About the best compliment I can give this year’s Super Rugby Final is that I hit the blue button on my Foxtel IQ box to ‘keep’ the recording within minutes of full time. And I watched it again straight afterwards, too.
The Hurricanes and Highlanders played out one of the games of the season in the final, in front of another full house at the ‘Cake Tin’ in Wellington, with the southerners crowned Champions after a 21-14 win.
It was a convincing win, too. In every aspect of the match, they were just better than the Hurricanes, which was why I took issue with the ‘Highlanders steal Super Rugby Final win‘ headline we ran on the site following the game.
It was hardly stolen, and nor was it the “massive upset” as another of our reports trumpeted. It was well deserved, and well earned.
But I will certainly say the Highlanders enjoyed the bounce of the ball throughout the game.
And that’s not at all to suggest they were undeserving winners in any way, or the benefactors of poor refereeing, or anything like that; that’s far from the case.
(And credit to Jaco Peyper, while we’re on that topic. The game was allowed to reach the dizzy heights and outrageous pace it did because of his handling and ‘feel’ for the game. A superb performance.)
Ardie Savea being ruled out before kickoff was the Highlanders’ first stroke of luck. There was enough doubt around the outstanding flanker to bracket Callum Gibbons on the teamsheet, and ultimately, the Hurricanes were forced into the decision they wouldn’t have made easily.
Gibbons is a very different player to Savea. His defence is and was very good, and he was a handful over the ball, too. But he’s just not Ardie Savea, and that would’ve forced an adjustment. And that’s not the reason the ‘Canes lost either; the truth is, there just aren’t too many Ardie Saveas out there, the Hurricanes certainly missed theirs.
From then on, whenever they needed them to, things just went the Highlanders’ way. Passes would stick; covering defence would arrive. Someone was always in the right place at the right time.
There might not be a better example than the 10 minutes between the 60th and 70th minutes, where three little things prompted scribbled additions to the notebook.
First was Julian Savea dropping the ball with the try line beckoning. The Hurricanes has managed to create a three-on-two overlap, and both Highlanders defenders had been drawn in by the pass. More often than not, Savea catches that pass – even though it went behind him – yet, in this occasion when his team needed him to, he spilt it. The Canes were down 18-11 at the time, and even if Beauden Barrett couldn’t have converted, a two-point ball game would’ve changed everything.
Not long after that, Barrett made a half-break from a scrum well inside the Highlanders half, and as he was finally reined in by defence and needed a runner off his hip, Conrad Smith cut to the wrong side.
The third moment was another Hurricanes break down the left wing, in which TJ Perenara played a major role, and somehow Highlanders fullback Ben Smith emerged with the ball from traffic, which included at least three Hurricanes players.
The Savea moment was in the highlights reels, but to my eyes, the other two were just as big. They were little moments that could have put the Hurricanes ahead, and who knows how the game plays out after opening that sliding door.
In the middle of those three moments, a graphic popped up indicating the Hurricanes had 63 per cent of possession and 83 per cent of territory in the previous 10 minutes. It really felt like momentum was shifting for the first time in the game.
In the 71st minute – only a minute or two after Ben Smith’s possession heist – the Highlanders didn’t engage with a Hurricanes lineout drive, and won a penalty and easy exit from their 22. It was another bounce go their way, and the release they needed. They’d survived. The next nine minutes were essentially played in the Canes half.
Marty Banks nailed the match-sealing drop goal in the 78th minute, on his third attempt backing into the pocket. His two previous attempts were thwarted by rushing Hurricanes, the first rush of which Banks nearly re-thwarted himself by running to the line, only for Barrett and Savea to bring replacement prop Ross Geldenhuys down short.
Banks missed the semi in Sydney due to ongoing concussion effects. But what wasn’t widely reported was that the concussion was picked up at home during the week, quite possibly in a sleepwalking accident. He’s had quite the 10 days or so, has Marty Banks.
And he needed to step up, because when the momentum shift looked on, Lima Sopoaga – Super Rugby’s main drop-goal exponent in 2015 – looked like he was on one leg.
And Elliot Dixon, what a machine. In time, that try-scoring run of his will start just inside the 10-metre line, and then halfway, and by the time the 10-year reunion rolls around, he’ll have caught the pass standing on his own try line. And good luck to him. When you beat three defenders and carry another four over the line, you deserve embellishment rights.
But there was more to Dixon’s game. He played a major role in holding up one of the Hurricanes forwards over the line very early in the game, gave the last pass for Waisake Naholo’s try, made 16 tackles without missing one, and stole a lineout too. A thoroughly deserving player of the final, and with the best head tape in the competition.
Aaron Smith was pretty handy too, but you expected that of him. In the biggest games, the best always shine, and the All Blacks scrumhalf was among the brightest. It’s frightening to think how good a player he could become.
It was a brilliant final, won by a brilliant side, who had to play out of their skin to beat the other brilliant side on their home turf. You genuinely can’t ask more of a decider.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
As a kiwi Sharks supporter i don't really have any bias(not that any of you do) but im going to be honest i was in a room with about 9 other lads watching this game and even the Highlanders fans in the room knew it wasnt a try. Hell Dixon knew it wasnt a try. Did they deserve to win? Yes. Thats probably why that terrible decision was swept under the rug. A try like that awarded against the all blacks in a world cup final i think there'd be riots. It seemed as though if Barrett had brought his kicking boots he couldve spared his teams blushes in the end
mtiger
Roar Rookie
there was definitely grass touching the ball. at normal viewing speed, the ball wasnt detached from the hand. if it were a try 50 years ago, it is a try today.
Highlander1st5
Guest
That the scrum where the Hurricanes prop dropped to his knee?I hope the All Black play any brand of rugby the results in a win.
Harry Jones
Expert
Good points all. If you were a young Kiwi trying to unseat Savea, this would be your argument. It's the only one! The rest of the Savea package is DEVASTATING!
Harry Jones
Expert
Nick, no doubt he receives some tricky passes, especially close to the touch line. But he really has had handling error challenges. I don't have his stats from 2014, but when I was looking at them as they decided the World Rugby player of the year, I remember changing my mind--he had been my pick, but that is a problem.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Handles, I thought the Tahs played pretty well last year... not perhaps quite as free flowing but a lot of ball movement and running.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Tim, During the game, I thought the try was scored, when the TMO was called and we saw the replayed, I thought it might come down to a 50/50 call but personally I still think the try was scored. If there was any benefit of the doubt (while there shouldn't be any) I reckon it should have gone with Dixon, it was such an amazing try. If you look at a replay you will know what I mean. Anyhow when I look at the FT scoreboard .. the try was awarded, end of story.
WQ
Guest
It's a good observation Brett and a fair one. I think handling will become more of an issue for him once his brute strength starts to waiver as a result of chronic injuries that all top line players collect or in fact he starts to age. Right now though his brute strength and speed near the Try line make up for everything!
Brett McKay
Expert
Likewise though Alan, if Sopoaga kicks his conversion and penalty in the second half, it's 23-11 going into the last 20 minutes..
Brett McKay
Expert
Precisely my point, Clarke..
Brett McKay
Expert
Sorry, this isn't a criticism of Savea - and of course he'd be among the first ABs picked! But it is an observation. Not unlike Johnathan Thurston for Queensland at SOO time, if it's not his night, he can be passive too. Of course, there's no way of planning for an off night from either of them!
Phantom
Roar Rookie
The big scrum call to penalise the Canes whilst hot on attack was first and then the WRONG call by the TMO was the second. From then on all the 50/50 calls went the Highlanders way. The fact that the Canes made most of the play and the Highlanders played a kick and chase game seems to have eluded most pundits as well. Hope that the ABs don't adopt that frame of mind going forward. It looks a lot like Jakeball. EOS.
Old Bugger
Guest
Brett Well said mate and a great read to boot..... I found it amusing where roar pundits thought the Canes should've/could've been more conservative with their game tactics on Saturday night. I don't necessarily concur with that belief. Firstly, most if not all SR and ITM sides play rugby on the premise of "you play what's in front of you..." When a match is played at such a frantic pace and consists of unstructured play where attack lines are non-existent until a player decides to run rather than kick, attacking players generally find themselves as links in the ball passing phases that follow and running into positions where first thoughts are to catch, pass and follow-up, as best as can be done. With ball in hand, at those precise moments, defence lines are the last thing to consider and tackling is the furtherest ever thought, on the mind. Then an error happens...the ball is dropped or a pass has gone astray and the opposition have their hands on the ball. With the same thought-provoking processes of "play what's in front of you", when as a defender, you see unstructured attacks coming at you, then it stands to reason that there would be unstructured defence lines facing you when you get the ball, through an error. Immediately, a counter attack is launched to take advantage of the broken defence lines, the ref signals accordingly and play swoops in the opposite direction. This "play what's in front of you" approach is the default switch imparted upon senior players and encouraged through most if not all, levels of senior NZ rugby except we mere mortals on the sideline, interpret this activity as attack and counter attack. And, didn't we see truck-loads of these can I say, instinctive actions, in this final. The only time we will not see much of this activity, is when the game is interrupted by set plays like scrums, line-outs and penalties. Luckily, we didn't see much of these set play activities at all on Saturday night and I'd like to also take this opportunity to congratulate Peyper for his refereeing of the match.....it reminded me of the SB v AB test match in 2013 and how Owens covered that game because IMO, both these games were of equal intensity, high risk and frantic pace. Sometimes we run out of superlatives to describe matches that are played in such fashion as we witnessed on Saturday night because IMO, what's more important is that we did see such a match even if it was high risk, full of crazy errors amidst sweeping rugby played from one end to the other and one side to the other, with minimal stoppages. In my mind, show me the high risk game rather than a stop/start conservative game full of kicking, scrums and line-outs where score-lines are decided by which side, has a better goal kicker.
Dsat24
Guest
Yeah they'll have to make do with this lot til the cavalry arrives...
Dsat24
Guest
The day you decide to do it is your lucky day
Percy P
Guest
I was really impressed with the Highlanders' defence of the Canes'attempt at a rolling maul near the Highlanders' tryline late in the game, where the Highlanders pack didn't engage & someone then was entitled to attack the ball carrier at the back of the Canes pack. It was very clinical & seemingly effortless. What are the downsides of such maul defence? If not many, why don't other sides employ it, given the influence well formed mauls have had on Suoper Rugby games this season?
Magic Sponge
Guest
Cracker of a game, We are stuffed. How fluid was the back line play
Frank
Guest
Did everyone see the AB's team for Samoa? Resting last week's finalists but still Interesting.. All Blacks XV: 1. Tony Woodcock, 2. Keven Mealamu,3. Owen Franks, 4. Luke Romano, 5. Samuel Whitelock, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Richie McCaw, 8. Kieran Read, 9. Andy Ellis, 10. Daniel Carter, 11. Charles Piutau, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 13. Ryan Crotty, 14. George Moala, 15. Israel Dagg Reserves: 16. Hikawera Elliot, 17. Wyatt Crockett, 18. Nepo Laulala, 19. Brodie Retallick, 20. Matt Todd, 21. Brad Weber, 22. Colin Slade, 23. Charlie Ngatai
WQ
Guest
He'll be one of the first picked for the All Blacks if fit as well Phil
DaniE
Roar Guru
I would have to say I was so disappointed that hardly any Aussie players really stood up the in the last week of the regular SR season and in the finals, jumping up and down and demanding that the selectors pick them for the Wallabies. In comparison to the way so many of the NZ guys did.