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Round 2 of Super Rugby has wrapped up and another good round has been played out along with throwing up a few more surprises to be pondered.
The Australian Conference
In the game of the round, the Brumbies visited the Chiefs in New Plymouth and played out a cracking match, going down in the last minute to a penalty by Aaron Cruden.
While a two-point loss to the Chiefs on paper sounds a reasonable result, the Brumbies really did throw this one away and should have walked away victors.
Captain Nic White’s policy, admittedly with hindsight, to continue to attack rather than look for the posts when offered was not what was required for a match of this intensity and should cause a rethink for future fixtures.
Also, the Brumbies lacked composure in the closing stages and folded when the Chiefs applied the blowtorch, conceding a defensive lineout at the end and then giving up a rather soft scrum penalty which ultimately handed the Chiefs there opportunity which they duly took. They still sit atop the Australian conference and are still the pacesetter there. No doubt they can learn from this.
The Waratahs returned to the winner’s circle this week, playing out an entertaining match away to the Rebels and gaining a bonus point in the process.
Their physicality was much improved on the previous week in a tough encounter and their ball retention was also greatly improved. Throw in much better performances from Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale and the Waratahs started to look like more like the defending champions we have come to expect.
There’s still plenty of improvement left, particularly at set piece, but they can head into the bye this week knowing things are relatively back on track.
The Rebels carried on where they left off last week. The physicality this team brings to the table is quite impressive and they appear a cohesive and hungry unit and stayed right with the Waratahs however inexperience cost them at pivotal moments. They will, however, keep improving and it is currently not difficult to see them finishing third in the Australian conference.
The Reds and Force rounded out the Australian conference fighting out a dour match played in poor conditions in Brisbane with the Reds running out the victor.
The Reds outlook before the match appeared dire with the speculation around Karmichael Hunt and his life choices causing a major distraction, the uncertainty of the match even taking place due to Cyclone Marcia and James O’Conner’s last minute withdrawal with injury.
Coupled with the Force’s recent form the Reds prospects seemed bleak. Worse still, they lost both James Horwill and James Slipper relatively early in the match to compound their woes.
However the Reds fronted this week and were superbly led by Will Genia and new recruit Adam Thomson, showing their experience to be invaluable to the cause. This was by no means a classic performance and there is still plenty to be worked on but perhaps there is a glimmer of hope for the Reds’ season.
As for the Force, their performance was a large step backwards from their impressive performance in Sydney last week. Gone was the hunger and intensity, and although the conditions were not helpful, the accuracy and effort was missing.
There’s no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater, as they know they have a lot more to offer but consistency of performance is key in this tournament and they need to rediscover their Sydney form quickly. Flush the dunny and move on, as they say.
The New Zealand Conference
The Chiefs again are the team to beat in New Zealand at the moment, securing a tense win over a strong Brumbies side in new Plymouth on Friday night.
A highly competitive match, the Chiefs secured victory with a last-minute penalty earned from a scrum penalty. Down on the scoreboard for long periods, the Chiefs retained trust in their systems and cracked the Brumbies when it counted most.
After securing victories in the past couple of weeks with significant changes in personnel it is an intimidating thought that they are yet to select their best available 23.
Perhaps of concern may be their scrum, which the Brumbies, primarily through impressive loosehead Scott Sio, had the wood over them for long periods, however in a sign of the depth within the squad, they were able to apply pressure to the Brumbies scrum in the last minute which in turn drew the winning penalty.
The Hurricanes managed to nab another win on the road in South Africa defeating the Bulls in Pretoria.
Despite this, there is certainly plenty still for this team to work on and they were dealt a hefty slice of luck in this match with the rub of the green certainly going their way and Grant Hattingh bombing of a certain try by forgetting to clip his fingernails.
Some of the decision making and execution left a lot to be desired, an example being trying to run the ball from 30 out and an errant Ma’a Nonu pass leaving the Hurricanes scrambling and ultimately led to a turnover and the build-up for Hattinghs mishap.
Still, one can’t complain of two wins from two attempts on the road in South Africa and the Hurricanes have certainly created a good base for the balance of their season.
The Crusaders won out over the Highlanders in the eagerly anticipated Southern Derby and provided a much improved performance on lasts weeks’ lethargic effort. Superbly guided around the park by Colin Slade, the Crusaders were efficient in continually applying pressure and converting that pressure into points.
Scott Barrett was outstanding at lock and the breakdown work saw a significant lift in intensity from last weekend and an encouraging performance considering next week’s trip involves a visit to Hamilton.
The Highlanders struggled at times to get themselves up and running with a number of unforced errors, perhaps a symptom of having the first round bye and being a tad rusty, the longer the game wore on the better they became and they will only improve with more game time.
With the limited opportunities they had, the Highlanders backline looks lethal and the acquisition of Waisake Naholo on the wing adds a new dimension to this Highlanders attack. I am already looking forward to their future fixtures.
Rounding out the New Zealand conference are the Blues, who suffered a loss to the Stormers in Capetown. It was all down to one reason; discipline.
The Blues were hammered by the referee 17 to 7 and the death blow was dealt when Hayden Triggs was red carded for punches to the head of Stormers skipper Duane Vermuelen after 24 minutes, effectively ending the contest.
The Blues certainly galvanised at this point and their defence for the rest of the match was very good but they simply must improve in this department especially with another game in South Africa to go and two losses already on the board.
The South African Conference
The Bulls suffered their second home loss of the season to the Hurricanes at Pretoria and already find themselves under a heap of pressure to right their season.
They were unlucky as they certainly had some rough calls against them on the weekend but they also had opportunities to win the match and in the end could not convert them.
They seem to lack urgency at times and their set piece is susceptible under pressure. Early season favourites their season is at risk of spiralling away from them and with the Sharks visiting next week a 0-3 start is a real possibility.
I believe one change that can be made is to utilise Springbok halfback Francois Hougaard in his better position of halfback rather than on the wing as he has been playing. I feel he would add more spark and direction from the base and along with Handre Pollard can pull this Bulls season back from the abyss.
The Stormers continued their strong start to the season with a win over the Blues at home, however I dare say they will not be very happy with the overall performance.
With the match tilting heavily in their favour after the sending off of Hayden Triggs after his indiscretion, the Stormers were unable to really benefit by securing a four try bonus point and seemed at times content to simply see out the match.
A number of unforced errors permeated the second half and while the Blues certainly lifted their intensity and defended very well, the Stormers missed a trick here. However, nothing to be overly upset about, they are still two from two and can certainly look forward to next week with confidence.
The Sharks and the Lions rounded out Round 2 in a derby match played in atrocious conditions in Durban. The field was underwater at one point and thought was given to calling the match off however the hard work of the ground staff paid off and the match was able to be played with the Sharks winning comfortably with a bonus point to boot.
It was a clinical and patient display from the Sharks. Bismarck du Plessis return and an excellent match from Pat Lambie saw the Sharks eventually grind the Lions resistance down as they accumulated points and picked up four tries in the process.
A far more assured performance than last week and while there were a number of errors from both teams, the conditions can certainly be blamed here and the Sharks look in good shape to try and assault Loftus next weekend.
The Lions again worked hard and played to the utmost of their abilities but again were found wanting when opportunities presented themselves, unable to finish when required and with the Stormers visiting next week, it will not be getting any easier.
The Cheetahs had the bye this week and will be back up and running next week against the Blues at home.
Just for something a little different, I thought I would pick out the best player from each conference this week –
Australian Conference – Will Genia. Had one of his best games in a long time. I also thought Mitch Inman was excellent for the Rebels and Ben McCalman stood out like a sore thumb in a poor Force effort. Scott Sio is a beast.
New Zealand Conference – Aaron Cruden. Cool, calm and collected. Leading the hypothetical race for the All Black 10 jumper by some margin. Scott Barrett for the Crusaders was also excellent in his first Super Rugby start.
South African Conference – Pat Lambie. Controlled and excellent for the Sharks. Jessie Kriel for the Bulls is also a find, where has he been hiding? Dillan Leyds was a constant threat for the Stormers out wide also.
So that wraps up Round 2, what does Round 3 have in store for us?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.