Highlanders and Brumbies Impress to Progress
The amount of rugby on show during the weekend may be thinning out slightly, but the quality certainly isn’t. If you happened to be sad like me and get up early to watch the Highlanders take on the Chiefs in the first ‘wildcard’ playoff game – effectively a quarter final – you would have noticed the serious skill on show as the Otago side prevailed in a wonderfully fast-paced game that oozed with ambition.
After a dodgy TMO call ruled out an early try for Patrick Osborne due to Waisale Naholo allegedly putting a foot into touch (a case of mistaken boot-identity, mi-lud), the Highlanders did claim the opening score of the night as Aaron Smith and Naholo played a beautiful ‘1-2-1-2′ for the Fijian to scorch over in the corner, but it was the Chiefs who took in a lead at half time. Aggressive defence and electric counter attacking, from Damian McKenzie in particular, earned the visitors 3 pots at goal, which Andrew Horrell converted, but it was two of the seasons biggest hits – from Sonny Bill and Malakai Fekitoa – which really got the crowd on their feet. That’s a viable centre partnership for the All Blacks. Frightening.
The second half was played with just as much intensity as the first, with Smith and Naholo combing again for a try for the winger before Brodie Retallick barged his way over to lead the charge back into the game for the visitors. A charge which was to ultimately fall short, however, as the Highlanders’ much improved defence handled the pressure and a late penalty from Lima Sopoaga put the game to bed, cementing the Highlanders’ place in the semi-finals with a 24 – 14 win.
Over in Cape Town, there was more top-class rugby on show – although mainly from one side, as the Brumbies battered the Stormers, the last remaining South African side in the competition, on their own turf. A stunning first-half hat-trick by Joe Tomane – the third coupled with one of the best ‘sit-down’ fends you’re ever likely to see – paved the way for an easy 39-19 win, although the Stormers looked frail by usual standards and fans can rightly bemoan the absences of Duane Vermeulan and Schalk Burger (a late withdrawal) for their lack of venom up front. The visitors also ran in scores from Jesse Mogg, Scott Sio and Ita Vaea, but it was the performance of David Pocock once again which really caught my eye. Not only does he continue to look like he-man, but he was doing some superhuman work at the breakdown – Michael Hooper is a fine player, but Pocock’s return is massive for the Wallabies this World Cup. And pants for England.
The only downside for the Brumbies (aside from Cheslin Kolbe’s interception try for the hosts) was Henry Speight’s reckless clearout on Juan de Jongh, earning the winger a red card and a likely ban from the remainder of the tournament.
The results mean that the Highlanders will travel to Sydney to face the Waratahs and the Hurricanes will host the Brumbies in the Super Rugby semis.
Super Rugby Star Man: Joe Tomane, but special mention for Aaron Smith
All Blacks end England’s reign as Under 20 Champs
The future’s bright, the future’s black…no, it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, but it was the Baby Blacks who wrestled the crown off a valiant England side to take the mantle of best of the young generation. Jon Callard’s men actually took an early lead when Max Clarke hit a superb line to carve through the Kiwi’s defence, but from then on the men in black were watertight, even when skipper Akira Ioane was ridiculously sin-binned for a no-arms tackle…in which he used his arms.
Whilst England struggled to kick on in attack, they were solid in defence – but their two lapses were, in typical NZ fashion, ruthlessly exploited as Vince Aso powered through some wet tackling before Ioane himself bundled over the line. The boot of Rory Jennings kept the reigning champs in the hunt, and they should arguably have had another try after Piers O’Connor dived over, only for the TMO to rule in favour of the Kiwis on a marginal offside call. The end result was 21 – 16 to the Baby Blacks, but take a good look at both side’s team sheets – I’m sure we’ll be hearing more of them over the years.
Under 20s Star man: Akira Ioane
Try of the Weekend: Check out Waisake Naholo‘s first try for the highlanders for some classic interplay and a masterclass on how to work a blindside from Aaron Smith. If you can, Joe Tomane’s big hand-off on his third try is worth a peek too.
Hero of the Weekend: There were some big displays from the likes of Smith, Naholo and Tomane, but I’m giving it to David Pocock – after effectively 2 years out with knee issues, to dominate the way he did at the breakdown was absolutely awesome. He’s back.
Villain of the weekend: There will be a camp of people who will say Henry Speight‘s clear out was ‘unlucky’ in that De Jongh landed on his face – but that doesn’t cut it in my book. If you put someone in a position where they could suffer horrific injury like that, even if you don’t mean to, you’re a liability and need to have some time out the game to work on your technique, if nothing else.
By Mike Cooper (@RuckedOver)
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Not too many takers here, but regds Speight, hasn’t WR brought in something called ‘intent’ now?
Bit dumb, sure & prevention HAS to be the emphasis, however De Jongh made a bit of a meal of it & he was obstructing from off side as far as I could tell.
My point is that if he hadn’t been there in the 1st place, he c/wouldn’t have been ‘tackled’, so he must be partially culpable too.
Jones, who else, of the S Times recently opined that the BB’s were on the wane. Well I guess that they must have ‘un-waned’ themselves then. Jones scuttled of to reminisce about 1995 leaving Steve Bale to, er, bail him out; no doubt.
Was it mainly a case of missed tackles, or were the try scorers ‘eels’, slithering out of or through defences? The 1st BB defender let Max Clarke come INSIDE him (cardinal sin), but the ‘fool’ back was cut up fair & square.
After the opening 1/4, the NZ juniors came to terms with England & the latter’s forward pass ‘try’ apart, seemed fairly comfortable.
Bale related that is was, mostly, a case of the ‘England bludgeon’ v the ‘NZ rapier’. He reckoned England’s ‘giants’ had ascendency @ scrum. But both sides seemed to hold their own scrum ball pretty well I thought & interestingly, the NZ pack actually outweighed England’s. Besides, the scrum is mainly a means to end, rather just an end in itself. Cut up front & @ back I say.
How England let the Kiwi score the try when 2 defenders had hold of him & seemingly 1/2 their team around him, baffles me still. An ‘eel’ again? Anyway, these moments can shift a game’s axis & for me this 1 surely, at that time, did. Had the Kiwi been held, it would surely have put the pressure back on the BB’s… but who knows?
What concerned me most about NZ was that they didn’t put enough guys into the breakdown consistently enough. It handed England unnecessary & quick ball & therefore the initiative. You can win games with relatively less primary possession, but not with too little 2ndary possession as well. Needs addressing for me.
Also I got the he be, gee bees when the BB’s, just like their AB seniors, ran the ball out of ‘D’, IN THEIR OWN 22, before booting it down town. Why muck around in their red zone? If it had gone pear shaped, it could have been deep guacamole time!
Oh & the OZ ref, of all people, sent a fellow SH’er to the bin for a LEGAL tackle (!), but England didn’t/couldn’t take advantage & so that, in the end, was that.
As for these guys’ futures & whether ‘we’ll be hearing more of them over the years’, we’ll have to see. I tend to think that players of the here & now, or they’re not. The future can be a fickle mistress.