Super Rugby Aotearoa: Five Talking Points from Round 6
The Highlanders celebrate Sio Tomkinson’s overtime winner against the Chiefs in Hamilton
Credit: Credit - Dave Rowland Getty Images
Although champions elect the Crusaders sat out this weekend, we were treated to two sensational games in Super Rugby Aotearoa (SRA).
In the shock of the weekend, the Highlanders rallied from an early 24-0 deficit to race back in the second half and beat the Chiefs 33-31, with the winning try coming well after the siren had gone.
In Wellington, the Jordie Barrett’s Hurricanes beat brother Beauden’s Blues 29-27 to move within a point of the Auckland franchise in the standings.
Take a look at our Five Talking Points from the latest round of SRA.
Gatland’s Chiefs breaking all the wrong records
Where do you start with the luckless Chiefs?
In terms of cold hard numbers, this is one of the worst runs in the proud history of the team and Warren Gatland will have been spitting feathers after his side threw away a vital win.
The Chiefs have now equalled their worst-ever losing streak of six in a row. The two previous times that happened was across two Super Rugby seasons, 1998-1999 and 2008-2009.
It’s also now a record five home defeats in a row., with the Waikato faithful left tearing their hair out as their men seized defeat from the jaws of victory.
First off, the positives. Some of their attacking play was excellent, with Damian McKenzie throwing some lovely passes as he came up from fullback into the playmaker role repeatedly.
Anton Lienert-Brown was excellent and deserved his score as he crashed over from an inside ball from McKenzie, with the Chiefs driving maul a useful attacking as it produced two tries.
Now, the bad news. Granted, the Highlanders were inspired in the second half under their general at scrumhalf Aaron Smith (more on him later) but some of the scores could have been avoided.
At 74 minutes, with the Chiefs leading 31-19, sloppy defending allowed the Highlanders to shovel the ball out wide before Jona Nareki had far too much space to score and set up the grandstand finish.
Again, you would expect them to see out the game, but a silly penalty allowed the Highlanders to win a lineout deep in the Chiefs red zone for their match winning score.
Despite the ill discipline and poor defensive errors, the Chiefs simply don’t get enough ball and territory which is inviting teams onto them.
Although leading for the majority of the game, the Highlanders enjoyed 62% of the possession and 65% of the territory with the Chiefs playing rope-a-dope in the latter stages.
Chiefs need to start looking after the ball, playing the basics and keep their maul rumbling to get go forward ball. It is extremely worrying form for the Waikato men and Gatland has a serious job on his hands.
Majestic Smith leads Highlanders to miracle comeback
Mitch Hunt dives over to spark a comeback for the Highlanders in an epic 33-31 victory
Credit: Credit - Dave Rowland Getty Images
When the Highlanders had Rob Thompson yellow carded - harshly in The Flanker’s view - in the 14th minute for a high shot on Tupou Vaa’i, with McKenzie’s penalty making it 17-0, they were staring down the barrel of a long afternoon.
However, the men from Dunedin are made from sterner stuff and refused to lie down yet again. We have previously extolled the virtues of Aaron Smith in this season’s SRA, with the All Black pulling another rabbit out the hat in Hamilton.
His awareness of the space on the field came to the fore as his reverse ball to right winger Josh McKay at first receiver set the wheels in motion for Mitch Hunt to grab his 47th minute try and begin the fightback.
Sniffing blood in the water, Smith linked up with McKay again as he picked up the offload from his winger right off his bootlaces to race through before interchanging with Manaaki Selby-Rickit to dive over for a well worked try.
Smith is quite simply at the height of his powers and is so vital to the Highlanders and how they play.
Shoutouts to Mitch Hunt, who had a fine game after he shifted to fullback in a backline reshuffle, and to Shannon Frizzell who is one of the outstanding back rowers in the competition and carried for 88 metres in an all action display.
You feel as if the Highlanders have left themselves too much to do in order to haul themselves back in the title race, and lack that little bit of backline quality to challenge, but they don’t go down without a fight.
Beauden silences the boo boys but Hurricanes take the points
On his return to the Sky Stadium in windy Wellington, Beauden Barrett put in a solid performance in a losing effort for his Blues team.
He didn’t receive the warmest welcomes by the partisan crowd, who booed him whenever he got the ball, but got about his work as he continues to occupy the 15 shirt with Otere Black playing fly-half.
Barrett’s night didn’t get off to the best of starts as he was skinned by the giant Ngani Laumape, but showed his quality with a wonderful break and individual try on the ten minute mark.
With Black forced off early in the second half through injury, Barrett stepped in at 10 and made some really nice playmaking touches. Expect to see him there more often till the end of the season with Black possibly injured.
For the Blues, this should not dampen what has been a really impressive season so far. Narrow losses to the Hurricanes and the Crusaders last time out could have easily fallen their way on another occasion.
Blues flanker Dalton Papalii faces stiff competition for the All Blacks 7 shirt but did his chances no harm with a superb defensive display. He got through 18 tackles and even bagged another try in this season’s competition, this time from a driving maul.
Rieko Ioane also looks at home in the centres as he made 17 tackles in addition to his carrying work. Brother Akira also got on the scoresheet and gave a reminder to All Blacks coach Ian Foster of his ability.
The Blues welcome the erratic Chiefs to Eden Park next week and you’d be a brave man to bet on the Waikato men coming away from Auckland with the win.
Laumape more than a battering ram as Jordie continues comeback
Ngani Laumape streaks past Beauden Barrett to open the scoring against the Blues in Wellington
Credit - Hagen Hopkins Getty Images
The best way to stop a guy like Ngani Laumape, a man mountain with serious pace, is to close down the space and not give him enough room to build up a head of speed, right?
Wrong. Barrett tried exactly that, before Laumape pulled out an outrageous sidestep to leave the best player in the world clutching at thin air.
He then reverted to type by barrelling straight over poor Otere Black to dot down, looking like Jonah Lomu walking over Mike Catt in 1995 in the process.
The centre was running hard all evening, making an astonishing 160 metres in carries for his side as he was at his very destructive best.
He also got through his defensive work, which included a huge hit on Matt Duffie right at the end of the game when Blues were building momentum.
Ardie Savea was top drawer too, making 12 tackles and carrying into contact for his team but it was a night where Jordie Barrett outshone his imperious brother.
Jordie has very much stepped into his brother’s boots, forming a partnership with fly-half Jackson Garden-Bachop from his position at fullback.
After playing here, there and everywhere in backlines for the Canes and the All Blacks, it looks as if the 15 shirt is his natural home as his counter attacking skills and positional play comes to the fore.
In tough conditions, he kicked well out of hand and for goal, nailing a tricky sideline conversion for the winning points.
Whisper it quietly, but the Canes could be building some momentum as they hang onto the ‘Saders coattails.
Embarrassment of riches for the All Blacks in the back field
The Blues Caleb Clarke will surely be in the next All Blacks squad after a fantastic breakthrough season
Credit - Phil Walter/Getty Images
Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Damian McKenzie, Sevu Reece, David Havili, Rieko Ioane. All are vying for All Black honours, but with only three spots available in the starting XV.
It is, arguably, where the New Zealand national team is strongest as they can boast an embarrassment of x-factor talents that would walk into most other sides in the world.
The likes of Ben Smith and Nehe Milner-Skudder have moved aside for the new generation to stake their claim and boy are they doing just that.
Super Rugby Aotearoa has showcased some fantastic rugby, with the handbrake firmly off and the ball often worked into the wide channels for the above to work their magic.
The competition is averaging 5.5 tries per game so far, with the teams viewing the truncated Super Rugby season as a chance to attack from deep and go for tries.
It is a shame that some of the above will miss out on the next All Black squad, but Ian Foster will have kept his eye on the emerging stars who will form the try scoring spine of his new look team.
