Super Rugby Aotearoa: Five Talking Points from Round 1

Bryn Gatland is mobbed by Highlanders teammates after scoring the winning drop-goal in Dunedin

Credit: Marty Melville/AFP

It’s official - rugby is back.

And to quote the great Justin Marshall in his finest hour: “Me oh my, I have enjoyed that yes boy!”

The first round of the new Super Rugby Aotearoa competition is in the books, with the Blues making a statement of intent with a 30-20 win over the Hurricanes after a last-gasp drop goal saw the Highlanders edge out the Chiefs in Dunedin (more on the details of that further down).

There were a number of storylines at play underneath the final scores as well, including Beauden Barrett’s much-anticipated debut for the Blues against the side he left last year and the battle of the Gatlands as the legendary former Wales coach’s Chiefs took on his son’s Highlanders.

Here’s our five takeaways from the opening weekend of Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Christmas in the Gatland household could be awkward

There was only one real headline from the return of rugby in New Zealand, and it was the battle of the Gatlands.

Former Wales coach Warren was taking charge of the Chiefs for the seventh time since joining the outfit after 12 years with Wales, while his son Bryn was a surprise inclusion in the matchday 23 for the Highlanders.

For a lot of the match, it looked like Bryn would be walking away with the spoils as the Highlanders dominated a scrappy affair, leading by 6 with less than ten minutes to go and back to a full compliment after Jona Nareki returned from the sinbin.

Damian McKenzie had other ideas though. It looked like he had worked his usual magic by setting up Anton Lienert-Brown for a 72nd-minute try and then snapping a drop-goal with just two minutes on the clock to put the Waikato outfit in the lead.

However, if Warren Gatland was sat in the coaching box beginning to reflect on a smash-and-grab victory, he also knew the fighting spirit he has shown numerous time in the Welsh setup has clearly passed on to his son.

Recollecting the short kickoff, the Highlanders pressed forward towards the Chiefs’ line and Bryn Gatland stepped up to nail a clutch 40-metre field goal and send his father’s side to a defeat.

It is tough to say what words may have been exchanged in the aftermath of the game but one can only imagine it might lead to a few nervous glances over Christmas dinner later in the year.

Young and fringe players are getting their chance

Gatland Jr was not the only fringe player who got his chance to shine in the first round of this new venture.

Despite the presence of both Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter in the Blues’ ranks, it was Otere Black that ultimately occupied the 10 jersey for the Auckland side agains the Hurricanes.

The Blues also opted to hand a start to 21-year-old Hoskins Sotutu at number 8 over the likes of Akira Ioane.

A young flyhalf was also handed the reins in Waikato, as Kaleb Trask (21) started at first-five despite the presence of perennial All Black playmakers Damian McKenzie and Aaron Cruden.

Over at the Highlanders, 22-year-old Jona Nareki beat out the likes of All Black Nehe Milner-Skudder to gain a wing spot against the Chiefs, while on the other side of the field Luke Jacobson (23) was given a back row berth in front of newly-confirmed All Blacks captain Sam Cane.

The self-contained nature of the competition has meant that new rules, such as red card replacements after 20 minutes, have been introduced, and it is heartening to see experimentation with players also high on the agenda.

No doubt the All Blacks and reglar starters waiting in the wings will soon be reintroduced to the fold, but the opportunities being given to young players from the outset in Super Rugby Aotearoa bodes well.

Dane Coles has lost nothing

One of the iconic sights in recent Hurricanes and All Black history is hookers turning up in unexpected places and pulling off quite remarkable scores.

The long-time master of this art has long been Dane Coles, who reminded us at the weekend exactly why that is.

He has faced a battle for his starting jersey at international level from Codie Taylor, who will not doubt offer a rebuttal to Coles’ effort this weekend when the Crusaders make their bow in the competition, but Coles delivered a hell of an opening argument.

The sight of him galloping majestically down the right wing and finishing the try in a manner of which many creditable wingers would be proud served as a classic example of the skillsets inherent in New Zealand forwards.

The fact that he happily dismissed former teammate Beauden Barrett on his way to the line and proceeded to join his fellow Canes in ruffling Beauden’s hair in mock celebration was a feather in his cap for those of us committed to the fine art of shithousery.

Beauden Barrett is surrounded by his former Hurricanes teammates after Dane Coles’ try

Credit: AFP

Coles may be 33, but it is pretty clear he’s still got some gas in him.

Signs of life for sidelined All Blacks

The return of Super Rugby had some definite positives for guys looking to win back black jerseys in the coming months.

Top of that particular list was Reiko Ioane, who moved inside to 13 ahead of Joe Marchant and looked the better for increased involvement.

More time on the ball, plus chances to show off his lesser-seen handling and offloading abilities, meant a boost for Ioane in his bid to reclaim the All Black jersey that he lost last year to George Bridge prior to the World Cup.

He was not the only All Black who reminded everyone of their talents. Damian McKenzie’s virtuoso performance from fullback for the Chiefs, while pretty commonplace in Waikato, was still a warning to the rest of the country that the man who missed the World Cup through a horribly-timed injury is back and is not giving up his All Black shirt again without a fight.

Similarly, teammate Aaron Cruden showed real touches of class when he entered the game for the Chiefs, as he also looks to gain ground on the likes of Barrett and Richie Mo’ounga in the race for the New Zealand fly-half job he once proudly held.

Stand by for July 12, when the battle of the All Black scrumhalves comes to town as TJ Perenara and Aaron Smith go head to head in Wellington. That could be an absolute barn burner.

Fans make any sport immeasurably better

Fans at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin for the Highlanders game against the Chiefs

Credit: Super Rugby/YouTube

Different sports have tackled the lack of crowds at sporting events in different ways over recent months, including piping in carefully-controlled crowd noise to TV audiences and cardboard cutouts being placed in stands.

However, if this weekend’s games in New Zealand taught us anything, it is that you cannot beat having bums on seats.

Hearing the noise as the players emerged, hearing the cheers and jeers on every side when a ball went down and just seeing the pure joy of the players at being able to ply their trade in front of their supporters again gave this weekend’s games a whole new meaning.

Seeing packed-out stadiums in Dunedin and Auckland sent a shiver down the spine and goosebumps up the limbs, and gave us a halcyon moment where, just for a second, it was almost as though we were back to the way things were.

While playing behind closed doors is ultimately the sensible option for most of the world in the current climate and no decisions should be made to change that unless it is safe, you just can’t beat the feeling of a full stadium. That’s just science.