Hurricanes lay down the biggest marker of the 2009 Super 14
Roar Guru By James Mortimer, 26 Apr 2009 James Mortimer is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Brumbies, George Smith, Hurricanes, Rugby Union, Stirling Mortlock, Super Rugby, Willie Ripia
Promise fulfilled and early title favouritism delivered. The Hurricanes blew away the Brumbies, who may have had injuries, but were still top four hopes and had in their team the two premier Australian Test players – Wallaby captain Stirling Mortlock and George Smith.
If indeed the Hurricanes were a tropical cyclone, they were blowing a category five.
Five times so far this season, the 50 point mark has been breached by various teams. Twice, when the Bulls and the Chiefs achieved it, they conceded four tries. The other three times, it has been against one of the bottom three teams.
Outside of these, there has been large margins inflicted, the biggest being a 38 point margin (Stormers 56-18 Lions). All of these margins – 25+ points – had either been against bottom three teams or the winning team themselves had conceded at least four tries.
Essentially, this was the biggest margin and the most emphatic victory so far this year.
While the Brumbies had injuries, they still had seven Wallabies in their playing 22, and a further six players who had Australia “A” caps. In Mortlock and Smith, they not only had two men who have worn the captaincy armband for the Australian Test team, but two players who had over 200 Brumbies caps and over 150 Wallaby appearances.
They were, and still are, in a position to make the semi-finals (but would need to beat the Reds, Blues and Chiefs in their final weeks).
Arguably, no side in the world could have halted the Hurricanes in this mood.
In the first five minutes, the Brumbies got the start they required in enemy territory. A converted try to initiate scoring, and even with a Willie Ripia penalty, it was 7-3 to the Brumbies after ten minutes.
It was here that the storm cells merged!
In the next 19 minutes, the Hurricanes scored four tries to register a bonus point, and effectively the victory. Coming into half time, the game was won with a 25-7 scoreboard.
In the second half, it was even more impressive. In the 60th minute, the Hurricanes scored their fifth try, to signal an 18 minute burst where they would score a further 28 points. Most notable this occurred while Coach Colin Cooper emptied his bench, even reserve players didn’t stop the storm.
Ironically, before the match, the Brumbies had spoken that they had spent the week enhancing their defensive systems.
For the Canes, there was not a bad player or a poor aspect of their game. Even their lineout and kicking game, the weaker aspects of their traditional play, looked the goods.
But their hallmark traits, their remarkable offensive style, looked truly impressive.
Their scrum pushed back a Brumbies pack with four Wallabies at will. At the ruck, the ACT side looked limited, even with one of the world’s great flankers in Smith contesting the ball. Ten times the visitors conceded turnover ball at the ruck.
It was though the running game of the Hurricanes that looked all powerful. Line breaks and offloads came at will. The most startling statistic is that every time the Wellington based team ran the ball, the game average was six metres made for every run.
While the other teams in the Super 14 have been put on notice, the only aspect that will now concern the Hurricanes faithful is their consistency.
But it would be hard not to get excited, on the evidence of their all consuming display at the Cake Tin. The victory moved the Hurricanes to the top of the table (notwithstanding the rest of the rounds results) and gave them 37 tries scored for championship and a +82 points difference; one point less than the Chiefs and nearly double better than any other side in the Super 14.
Considering 40 points pretty much guarantees a semi-final position, the Canes only need 6 tournament points from their remaining three matches where there are 15 up for grabs.
They play the Blues, Chiefs and Reds to close the season, the other three teams in the top four of running and attacking statistics for the season.
Hurricanes 56
Tries: Guildford (2), Jane, D Smith, Ellison, Levave, Vito, C Smith
Con: Ripia 5/8
Pen: Ripia 2/2
Brumbies 7
Tries: Alexander
Con: Mortlock 1/1
Recommend this story.
- Explore:
- Brumbies, George Smith, Hurricanes, Rugby Union, Stirling Mortlock, Super Rugby, Willie Ripia
April 26th 2009 @ 7:30pm
True Tah said | April 26th 2009 @ 7:30pm | Report comment
Hemjay,
I think the Hurricanes have pretty much go into the finals, not sure about them getting a home semi though – they should account for a poor Blues team next weekend, and they face the Chiefs – my money would be on the Chiefs at this stage, their only weakness is Lauaki’s consistency, last night was a great example. He scored a try and then proceeded to try to remove Habana’s head from his shoulders, basically he’s a lazy defender.
The Canes have improved out of sight from Round 1, when they were well beaten by the Tahs, unfortunately the Tahs never really got out of 2nd gear since then. TBH I didnt think much of Colin Cooper as a coach, as he seemed to have a plethora of All Blacks in his backline, yet has delivered naught in all his years in charge.
April 26th 2009 @ 7:56pm
Hemjay said | April 26th 2009 @ 7:56pm | Report comment
As a Canes supporter its been a long 13 years of super rugby. The Canes have always promised so much and failed to deliver, so much talent with an army of All Blacks yet they just don’t quite click when it counts. You may be right re them getting a finals berth. But as a seasoned Canes supporter I don’t want to get my hopes up as a Tahs supporter I’m sure you can see where i’m coming from.
April 26th 2009 @ 8:25pm
True Tah said | April 26th 2009 @ 8:25pm | Report comment
Hemjay
my hopes have already deflated as a Tahs supporter, and Ive accepted we are not good enough to be in the semis – it would be an insult to Super rugby if we did qualify for the semis – IMO we will be lucky to win one game of the three we have left.
April 26th 2009 @ 9:50pm
sportym said | April 26th 2009 @ 9:50pm | Report comment
Hemjay,
Where do you get you rugby news from? From Aussie teams, only the Tahs have been talked up as contenders this season. After the poor start by the brumbies in the early rounds (very close victories) no one was talking them up, they had some hype preseason and after the 3 match winning streak, but to call them the most overrated australian team, mate your not watching the games. The tahs have that title in the bag, no offence to the tah fans here but the tahs have been playing horrible rugby and somehow winning. I do not think the Brumbies were any more favorites to win the title this year then the canes.
To be honest, the brumbies have been ordinary since loosing gregan and larkham, It does not matter how many wallabies you have in your team without a quality fly half you are not going to win the title. This has always held the tahs back, and dare i say the canes. I give the brumbies a much better chance next year with Gits back.
George smith, the most overrated player?? I can accept your criticism of brumbies, but not his form, you are way way off mate. Maybe you should watch some of the matches.
And you hate the Tahs, then Brumbies more then the blues or the Crusaders??? Are you are Kiwi? All my Kiwi mates hate the Blues or Crusaders cause like the tahs they have the $$$ to buy the up and coming players or existing stars. Its quite interesting that most Brumbies supporters will follow the chiefs if they were to choose a NZ team.
You quoted the Brumbies as the most overrated team ever. Mate, the Hurricanes…….how many All Blacks do you need before you become the most overrated??? As you said so so so much talent to fail year in and year out. The brumbies have no wallaby backline, sure they have caps, with only mortlock a certainty to make it. We are talking about the brumbies 2009 and not 2004…… If anything the Brumbies forwards are were the strength is now…. very unlike the brumbies of old, where they used to have the wallaby backline.
As for this season, I think the brumbies are out, if anyone the Force is Oz best chance, but i can see them failing to make the 4. I can actually see the Tahs making it in, which would be so wrong. As for winning it, I actually want to see the chiefs lift the title this year, if i had to choose a second team, I would not mind seeing the canes take it out, if anything they have had so much potential for so so many years and have always come short.
All I can say is good luck mate and hope your team wins it this year. If the Chiefs are out I will support them. And stop reading the Brumbies Fan club newspaper it might have been the only one talking them up this year.
April 26th 2009 @ 10:19pm
Hemjay said | April 26th 2009 @ 10:19pm | Report comment
Sportym,
I think it is you who may need to start watching games and then you may want to actually think before you start making such wild accusatuions. then again I see that is a typical trait of many posters not just in here but also other rugby forums. The Brumbies have been hyped hugely in the SMH rugby heaven all season at one point only a week or so ago they were talking up a home semi. I couldn’t give too tosses if they have a wallabies backline or not the cheetahs beat the crusaders with hardly and springboks. You can have a team of Wallabys but that doesn’t make them play like a champion team. Of course Smith is overrated your a one eyed aussie who only wants smith to be on par with Richie McCaw its like us trying to say Marshall was on the same level as Gregan.
As you may or may not have noticed i have stated on various threads in here that I didn’t expect the Canes to make the finals. After 13 years of their failings it would take a very brave man to put money on them getting to the finals let alone winning the competition. You would also note that I have been a vocal force supporter and have stated many times they have not been given the credit so freely awarded to the East Coast teams hence why I dubbed them the Forgotten State boys.
i’m the first to admit that the canes have been overhyped and never delivered. But you actually may want to have a look at Rugby Heaven and also go through and read the threads there. I have been constantly berated for stating how poor this years Brumbies team is. Not one person would come close to agreeing with me until after saturdays defeat. What makes it funnier is that they still don’t agree just hurl abuse instead, I have so far found this blog to be slightly more mature. Yet its like any blog we all disagree no matter what I say you will not agree and no matter what you say about smith will I agree. If smith was so great he would’ve stood up on saturday and shown some leadership which he didn’t even come close to doing. It is the great players that help a team in those desperate situations. If you ask me he was just another body at the bottom of a ruck getting worked over my a far more quality opposition.
Maybe its you who needs to watch a game or two.
April 26th 2009 @ 11:57pm
Sam Taulelei said | April 26th 2009 @ 11:57pm | Report comment
Really enjoyed the game and how the Hurricanes played. Playing a specialist first five instead of a manufactured one is making a difference as well as the general improvement in the speed and quality of the ball from the forwards. Why they took so long to select David Smith will be a mystery to me but he’s fast becoming a crowd favourite and a difficult player to mark for the opposition.
It’s been a week of unexpected results and the Hurricanes and Bulls have their destiny in their own hands, win their remaining matches and they’ll finish at the top of the table and secure a home semifinal. Teams like the Reds, Cheetahs and Highlanders can cause unlikely upsets and the next 3 rounds are so critical with 15 points on offer for the top 9 teams. If any team falters now, you could conceivably see the Brumbies and Crusaders finishing in the top 2 instead and who would have bet on that happening.
There was a strange article from Gregor Paul in the NZ Herald this weekend offering some conspiracy theory about how in the past few years when SA teams in their final match have required certain things to happen for them to make the playoffs, they have all come to pass. The final round sees the Bulls v Sharks in the final match where they’ll have the advantage of knowing all the previous results and can work out what either of them require to both make the top four or win a home semifinal spot.
There will be more than a couple of teams sweating on that result before we know who’s in the top four and where the semis will be played.
April 27th 2009 @ 12:29am
Sam Taulelei said | April 27th 2009 @ 12:29am | Report comment
True Tah
Agree with you about the Blues inflated position on the table due to the bonus points system so I performed the following exercise. I had a rather rigorous debate with Sheek about this topic on another thread about the Brumbies chances being hurt with their inability to score bonus points. I think the concept of bonus points is flawed and should only ever be awarded to the winning team but there are many others who disagree with me.
If you removed all the bonus points for finishing within 7 points and only retained the four try scoring bonus points for the winning team the ladder looks quite different and in my opinion is more accurate and fairer.
Hurricanes would still be top with 32 points
Bulls with 31 points
Sharks with 30 points
Chiefs with 28 points
Brumbies with 27 points
Blues with 26 points
Waratahs with 26 points
Force with 24 points
Crusaders with 21 points
The Blues benefit the most from the bonus points system as they’ve earned a staggering 6 from scoring 4 tries and 4 more for finishing within 7 points. That’s the equivalent of two victories with bonus points and yet the Brumbies and Waratahs have won 1 more game but sit behind them on the table and the Sharks who have won 2 more games than them are only 1 point ahead. Under the revised system they’re on equal points with the Waratahs and only ahead on points difference and behind the Brumbies by one point.
That’s a more accurate picture about the Blues ability and their performances to date which have been inconsistent and although the Waratahs haven’t been everyone’s cup of tea this year they have still won 6 matches, one less than the impressive Sharks outfit. If you looked at the placings of the top four teams it would be hard to argue that this isn’t a fair reflection of their season to date. If you looked beyond the top four I think the placings are incredibly accurate. The Crusaders despite all their guts and renowned passion shouldn’t be as far up the table as they are, they’ve won fewer games and scored less tries and should be off the pace but under the current scoring system they’re not.
People argue that teams industry and skill in scoring four tries should be rewarded as well as teams who try to the final whistle and finish within 7 points but I don’t see it that way. I see an artificial points ladder where some teams ability is inflated as to their actual worth as well as their placings and that could impact upon a team that has won more games during the season missing out on a top four spot which I think is grossly unfair and incorrect.
April 27th 2009 @ 12:33am
Sam Taulelei said | April 27th 2009 @ 12:33am | Report comment
Apologies I miscounted and the Blues should be on 24 points and not 26 under my revised scoring system equal with the Force.
April 27th 2009 @ 12:35am
Sam Taulelei said | April 27th 2009 @ 12:35am | Report comment
Apologies again forgot the Force drew with the Crusaders and they would be on 26 points ahead of the Blues. So it would look like this:
Hurricanes 32
Bulls 31
Sharks 30
Chiefs 28
Brumbies 27
Force 26
Waratahs 26
Blues 24
Crusaders 21
April 27th 2009 @ 12:36am
Sam Taulelei said | April 27th 2009 @ 12:36am | Report comment
Bugger Crusaders on 23 points