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For the second week in a row the Hurricanes were unable to unlock the free flowing game so loved by their supporters but, perhaps more satisfyingly, they were still able to grind out a narrow, hard fought win, 22-18 against the Chiefs.
Only once did their trademark end-to-end counter attack spark the local fans out of their seats – only to have them sat down just as quickly when James Marshall’s thrilling try was ruled out on account of a forward pass.
But one suspects that coach Chris Boyd would be very happy that his side is finding ways to grind out victories – which should hold his side in good stead for the finals series they will surely play a central role in.
To be fair, they were aided by the Chiefs suffering the curse of the disappearing lock. Already down their two best, including IRB Player of the Year Brodie Retallick, they lost their next two during the match, leaving diminutive halfback Augustine Pulu very nervous on the bench, as next cab off the rank for the engine room.
That the Chiefs remained in contention for the win until after the siren, speaks volumes for their spirit and skill and, should they be able to get some of their best players back on the park, they remain a live chance for the title.
They were also denied a final crack at the line, potentially against 14 men, when the TMO failed to detect that a Sam Cane knock on at a breakdown came courtesy of a professional foul. It’s fair to say they are due a change in luck with refereeing decisions very soon.
Captain Liam Messam at times played like the two men he needed to be, both in the loose and in tight, and Cane once again showed how blessed New Zealand rugby is in the crucial number seven position.
Not that he overshadowed Ardie Savea by any means. Savea has added bulk this year, without sacrificing any speed nor his instinct for putting himself into the right places. With Blues youngster Akira Ioane contributing outstandingly on Friday night against the Bulls, the next generation of All Blacks loose forwards seems potentially as imposing as the current.
The Hurricanes now sit on 52 points, 13 points, or effectively three wins ahead of the Chiefs and Highlanders on 39, 14 points ahead of the Brumbies (who have played one more match), and 17 points ahead of the Bulls.
Home advantage for the finals seems almost assured from here – not in itself any guarantee for the title, but a compelling advantage nevertheless.
Ma’a Nonu, for years maligned as a player who didn’t always seem to give Super Rugby his fullest attention, notched his 49th and 50th tries in a dominating display, his second try a result of a remarkable interception where he seemed to knock the ball downwards, only to find the ball lock into his arm regardless.
However his most enjoyable contribution, to this viewer at least, came courtesy of a half-time “interview” with television commentator Scotty Stevenson.
At the best of times these exchanges are of dubious value, players either too exhausted or too inarticulate to offer any meaningful comment. But Nonu’s effort, or lack thereof, was right up there with the best.
Stevenson is a man with a thick hide and a keen sense of humour, which he needed all of, as it became clear that Nonu wasn’t about to play the game. Trying hard to paint a scenario to give Nonu an easy leg up, his carefully crafted question was dismissed with a “nah, not really” from Nonu as he skipped off to the sheds.
Priceless.
Elsewhere, the Brumbies and Waratahs kept themselves in contention with bonus point wins, with the pesky Rebels shooting themselves in the foot with a horrible 20-minute patch against a resurgent Reds.
The posse of disgruntled Richard Graham denouncers now enter awkward territory, with the scent of another win or two on the horizon potentially bringing on a scenario which might see him retained as coach.
The Highlanders enjoyed themselves in Bloemfontein, locking away another five ladder points by halftime. Which makes Todd Blackadder and the Crusaders one of the big losers of the weekend.
Although not in the same class as a chap by the name of Allan Hird who, assisted by Herald Sun AFL Football writer Mark Robinson, managed to prove beyond any doubt that he resides in a parallel universe to the wider populace.
One of the interesting aspects of the Essendon drugs saga is how coach James Hird conclusively lost the battle for public sympathy – off his own hand at first, then ably assisted by his wife Tania, and now, as if he didn’t need any more help, his father Allan.
Robinson quotes Hird Snr as outraged that the WADA appeal is a “case of direct attack on Australian sport and our system of government” and being dumbfounded that the Essendon players’ future could be “determined by a foreign body, based on a case by another foreign body”.
And which “foreign body” would that be exactly Allan? Only the World Anti Doping Authority, to which the AFL is a signatory.
Further, Hird calls for Parliament and the Government to intervene and “protect these 34 Australians and restore their rights.”
Setting aside the obvious premise that any objections to violations of players’ rights might be better directed at the Essendon Football Club, does Hird actually have any idea of how the Australian parliament works?
Anyone observing the current rag-bag senate lurching around, seemingly blocking anything it can in that noble cause known as self-interest, instinctively knows that Australia’s political system is broken well beyond its ability to take up the fight on behalf of 34 footballers.
Robinson also deserves condemnation for not only cheerleading for the Hird camp with this rubbish, but for also describing Hird Snr as speaking “independently”. Really.
No doubt Scotty Stevenson had a chuckle over his beer on Saturday night after his brush with Nonu. It could have been worse, he could have been trying to get some sense out of Allan Hird.