We’re only four rounds away from the end of the regular season and one week away from the international break, which means every game matters in the Super Rugby competition.
Round 15 has thrown up some fantastic rugby and plenty of topics to discuss.
Red cards kill the game…except when they don’t
There’s been a lot of debate recently about how red cards can absolutely kill a game of rugby. For many fans, having a team reduced to 14 men for the remainder of a game is just too big a penalty and ruins the entire contest between the two sides.
In the Stormers v Lions game the impact was clear to see. Raymond Rhule was sent off for the Stormers when they were leading by ten points and playing well. Within 28 minutes the Lions had scored 19 points and clinched the game.
This was harsh for the Stormers, who were arguably the better side for much of the game and yet walked away with a loss against their rivals.
On the other hand, the Brumbies showed in their match against the Bulls that a red card doesn’t mean you have to give up all hope. In the 63rd minute with just one point between the teams, Folau Fainga’a was sent for an early shower. In the next 17 minutes, the Brumbies scored two tries and won the game comfortably.
It was an incredible performance considering the Brumbies have struggled to win games when they’ve got 15 men on the field, let alone 14.
So should red cards really mean you’re gone for the rest of the game, or is there a different punishment that should be considered?
A tale of two Reds
Moving on from red cards to Red Queenslanders, Brad Thorn’s boys continue to confuse all Super Rugby fans. Two weeks ago they were torn to pieces by the worst side in the entire competition. Last week they almost beat the second best side in the comp and this week they were two minutes away from drawing with the Highlanders.
How one team perform to such different levels across just three weeks of rugby must be confusing to both their coach, their fans and probably themselves as well. It’s often said that the best teams have a very small gap between their best performance levels and their worst. The Reds, however, have an ocean.
If this young side stays together though and keeps learning, then they could be quite a threat in years to come as long as they recruit well when it comes to the fly-half position (#bringbackquade).
(PATRICK HAMILTON/AFP/Getty Images)
It’s the small things that matter
As Al Pacino has taught us all, life is a game of inches and the Tahs will know this better than anyone after this weekend. They were both impressive and very frustrating against the Chiefs and many fans will have been pulling their hair out.
In the opening 15 minutes or so the guys from NSW ran in two very nicely worked tries and were looking great. Throughout the game the Tahs created good opportunities and played some really good rugby.
But in a few key moments, they made simple errors; errors that ended up costing them the game. Things like kicking out on the full (Izzy, Foley, I’m looking at you) or not controlling the ruck when in their own 22 ended up meaning that the Tahs went home empty handed and their winning streak ended at one game.
The key players for the Tahs are also the key players for the Wallabies and they are going to need to be sharper when Ireland come to town.
The Rebels will not go away
As unlikely as it might have seemed ahead of the season or when they started to lose game after game, the Rebels are still in contention for winning the Aussie conference and qualifying for the finals. A good win against the Sunwolves this weekend has put them just one point behind the Tahs.
They’ve got some challenging games in their run in including a great clash against the Tahs in Round 17 so there’s still a lot for them to do, but if players like Dane Haylett-Petty, Coleman and Hodge can maintain some good form and Will Genia can return quickly then they will definitely fancy their chances of making the finals.
Experience beats talent
The Crusaders game against the Hurricanes was supposed to be the game of the round. The two top teams of the competition would surely put on an incredible matchup for us all to enjoy.
(Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
In the end, the terrible rain really made it quite hard for both sides to play the expansive rugby that we hoped for but we did see further evidence of why the team from Christchurch are going to be very, very hard to beat.
With the conditions so terrible, the Crusaders adapted perfectly and did the basics so well for 80 minutes. The Canes, however, kept trying to play a more expansive game and it never came off.
Too many handling errors and not enough clever rugby saw the Canes slip further and further behind the reigning champs. Obviously, I’m not saying that the Crusaders don’t have the talent or that the Canes don’t have experience, but on Friday evening the Saders showed how the best sides are able to switch styles when the needs arise and still deliver Plan B, C or D to the highest standards.
It’s been an accusation levelled at even some of the top international sides like England or the Wallabies that they aren’t able to switch game plans when Plan A doesn’t deliver, but the Crusaders showed that they have that ability and the rest of the competition need to figure out how to cope with that quickly.
Bakkies
Guest
Pretty sure he played for Bay of Plenty.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Ruckin Oaf, Sane D, Backfield defense can be quite fluid, and varies between 2 and 3 in the deep depending on field position. Modern teams use a Wing/Fullback at 14 and then either the 10 or 12 depending on skills. But when you have both your 10 and 12 back there (Wallaby style) you reduce opportunities for counter attack on turnover and all the running backwards and forwards fatigues the strike players.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Suzy, As a Wallaby supporter, I am terrified as well. Crabbing sideways behind your players getting isolated is a surefire way to turnover the ball. It is High risk/High reward footy. Nervous when he has to make a tackle as well.
Taylorman
Guest
Yes a bit like drongos comment... never mind the penalty count going in favour of the tahs ot was the key ones that mattered. Theyll alwaus find a way to find b?!ias huh? Hard case.
Markie362
Guest
Hey drongo have u ever watched a game between aus and nz and not complained about the ref.its the easy answer isnt it.always someone elses fault.thats the reason ur teams dont get better they dont have to face the truth
JRVJ
Guest
Somewhat surprised that nothing was learned from the Jags beating the Sharks, with a bonus point at that. The hottest, most unpredictable team in 2018 SR should garner a mention, even if only in passing (there was a Red Card in that game too!).
JRVJ
Guest
Wasn't that game at Newlands, though?
ThugbyFan
Guest
Strange as R.Arnold received his Yellow card the Saffer commentators said that was his first ever YC in Super Rugby. Unfortunately Arnold celebrated that feat by making it his 1st ever Red also.
ThugbyFan
Guest
Julius and Moaman, I just cannot see how anyone can say that last try decided the match. Chiefs were ahead on the score and had scored 5 tries to 3 at that stage so were clearly the winner. Dare I suggest the Tahs shot themselves in the foot with wild kicks in play, missed tackles and some poor ruck security (ps: I am a Tahs fan). If I recall from the tv of that last penalty the replay (and kiwi commentators) clearly showed the referee Jackson was fine with the Tahs winning the ball. It was the AR who got into Jackson's ear and told him there was an illegality on the side of the ruck that Jackson couldn't see. Jackson had no option but to give a penalty to the Chiefs. The commentators, who I thought were extremely fair throughout the match with their comments, even suggested that a penalty should have been awarded against the Chiefs in that ruck as prior to the ball popping out on the Tahs' side that a Chiefs player on the ground "accidentally" touched the ball. Jackson was unsighted there also. So if you are going to blame anyone for a biased ruling on that penalty, blame the AR. To be honest if you wanted to rule exactly to the Laws of Rugby then I would contend at least 50% of rucks would end in a penalty. Refs miss many (1 man in a jungle fight cannot see everything) or seem to pull up only those that affect the contest unfairly. Sure there were some contentious calls that went against the Tahs, its likely the Chiefs copped some also. I didn't see the whole match but from what I did see (last 30 minutes) the Tahs did enough dumbo mistakes to lose the game. That's not to say they didn't play well, the Tahs played some scintillating footy but you cannot afford loose rugby and expect to win. Ask the Reds that question also, they did the same thing against the Highlanders.
Suzy Poison
Guest
Beale has X Factor. As a Bok supporter, I am terrified every time he gets his hands on the ball, and also glad when he is the last line of defence, because at international level he is weak link in defence. I liken him to Willie Le Roux, spacial awareness and acceleration incredible, defence poor. Great against tiring defences, not great when defending in the dying minutes. Luckily I am not a coach, so I don't how to get the best out of these players. I think he is a finisher, a force of nature to come on with 20minutes to go. But I think the same of Willie Le Roux. Be interesting to see what Cheika and Rassie think?
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Julius, Didn't Jackson play for Counties? wasn't a bad inside back either1
Kirky
Roar Rookie
TMan! The Super Coaches bitch like hell when this happens but usually not to the All Black Selectors, but they as Coaches of the top team, don't at all care much for the Super Rugby Competition, as it's logical to rest players and at the end of the day there's only one team that matters in New Zealand rugby, and all Super rugby is to them is, nothing less than good match practice!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
CUW, ~ Jordie B' played 2nd five for most of his career, and in that Under 20 JWCup you mention, he was the top points scorer!
Taylorman
Guest
Get your point Kirky but whoever gets them in the quarters in Sydney wont be as confident as you are I wouldnt think. Theyve shown more than enough in the last five matches to suggest they could upset someone at home, especially if they build on their strengths and eliminate a few of their weaknesses. A bit of both could go a long way.
Bakkies
Guest
Nonsense you can't let stupidity such as dangerous tackling and head butting for the sake of a contest.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Can you imagine a red card in say, the final of perhaps the World Cup?, most red cards are wrong, very wrong! ~ And I detest the smug look on any Referee's face who issues one, along with yellows, they do it because they can regardless of the consequences as it ruins any game making a very unfair contest!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Lara ~ The Waratahs have won 1 game out of the last five, so I can't see your logic! They played well yesterday without much chance of winning but hey! ~ that's the best game they've played, and didn't they get close to the bottom last Season?
Kirky
Roar Rookie
O/B, ~ And what's wrong with those very things you mention, that was when rugby was played and the faint hearted needed not to apply! Them's were the days when the game was an enjoyable exercise, nowadays it's ''kids in the sandpit stuff" where you waste your money attending because all you get is namby pamby rubbish rugby interspersed incessantly by the sound of the Referees whistle, usually for nothing of much consequence! Bring it back I say!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Fionn! ~ Number 12 as you call it or 2nd 5/8 as we call it is a critical possie in any backline, he is in a sense an extra loose forward and needs all the skills available to either make the break, kick for position, or start off a move whilst being about to be scragged! ~ Then he needs to be a top drawer tackler, kicker, and attacker, he needs to be fearless, ~ I doubt if Kurtley Beale has any of those attributes! If you want go forward ball that's where any movement is solidified by going for the gap or setting the backline alight by get the ball out to the pretty boys ~ That's roughly the resume for a top number twelve!! Think SBW, Ma a' Nonu, the current Hurricane Ngane Laumape, he's set for big things, and of course you probably saw the Chiefs 2nd 5/8 Charlie Ngatai cut loose many times for the Chiefs yesterday! It's never been a backline possie for the faint hearted, ~ I always thought that Michael Hooper would make an ideal 2nd 5/8, he is reasonably quick, (although you don't need to be exceptionally quick there,) and has all the skills necessary, won't happen though!
Cantab
Guest
Yes I’m aware, as per my post - kiwi teams have a poor history of playing people out of position in order ‘to get the best players on the field’. Look at the crusaders, they had more injuries yet played everyone in their regular postions, Robinson has learnt from the past - where Blackadder failed. If the hurricanes want to blunt their best attacking weapon so be it, we’ll take that free pass every day of the week.