made an immediate impact and after fine interplay between Courtnall Skosan and Andries Coetzee, the big winger scored The Lions first try. Danger signs now popped into the minds of The Highlanders pack, discipline was important and they did well to hold out some fine moves from The Lions. When the ‘Landers side pushed back inside the redzone and earned another penalty advantage, surprisingly Ben Smith chose to take another drop kick. “There ya go” and that made the points gap 13, the home side needing to score twice and with their improved conviction, they actually looked the more threatening so ‘Landers fans hoped their team had more up their sleeve than droppies.
Driving play is their key setpiece, exemplified by Lions captain Warren Whiteley who is a powerful tackler and directed his side to press forward. So it was no surprise when after good build-up they worked a good 30 metre drive up-field that saw Jaco Kriel dot down. A hint of ‘changing lanes’ but The Highlanders looked vulnerable against a team well known for fighting back. Soon again on the attack, a try to Lions centre Harold Vorster reinforced their intent and a single point now separated the two sides with 15 minutes to play.
All out attack now tested the South island side, who buckled under immense pressure, Sopoaga not releasing first and a scrum penalty pushed the score out to 28-23 and would be an insurmountable scoreline. The Lions almost scoring several more times, Highlanders almost forcing their way back into the match, but time was not on their side. Whilst others may call some ‘dubious’ referee calls costing this team, you would have to hand all the credit to the home team. They were enthusiastic, even more so after some smart subs and then tenaciously defending.
When Highlanders staffs re-watch the match, they will see key inconsistencies that have been in their game for sometime. Winning on home soil had plastered over those signs in the lead-up. Naholo was mute, their loose forwards were laboured and Richard Buckman looked less assured as he had previously been. With their confidence reduced, the big test for them will be how they can work in unison for 80 minutes. No good getting a decent lead, only to see it dwindle away. Mind you, they often play better as a ‘catch up’ side but you can’t use that strategy against The Cheetahs. It will be a huge match, quite well determining places 5 to 8, because dropping a match is now tantamount to ‘falling off the pace’. It will be a season defining match in Bloemfontein.
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NZ conference standings | Hurricanes (Position 1st) 48 points | Chiefs (4th) 38 | Highlanders (5th) 34 | Crusaders 8th) 31 | Blues (13th) 16
Future fixtures – Friday 15th May : Blues v Bulls, Auckland | Saturday 16th May : Hurricanes v Chiefs, Wellington | Cheetahs v Highlanders, Bloemfontein.
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