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Round 10 of Super Rugby has wrapped up and the likely finalists are starting to firm and it looks likely we will see the exact same eight as we did last season but potentially in different overall finishing positions.
Highlanders find their spark, Stormers have lost theirs
After a disappointing outing last weekend, it was widely expected that the Stormers would pull their socks up this week against the Highlanders but it was not to be for the South African side as they arguably put out a worse performance against the home side that have finally seemed to click into gear.
Seemingly shot of confidence, the Stormers have lost their spark they displayed in the earlier rounds of this season back in the republic and I cannot help but think that this side has purposely looked to play conservatively on their tour on New Zealand.
After a quality opening period against the Crusaders the Stormers opted for a shot at goal from a penalty and down 17-7 against the Highlanders, they decided to do the same thing.
I am firmly of the belief, as the match between the Chiefs and Bulls in Hamilton demonstrated earlier in the year, that if you are going to win matches in New Zealand you had best be prepared to back yourselves and look for the try line or you will end up being put to the sword and so it has proven.
The purpose and confidence has disappeared from the cape men and I don’t see how they will retrieve it but shifting Pieter Steph Du Toit back to lock from blindside flank would be a good start, a selection perhaps indicating their conservative mindset.
The Highlanders, on the other hand, put a performance out on the park that many punters have been expecting from this side earlier in the year and living up to their pre-season billing as a tournament favourite.
However it seems likely that fourth place within the conference is still likely with only one match against the Crusaders left within the conference, they will need a fair few results to fall their way but with the current form of the Australian conference, a wildcard place now looks certain.
The Kiwi conference is about to get real
With the Crusaders and Chiefs recording further wins this weekend, along with the Highlanders, four New Zealand sides look comfortable to make the finals but it is in what order that is the most interesting, with the coveted top spot still realistically in the grasp of the Crusaders, Chiefs and Hurricanes.
With games scheduled between all of those three sides, twice for the Crusaders and Hurricanes, this is where the overall standings are likely to be decided and you can mark these matches down as must see affairs.
Perhaps even more so for the Lions, who are sitting pretty within their African conference and will be hoping these sides make a mess of each other so they can claim outright top spot on points and see all of their potential final matches played in Johannesburg.
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Reds and Waratahs play out a cracking derby
While it has unfortunately become customary to not expect an awful lot from an Australian derby match, the Reds and Waratahs bucked that expectation on Saturday night in Brisbane playing out a thrilling encounter.
It saw the Waratahs prevail in the end with a fighting comeback to secure a three-point victory, helped out in the end by Bernard Foley’s boot, and the Reds ill-discipline proved costly in conceding 16 penalties to 4 being the ultimate difference, though I must say, it was an incredibly unbalanced officiating performance.
None the less, several brilliant tries were scored in a match featuring plenty of passion and tension as both sides fought tooth and nail to keep their seasons alive and was a much-needed boost to the Australian landscape and for the Waratahs in particular, kept their hopes alive for winning the Australian conference.
Jaguares fail their litmus test
The Jaguares hosting the Sharks this round looked to be a significant match up in terms of their individual conference but also in terms of deciding who would have the upper hand in the race for the African wildcard playoff spot and despite having the home ground advantage.
The Jaguares went down to the Sharks in Buenos Aires in a hard fought contest and now sees the Sharks build an eight-point lead over their Argentinian rivals.
It was a disappointing result for the Jaguares who, while certainly not out of it, will need a number of results to fall their way and look to have a much harder draw over the closing rounds when compared to the Sharks and look destined to have to wait until 2018 to book their first playoff opportunity in Super Rugby.
And to really rub it in, how is this for an after match interview of Guido Petti, when after the loss was asked by the interviewer:
“Guido, you have been defeated for the first time here at home and the fourth defeat in a row, how does it feel?”
Damn that’s cold.
Brumbies falter
The Brumbies hosted the Blues in Canberra on Sunday afternoon looking to further their lead within the Australian conference and become the first Australian side in 2017 to record a win over a Kiwi rival but it wasn’t to be, the Blues managing a bonus point win away and stretching the winning streak to 15-0 for New Zealand sides over their antipodean cousins.
It was a hard fought encounter if a bit scratchy from both sides, the Brumbies suffering from not being able to find the try line, relying on the boot of Wharenui Hawera to keep them in touch from the tee but in the end the Blues had too much firepower for the Brumbies to counter.
For long-suffering Blues fans, a pleasing result to finally see their side convert a tight contest into victory, and dare I say it, Waratah and Reds fans may be quietly pleased with that result.
So that wraps up some thoughts on this Round of Super Rugby with five major talking points to consider and this week I have one more item for digestion, the ridiculous, no, ludicrous penalty awarded against Oliver Keeble for his ‘foul play’, where Gareth Evans ended up falling awkwardly after Keeble pushed him away when Evans landed on him during a lineout.
I mean, honestly it was just a stupid decision from the match officials and lacked any modicum of common sense.
What else was Keeble supposed to do? Utter nonsense and if a penalty had to be awarded, it would have made infinitely more sense to penalise the Highlanders Dan Lienert-Brown for failing to support his jumper.
What’s more, the Highlanders ended up scoring shortly after and while I would not say this was a match-turning decision as I have no doubt the result would have been much the same regardless, it was an unnecessary distraction and showed the game has a way to go to get the balance right in its on-field officiating.
Until next week then!
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.