The 2015 Investec Super Rugby season continued with three games involving New Zealand sides. (The Hurricanes, The Crusaders and The Rebels all observe a BYE round)
SUPER RUGBY ROUND 4 – NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
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Match : The Chiefs v The Highlanders
Venue : Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Score : 17-20
After two good Friday night wins in a row, and two strong performances from his Chargers, I’m thinking that Jamie Joseph needs to crack a wee smile. Getting a win over your fellow conference opposition is a big tick for any NZ side – over The Chiefs must equal a massive tick on Joseph’s whiteboard as he sits in his Dunedin office Monday smiling widely.
Yes, there will be some valid conjecture over the play and certain calls on the night, but nothing can take away from this 17-20 ‘come from behind’ victory.
It was raining in the hours leading up to this match, as it was an introduction back to more mild New Zealand rugby conditions, but that didn’t mean a reduction in the collision factor we enjoy so much. Far from it, this local derby was like two big bulls colliding, a contest from the very start.
Each of these Super Rugby sides have quality line-ups. Though The Chiefs did suffer a late change: Charlie Ngatai rolled his ankle and that meant Andrew Horrell ran onto the field alongside Sonny Bill Williams. That might not be normally seen as any lessening in their expected potency.
Talk this week of Aaron Cruden possessing new attacking freedoms were confounded early as his backline did their best to muddle up several set moves, squander territory and besides a converted penalty, their standards seemed to have slipped since the big win a week earlier. This is obviously not ideal when you are facing a Highlanders side who can turn a situation around quickly, and it’s a good side who can absorb pressure like that.
This southern team are trained to be respectful of how to ‘win ball’ off opposition and The Highlanders worked as a unit tirelessly, even more so than The Chiefs – which is a little bit out of character. There was a point in the first half where it all ‘gelled’ for The Highlanders. A period of ten minutes before the end of the half that rewarded the visitors with an outstanding try to Patrick Osbourne.
Through repeated phase play leading up to it and through swift passing by Aaron Smith, the ball was spread to the big winger who imposed himself and sidestepped SBW to cross for a tremendous individual try. He made good on words used by his coach during this week, where Joseph called for his winger to regain his ITM form. The statement worked wonders.
Taking advantage; now from a position of ascendancy, The Highlanders looked to re-absorb increased pressure waged by a wounded Chiefs team.
As the sides returned from the halftime break, fans would have trusted in their Ruakura based team to work much harder, be smarter and use the ball closer to their ruck. Importantly, they were also expected to better with their kicking execution. It might be a mute point that Cruden has let slip his high standards, but was there a regret maybe that Damian McKenzie was not involved in this contest to ensure they took the points when on offer. Accuracy with the ball in hand is only supported by a confidence in your kicking (place kicking especially) so it was almost fortunate when referee Nick Briant made the big call to award a penalty-try in the 48th minute.
How it proceeded was not flagrant; Smith waited and waited until it was almost ‘gifted’ to him, and he only did what comes naturally to halfbacks everywhere: picking up the ball when presented.
Was it a professional foul? More than likely, but to rub salt into the wound in less than ten minutes afterward, a brutal Chiefs attacking scrum from in front pushed The Highlanders past 90′ degrees and referee Briant called for a second penalty try. This was a more contentious call as The Chiefs looked to be in the lead position now and looked ominous, ready to score at will like the week earlier.
H2 ‘Close to scoring’ was evidently the barrier this side found harder to cross this week. Why? Those questions will be asked on the long flight to South Africa.
Asking themselves, why they squandered so much territory? With long passages in the bluezone, it was almost difficult to witness in long periods and had fans ‘cringing’ at their errors in open play.
The Highlanders players ability to muster their collective energy to deny attacks from The Chiefs was incredible as well. They kept up when their substitutions were inserted, and the whole squad should be commended to put themselves in a position to maximize any resulting penalties offered in the final few minutes. Marty Banks made good for a second week, booting the visitors to a coveted win; built on good work made earlier by Lima Sopoaga.
While the final infringement involving James Lowe tackling Malakai Fekiatoa was ‘questionable’, where angles/height are very much in question but the winning side celebrated with gusto on the final hooter, and why not. Their performance with such little possession was worthy of a wide smile. The southern men had traveled up and snared the points on offer.
On the opposite end of the score, The Chiefs lamented an imperfect effort and when interviewed by Radio Sport, coach Dave Rennie remarked “poor execution let us down. I thought the forwards were dominant, we did extremely well but seemed to let ourselves down all too often in open play. Cruden didn’t participate in the Captains run, and though he had been kicking at 80%, he had an ‘off night’. We’ve got to give credit to The Highlanders though, they worked tirelessly and their a well drilled side, we just took our eye of the ball and I hope we can remedy that on this trip to The Stormers next week”
For the Super Rugby competition, it has brought a third NZ side nearer to the mid-top end of the table (maybe not good news for a second SA/AU team) but a wounded Chiefs side will look to respond in a way only they can; winning on the road that is something this champion side are more than accustomed to.
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Match : The Blues v The Golden Lions
Venue : QBE Stadium, Auckland
Score : 13-10
Being present at the game, my report is first hand and if I do reside in this Blues region, I can say that it was an evenly matched game going in; from the position on the table for both sides, the favoured locals fancied their chances.
The Golden Lions (Lions) have not always been a good touring side, and even though they did beat The Highlanders in 2011, so many teams tend to look at them with less respect than this side ultimately deserved. They aren’t “e,asybeats” but if the Blues thought this, then it could be a strategy that will be sweated over this next week by coaching staffs, board and CEO.
As it did in Hamilton, rain made for a greasy surface and both sides tested each other with sideline kicks, hoping for a fumbled ball or turnover. That tactic was supported by scrambling defense and an evenly matched competition at the ruck. Just a little bit of niggle as well, at first the home side used their ball purposefully in the early part of the match, hoping to score early.
It was unfortunate then that Blues captain Jerome Kaino suffered a vicious head-wound and left the field for treatment and the mandatory concussion testing. During this time, celebrated hooker Keven Mealamu took a senior role in general play. Exhibiting his experience and fearsome front-on battering style, the Blues peppered the opposition line with set phase insurgent runs and they moved to within striking distance.
At that moment, a bandaged Kaino returned and found himself with the ball and 2 metres towards the tryline.
Result: 7 points * Credit to staff for recognizing any danger to the player, but I myself thought he would have been off for the entire half and his return would have bolstered his team mates as much so.
A little flattering, the score of 10-3 suggested that apart from solid forward play, this team still has an inability to generate clean breaks. West distributes well, Francis Saili and Piutau provide options left and right but it is just two-dimensional as The Lions reacted all too easily. They had parity in their defensive line and the Jo’burg side smothered contested ruck ball, stalled by many ref’s calls and the resulting scrums were unsettled [for almost all of the game]
Players went to the sheds with a 10-3 Blues advantage, but you sensed the opposition would have taken heart from the Blues failures to penetrate their line. Frank Halai was almost impotent on wing attack, and often forwards did not fit well in the back line and it complimented a defensive mentality.
Much like The Sharks in 2014, this Lions side would have wanted to build on a strong first 40 minutes of defiance and the television audience in Johannesburg would have been delighted with their work rate too.
It was effective and from the sideline view, The Blues tried, tried and tried again to work into the 22 metre redzone only to be turned back again and again.
For the next quarter, it was challenge met and turned back. A major failure on the attacking ability of The Blues, even with some counter-attack by The Lions that was too easily defended, rugby by numbers is all to simple to spot.
The only way this encounter would be turned around might be in substitutions, and the best of the night will have been Francois de Klerk.
His entry into the match was ‘electric’ and within 5 minutes, the score had corrected to be 10-10 and we knew it would be a special effort for The Blues side to match that energy and enthusiasm.
The African SuperSport commentary would have been great to hear, as 15 minutes of effort by the home side resulted in zero points conceded.
How that was might take too long to describe, so in bullet 2 points I will attempt to –
(a) they did not kick to the corners, looked to be uncertain and did not use set-play well (resting on scrums mostly)
(b) an effectual scrum option will be an major issue for this side in the weeks to come, not helped by Lions players losing footing and using the referees continued leniency to their advantage.
With no yellow cards handed out; that the crowd were chanting for, it meant only one opportunity for West to attempt any points conversion, glancing outside the left upright.
In particular, that call proved a bad decision and a sour pill for Mealamu and Kaino to address when after the final whistle, each celebrated player accepted genuine awards in front of a loyal band of fans.
The final score was 10-13, and in the last moments the players roles will be examined. Awards are nice, but it was subdued and the best of intentions was lost in the result.
Take nothing from The Lions, they take 4 points with them and should be very happy with their first tour match out of four. A great result, and well played by them, but for this home side it will be an examination that only a hospital ward is suitable for.
The public of New Zealand will look on with astonishment and the local Super Rugby media will be double the size it normally is this Monday. Media attention is easy to benefit from when your winning like the Hurricanes, but while Sir John Kirwan is very amiable, is transparent and well respected, he is under the hammer.
Two years in row his side has failed in a ‘home match’ at North Harbour Stadium (think Sharks again). The question maybe “Is it going to be a fourth season in charge?” JK needs to put points on the board – literally.
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