Time for our Review of week three of our favorite club rugby competition. This week we didn't see the exciting free flowing rugby we would have preferred. Instead we saw tons of errors and many games taking on a stop start flow. We did however still have some moments of magic so let's get right into it.
Blues 21 vs Chiefs 27
An end to end contest seeing some big hits (Matt Duffy) and some classic Kiwi rugby. The back three of the Chiefs created all sorts of problems for the Blues. The Blues started the game like a house on fire dominating the game completely until the Chiefs worked their way backed. Damian Mckenzie will be disappointed with his goal kicking in the early stages three shots at goal. It was however great seeing Damian back at Fullback as his game breaking ability was once again evident.
The second half however saw the Chiefs score 17 unanswered points before the Blues managed 7 in the second half.
The game was end-to-end which guaranteed an exciting game for the fans. There was however a lot of errors with both sides dropping a few balls and missing a couple of tackles. Both number 8’s Akira Iona and Teleni Seu had solid physical performances and it will provide the All Blacks with great confidence s they just seem to be producing so much depth in every position. Rieko Ioane was also brilliant again breaking the line on a couple of occasions.
The Blues biggest problem was their decision making with George Moala hanging on to the ball on a couple of occasions, trying the miracle play too often, which led to Brad Webber sprinting away to score and continuously making small errors to lose momentum. The Chiefs on the other hand will be delighted with the win especially considering the injuries they picked up in the lead up. Neither team was that convincing and will have a lot of work to do if they are hoping to grab a play-off spot or improve on last season’s performance.
My Player of the Game:
Solomon Alaimalo really impressed with his running game and pace. Making tons of opportunities for his teammates and looking threatening every time he touched the ball.
Reds 18 vs Brumbies 10
A game of rugby where the biggest highlight was probably Jono Lance showing the rugby world his bum. The Reds might have dominated position and territory but they failed to convert any of this dominance into 5 pointers. In the end however the Brumbies discipline cost them the game conceding 13 penalties throughout, which allowed the Reds to convert 6 penalties to score their points.
The Reds however was awarded their third card of the season and Brad Thorne will be hoping to see his teams discipline improve and improve quickly. The Brumbies showed some positives trying to run the ball and breaking the line however they it struggled to convert. Both teams also gave away the ball way to often with the Reds conceding 10 turnovers and the Brumbies 15.
A game contested by two poor teams on the day. Both sides will be hoping for major improvements otherwise they might be in a scrap for the wooden spoon.
My Player of the Game:
Jono Lance’s Bum, when every rugby fan was struggling to keep their eyes open as this snorefest progressed, Jono’s Bum made an appearance to at least give the fans something to laugh about.
Sunwolves 17 vs Rebels 37
A game of two halves as the first was tightly contested and saw the Sunwolves return from a 10-point deficit to go in at half time all squared at 10-10. The Rebels however stepped it up a gear in the second half and tore their Japanese counterparts to shreds outscoring their opponents by 27-7 in the second half.
Both teams made a host of errors with the Sunwlves making 15 handling errors and the Rebels 9. The Sunwolves also lost 5 lineouts and the Rebels 2.
The Rebels stand out performers were Amanaki Mafi, Dane Haylett-Petty, Sefa Naivalu, Will Genia and Jack Debreczeni. The Rebels are two for two and could not have asked for a better start to their season. It must be said however that they have played against probably the two weakest sides in the tournament. Therefore, they will have to continue working hard as it will only get tougher from here on in.
The Sunwolves are still probably 14 points weaker than any of the other teams in the tournament and maybe 10 on a good day. However, the decision to leave former Highlanders scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka on the bench must be questioned as his impact and experience was clearly visible when he entered the game. The Sunwolves won’t be causing too much trouble to any opposition teams and will probably only pick up one or two wins.
My Player of the Game:
Jack Maddocks, the youngster might have bagged a hattrick, but his willingness to get involved provides the Rebels with brilliant attacking options. When Maddocks runs into first receiver he seems at home and the youngster looks like he will cause opposition defenses all sorts of trouble.
Crusaders 45 vs Stormers 28
Another loss for the Stormers all be it not a surprising one. The Crusaders came out of the dressing room like a house on fire and quickly ran through the Stormers defense like it wasn’t there and storming to a 26-0 lead. The Stormers fought back valiantly to 31-28 but in the end their horrid start cost them any chance of getting anything out of the game.
The Crusaders were brilliant and showed that they will be challenging for the championship again this year. A hardworking powerful forward pack sets the base for a very exciting backline that looks unstoppable when the ball is cleared quickly. Tries from George Bridge (x2), Codie Taylor, Billy Harmon, Bryn Hall, Seta Tamanivalua and Richie Mo’unga proved that the Crusaders can hurt you from any position. The Crusaders defense was also solid with the Stormers having to go through more than 15 phases on a couple of occasions to breach.
The Stormers on the other hand will feel that they offered enough going forward, but they were terrible defensively. In my opinion the Stormers were terrible throughout. The team from Cape Town lacked composure when they were in the red zone on a couple of occasions making bad decisions and not converting. Raymond Rhule and Damian De Allende might offer some interesting options going forward but make too many errors. De Allende lacks composure and struggles defensively, Rhule is probably one of the worst defenders in the tournament. SP Marais had a better game today making less errors. The Stormers pack worked hard and there are certainly some positives to take, however, the crash-ball approach is outdated and the Stormers should be looking for new ways to break down defences. One big positive for the Stormers was the performance of Cobus Wiese who was physical and kept working throughout.
My Player of the Game:
The man who controlled it all Richie Mo’unga. With his pack going forward the Flyhalf marshalled the backline wonderfully and ended the try scoring with two wonderfull steps to dot down under the sticks.
Sharks 24 vs Waratahs 24
This game can be described as a comedy of errors with both sides making a lot of mistakes. Probably one of the worst displays of basic skills in recent years. The Waratahs missed 22 tackles to the Sharks 9, the Waratahs made 14 handling errors and the Sharks 19 and the Sharks concede 14 turnovers to the Waratahs 5. These stats are astronomical for errors and although both teams managed to get passed the gain line on regular occasions.
The Waratahs would be the happier of the two sides as the Sharks dominated the set piece and was probably the better of the two sides. The Sharks conceded three tries due to some shocking errors and the Waratahs were very quick to pounce on these errors. Michael Hooper was brilliant terrorizing the Sharks at the breakdown and defensively. The Waratahs will however be worried about their set piece as they have struggled in both games especially at scrum time.
The Sharks have a lot of positives with centre pairing Lukanyo Am and Andre Esterhuizen looking dangerous. Am scored two brilliant tries that in the end however wasn’t enough. Robert Du Preez crossed the chalk again, however, he once again proved his inconsistency making some crucial mistakes. The Sharks will also take positives from their set piece as they managed to fix their struggling scrum from the first round and dominate the Waratahs.
In the end both teams will be disappointed with the draw as they are stuck behind the pack early on.
My Player of the Game:
Lukanyo Am, the Sharks centre made a couple of mistakes but his running game and defensive organization was brilliant and this will make him a contender for that Springbok no 13 jumper.
Bulls 35 vs Lions 49
My game of the weekend. A highly anticipated affair after the Bulls started brilliantly against the Hurricanes. This week was a different ball game and although the scores were all tied up 21-21, just after Handre Pollard crossed the chalk 20 seconds into the second half, the Bulls discipline soon cost them as they went down to 13 men and the men from Johannesburg ran riot.
A game filled with brilliant moments in the end however the difference was the Lions dominance at lineout time as well as the breakdown. Warren Whitley, Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Andries Coetzee all showed flashes of brilliance and the Lions showed proved that there are many aspects to their game and that they can hurt you from anywhere. The Lions wingers didn’t get as much space this week but both players showed that they are just as valuable defensively. Mahuza also showed he needs no more than a couple of meters to break the game as he scored another brilliant try rounding Warrick Gelant.
The Bulls on the other hand won’t be entirely disappointed as they showed some brilliant moments with Handre Pollard marshalling the backline from 12 and Travis Ismael showed some running intent and scored probably one of the tries of the weekend. The Bulls will take a lot of heart from the game as they were beaten by a better side on the day and if John Mitchell can continue to develop their style of play the Bulls will once agin become a force to be reckoned with.
My Player of the Game:
Malcolm Marx, the Lions hooker was once again brilliant scoring a try, dominating the collision and terrorizing the Bulls at the breakdown. Marx also had a brilliant day at lineout time finding his jumpers consistently. Marx is in my opinion the best in the business.
Jaguares 9 vs Hurricanes 34
Another scrappy affair that in the end flatters the Hurricanes. Both teams again struggled to hold on to the ball making tons of handling errors and struggling to find their teammates with their passes. Furthermore, the goal kicking in this was also way below average. In the end the result only showed how the Jaguares are not up to scratch.
A game that saw the Hurricanes score 5 tries with Ben Lam, Ngani Laumape, Matt Proctor, Vince Aso and Blade Thomson. While we did see the Hurricanes produce some sparks of what we have come to expect if they do not shape up before next week they will be in trouble against the high-flying Crusaders. The positives for the Hurricanes will be their scramble defense as well as the fact that they are leaving Argentina with a bonus point.
The Jaguares will have to do some serious soul searching as they struggled to keep their compure and finish of the opportunities they had. The Jaguares could not have had a worse start to the season losing all three their opening games. The Jaguares therefore find themselves already battling to avoid the wooden spoon.
My Player of the game:
Julian Savea, the big winger didn’t get to much ball but he didn’t mke any real errors except for one knock-on. He made a couple of good runs but only gets the plaudits because of the low quality game.
What did you think of the weekend's games? Who was your stand out players? What was the biggest surprise? How did your team do?
Thanks and Until next time...
Sources:
http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/super-rugby/super-rugby-2018-live-coverage-of-reds-v-brumbies-match-at-suncorp-stadium/news-story/ef7efa9d2c79f56806aa983e238452ea
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/101944114/chiefs-show-great-courage-to-win-super-rugby-thriller-over-blues-in-auckland
https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/rebels-hit-form-in-second-half-to-beat-sunwolves-20180303
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/super-rugby-results-and-latest-table-3-march/
http://www.sarugbymag.co.za/blog/details/sharks-tahs-report
https://www.gettyimages.no/event/super-rugby-rd-2-bulls-v-lions-775109962#/jacques-van-rooyen-of-the-lions-and-lood-de-jager-of-the-bulls-during-picture-id926728456
http://www.zimbio.com/Sebastian+Cancelliere
http://www.superxv.com/super-rugby-quarter-finals-team-team-preview/