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Opinion
With due respect to the unbeaten Chiefs and Brumbies, the heavyweight contest in Auckland between the Blues and Crusaders, won 34-28 by the visitors, was a contest worthy of a grand-final.
It was also a match robbed of some of its lustre by the application of a law that, while it was introduced with good intentions – to stop coaches manipulating uncontested scrums – represents a classic case of unintended consequences leading to a punishment that far outweighs the crime.
In this case, with the home side ahead 21-19 approaching half-time, Blues prop Jordan Lay was (correctly) sent to the bin for a professional foul, but because both starting props had already been replaced injured, a problem for the Blues cascaded into a disaster.
With Lay in the bin, double jeopardy was the requirement to replace him with the reserve hooker, and to take off lock Cameron Suafoa and fullback Stephen Perofeta, leaving them with 13 players, including two hookers, against 15.
Triple jeopardy was the requirement to pack the resultant scrum with eight players, including halfback Finlay Christie, leaving them with five backs defending seven Crusaders.
A Leicester Fainga’anuku of the Crusaders dives over to score a try . (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Triple try-scorer Leicester Fainga’anuku duly walked it in, then added another after half-time while the 15 vs 13 sin-bin period still applied, as if to rub salt in.
For one moment of ill-discipline, not involving dangerous or injurious foul play against an opponent, that’s simply too much punishment. Not only are sides required to remove two players, they also then have to suffer the indignity of being forced to add another front-rower, and be told where to position their remaining players at a scrum.
When the same fate befell the Fijian Drua during Super Round, their chances against the Waratahs evaporating as a result, coach Mick Byrne pleaded afterwards for the law to be changed. If anyone important was listening they certainly weren’t talking about it afterwards.
Perhaps now that this has happened in such a high-profile contest – and had an undeniable influence on the outcome – more pressure will be brought to bear and common sense will prevail?
That wasn’t the end of the Blues’ misfortune. Referee James Doleman all set to show a yellow card Codie Taylor until an assistant pointed him to a prior knock-on by halfback Christie, before Doleman later declined an opportunity to bin Crusaders’ flanker Tom Christie for an obvious professional foul.
Throw in two Blues’ tries disallowed (correctly) for last ditch fumbles over the goal-line and it all added up to this not being the Blues’ night. True to form, one final attacking chance came to nothing with Doleman ruling Bryce Heem held up in the tackle, despite his knee clearly being on the ground, requiring his release by the tackling players.
None of this is to detract from the Crusaders’ performance; often slick in attack, and frequently brave in defence, with Richie Mo’unga, unable to deal with a hot-stepping Mark Telea in the first half, making amends many times over with committed defence in the backfield.
The Blues will feel like the best side lost, but they will also know that at the pointy end of the ladder, small details and converting your opportunities matter. The bravery and skill they showed immediately after half-time to bust open the Crusaders and work them around, despite being two men down, was something special.
Their reward? A turnover, an audacious cross-kick by Richie Mounga and Fainga’anuku, with fullback Perofeta watching on helplessly from the sin-bin, streaking 75 metres down the other end for a thrilling try. Rugby can be a cruel game.
It was a cruel outcome for Reece Hodge in Hamilton, invalided out of action for the immediate future with a nasty finger injury, as the Rebels fell 44-25 to the Chiefs.
The visitors started well, with the rising Carter Gordon first popping a short ball, then firing long, for Alex Mafi to opening the scoring. They lost their way however; a loose set piece and sloppy handling conceding too much possession, and introducing a world of hurt from the power running of Pita-Gus Sowakula, and speed and elusiveness of the Chiefs back three against a fractured kick-chase.
No loss is a good loss and the Rebels will feel rightly disappointed at coming up short. But scoring four tries to six isn’t horrific, and the manner of much of their play suggest that if a few rough edges can be smoothed over, better days lie ahead.
A word for Shaun Stevenson, everybody’s favourite non-All Black, whose ‘effort’ to pack a scrum at flanker, and take out the legs of his own tight-head prop, resembled Kurtley Beale’s infamous scrummaging a few years back, in Cardiff. No, just no.
Anyone intending to attend a Moana Pasifika match must know now to arrive early. For the third week in a row, there was a try from the kick-off; this one a runaway to the impressive Miracle Fai’ilagi.
Approaching the end of the 3rd quarter, Moana Pasifika had done a great job to stay in touch at 36-39, but Ryan Lonergan brought the smarts and Corey Toole the gas, to allow the Brumbies to pull away and close things out, impressively, 62-36.
The beauty of live TV was seen in all its glory when, straight after being replaced by Jack Debreczeni, the Stan crew threw to Noah Lolesio on the bench, for comment on Debreczeni’s try.
“How did you see that?” was the question.
“Awesome,” Lolesio replied. Which was code for, ‘why didn’t those bastards leave a big hole like that for me to run through, when I was on?’
I had to check my internet speeds a couple of times yesterday, with sections of the Highlanders versus Force match seeming like it was being played in slow motion; a match Sky commentator Justin Marshall kindly described as “a hard watch at times”.
The injury-ravaged Highlanders still look to be a long way off being able to test the better sides, but with eight teams qualifying for finals, a first win, 43-35, at least has them back in the competition.
With a tough fortnight ahead of them, the Force will be disappointed to take nothing from the match. The intensity and urgency shown in the last two minutes, after the injection of Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, needs to be replicated throughout.
The round finished off in the heat of Brisbane, with the Reds looking like they were a 20-point better side than the Drua, up until the time they weren’t.
James O’Connor of the Reds (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Both sides struggled to hold on to the ball and maintain shape, but when the Drua eventually did both, they closed to 27-24 and set up a tense finish for Reds fans.
Nobody gets points for style in this competition, and the Reds will be happy to bank the four points and reset for Melbourne next weekend. But with the exception of apprentice sideline commentators Miles and Rian, I’m picking nobody will be remembering this match for long.
With a late finish on a Sunday, Friday night’s opener feels like an age ago. To jog the memory, Michael Hooper’s falcon was a doozy, although it was one-upped later by Hurricanes’ fullback Josh Moorby nonchalantly heading the ball 25m back towards his line.
On the worse end of a 34-17 score-line, highlights were few for the Waratahs, although Langi Gleeson continues to run strongly and teenager Max Jorgenson once again showed his undoubted potential, with a convincing finish in the corner.
The Hurricanes simply had more better performers, including hooker Asafo Aumua who, with the World Cup in sight, looks to have lost some of his rough edges but none of his verve.
In the Six Nations, Ireland did everything they needed to complete their grand slam, holding off an improved, but inferior England, 29-16 in Dublin.
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty I
With no ‘orange’ or ’20-minute red card’ in play in the northern hemisphere, Freddie Steward’s 39th minute dismissal felt overly harsh, albeit not match-defining.
It seems inconceivable that an Ireland side this settled and cohesive will be taking their customer early exit at the World Cup. Their campaign will be as much about maintaining the right headspace as anything.
It’s easy to pot the flaws in TV coverage and commentary, but special kudos this week to Stan for its coverage, which got right into the spirit of the themed ‘kids round’, featuring, in addition to Miles and Rian mentioned above, a number of budding, future players and commentators. Terrific fun.
That’s a nice segue and reminder that next Saturday, 25th March, is once again ‘A Day in Union’, where rugby players, fans and followers come together to celebrate the great game.
The concept is simple and, unlike rugby itself, mercifully free of rules. Simply do whatever it is that takes your fancy to signal your involvement; toss a ball around with the kids, string an old pair of boots over the front gate, throw down a couple at the local rugby club bar, or keep the neighbours awake late at night with a rendition of some bawdy old rugby songs.
It really doesn’t matter, as long as you take a moment to reflect on and share what it is that makes rugby such a terrific sport. And all the better if you post a pic on social media to show off your involvement and help spread the word.
ADayInUnion on Facebook, @AdayInUnion on Twitter, and www.adayinunion.com are good places to start.