After last weekends matches, all five New Zealand (NZ) teams had mixed results in NZ Super Rugby Round 11. It all started so well on Friday, and ended pretty well too when the Blues broke a record they definitely did not want to hold, join Last Word On Sport for a quite reflection on the results and then focus squarely on Round 12.
Mixed Results in NZ Super Rugby Round 11
RESULTS: Friday 6 May – Crusaders 38 Reds 5 | Saturday 7 May – Chiefs 13 Highlanders 26 | Sharks 32 Hurricanes 15 | Kings 18 Blues 34
Friday was the ‘excitement’ game of the round for NZ rugby fans. It was a match that demonstrated the Crusaders strengths; scrum, line defence and returning the ball with menace, and it was here that star players like Israel Dagg and Johnny McNichol excelled. With Ryan Crotty and Andy Ellis on the bench (waiting to make an impact) David Havili and Mitchell Drummond performed well against the Reds, even as some were wondering how they would cope missing Nemani Nadolo [suspended]
In his absence, Jone Macilai-Tori was excellent on this night. Superlatives abound after his impressive hatrick of tries, two of them inside the opening ten minutes. A super start, they had replaced an attacking powerhouse Fijian with another elusive and motivated Fijian who fit straight in. It would have made coach Todd Blackadder very happy, not due to an ‘expectation’ of winning but in the manner how this classy side accomplished it. You might say it was a steady ship, but it was an active evening with many positives.
When Scott Barrett scored, fans across the whole country could see the quality in this young man from Taranaki and another lock just gives this team more ammunition to battle with. At 38-5, there was a bonus point secured and plenty of smiles in Christchurch (maybe not if you were wearing ‘blue’ – the Reds away shirt colour) but most importantly, the scoreline would ultimately affect the conference table by the end of Saturday.
The most crucial game of the round would have been the Chiefs hosting the Highlanders. In this local derby, the visitors arrived with a plan, and missing some regular players through injury (like the Chiefs) they needed some good news after a few upsets–remember that loss to the Reds. Gladly for them, they got that good news in the form of Waisake Naholo (see picture)
Read the full match report here, but ultimately the more determined side triumphed. Naholo performed well once he warmed up and scored two fine wingers tries. Speaking with him at the media session, he was asked ‘How is the leg?’ He replied “the leg is OK, but the lungs are hurting.” Only playing one full club game, he was at 60-70% and if we see the best of him prior to the June International window, All Black selectors on-hand for this game would be very happy to write his name down.
While the Chiefs setpiece worked well, they had poor ball security and coach Dave Rennie lamented lost opportunity. “You can’t turn that much ball over in this competition. I think we won the kicking battle but handling errors mounted. I thought our scrum was excellent, setpiece too, we stole some lineout but our accuracy let us down”.
Much was made of a tackle that was more clumsy than purposeful. The repeat slow-motion replays made it look far worse and the somersault that Charlie Ngatai made Elliot Dixon perform when he seemed to catch him in mid-air, it reminded some of the last two incidents, so alarm bells rang and the TMO and referee judged it illegal, straight yellow card. The most aggravating aspect has been [post game] how the judiciary rightly saw it as being not worthy of further punishment, yet it clearly was against the law; so he should have faced a hearing and was clearly remorseful, shaking Dixon’s hand as he walked to the chair. Sitting there, his side could not defend and Naholo scored in his direct absence.
The Chiefs now go into their final bye round as the second placed NZ side, losing their top position on a points differential of 26 points. The Hamilton side still has the most tries scored but have also allowed in the most tries scored against them, and defence is still crucial. The tightest defence usually prevails and that was evident in both of the games played in South Africa.
The Hurricanes had come off a 50 point match, the pundits believed that they would be in prime position to take the game to the Sharks. The home side had only just returned from NZ, with only one win under their belt, the Gary Gold coached side might have been disillusioned and importantly for the Canes, vulnerable. And after 30 minutes of play, all seemed to be running the way Dane Coles and his men had wanted it to. Reg Goodes scored his second try in a week, after good build-up and a wonderful pop-pass from James Marshall.
The fullback started off really well, he was inventive and the visitors might have scored more if some 50/50 balls had been held. That adventure is excellent, but just as kiwi fans expected another try, it was scored by the Sharks team. The sea-change in the game happened either side of halftime. Firstly as an attacking move inside the Canes 22 was not repelled and JP Pietersen lapped up a chance to side step Julian Savea. He was please with that, and after the restart, they hosts were in a line at halfway when a spilled ball got booted back towards the Canes line. A sprightly Pietersen outran the defence and that quick points change saw it go from 8-8 at the break, to 15-8 and it was now a game to be chased.
Savea for many, looks a little flat. It may only be a small part of the game, but every winger must have the desire to run up in attack, but as surely turn 180 degrees and chase an opponent or a kick. He was more blunted in this match and aside from Beauden Barrett and Marshall, the big Hurricanes players were being turned around and no matter their past match result, the game had turned and they had to repel an enthusiastic Sharks team led by Keegan Daniel and Tendai ‘the Beast’ Mtarariwa. Their senior leadership group really stood out.
In a short space, they scored again and it was certainly a tougher match now. Right then, Barrett seemed to take a knock and was removed for a ‘concussion test’. In his absence, Marshall slotted into first-five and a dramatic loss of rhythm was clear to see. The scrambling defence was unfortunately this sides downfall. That was compounded when returning favourite, Patrick Lambie was hurried on and did little wrong in his first match back.
The final nail was when big Daniel du Preez crossed for the fifth, and potential bonus point try, his side had deflected the challenge and it would have been a perfect result [five points] all but until Marshall scurried through a fading defence, to scuttle that fifth point. But neither he or the other Canes men had the power to alter the final result. The 32-15 scoreline will be a stone in their shoe on the trip home, so up against a more effective side bettered them, as happened in Canberra. Similarly to the Waratahs loss in 2015, they must be positive and aim to target a huge turnaround back home in Wellington.
Finally; as in the last match of the four involving NZ sides, and ‘finally’ because it had taken over two years to arrive, the Blues won overseas. Yes, that Blues side that could ‘not buy a win’–a draw with the Reds was taken as a definite lost chance, but this match against the Southern Kings would not be lost. The scoreline ended at 18-34, so they scored twice the amount as the opposition and importantly took away a bonus point, so fulfilled Blues players will benefit the most.
Confidence is something you cannot purchase, so Tana Umaga will be most pleased that men like Melani Nanai performed when it counted. The talented right winger scored two tries, two good attacking moves and that will please the whole squad. They scored regularly and when scored against, it appeared to bolster their conviction and that was also a clear positive. The last 40 minutes were not all ‘sugar coated’ though.
At one stage, Edgard Marutlulle scored and a penalty made the scores 18-22. Pressure was right on the men, it needed them all to stick to the Blues systems. The backs are often guilty of just ‘pinning the ears back’ while smarter teams set-up opportunities, but when replacement halfback Billy Guyton scored, it gave them hope. Score again? and that would be three more tries than the Kings, and in the dying minutes it appeared like time was against them. Nothing was working and the ball was presented to the Kings.
In that final play that will be re-watched in Port Elizabeth by fans and by the Kings management alike, how a final attacking lineout can result in Tevita Li crossing for a bonus point is anyone’s guess. The counter-attacking ability of all Kiwi teams is legendary, so why they would risk that chance is beyond belief. They only had a tiny chance to gain a single losing BP, but now the Kings will feel they dropped their focus. Not for the first time mind you, but the Blues were beaten in the same way by the Hurricanes in round three, so hopefully the Auckland team has learned their lesson.
And anyway, if they perform from now on, it is all up from here.
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Mixed results. Good for the Blues, but a trip-up for the Chiefs. And that occurred not only in the NZ conference, as the Bulls were denied again in Australia. They have a good history of away wins, but when they needed it, they were ill prepared against the Brumbies. That home side breathed a sigh of relief when hoping to bring their ship back on-course 23-6, after their own mixed results in 2016.
They play the Melbourne Rebels next week, in what will be a defining moment in the Australian conference. Whoever triumphs will take the mantle of ‘team to beat’ and the Waratahs must then halt the Bulls in Sydney. That might be as big of a match, but then again so will the Jaguares v Sharks match. The travel factor is always present, so when you are asked to fly from NZ to South Africa, then fly to Argentina (as the Sharks have) it is a true professional side that achieves their goals. The Sharks, and the Stormers will feel in the same position (Stormers are just not as exhausted by travel you might assume)
Those intra-conference matches are going to determine the finishing order in those two African, and in the Australian conference. Fans should be just as interested in those results, as they will be in this weeks matches involving NZ Super Rugby sides.
FIXTURES: Friday 13 May – Highlanders v Crusaders, Dunedin | Saturday 14 May – Hurricanes v Reds, Wellington | Lions v Blues, Johannesburg | Chiefs BYE
Last Word On Sport will report on the Match of the Round, the Highlanders playing the Crusaders at Forsyth-Barr Stadium. Tantalizing, again the AB selectors will be on-hand and it will go a long way towards how the Highlanders can aim for a top-of-the-table finish (still possible) The Crusaders drive down and will take many fans down with them but huge crowd aside, the conditions will surely result in tries being taken. Local derby games are never more than five points apart, so we could see another classic.
The Hurricanes must concentrate on the field, and news just in that players could have breached a curfew and possible repercussions will be applied, so it might become a huge distraction and the Reds are known for upsetting teams ‘given a chance’. Concentration is key too in the republic, where a buoyed Blues side will want to deliver a killer-blow to the Lions chances of staying within reach of the Sharks. Don’t be too confident Tana, but the James Parker skippered side name their squad midweek and will be keen to continue a new direction–winning overseas.
Look forward to ‘Super Rugby Saturday’ to get an update on all the latest news in NZ rugby and previewing the important matches of the day.
Player of the Round: Waisake Naholo. It is so good to be witness to a player that has so much potential, fulfilling that ability. On Saturday, Naholo had a better than great comeback. He has been injured. so when given them players of his calibre take any chances awarded them. Naholo has had to do this repeatedly, from his introduction to Heartland Rugby, ITM Cup, a taste of Super Rugby in 2015, in no less than a Championship winning team.
Then to see him struck down so quickly after debuting for the All Blacks and literally; reaching his dream, as injury stole that opportunity from under him, it could have destroyed other men. Here, we see that a player who is managed well by his franchise and when rehabilitated, is used so well. A weapon out-wide, just as Nadolo or Li are, that he achieves it consistently, the majority will agree that his future is scheduled for International glory.
All the best Wise.
“Main photo credit”
