Put your hand up if you’re a frustrated Canadian supporter – as I get the impression there are an increasing number of us! Once again Canada loses a game they easily should have won, and sure there were some impressive performances but they simply cannot justify a track record of just 4 wins in 15 games over the last two years. In fairness to some of Canada’s excellent players the time for constant experimenting and tinkering with combinations must surely be over with literally weeks to go before we are to compete on the World stage. There is no point in almost winning game after game if you are just not finishing them. Canada was up against a woefully disciplined American side on Monday night in Burnaby whom they should have easily dominated especially as the Eagles played large periods of the match with just fourteen men. As heroic and impressive as the performance against Samoa was last week it doesn’t count for much if you can only play 70 minutes of an 80 minute game. This is a side which desperately needs confidence going into a World Cup where they potentially will get eaten alive by Ireland and France and stand a good chance of being humiliated by their other opponents Romania and Italy, especially as they have lost both encounters with Romania in the last two years as well as their last match with Italy. To say that Canada needed to get at least one win out of the Pacific Nations Cup is the understatement of the year, and one can only feel empathy for a squad heading into the biggest challenge of their rugby careers with very little to show for their efforts. If there is not a crisis of confidence yet within the Canadian camp then it is surely coming at a time when they can least afford it!
Canada vs USA
Final Score – Canada 13/USA 15
Burnaby
Once again, like many Canadian supporters I was left scratching my head at the final whistle as to how we managed to lose yet another game in the last 10 minutes. The USA was not particularly flash, and their discipline was truly appalling, but they somehow managed to do the basics when it mattered most better than Canada, and if anything the three yellow cards they got pulled them closer together and focused them on the task at hand. Canada only once managed to make any gains against the Americans in the 30 minutes of the match that the Eagles were reduced to fourteen men. To rub salt into the wound the Americans actually managed to score a large proportion of their points with only fourteen men.
Canada was the only side to score a try, and it was certainly an impressive score by Nick Blevins who continued his impressive form from the game against Samoa. However, that in all reality was about the only thing to get excited about in a match where Canada failed to ever really put the Americans under any kind of sustained or consistent pressure.
Canada as usual started the match well and many of the improvements witnessed against Samoa were kept up, with greater intensity and support at the breakdowns and crisper passing. However, after fifteen minutes the errors started to creep back in and the discipline started to once more slip. Canada when able to use him properly were making excellent use of winger Jeff Hassler. Connor Braid was having a solid day out in centrefield and was making some fine passes and line breaks for the most part to put Hassler into space. But in all honesty that was about it. The Americans pushed Canada hard in the set pieces and scrums, their lineouts left a lot to be desired and as the game wore on the intensity started to slide even despite the arrival of Phil Mack at scrum half for the last quarter. Canada were increasingly unable to maintain possession beyond more than one or two phases and as this continued the passing skills and overall organisation started to look suspect. The Americans could sniff victory as a tired and disorganised Canada allowed the Eagles to take up residence in their 22 for the last five minutes of the game and Eagles fly half AJ MacGinty had acres of space to loiter in the pocket to set himself up for a last-minute drop goal that would once again rob Canada of a game they should have easily won.
There is little question in my mind that the yellow card handed out to Eagles lock Greg Peterson early in the match should have been a red, as the video replay clearly shows a deliberate and malicious punch to the head on Canada’s Brett Beukeboom. It was the epitome of poor sportsmanship and has no place in the modern game. Had Peterson seen red and the Eagles been forced to play with just 14 men then perhaps it would have been a better day for Canada. However, the fact still remains that Canada failed to make any inroads against the US in the ten minutes Peterson spent in the sin bin and what’s worse conceded a penalty which resulted in 3 points for the Americans. In today’s game and given the often inconsistent standard of refereeing present in the global game at the moment, as a side you have to take such calls on the chin and move on. Canada should have had the edge in discipline by a country mile in this match but instead they gifted 12 points to the Americans through penalties. As Canada prepare to open their World Cup campaign against an Irish side who are probably the best in the world at forcing opposition teams into disciplinary mistakes, such weaknesses really need to be addressed and time is simply running out. A tournament that promised so much for Canada and should have really set the team on a solid footing for the World Cup has sadly gone begging. Some serious reflection is now needed by both players and coaching staff as Canada makes its final preparations for the World Cup and their opening game with Ireland.
It saddens me that despite occasional flashes of brilliance from Canada in this match, and to be honest the two players who really stood out for me were Conor Braid and Jeff Hassler both of whom are reaping the rewards of their time in Europe, the tone of this piece is overwhelmingly negative. Canada needs some miracles in the three remaining games they have before the World Cup – I don’t regard the game against a third string Glasgow Warriors side at the end of August as anything more than a glorified practice session. The Americans will be keen to make it three from three when they meet Canada again in Ottawa in a fortnight, and the warm-up games in England against Fiji and Georgia will be exceptionally stern tests of character for Canada. On a positive note I still believe that Canada has a nucleus of exceptionally talented and motivated players, but there does seem to be a fundamental disconnect in how we are coaching these players to get the results needed to instill some much-needed confidence into a side heading into a World Cup. There is no question that Canada’s players are motivated and committed to doing their country proud come September/October, but have we really set them up with the confidence and organisation they need going into an exceptionally competitive World Cup? Looking at the evidence before us right now, I would sadly have to answer no.
We will know more once Canadian coach Kieran Crowley announces his World Cup squad on August 5th, and from there Canada has an exceptionally difficult albeit not impossible, given the spirit in the team, task of turning two years of misery into World Cup glory. I am sure everyone reading this wishes them the very best of luck and, as I have been saying since I started writing this blog, the men’s team would do well to spend some time before leaving for England with the women’s team who did so well last year at the Women’s World Cup to tap into what a winning culture really feels like!
A Springbok/All Black encounter at Ellis Park always showcases one of rugby’s greatest rivalries and this past Saturday was no exception. South Africa sadly came short against an All Black side which at times didn’t quite have its customary sparkle, but nevertheless when it matters New Zealand still are second to none in closing out big games. For South Africa however, there were plenty of positives and much to be excited about going into the World Cup, especially as it would appear they have the most exciting centerfield pairing in international rugby right now in the form of Damian De Allende and Jesse Kriel.
South Africa vs New Zealand
Final Score – South Africa 20/New Zealand 27
Johannesburg
We were promised a classic and that’s exactly what we got! What’s more promising for South African supporters is that there seemed to be a concerted effort to fix many of the problems we have seen in the last year, in particular hanging onto the ball instead of kicking away perfectly good possession. South Africa took the game to New Zealand for much of the match and were by far the dominant side till the last quarter. From there however, the edge seemed to be taken off the Springboks momentum with the bench making little if any impact while New Zealand as they always do when their backs are against the wall dug deep and found another gear. The rest was history sadly at South Africa’s expense. Nevertheless, instead of highlighting the negatives of the South African performance as so many seem to do these days, let’s look at the positives of which there were plenty.
South Africa started this match full of intent as a packed Ellis Park welcomed the home side onto the field. Although it took the Springboks the first five minutes to settle gifting a successful penalty kick to New Zealand’s Lima Sopoaga on his Test debut at flyhalf, they soon hit their stride and at the 10 minute mark, it was Bismarck du Plessis showing the same form as he did last week who got the Boks going. Du Plessis brought down New Zealand’s Kieran Read as he took a pass from Ben Smith and brilliantly stole the ball. From there the Boks spread the ball wide as it found its way to Jesse Kriel who put fullback Willie le Roux into space allowing him to weave through the New Zealand defences and get South Africa’s first try. It was a superb passage of play from South Africa and showed just what they can do when they hang onto the ball as well as Willie le Roux returning to some of his best form. It was great to see the seamless interplay between backs and forwards and if they can play like that come the World Cup, then there is no question they will be serious contenders for the Webb Ellis trophy.
For the next ten minutes South Africa dominated the All Blacks. Every player on the field was putting in a huge effort. Flanker Heinrich Brüssow on his first return to Test rugby in almost four years was having a barnstormer of a game and you couldn’t help wondering why we haven’t seen him in a Bok jersey sooner. De Allende and Kriel were proving that they were just as dangerous in defence as they were on attack, while fullback Willie Le Roux seemed to find the form that had been eluding him since last year. Schalk Burger at number 8 and Captain was proving inspirational in a leadership role along with his seemingly endless energy and commitment. Francois Louw was providing plenty of solid work and support to Heinrich Brüssow in the back row. Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager were doing exceptional work in the loose and in the lineout. The Beast and the Du Plessis brothers in the front row were providing more than a match for their All Black counterparts and Bismarck Du Plessis was a constant source of turnover ball just as he had been in Australia the week before.
Handre Pollard seemed to still be having a hit and miss game with the boot at times but no one can fault him on his willingness to take the ball into contact and on numerous occasions he courageously chose this option instead of suspect kicking to a powerhouse All Black back line who have proven time and again that they are masters of the counter attack.
New Zealand were to strike back just before half time as Lima Sopoaga, who was having a stellar day out on his debut appearance in the black jersey, made a sniping run up the inside channel beating several defenders to then find his Highlanders teammate Ben Smith on the right wing and the rest was history, with New Zealand going into the break with scores level at 10-10.
South Africa started the second half with just as much intensity as the first, but unfortunately injuries saw Jannie Du Plessis remain on the bench to give Vincent Koch his Test debut at prop for the Springboks. Meanwhile Francois Louw left the field after only a few minutes. However, Jesse Kriel was to show off his skills once more, after taking a brilliant offload under pressure from flyhalf Pollard to then power his way past the All Black defence and cross the line once more for South Africa. South Africa were on fire and were playing the kind of game that we just haven’t seen from them in their last few outings. New Zealand while intensely competitive were not as awe inspiring as we have come to expect from them. While matching the Springboks they didn’t quite have the speed and imagination on attack that the Springboks were displaying.
However, just when you think New Zealand are running out of ideas they prove why they are the masters of the comeback. Literally a minute after Kriel’s superb effort for South Africa, All Black hooker Dane Coles found himself in space and then put in a burst of speed and defender dodging worthy of some of the world’s best centres, to once more get New Zealand right back in the game. Sopoaga found the mark with his conversion and the scores were level at 17-17.
The rest of the game proved to be a war of attrition with New Zealand quietly starting to get the edge. With South Africa just in front by 20-17 the game entered its most dangerous period whenever the All Blacks are up against the wall – the last five minutes. New Zealand took a quick lineout with a set move that completely caught the Springboks napping as Richie McCaw scooped the ball and burst through and over the Springbok line. Sopoaga converted once more and then with a minute to go, made a successful penalty kick resulting from sustained All Black pressure in the Springbok 22. Suddenly what had looked so promising for South Africa ended in yet another heartbreaking last minute defeat. South Africa had played a superb game of rugby for 70 minutes but their consistent problem of losing their edge in that vital last ten minutes once more got the better of them.
The All Blacks continue to look like the team to beat but don’t necessarily look as all conquering as they have been up till now. They are still masters of closing out games especially when the odds are against them, but certainly lacked some lustre in getting the job done in this match. Still an outstanding debut for fly half Lima Sopoaga once more showed just how much depth New Zealand has available to them going into a World Cup. South Africa however, although the losers in a fantastic match can take great heart from this performance. Springbok Coach Heyneke Meyer has more than just the nucleus of a strong World Cup squad as evidenced by this game. The forward pack is starting to gel really nicely and beginning to look like a world beater from 1-8. While some questions still remain around what the ultimate Springbok halfback pairing may actually look like, there is plenty of promise. The centrefield pairing of De Allende and Kriel is rapidly becoming the stuff of legends and it was fantastic to see fullback Willie le Roux return to his world class form. The only real remaining question for the Springboks is what happens on the wings, but once again there is some exciting prospects to work with – especially with Cornal Hendricks answering many of his critics by his defensive performance in this match and we all know the speed he has available to him. There is no question that South Africa and New Zealand are the two best teams in the world right now, and England and Ireland still have plenty of work to do if they really want to stand alongside them as equals come September/October.
Canada finally puts in an almost complete performance in a thrilling encounter at BMO field in Toronto against Samoa, but a last-minute lapse in concentration sadly sees them just miss the victory they so desperately needed. Nevertheless, there were a ton of positives to take out of Canada’s performance on Wednesday night. The majority of the problems they faced in the opening two games of the Pacific Nations Cup seem for the most part to have been fixed. It was a tight and energetic performance from Canada, despite the sweltering heat of a Toronto mid-summer evening. Canada played with heart and commitment and matched the Samoans’ intensity for the full 80 minutes. Phil Mackenzie’s brilliant try after defeating several Samoan defenders seemed to have the game sewn up for Canada at the 75th minute. It was then five minutes of nail-biting tension to see if Canada could keep their composure till the very last whistle, something which they have consistently come short on in the last year. Once again a lapse of concentration at the death cost Canada a game they really should have won, despite concerted Samoan pressure in the Canadian 22 for the last few minutes. Still as disappointed for Canada as I along with the other several thousand fans at BMO field, we could all take heart from a dramatically improved Canadian performance and it is this that will hopefully carry them forward into final preparations for a tough World Cup. To lose by only 1 point to a side as good as Samoa is heart-wrenching but every Canadian player stood up and was counted on Wednesday night and it was the most complete team performance from the Red Nation that I have seen in the last ten months – so hopefully it’s upwards and onwards from here on!
Canada vs Samoa Final Score – Canada 20/Samoa 21 Toronto
Wow this one hurt! In a truly superb afternoon of rugby at BMO field in Toronto on a sweltering summer’s day, which yours truly got to attend, Canada put in their best performance of the year only to fall agonizingly short at the final whistle. The crowd had been treated to two superb games prior, which saw Tonga decimate a poor US Eagles outfit, while Fiji just squeaked past an ambitious and skillful Japanese team. By the time Canada and Samoa came onto the field the excitement had been built for an epic encounter which is exactly what the crowd got. Canada may have lost this match but they played out of their skins and can take a lot of confidence from this game especially if they can turn it into winning ways going into the World Cup. On the basis of that performance they should have no trouble dispatching the USA on Monday night in Burnaby as the two sides battle it out for the wooden spoon.
Canada started this match full of intent, and I was delighted to see Phil Mack selected to start as scrum half. Against a powerhouse side like Samoa his intensity would prove vital and he did not disappoint being easily one of Canada’s best players on a night where many of his teammates put in equally big performances. Canada completely dominated Samoa in the first half and you couldn’t help feeling in the stands that Canada were on the way to a historic victory. They were doing everything right, the intensity at the breakdown as controlled by Phil Mack was outstanding as was the support play. Canada were matching the big Samoans in the scrums and lineouts. On top of that the passing by Canada was truly sublime at times and the wayward passing of games gone by seemed to have been stamped out. Furthermore, the loss of inspirational Captain and number 8, Tyler Ardron after just five minutes due to injury did not seem to diminish the Canadians’ composure or intensity in the slightest. Canada was avoiding a pointless kicking game and choosing instead to hold onto possession and take the ball and game to the Samoans. In short, the first half was an inspirational performance with a superb try scored by centre Nick Blevins and at the half time whistle Canada were very much in charge at 13-3.
Samoa however started the second half full of intent and their efforts soon began to pay off as Canada seemed to lose some of the momentum they had in the first half. Samoa used their immense strength in the shape of hooker Anthony Perenise to crash his way through the Canadian defence and get Samoa’s first try on the board. Samoa then kept up the physical pressure on Canada and got themselves into the lead with two successful penalties as Canadian discipline started to crack under the weight of the Samoan onslaught. With ten minutes to go it was 16-13 for Samoa and that sinking feeling was once more setting in with the home crowd. Then a piece of Canadian magic happened that raised the roof at BMO field. Phil Mackenzie managed to keep a Samoan kick to touch from their 22 in the field of play through some dazzling foot and hand work and then he was off, beating at least five Samoan defenders. It was truly world-class and if Canada can play like that on a regular basis then they can hold their heads high. Fullback James Pritchard converted and all of a sudden it was 20-16 for Canada with five minutes to go. The crowd held its breath.
Samoa dug in and then proceeded to put immense pressure on Canada. With a mere thirty seconds left on the clock, Canada stole a Samoan lineout on the Canadian 22, but then in a moment of confusion and a serious lapse in concentration, two Canadian players collided spilling the ball. Replacement Samoan hooker Sakaria Taulafo pounced on the loose ball and talk about being in the right place at the right time. Samoa missed the difficult conversion, but it didn’t matter the Pacific Islanders had just edged out the Canadians 21-20 and as predicted will now battle it out with the other tournament favorites in the final on Monday night. The heartbreak for Canada’s players who had put in a truly heroic shift was there for all to see. They had played well and this was a performance to be immensely proud of despite the loss by the narrowest of margins. Still it all comes down to holding your composure to the very last second and that is the one area Canada really needs to fix. I personally would have kept scrum half Phil Mack on the field till the end and not taken him off with ten minutes to go, his composure and organisational skills at the breakdown may have kept Canada from making that last-minute fatal lapse in concentration. Readers of this blog know that I clearly regard him as Canada’s first choice scrum half, and I hope to see him play as such come the World Cup.
As I said as much as the loss was a crushing disappointment, Canada upped their game so much in this match that there is a lot to be excited about. Samoa are the best side in the Pacific Nations Cup this year and to run them this close is a major achievement. Some of the skills shown by Canada on Wednesday night were world-class and showcased some of the obvious talent in the squad. This was a solid and composed performance and clearly demonstrated a concerted effort to fix problems we have seen in Canada’s game since last November. If Canada can just find that little bit extra to close out big games like this then the future looks bright. Although perhaps overdue Canada has finally found a game plan that works and the 23 players involved in this turnaround on Wednesday night can hold their heads high as they hopefully continue to take the cause of Canadian rugby onwards and upwards!
After coming short against Tonga, Canada has to come up with the goods this Wednesday to avoid the wooden spoon in this year’s Pacific Nations Cup. In an exciting Triple Header at BMO field in Toronto which yours truly will be fortunate enough to attend, we also get to see the USA take on Tonga and probably the competition’s most exciting match-up in terms of running rugby will see Fiji do battle with Japan. Buoyed by their success against Canada, Tonga will be a hard nut for the Americans to crack particularly in the sweltering heat that Toronto is currently experiencing but which will no doubt make the Pacific Islanders feel right at home. Fiji and Japan have shown plenty of exciting running in this tournament and expect more of the same. Canada meanwhile has to win their tussle with Samoa after a string of defeats in the last year and as a vital confidence booster going into the World Cup. It is my hope that the home crowd really gets behind Canada and gives them the bonus of the sixteenth man. On paper Canada has a team that should have been competitive but which in reality has not lived up to its potential. The Canadians have now left it to this encounter with Samoa, who gave New Zealand’s All Blacks a serious scare at the beginning of the month, to prove themselves as a team – in short it doesn’t get any more challenging than this. If Canada can turn it around and use the massive underdog tag that they now seem to be wearing to their advantage in front of a home crowd, then it will do wonders for their confidence heading into a World Cup. If they can’t then it will be hard for them to build the confidence they need to compete in a very tough and unforgiving pool at the World Cup.
Canada vs Tonga
Final Score – Canada 18/Tonga 28
Burnaby, BC
Another puzzling performance from Canada, as they showed what they could do, but only for 20 minutes. Nevertheless after the weak performance against Japan, there were many aspects of Canada’s game that did improve dramatically, namely the breakdown work and the passing. However, even here there was still plenty of room for improvement, especially if Canada wants to face up to a Samoan side that is hitting all the right targets so far this year. Tonga on the other hand despite some of their trademark lapses in discipline at the end of the match showed an ability to regroup after Canada’s initial onslaught and effectively use their strength and speed to take the game away from Canada.
Canada started this match full of intensity, and played a brilliant first fifteen minutes of rugby which clearly caught the Tongans by surprise. After only 5 minutes Canada was holding a strong 10-0 lead thanks to some excellent work at the breakdown on the Tongan line by Canadian scrum half Aaron Carpenter. After the fairly dismal performance against Japan a week earlier you almost had the feeling that Canada had addressed all the areas where they had been shown up. Their discipline was better, the passing work and intensity and support at the breakdown were all showing dramatic improvements. It was hard not to think that this Canadian team which has so much promise on paper had finally shown up and was about to make a statement. Carpenter went on to score a second try after a superb passage of open running play by the Canadians and in just under twenty minutes Canada was ahead 15-3.
It was there however, that the music quite literally stopped for Canada. The Tongans regrouped and began to physically push the Canadians around the park. In such a physical encounter it was always going to be a test of nerves in terms of discipline and the Tongans contrary to form seemed to have the edge here. The Tongans were starting to out muscle the Canadians in the set pieces and particularly at scrum time. You could see the frustration growing amongst the Canadians and their discipline start to slide. While I think that the yellow card awarded to Canadian fly half Liam Underwood was a bit of overreaction from Argentine referee Federico Anselmi it led to a further chink in an already weakened Canadian armor as they ended the first half and began the second with just fourteen men. Before the half time whistle Tonga got themselves right back into the match with a successful penalty kick and then the Tongan scrum half Sonatane Takulua produced his own magic off the base of a Tongan scrum and some weak Canadian defence. At the break it was 15-10 for Canada.
In the second half, the Tongans proceeded to dominate the Canadians across the park and the Tongans would produce another two fine tries through some porous Canadian defence to effectively put the game out of reach of Canada as the penalty count continued to mount and Tonga led 23-18. As they always seem to do, Canada suddenly found a last-minute injection of intensity and pace as the last five minutes saw a spirited fight back from Canada, but even against a Tongan side reduced by ill discipline to thirteen men, Canada couldn’t find a way through. There is no question Tonga were the deserved winners, but Canadian supporters walked away scratching their heads as yet again a team that promised so much delivered so little.
Forthcoming fixtures
Canada vs Samoa
Wednesday, July 29th
Toronto
With Canada out of contention for any of the silverware in this year’s Pacific Nation’s Cup, Wednesday’s fixture against Samoa is all about pride and a desperate need to end the losing streak the team has been on since their match against Namibia in France in November last year. The week after that victory Canada lost to Samoa in France after dominating the Pacific Islanders for much of the match. The question on everyone’s lips is what has happened since then?
We all hope the answers will have been found by Wednesday night, but let’s face it – Samoa is on fire right now and a very different team to the one Canada faced on a rainy afternoon in France nine months ago. After giving New Zealand’s All Blacks the fright of their lives three weeks ago, Samoa are so far undefeated in this year’s Pacific Nations, although only managing a draw with the other tournament favourites Fiji last weekend. Samoa are big, fast, powerful and very motivated. Canada are no less motivated but have so much to prove still as a complete unit unlike the Samoans who seem very settled as a side. Add to that a hot humid evening in store, conditions which should suit the Pacific Islanders down to a tee, and Canada has an exceptionally challenging task ahead of them.
Canada despite the loss last weekend against Tonga did show some definite improvements in their performance from the game against Japan. As I mentioned above their intensity, breakdown work, passing skills and overall support play were much better. However at times their defence was still disorganised and they were missing far too many first phase tackles, an area which Samoa will cut them to pieces on if not fixed. Furthermore their scrum buckled too many times under pressure and Samoa is putting a very big and powerful pack onto the field. If Canada can tighten their discipline, keep the intensity up for a full eighty minutes and put wingers DTH van der Merwe and Jeff Hassler into space and allow them to use their exceptional speed and agility then it could be a good day out for Canada. Hassler and Van der Merwe are world-class players and will get any crowd on their feet given the opportunity. If they are able to do this and the Toronto crowd gets behind the team then Canada could end their current run of poor form.
I sincerely hope this will be the case and will certainly be doing my part to cheer them on. However, I can’t help feeling that unless Canada have managed to really turn things around in the space of four days, which is a ridiculously short time in international rugby, they are facing an almost impossible task against Samoa. Samoa is building nicely for the World Cup and are relishing the tag of being possible giant slayers in their pool against Scotland and South Africa. On Wednesday it will have to be Canada trying to emulate the Samoan’s reputation as the Canadian David takes on the Samoan Goliath. Here’s hoping for a great contest!
A great opening weekend sees the All Blacks show us just what they are capable of against a spirited Argentinian side. There was never really any doubt that New Zealand would ultimately come out on top against a slightly under strength Pumas team. However, the Pumas made New Zealand work hard for the full eighty minutes and at times their defence was quite extraordinary. Pumas Captain Agustin Creevy once again showed what a source of inspiration he is to his team as he scored not only his first Test try for his country but then went on to score another one in rapid succession. However, New Zealand showed the depth and class it has going into this World Cup with Waisake Naholo on the wing showing us just what he is capable of to then tragically be taken off due to injury and likely now miss the global showdown in September/October. Nevertheless, key All Black players such as Kieran Read and Israel Dagg made a promising return to form and in the end New Zealand comfortably pulled away from the Pumas despite a close and well fought first half. Once they find their rhythm as they did in the second half, these All Blacks are looking pretty hard to beat! Meanwhile, South Africa as predicted dominated the opening rounds of their encounter with Australia in Brisbane, only to lose a match they should have won. Australia made exceptionally good use of their bench and substitutions while the same cannot be said of South Africa. Australia effectively owned the last quarter of the game and bold and courageous decision-making by Captain Stephen Moore in the dying seconds of the game saw the Wallabies come out on top.
New Zealand vs Argentina
Final Score – New Zealand 39/Argentina 18
Christchurch
As most predicted this ended up being a comfortable win in the end for New Zealand. The Pumas put up a brave fight and at times their defence was outstanding, however without their full strength side it was always going to be hard for them to get one over on the All Blacks especially at home. Even Argentina’s world-beating scrum was often pushed around the park by New Zealand. In the end New Zealand emerged comfortable winners while seeing a return to form of Kieran Read at 8 and Israel Dagg at fullback.
Although Argentina were often impressive in defence, they had to be as New Zealand maintained a constant assault on Argentinian lines for the full eighty minutes. New Zealand got the first points on the board through a penalty, and then New Zealand’s workhorse par excellence Richie McCaw got them their first try through some of his characteristically hard work at the breakdown. Argentina were impressive in denying New Zealand much attacking ball in the first quarter but the constant pressure from New Zealand was starting to tell. Argentine fly half Nicolas Sanchez was having a shocker of a game with the boot and this was seriously hampering Argentina’s efforts in both defence and attack. However, Dan Carter for New Zealand was having difficulty finding his mark on penalty kicks and conversions which managed to keep Argentina in touch despite the New Zealand attack growing in confidence.
As good as Argentina often were at the breakdown, the end of the first half saw New Zealand make their statement of intent as to how they were to conduct proceedings in the second half. Centre Ma’a Nonu showed as he did all season for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, his speed and sheer strength as he worked some space on the outside, fended off two strong tackles from the Pumas and crashed across the Argentine line for the All Blacks second try. Dan Carter got his kicking range back and converted as New Zealand ended the first half with a comfortable 18-6 lead.
The second half opened with New Zealand showing lots of intent, with winger Charles Piutau scoring after some solid sustained pressure from the All Blacks in the Argentine 22. Next up All Black 8 Kieran Read roared back to his devastating form after a remarkably quiet Super Rugby season. He has always been such a powerhouse for New Zealand and if he continues to play as he did against the Pumas last Friday then he will once more be a significant threat come the World Cup! After Argentina lost the ball during a period of scrambled defence, Read was quick to pounce on the loose ball and in he went under the posts offering Dan Carter an easy conversion. New Zealand was in a comfortable lead with 30 minutes left to go at 32-6.
However, never write the Pumas off, and the next ten minutes arguably saw the best passage of play from the Argentinians led by the inspirational figure of their Captain Augustin Creevy as he not only scored his first Test try but also got another one five minutes later for good measure. Taking a leaf out of the Wallabies playbook and securing a good drive from the lineout the Pumas Captain scored two solid tries through rolling mauls. All of sudden as the game entered the last 20 minutes it was 32-18 and although still with a mountain to climb the Pumas seemed to be back in the match.
In the end as we have seen so often in the last two years, the All Blacks simply refocused and masterfully closed out the game and even allowed All Black debutant scrum half Codie Taylor to cap off his first outing in the black jersey with a try. New Zealand essentially took up permanent residence in the Argentinian 22 and applied constant pressure to a tiring Puma defence. After a series of exhausting scrums Taylor was able to burrow his way through across the Pumas line, Carter once again converted and that was it – 39-18.
In the end Argentina were dominated by New Zealand, but the two tries from Creevy and their resolute defence at times are all things the South Americans can take heart from as this relatively new looking Pumas side returns to full strength in Argentina for the match against Australia this weekend. New Zealand on the other hand showed that they are building nicely for the World Cup and the hiccoughs we saw against Samoa earlier this month were simply nothing more than that. This weekend’s match up in the cauldron of Ellis Park in Johannesburg against a wounded Springbok outfit with everything to prove to their fanatical fans will be an infinitely harder test. Nevertheless, even allowing for injuries, there is so much talent and depth in the New Zealand squad at the moment that they are still the standard bearers for the world game going into this year’s global showdown and are going to be extremely difficult to beat.
Australia vs South Africa
Final Score – Australia 24/South Africa 20
Brisbane
Just like last year’s fixture this game was decided in the last ten minutes and for some on a controversial decision. However, for me I can’t help feeling that the TMO did make the right call on Tevita Kuridrani’s last gasp try. It was a tense and exciting contest, but ultimately as I predicted the Australians really put the pressure on in the last twenty minutes and through effective use of their bench started to get the edge on their South African counterparts. South Africa started the game well, but as the game wore on all the hallmark weaknesses of the current Springbok strategy came to the fore – a gradual breakdown in discipline and a pointless kicking game compounded by some bizarre substitution decisions from coach Heyneke Meyer. Just like last year the Springboks boarded the plane back to South Africa wondering how they managed to lose a game they should have won.
Flyhalf Handre Pollard got the game off to a shaky start for South Africa, but was saved by some superb work from Hooker Bismarck du Plessis in the loose. Du Plessis was immense all night and his work at the breakdown in constantly getting South Africa turnover ball was outstanding, making coach Heyneke Meyer’s decision to take him off the field at the 50 minute mark all the more bizarre, especially as at that point Australia were beginning to build some momentum and confidence. In general, Pollard had a woeful game with the boot, but his saving grace was his performance with ball in hand and his willingness to never shirk from taking the ball into contact. Even Bismarck du Plessis’ much maligned brother of late, Jannie, found salvation in his performance in this match. Apart from the odd error, the centerfield pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende worked extremely well together and surely must be giving Springbok supporters grounds for optimism heading into the World Cup given the uncertainty surrounding Jean de Villiers, with Kriel scoring a try on his debut. De Allende’s bullish strength at centre was a good counterfoil to the same qualities shown by Kuridrani for the Wallabies. Despite a truly pointless kicking game for the most part from South African fullback Willie le Roux he did show some serious skill when he chose to run the ball and set up opportunities for his teammates, while in defence he made several last gasp try saving tackles.
Australia started slowly, but as I predicted they made superb use of the bench unlike South Africa, and in the last quarter really turned all the pressure on South Africa. Israel Folau was superb under the continuous high ball that South Africa kept providing him with, but South Africa were so keen to kick the ball to him it was inevitable that the Australian fullback was going to get plenty of limelight. In South Africa’s defence however, once Folau did have the ball he was for the most part very quickly contained by at least two Springboks and very rarely got much of a chance to run beyond the halfway line. Although dominated early on the Australian forwards were eventually able to hold up to their South African counterparts and once Pocock came on the field he and Hooper were devastating in the loose with the latter scoring a critical try with six minutes to go. As always for me, Scott Fardy had a solid game and he continues to impress me as one of the Wallabies most reliable components of their forward play. The Quade Cooper/Will Genia halfback partnership was singularly unimpressive as far as I was concerned and I cannot really see with the halfback pairings Australia has at its disposal how these two add any value for the Wallabies especially in such tight games as these. The difference that Nick Phipps made the minute he came on for Genia was instant and there for all to see. Phipps’ ferocious intensity and tenacity at the breakdown coupled with his quick and accurate delivery to the rest of his pack, make him a no brainer starting choice and I was pleased to see this has been reflected in Wallaby coach Cheika’s starting lineup for the match against Argentina this weekend. Lastly it was good to see centre Tevita Kuridrani return to his barnstorming best after a quiet Super Rugby season and Adam Ashley-Cooper on the wing continued to show that he is probably having one of the best ever years of his illustrious playing career.
The game was a tense and close affair for the first half hour, with Handre Pollard having a very hit and miss kicking game, but the South Africans nevertheless were getting the better of the pressure game leading 6-0. The last ten minutes however were a mirror of the rest of the game. Adam Ashley-Cooper for Australia was the beneficiary of some solid work from centre Matt Giteau, and Quade Cooper in a rare moment of brilliance was able to feed Ashley-Cooper a superb inside pass to put the Australian centre in space and across the South African white line. The Springboks were to recover their composure quickly though, and Willie le Roux showed just how dangerous he is when he hangs onto the ball as he forced three Australian defenders to focus on him as he made a superb offload to a charging Eben Etzebeth on the outside metres from the try line. Etzebeth’s giant form once it has built up a significant head of steam is almost impossible to stop and the big forward crashed over in the corner for his first Test try.
South Africa then proceeded to start the second half full of the same intent with which they had ended the first. After an excellent offload from Springbok winger Bryan Habana, Jesse Kriel at centre and on his Test debut, weaved his way through three Australian defenders to score a try that he will cherish for many years to come and one which will surely give him enormous confidence going into the rest of the tournament and the World Cup. From then on however it was all going to head south for the Springboks. At the 50 minute mark despite the dominance South Africa had up front over the Australians both in the loose and at scrum time, primarily through the work of hooker Bismarck du Plessis, coach Heyneke Meyer for some bizarre reason decided to pull du Plessis from the field and replace him with Adriaan Strauss who simply couldn’t keep the momentum that du Plessis had gained for the Springboks. From there the match started to unravel for the Springboks, their confidence seemed to evaporate, the error count rose and their discipline started to break down.
Australia however, for the last thirty minutes were the exact opposite. The arrival of Nick Phipps at scrum half was injecting some much-needed intensity into the Australian game and they were gradually starting to swing the pressure game in their favour. Then just like last year in Perth the Wallabies produced a clinical performance for the last ten minutes which completely stole the game from a dumbfounded Springbok side. At the 73 minute mark, it was that man Michael Hooper at number 7 who benefitted from the in your face work of Nick Phipps at the breakdown inches from the South African white line and the flanker crashed across to put the Wallabies right back in the hunt. Then at the death Wallaby captain Stephen Moore made the brave decision to go for the win instead of the draw and the ball was kicked into touch for a Wallaby lineout after the Springboks gave away another penalty. It was a courageous decision and a refreshing one, if it had gone wrong Moore would have been lynched in the Australian press the next day, but his faith and confidence in his teammates to get the job done was exemplary. He knew Australia needed to win this opening Test of the year with a World Cup only weeks away and a draw would simply not be good enough – he obviously had recognised that the self-belief shown by the Highlanders in this year’s Super Rugby championship is still a highly valuable commodity in the international game. It paid off and Australia were able to keep the pressure on from the lineout, with centre Tevita Kuridrani showing just how strong he is by battering his way through the South African defence to just, and it really was a question of just, get the tip of the ball on the white line.
The look on the Springboks faces at the final whistle said it all and was a mirror image of this same fixture last year in Perth – “how did we lose a game that we essentially had sown up”? Australia were the deserved winners in the end, as they built their game slowly but effectively over the eighty minutes, whereas South Africa due to poor coaching decisions and a breakdown in execution watched their game deteriorate as the game progressed. Facing a test of epic proportions against an All Black side that is at the top of its game this Saturday in Johannesburg, the Springboks have it all to prove in front of an expectant and critical home crowd – talk about pressure! Meanwhile Australia face a challenging trip to Argentina where they hope to redress the misfortunes of their last trip to South America – on the basis of this performance they certainly will have a lot to work with to pull it off and must surely fancy their chances!
Fixtures this weekend
South Africa vs New Zealand
Saturday, July 25th
Johannesburg
Despite all the talk of experimental sides and building for the World Cup this game quite simply is going to be MASSIVE! This is a game the Springboks just have to win. Experimentation aside the South African public will simply not accept a loss against their greatest rivals in the rugby cathedral of Ellis Park. Meanwhile, New Zealand may be experimenting but either way you look at it, this is an exceptionally strong All Black side. There has been much talk this week in the press of the decision by All Black coach Steve Hansen choosing to start Lima Sopoaga in his Test debut at fly half against such a venerable opponent. But take a moment to reflect here, who is Sopoaga playing alongside? The world’s best scrum half, New Zealand’s Aaron Smith, will be alongside Sopoaga every step of the way just as he was throughout the Highlanders’ highly successful Super Rugby campaign. Throw in that incredible element of self-belief that these two used to back themselves and their teammates in the Highlanders’ campaign and I can’t help feeling that Steve Hansen is onto something here in this selection.
South Africa despite the many criticisms levelled at them last weekend in their performance against Australia which resulted in a loss, I still feel they played a solid first fifty minutes of rugby and one which clearly gave them ascendancy over the Wallabies. They threw the game particularly in the last 20 minutes and I feel that a large part of the blame for that lies with the coaching staff and not necessarily the players. Poor substitution choices and an insistence on wayward and pointless kicking were the Springboks Achilles heel in the last twenty minutes of the game. Add to that a breakdown in discipline as their frustration grew and the rest was history. So for this week what can we expect? Lots of question marks around selections leaving many Springbok supporters feeling both excited and nervous at the same time. In the forwards the big question mark is the selection of Heinrich Brüssow at number 6. When Brüssow burst onto the Springbok stage several years ago, I must confess to being one of his biggest fans and was at a loss to explain his disappearance in the last four years. But here is the question. We know what he can do but when have we last seen what he can do – and thus can a player left out in the cold for so long really make a comeback on such a massive stage? I am going to stick my hand up and say yes which I must confess is a rare call on my part as I very rarely rate players on reputation and usually base my calls on current form only. So I am willing to break with my better judgement and say that I am very excited to see Brüssow back in a Springbok jersey and will be cheering him on to make a huge and telling impact for South Africa on Saturday – while at the same time empathizing with the enormous pressure he must feel under to perform.
Meanwhile, Lood de Jager gets a starting berth in place of the injured Victor Matfield in the second row and I can’t help feeling this is a good decision. De Jager for the most part impressed me last weekend against Australia and South Africa does need some youth in this position to develop for the future. The rest of the forward pack is as solid as they come and I can only hope that Bismarck du Plessis shows once more the truly outstanding form he showed last weekend and that coach Heineke Meyer leaves him on the field to provide inspiration to his teammates in such a crucial game. Schalk Burger’s maturity these days will serve him well in the Captain’s role and along with Du Plessis on the field these two should provide the motivation and inspiration that will be so important for the team on Saturday. Handre Pollard and Ruan Pienaar will have to up their performances from last weekend, and Pollard will have to make sure his willingness to take the ball into contact is backed up by a structured and effective kicking game. If anything, given New Zealand’s back line, kicking should be kept to a minimum on Saturday! South Africa’s back line looks solid and once again I am really looking forward to seeing the centerfield pairing of De Allende and Kriel in action again as well as hopefully Le Roux regaining some much-needed form at fullback.
For New Zealand, as mentioned above, contrary to the debate around the selection of Sopoaga, I can’t really see any weaknesses in coach Steve Hansen’s selections. This a forward pack who can push anyone around the park in no uncertain terms and I fully expect them to match anything the Springboks can throw at them this weekend. The battle between the two number eights, Burger for South Africa and Read for New Zealand is a really exciting aspect of the game to look forward to. Raw talent and youth in South Africa’s centerfield pairing meets probably one of the most experienced and talented duos in the international game in the form of Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu. We all saw the magic these two were able to create in this year’s Super Rugby tournament and expect more of the same on Saturday. Israel Dagg seems to be finding his form again and he will be evenly matched by South Africa’s Willie le Roux. Lastly on the wings, Piutau showed he was no slacker last weekend and even though he normally plays fullback, Ben Smith is arguably one of the finest backs in the world, blessed with the vision and skill set that would be the envy of any team.
So now for the hard part – who will win this epic? There is no question that home ground advantage is a huge plus for the South Africans and the value of the “sixteenth man” will be much in evidence on Saturday. However, I just can’t help feeling that as much as South Africa are fired up for this one and if anything need to win it far more than the All Blacks, the resulting pressure may just be too much especially for coach Heineke Meyer who as most people know is not someone I have a huge amount of confidence in in such situations. It is going to be ever so close and expect edge of the seat of the stuff, but I can’t help feeling that New Zealand are just that bit more comfortable in their game plan right now as well as being far better at adapting to a changing situation as dictated by the conditions they face on the day. Therefore the All Blacks to just edge it by 2 in a truly nail biting contest. For South Africa’s sake I hope I am wrong as there is no question that a loss will be very damaging to their confidence going into a World Cup, but they know they will have to be at their absolute best and find an extra shot of that self-belief that their New Zealand rivals Ben Smith and Aaron Smith showed so much of in Super Rugby this year!
Argentina vs Australia
Saturday, July 25th
Mendoza
As much as I think that Argentina have improved in the last two years, and laser incidents aside, were deserved winners in this fixture last year, a World Cup year is a very different prospect. Australia will simply not tolerate a repeat performance of last year and have everything to prove. Wallaby coach Michael Cheika has sensibly recognised the negative implications of a potential loss and selected the exceptionally solid and tried and trusted halfback pairing of Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley. There will be no gambles on the mercurial and in my opinion vastly overrated Quade Cooper even though he will be warming the bench – I am assuming as a possible impact player at the end. The forwards remain relatively unchanged from last week, with Michael Hooper this time switching with David Pocock to the bench and the latter getting the starting berth at number 7. Meanwhile the back line sees the inclusion of Matt Toomua at centre and Joe Tomane on the wing, both of whom had a stellar season in Super Rugby with the Brumbies and I personally think are the right choice. It is also interesting to see Kurtley Beale on the bench and I fully expect to see him work some magic with Adam Ashley-Cooper once he is brought on. All in all a very solid looking Wallaby outfit with plenty of depth and a good bench, able to match the Pumas legendary physicality with enough pace and speed in the back line to wreak havoc should the Argentinian defences start to crack.
As for Argentina, as much as I admire them as a team and the enormous progress they have made under coach Daniel Hourcade, I can’t help feeling that as close as they will run the Wallabies on Saturday, a repeat of last year’s heroics is not quite on the cards this year. As powerful a forward pack as Argentina are boasting for this fixture I simply think that this aspect of Australia’s game has improved enough to not have them pushed around the park like they were last year by the Pumas. On that note I am looking forward to seeing Javier Ortega Desio in action at number 6 as he was impressive when he came on as a substitution last week. Furthermore, a standout player for me was the new number eight Facundo Isa for Argentina and he will certainly be a player to watch for the future. I will even go so far as to say Facundo is likely to get the better of his more experienced Australian counterpart Ben McCalman. Argentina’s halfback pairing of Sanchez and Landajo while good simply doesn’t have the quality of Phipps/Foley. Sanchez will also have to dramatically improve his kicking performance from that which was on show against New Zealand. The back line sees the return from injury of the very impressive Gonzalo Camacho but without any real form to base it on there are lots of question marks around his selection – he will either amaze or fizzle under pressure. In short, apart from Juan Imhoff this is a very inexperienced, albeit exciting, back line for Argentina and I can’t help feeling that Australia’s experience in this area of the game will easily be the decider. Argentina’s bench does hold some possible game changers in the shape of Leonardo Senatore, Tomás Cubelli and
Lucas González Amorosino and it remains to be seen how and when they will be used.
So in short, an interesting encounter lies ahead. There is no question that Argentina will be backing themselves to repeat their success of last year especially at home. However, despite best intentions there is still a slightly experimental feel to this Pumas side with lots of question marks around it, even though such questions could all have very exciting answers. The Wallabies on the other hand, are riding high on self-belief and confidence and are eager to prove that under coach Michael Cheika they are finally onto a winning formula. On paper they simply look the more balanced and structured side and as a result despite home advantage for the Pumas I am having to give this to Australia by 5. By the same token I am hoping for an epic contest from the Pumas that will put them in a good position for their two fixtures with South Africa, as well as the development of a solid platform to take to the World Cup for this team that is continually showing more and more promise every year. As I have said repeatedly in these pages, lest we forget what the men from Argentina can do when it really matters, have a look at this. Ancient history it may be now but still shows that sometimes the desire to win outweighs everything!
Canada opened their Pacific Nations Cup campaign in San Jose, California this weekend against an impressive looking Japanese outfit. This was also Canada’s first step on the road to the World Cup in England in two months time and although outplayed by the Japanese for much of the match there was a glimmer of hope for Canada in the final ten minutes, and it is this last gasp performance that the squad must really build on and take into the next game against a very physical Tonga. Let’s be honest it wasn’t a great day out on the park for Canada, but you could see that their recent success in winning the gold for Sevens Rugby at the Pan Am games in Toronto, was causing some players to have difficulty in switching gears to the fifteen a side game, as well as lasting a full eighty minutes. Hopefully by the time we play Tonga on Friday at home in Burnaby, BC the coaching staff will have done some solid work with the squad and many of the glaring errors we saw on Saturday against the Japanese will have been rectified – if not this could be a painful and potentially demoralising period of preparation for the World Cup!
Canada vs Japan
Final Score – Canada 6/Japan 20
San Jose, CA
I have to confess at being a puzzled spectator as I watched this game. Although Canada were effectively outplayed by Japan, I was still surprised by the scoreline. Canada exhibited many strengths in the Californian sun on Saturday, but somehow you never really felt that they were in the match as a coherent unit, as opposed to the Japanese who seemed to be highly organised and working very effectively as a team. As I mentioned above, I think that it is inevitable that with so many of Canada’s first choice players having just won gold the weekend before in the Sevens game at the Pan Am games, it is a definite challenge to suddenly switch your playing style to the fifteen a side game. However, one area which I was concerned about on Canada’s end of year European tour in 2014, seemed still to be an area of serious concern and that is passing skills. There is no doubt that some of the passing techniques demonstrated by Canada on Saturday would have worked splendidly on a Sevens field, but against a well organised Japanese 15 man defence it just looked wayward and nervous. Canada has enormous talent on the wings in the shape of DTH van der Merwe and Jeff Hassler, but there seemed to be little idea as a team as to how best to use these two fine players. You could even sense the frustration in both the wingers as they were on the end of yet another wayward pass and were somehow expected to perform miracles with it.
Japan on the other hand for much of the match barring a few minor lapses in discipline which resulted in unnecessary yellow cards, looked the model of composure and a team that had thought out exactly how they were going to dismantle Canada. In fairness, with the coaching know how of former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones in charge of the playbook, the Japanese are coming into this tournament and their preparations for the World Cup in very capable hands. Furthermore, with the investment in the game in Japan, especially now they are hosting the 2019 World Cup, and the fact that many foreign-born players are now eligible to play for Japan, the country is increasingly able to put together a solid squad. Japan has always been known for its courageous and pacy backs, but their age-old problems at scrum time if this Saturday’s performance is anything to go by seem to be a thing of the past. They were able to compete effectively with Canada at the scrum and were far more dangerous and well organised at the breakdown than the Canadians.
Canada looked like they might ultimately be the team to run in the tries at the outset of the game as DTH van der Merwe quickly showed off his impressive skills right from the get go at the eighth minute as Canada looked to strike back after an initial successful penalty kick from Japan. In a superb piece of passing, one of the few we got to see by Canada, Canadian number 8 Tyler Ardron offloaded to DTH van der Merwe who was forced off by a Japanese defender just as he made a solid offload to Canada’s other winger Jeff Hassler. The pedigree that these two players have gained after several seasons in Europe was there for all to see but too often the rest of their team would blindly try to give them the ball and expect them to perform miracles with it.
Four minutes later, the Japanese showed the Canadians how to play a passing game. Straight from a Japanese lineout, and through a brilliantly worked set of passes, Japanese centre Kotaro Matsushima who was impressive all afternoon was able to put winger Yoshikazu Fujita into space and onto a superb try. You had to be impressed by the Japanese seamless passing and their speed and support at the breakdown. All areas which until the last ten minutes of the game Canada seemed to be struggling with. The Japanese passage of play also showed up how many first phase tackles the Canadians were missing and this is an area they will really have to work on against the fast and physical Pacific Islander sides in the remainder of the competition. As I say it got better in the last ten minutes of the game for Canada in terms of addressing these problems but was too little too late and let’s hope that we play like we did in the last ten minutes for the full eighty minutes against Tonga on Friday. In the meantime, Canada’s coaching staff would do well to study this video clip of Fujita’s try as in a nutshell it showed everything the Japanese did well on Saturday and everything Canada did poorly.
Despite the loss it is not all gloom and doom for Canada. As I said above I can’t help feeling that many of Canada’s problems last Saturday were due to the sudden transition for some of the players from the Sevens game to the full 15 a side game. In particular, the lack of pressure and support at the breakdown. On a positive note, Jeff Hassler and DTH van der Merwe on the wings and Captain Tyler Ardron at number eight all put in a massive game for Canada and are very exciting prospects for the World Cup. The instant impact that replacement scrum half, Phil Mack made from the moment he came on needs to be capitalised on in the game against Tonga and he should get the starting 9 berth. Cut down on the handling errors, fix the penalty count, dramatically improve the passing skills and be more effective at the breakdown are the items that should be on Canada’s to do list as they prepare this week for the match against Tonga in Burnaby on Friday. Despite the disappointment and the obvious frustration of the players at not being able to capitalise on opportunities that Canada did create, I am confident that this Friday’s match will be a much different prospect for Canada and hopefully a much more positive experience!
Fixtures this weekend
Canada vs Tonga
Friday, July 24th
Burnaby, BC
Canada’s campaign in the Pacific Nations Cup only gets harder with each outing, making the need to quickly get the problems sorted out that we saw against Japan all the more pressing. Canada’s next opponent, Tonga will be a serious challenge after Tonga managed to run Fiji close in a thrilling encounter last week. Fiji came out on top, but had to work exceptionally hard and Tonga’s three tries were well worth the price of admission. Tonga is a very physical side but as seen against Fiji they like all the Pacific Island sides are blessed with some very fast but exceptionally strong backs. Canada will have to improve their speed and composure at the breakdown and keep the ball in hand much more than they did against Japan. Some of the wild passing that we saw against Japan will be seen as gifts by the Tongans and must be kept to a minimum.
I am confident that we will see a much more settled Canadian side on Friday, and backed by a fervent home crowd, hopefully Canada will start to click into a rhythm that they can keep up for the rest of the tournament and going forward into the World Cup. I personally, would prefer to see Phil Mack start at scrum half as I feel his intensity, speed and accuracy particularly at the breakdowns will be key in a very physical encounter against Tonga. Canada should be under no illusion that Friday’s game will be a significant challenge, but if they can keep their composure and get the basics right I feel that home advantage could just end up being the factor to give them that first win of the tournament and some positives to build on as they prepare ultimately for the World Cup. On that note, let’s not forget that when Canada faced Tonga at the last World Cup they ultimately came out on top in a memorable match. Canada’s “beardos” from that match will not be on the field on Friday, but surely any Canadian team member watching a video of that superb Canadian performance can not help but feel inspired. Here’s to more of the same on Friday!
The next month sees an abbreviated Rugby Championship as a result of the World Cup only 2 months away but the brevity of this year’s competition certainly doesn’t diminish the significance or importance of the tournament. What it does perhaps highlight is a challenging travel schedule over a relatively short period of time, with Australia and South Africa definitely having the better luck of the draw, whereas Argentina and New Zealand will have to factor jet lag and life on the road into their strategy. New Zealand after this year’s Super Rugby tournament and the All Blacks dominance of international rugby in 2014, are surely the favorites despite a daunting itinerary of continent hopping. Meanwhile Argentina, have an even more challenging travel schedule which ultimately despite their best efforts may provide them with too much to do. South Africa and Australia have the luxury of less travel and greater home advantage, which provided they can move on from their poor performances in Super Rugby this year should make them strong contenders to derail the All Black juggernaut!
Fixtures this weekend
New Zealand vs Argentina
Friday, July 17th
Christchurch
New Zealand have the enviable task of starting the competition at home in Christchurch. There is no doubt that home advantage and lessons learnt ten days ago in a tough test against Samoa, should make the Men in Black as favourites for this one. This is not to discredit Argentina, but as their first international outing as a team since last November, playing the All Blacks at home is a pretty tall order, especially as there is a slightly new look and feel to this Pumas side for this year.
Argentina have said, which came as little surprise to most, that they will use their world-class scrum as their key weapon against New Zealand on Friday. Argentina’s front three of Marcos Ayerza, Agustín Creevy and Ramiro Herrera will challenge any front three New Zealand can put up against them, even given the significant pedigree that New Zealand were able to demonstrate in this year’s Super Rugby. However, once you move away from the scrum and set-pieces I would imagine that New Zealand will easily start to pull away from Argentina especially once the ball gets amongst the backs. If the electric Waisake Naholo has any say in the matter then Argentina will have to fall back on their traditionally resolute defense. If the Pumas can ensure that New Zealand are deprived of quick ball then the scores should be fairly close albeit still in favour of New Zealand. One question mark for me is will the normally talismanic Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe recover his usual inspirational form in a Pumas shirt or will the rather hit and miss form he showed for Toulon this season continue?
Many people have criticised Argentina for not sending their first string team to New Zealand for this match and some have even labelled it disrespectful to the All Blacks. In fairness, with a World Cup only two months away it is unrealistic to expect Argentina to send all its first choice players to a match they feel in all likelihood they will probably lose and thus risk injury to players vital to the Pumas World Cup campaign only weeks away. As good as Argentina is they have only about the third of the depth that New Zealand has in their player base. Instead, they will probably focus on the one match in this year’s abbreviated Championship that they feel they have a chance of winning, the home game against Australia, and use the other two away matches to test new combinations and give newer players a shot at top-level competition in readiness for the World Cup. In fairness to Argentina, New Zealand are not exactly fronting many of their first choice players for this match either, and All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has adopted a similar philosophy to that of his Pumas counterpart Daniel Hourcade, in resting key players for certain matches. Lastly let’s not forget that Argentina will play New Zealand again this year but this time in the pool stages of the World Cup and I would imagine that they will certainly front their best squad for such a crucial game on that occasion, especially as it will likely decide who finishes first and second in the pool.
Nevertheless with the likes of try scoring machine TJ Perenara directing New Zealand’s efforts from the base of the scrum as well as constantly harrying the Pumas at scrum time, you realize that New Zealand will still be boasting far too much talent up front and in the backs to let the Pumas ever really establish any kind of dominance. It will be interesting to see if Israel Dagg who forms the last line of defence for New Zealand in the backs can recover from his recent dip in form. If Waisake Naholo is cut loose on the wing then expect plenty of sniping attacks on a stretched Argentine defence from every quarter of the field. Throw in the talents of Ma’a Nonu who had a barnstorming Super Rugby season with the Hurricanes and you realise that there is just too much class in New Zealand’s back line for an initial outing by a Pumas side who have not played together in almost a year. Argentina will challenge New Zealand up front, but even there they will be hard-pressed against the likes of Richie McCaw and Brodie Retallick with the latter rapidly returning to his immense form.
So in short, I predict a comfortable win for New Zealand against a solid performance from Argentina who will use this match to really prepare for an encounter against Australia at home where they will fancy their chances much more. New Zealand to take this by 12!
Australia vs South Africa
Saturday, July 18th
Brisbane
Of the two games this weekend this is by far the harder to call. After South Africa’s performance against a World XV last weekend, one could argue on paper that South Africa easily look the more dangerous side. However, I am afraid that as much as I was impressed by some aspects of South Africa’s efforts, I simply can’t put too much weight on such a match. It’s a one-off and a Test match is a very, very different beast.
However, for South Africa let’s look at the positives. Willie Le Roux seemed to return to his absolute best in the fullback spot and was instrumental in defence and attack. The new centerfield pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel seemed to fire, especially in the case of De Allende, whose spectacular form at the end of the Stormers’ Super Rugby campaign was much in evidence. For any rugby fan irrespective of your loyalties it was fantastic and inspirational to see one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors Jean de Villiers make a heroic comeback from a horrific injury, and there is no doubt that his presence will provide valuable inspiration and courage to the rest of his teammates. Marcel Coetzee who has always impressed me along with Eben Etzebeth were showing some absolutely superb form which helped to compensate for the worrying absence of Duane Vermeulen in the side. However, the choice of Schalk Burger at number 8 in place of the injured Vermeulen is sure to help alleviate such concerns. Although not Burger’s normal position, South Africa’s legendary loose forward is having such a barnstormer of a year I have every confidence in him delivering what is expected of him on the day provided he can keep his composure and discipline.
So in short lots of positives for the Springboks, but also some concerns. The worrying trend of useless kicking and thus giving away perfectly good possession still seems to be an issue in the Springbok camp and flyhalf Handre Pollard despite his obvious talents and work ethic is still lacking the composure and big game experience often required at this level. Don’t get me wrong he has the skill set and when it all clicks together he can be one of the best in the world, the problem is it is just too hit and miss at times. Furthermore the Springboks are still suffering from a lack of discipline which cost them dearly last year and has the potential to do so again this year. They seem to rely on a premise of all out physicality at any cost which at times causes them to lose sight of the overall ebb and flow of the game as well as push them into the very fringes of the laws of the game as their concentration breaks down and with it their discipline. These are all problems that a side boasting the talent it has should be able to fix. However, their first outing of real merit is away from home at a venue, Brisbane, that has not been kind to the Springboks. South Africa’s poor record on the road last year and their Super Rugby record on the road this year, ultimately may put them at a slight disadvantage this Saturday against an Australian side at home and with everything to prove. Lastly the choice of Jannie Du Plessis in the forwards and JP Pietersen on the wing, defy all logic as these two players’ form in the last year has been questionable to say the least and South Africa has so many more exciting and promising prospects on hand in these positions. There occasionally does seem to be an “old boys network” prevalent with coach Heineke Meyer’s selections and let’s hope he knows something we don’t.
As for Australia, they will be desperate to prove that last year’s record was merely a process of them welding a new team together under new coach Michael Cheika and that Super Rugby performances really don’t have a bearing on Wallaby performances. I will accept the first point but can’t help being sceptical about the second. This is not to say however, that if they click and get the combinations right, the Wallabies have the potential to be world beaters every time they run out onto the park. The skill and talent available to them from 9-15 has been clearly demonstrated for all to see. For me one true standout player for Australia during this year’s Super Rugby was veteran centre Adam Ashley-Cooper and I expect to see him causing lots of havoc over the coming weeks. There has been much talk of Israel Folau, and while I don’t doubt his genius I have often found him highly vulnerable defensively and easy for other teams to read on attack to the point where he can often be effectively silenced and starved of quality ball for the full eighty minutes. Which Folau we will get over the coming weeks and in the World Cup remains to be seen but South Africa will be wise to have a plan to keep him in check.
For such a crucial game, I must confess to being very surprised by Australian coach, Michael Cheika’s selection to take on South Africa. Up front, provided they can keep their discipline I fully expect South Africa to have the edge over Australia. I was pleased to see Scott Fardy in the starting lineup for the Wallabies, especially as he had a solid season with the Brumbies and I have often felt he is one of Australia’s most underrated players. If David Pocock, who arguably was the best number 7 of this year’s Super Rugby competition, is able to make an impact after coming off the bench and dominate the ball in the loose then this could well give Australia a much-needed edge in the final quarter. There is no doubt that South Africa will be well prepared for any rolling maul attempts by Australia through which Pocock has proved to be so devastatingly effective. Australia’s halfback pairing choice for such an important game has left me wondering though. The form halfback partnership for Australia in this year’s Super Rugby was without doubt Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley of the Waratahs, with the Brumbies Nic White also providing solid service. Quade Cooper and Will Genia did little for the Australian cause with the Reds this season, and while I can perhaps see some merit in Genia’s selection, I can’t help feeling that Cooper especially for big games like this is probably not only Australia’s most overrated player, but also a huge liability. I am sure that I will get completely shot down by Australian supporters for this last comment but let Saturday be the test!
In short, in front of a home crowd I expect Australia to just clinch a hard-fought and intensely even contest. I would even go as far as saying that the Springboks may well hold the edge for the first hour. However, as South Africa’s first proper test of a new look team, this will be a tough game on the road. They will be competitive for the full eighty minutes but I think home advantage will just swing the game in favour of an Australian side brimming with talent in the last quarter especially as the bench starts to make an impact. Despite the slightly bizarre halfback choice based on form, and with everything to prove – Australia by 2!
It is with dismay and increasing frustration that as Canada start their Pacific Nations Cup campaign on Saturday in San Jose against Japan, I have to report that Canadian supporters will have to resort to trawling the Internet a few days after the game to find any kind of video content of the match, despite TSN’s bold claim that they are covering all of Rugby Canada’s matches this year. Well people that seems limited to the World Cup money grab – sorry! Not only that but good luck finding any actual information on the game, ie player rosters, previews with the game being only three days away.
Fixtures this weekend
Canada vs Japan
Saturday, July 18th
San Jose, USA
So I get it, the focus of Canadian rugby has been on the Pan Am games in Toronto this month and the Sevens aspect of the Canadian game. Well done to both our men and women’s teams for getting the gold! However, with the World Cup only 2 months away, I am amazed at the lack of coverage of the senior men’s efforts and preparations. With the Pacific Nations Cup getting underway this weekend between Canada, USA, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Japan, and a crucial phase of Canada’s preparation for the World Cup, you would be hard pressed to know that the tournament was actually taking place. I am only hoping that Canada’s home games will generate more publicity and coverage. So far Canadian broadcaster TSN has made no mention of broadcasting the opening game in San Jose against Japan. As Canadian rugby supporters struggle to get behind their team they are left with the task of trawling the Internet to find snippets of information about the tournament.
As frustrating as this is, let’s hope that once the tournament’s closing rounds come to Canada, coverage will pick up. However, in the meantime what can Canada expect in San Jose? Japan are no slackers and the increasing corporate investment in the sport in Japan is serving to strengthen the sport in the land of the rising sun. Former World Cup winning Wallaby coach Eddie Jones is in charge of Japan’s World Cup campaign and Japan are currently ranked 13th in the world, 4 places ahead of Canada at 17.
As a result Saturday’s outing in San Jose for the Canucks will not be an easy endeavour by any stretch of the imagination. Japan have always had some pacy and courageous backs, and with some overseas players now having the right to play for Japan, their forward packs are no longer so easily dominated. Nevertheless, I can’t help feeling that this will be a fairly straightforward outing for Canada, provided they keep their discipline and use the considerable advantages available to them in the size and power of their own forward pack. In the backs there is plenty of talent with one of the top try scorers in this year’s Guinness Pro 12 competition, DTH Van Der Merwe for Glasgow Warriors, likely to be leading the charge. If you want to see what this man is capable of doing against Japan then watch below at the 2007 World Cup.
In short, I expect this to be a well fought match but as Canada settles and benefits from some of the international experience of players like DTH Van Der Merwe, they should ultimately be able to see off a spirited challenge from Japan, which will set them up for a much tougher challenge against the very physical Tongans a week later and one which we here in Canada will hopefully get to see on television or at least streamed on the Internet!
As most of us are still catching our breath after one of the most memorable Super Rugby finals I can recall, we look back on a remarkable day in Wellington that reaffirmed the value of the competition even if in its present and proposed future format some serious overhauls are required! Despite the vagaries of the conference system which left much to be desired this year and is already presenting a myriad of headaches for next year’s expanded competition, we got a final that we all deserved and which saw the two most exciting teams in this year’s tournament, New Zealand’s Hurricanes and Highlanders, battle it out for the spoils. It was end to end stuff and the sheer frenetic pace of it all must have been exhausting for the spectators let alone what the players must have felt like at the end of 80 minutes of intense rugby. It was fast with amazingly few stoppages, while at the same time being very physical and South African referee Jaco Peyper did a superb job of ensuring a fair and free-flowing game. It was a thrilling afternoon and a wonderful advertisement for our glorious game!
Hurricanes vs Highlanders
Final Score – Hurricanes 14/Highlanders 21
Wellington
I always said that ultimately this match would come down to self-belief and as the underdogs in this match the Highlanders did not prove me wrong, and in the end put on a display that can only be described as inspirational. This is not to detract from the Hurricanes, who put in a massive performance, but ultimately once the Highlanders got some real momentum that self-belief and team spirit that has caused this once proud franchise to rise so spectacularly from the ashes in the last two seasons really took hold and they became the team to beat. A resolute defence by the men from Dunedin kept a Hurricanes side at bay in the last quarter despite repeated assaults on the Highlander Fortress. It was edge of the seat stuff, but in the end the Highlanders were just more composed and structured. As a result the Hurricanes suddenly found themselves in a position they weren’t accustomed to and consequently they just didn’t quite have the finishing touches needed at times which only gave the Highlanders even more confidence to pull off the upset of the season!
The first ten minutes of the game saw both teams exploding out of the blocks at a furious pace with the ball going from end to end. It was obvious that the nerves that go with such a big encounter were clearly being settled as both teams made an initial uncharacteristic set of errors as they both tried to match the pace at which the game was unfolding. Within the first ten minutes however, there were two things that immediately stood out that were going to be a problem for the Hurricanes. Firstly, the lack of the phenomenal Ardie Savea due to injury was clearly telling as the Highlanders were clearly winning the battle of the forwards. Savea’s presence for the Hurricanes this year especially in the semi-final was a key part of their success, and his absence was strikingly evident in the final. Secondly, Beauden Barrett’s recent return from injury really hadn’t given him the legs yet to really cope with the kind of intensity on hand in a Super Rugby final. For the most part Barrett had a weak game and his kicking was way below his normally stellar standards, which made the decision to give him the kicking duties instead of the season-long reliability of James Marshall all the more puzzling.
In a game which constantly fluctuated from one end of the field to the other, it was the Highlanders who were looking the more composed side with ball in hand as well as a more settled and structured outfit once they had possession. All too often the Hurricanes would build momentum to then lose the ball just when it looked like they were assured of a try. Aaron Smith, as he has all year, was having a stellar outing for the Highlanders as the “everywhere man” popped up all over the park looking for work. Ben Smith epitomised the role of the inspirational Captain and more than once created some inspired counter attacks as well as being a solid last line of defence. Cool, calm and collected under pressure, Ben Smith’s performance for the Highlanders epitomised that of his team as a collective.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that they were lacking that crucial finishing touch the Hurricanes still had the better of the territory and possession for much of the first half and were constantly threatening the Highlanders try line with constant breaks by Nehe Milner-Skudder, TJ Perenara and Ma’a Nonu leading the charge. In the end, it was inevitable that top try scorer of the competition, TJ Perenara would set up the first try of the game for the Hurricanes with a superb floating pass to put Nonu into space and enable the centre to crash over the line. However, once again Barrett missed with the conversion and the Highlanders were just ahead by a point 6-5.
What happened next, whichever way you look at it was brilliant. Sure it was probably one of the most controversial tries of the tournament, but I still can’t help feeling that the TMO got it right, and in a way you kind of had to award it to Elliot Dixon on the basis of sheer effort if nothing else. Either way you couldn’t help feeling a sense of awe as Elliot Dixon from a superb Aaron Smith offload, at the Hurricanes 22 metre mark dragged four Hurricanes defenders all the way across the try line. The video replay was a 50/50 call but you couldn’t help but admire the sheer audacity and power of the man. Judge for yourself below but either way it is a moment we will be all talking about for weeks to come! On the basis of that effort alone along with his phenomenal work rate all season, don’t be surprised to see Dixon somehow get slotted into the All Black side come September!
So as we headed into the second half it was the Highlanders ahead by 13-5. For me it was here that the X-factor of the Highlanders success this season, their incredible self-belief, kicked in. They may have known they were considered the underdogs but it was now clearly obvious that if they kept up the pressure and stayed focused they could actually win this. Just like the Dixon try, another piece of strength and commitment from the Highlanders resulted in another superb try as Elliot Dixon selflessly offloaded to Waisake Naholo and the winger rolled and flipped his way over two Hurricanes defenders. In a superb passage of play with all the Highlanders working seamlessly and selflessly as a team from one side of the pitch to the other, the try was a just result.
The Hurricanes would soon strike back but once again their finishing just wasn’t there under pressure as evidenced by winger Julian Savea’s agonizing knock-on just millimetres from the try line. They threatened continuously but the pressure was starting to tell as their lineouts had been poor all night, and in the final quarter despite mounting an intense assault on the Highlanders defences, the Highlanders read them well and absorbed the pressure and ensured that the Hurricanes would invariably end up going backwards.
With ten minutes to go, Highlanders flyhalf Lima Sopoaga, who was having a much better game than his Hurricanes counterpart Beauden Barrett, was replaced by Marty Banks. To add insult to injury, Banks kept threatening in the pocket for a drop goal, and sure enough with three minutes to go Banks slotted one for the Highlanders to finally put the game out of reach for an exhausted Hurricanes team. As South African referee Jaco Peyper who must be commended for allowing a fantastic free-flowing game of rugby, blew the final whistle the joy and jubilation was there for all to see on the faces of an ecstatic and emotional Highlanders team. There was no question there had been two very, very good teams out there on Saturday, but the Highlanders just had the edge and showed us how much of a game winner passion and self belief can be.
It had been an incredible final and had the aura of a World Cup final to it and is certainly a game many of us will remember for a long time to come. Perhaps what it showed more than anything else for me was that as we head into a World Cup, put the right group of individuals together whether or not they are big names, and with the right coaching, commitment and sense of purpose and self-belief then you realise anything is possible. For any of the countries looking to cause an upset this SeptemberOctober, a video of the Highlanders performance in this year’s Super Rugby final should and must be absolutely essential reference material! And for all the twenty participant countries in this year’s Rugby World Cup – you’ve been warned a certain Aaron Smith is coming to a pitch near you!
So after much debate around the vagaries of the conference system in this year’s Super Rugby tournament, there is little doubt that the two best teams in the competition are now squaring up against each other in a mouth-watering final. Last weekend’s semi-final action provided us with thrills and spills aplenty but left most in little doubt that the Highlanders and the Hurricanes both have something special. For the Hurricanes it is an all round sheer class that will be very hard to beat, while the Highlanders have shown that if you weld the right group of players together, even if they don’t necessarily boast the biggest names in the game, and instill a strong sense of self-belief in them – then anything is possible. The Hurricanes all-star roster has dominated this year’s competition while rising talents likeNehe Milner-Skudder and Ardie Savea have been revelations this season. Although the vast majority of the Highlanders players may not be household names outside of New Zealand, any team that can boast the likes of Aaron Smith, Ben Smith and Malakai Fekitoa instantly has some outstanding international pedigree. These are two solid teams at the top of their game and this weekend’s match up should be nothing short of enthralling!
Hurricanes vs Brumbies
Final Score – Hurricanes 29/Brumbies 9
Wellington
For many there were to be few surprises in Wellington on Saturday. The Brumbies came into this game off the back of an exhausting travel schedule in two weeks despite a good showing against a weak Stormers side in Cape Town the week before. The only real question on the park on the day was would the Hurricanes two-week break cause them to lose any momentum in such a critical match. From what we saw it was pretty clear that this ultimately was a non-issue. The Hurricanes have dominated this season’s Super Rugby and this past Saturday was no different. The Brumbies despite their obvious fatigue put up a brave fight at times but were essentially neutralised and outplayed by a superior Hurricanes side at the top of their game.
Despite the scoreline, the Brumbies put on a remarkably brave show in the first half and for the first twenty minutes despite continuous onslaughts from the Hurricanes the scoreline stood at 0-0. Furthermore at the end of the first half the score was only 12-3 in the Hurricanes favour. Full credit must be given to the Brumbies for putting up a solid and courageous defensive effort in the first half. In reality that was the only consolation for them in a match where the Brumbies were denied any real quality possession and only really got to play defence as well as hardly having any attacking play. To add insult to injury the Hurricanes used the Brumbies own tactic of a rolling maul much more effectively than the Australians with the added satisfaction of points to go with it.
As predicted, the Brumbies were simply not afforded the space they had been given the week before in Cape Town. As a result, all their attacking threats in the form of Matt Toomua, Tevita Kuridrani and Joe Tomane were denied any quality ball and such was the ferocity and speed of the Hurricanes counter attack these players were constantly having to shore up the Brumbies defences. When the Brumbies back line did get the ball they were put under such intense pressure that the errors came thick and fast.
The Hurricanes started the game on the attack and kept it up though they were held at bay for the first twenty minutes by a resolute Brumbies defence. Julian Savea got the ball rolling in the try department for the Hurricanes after some initial superb work from namesake Ardie Savea as the openside flanker made a barnstorming start to the game and as he has all season turned heads and surely must still be very much on Steve Hansen’s All Black radar despite missing the initial call up. The Hurricanes next try showed up the superb skills of this year’s danger man Nehe Milner-Skudder for the Hurricanes and the sheer finishing prowess and speed of the tournament’s leading try scorer TJ Perenara for the Hurricanes.
So at halftime the scores stood comfortably in favour of the Hurricanes at 12-3, but it certainly had been no whitewash and the Brumbies could take some pride in a resolute defence which admittedly was starting to show some cracks and fatigue. More than anything this was evidenced as the Hurricanes got the second half underway by serving up the Brumbies a taste of their own medicine by Ardie Savea scoring off the back of a rolling maul. When the opposition team are using your own tactics against you and succeeding then you know it is going to be a long, hard and painful day at the office. The Hurricanes knew exactly how much of a threat the Brumbies David Pocock is and were determined to not let him get any kind of momentum and what better way to do so than to constantly keep him in a state of desperate defence against his own preferred method of attack.
Halfway through the second half, the Brumbies did manage to carve out some quality possession but at this stage were chasing a significant scoreline deficit and also clearly battling fatigue. As fullback Jesse Mogg’s facial expression showed as he knocked the ball on inches from the try line, it had been a bridge too far for the Brumbies with the odds simply stacked too high against them. Hurricanes fans were dismayed to see Ardie Savea leave the field with a knee injury and will anxiously be awaiting his fitness verdict for this weekend’s final. However, the Hurricanes would still have the last laugh as Matt Proctor would charge across the line in the final five minutes of the game.
It was not quite the thrashing that some were predicting but the Hurricanes clearly ran the game from start to finish against a brave Brumbies side and all credit to the men from Canberra for getting this far. The Hurricanes simply showed us what a class outfit they are with the perfect blend of youth and experience. The Hurricanes will be exceptionally hard to beat at home this weekend, especially as the majority of their senior players such as Nonu and Smith will be pulling on the yellow jersey for the last time before heading overseas. They are very much the complete team and could be almost described as an experimental All Black XV – Highlanders beware!
Waratahs vs Highlanders Final Score – Waratahs 17/Highlanders 35 Sydney
Sadly much of the spectacle of this game has been overshadowed by referee Craig Joubert’s critical call leading to a penalty try for the Highlanders. For me, regardless of the rights or wrongs of this call and I tend to err on the side of it being slightly questionable, there is no denying that even without it the Highlanders would still have comfortably won this match. Whereas the two-week break had little or no impact on the Hurricanes it was clearly an issue for the Waratahs. They lacked form for much of the match and given a Highlanders mid and back field that has been rock solid, the Australians looked outclassed with their two key players in this area, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Israel Folau being given little if any room in which to operate and create opportunities for the Waratahs. Just as the Hurricanes shut down the Brumbies attacking platform the Highlanders effectively did the same with the Waratahs.
As I have said all along the Highlanders are a team that has perhaps more than any other team in the competition this year really gelled as a unit with an incredible amount of self-belief, especially once they start to get the upper hand. This was clearly in evidence in Sydney. By the second quarter of the second half the Highlanders had mastered the Waratahs and the game was theirs for the taking which they did in no uncertain terms. The Waratahs on the other hand just couldn’t seem to string together a cohesive set of plays and their finishing in the set pieces and ball handling were simply far too sloppy in attack. There was no question that the Waratahs lacked the presence of Kurtley Beale in the centre and Israel Folau who had been switched from fullback to centre to cover for him was clearly out of sorts.
It was the Waratahs however who would be the first team to make everyone sit up and take notice in the opening minutes of the game as a brilliant cross field kick from fly half Bernard Foley found Rob Horne and it was the Australians getting the first try on the board. Such was the skill and confidence of the move, that you couldn’t help feeling that perhaps the skill and experience of the Waratahs as defending champions would ultimately come to the fore and it would be the Australians day against the Kiwi upstarts.
Nevertheless ten minutes later the Highlanders in the form of Aaron Smith would strike back. As he has done all season, Smith seized the opportunity off the back of a Waratahs scrum by intercepting an easily read pass and the “everywhere” man would once again strike for the Highlanders. It was this moment that clearly imbued the Highlanders with that spark of self-confidence and belief that anything is possible. From then on they quietly built momentum to the point where by the end of the match there was no doubt that it had been their game all along.
The Highlanders ended the half just in front by one point as having scored another try through the exceptional Richard Buckman, the visitors had the edge through two tries versus one for the Waratahs. However, it was the fact that on attack the Highlanders looked the more composed and settled team and were outscoring the Waratahs in the try department that was giving the men from New Zealand the edge. Even without the controversial penalty try in the second half, the Highlanders outscored the Waratahs four tries to one by the end of the match (five if you count the penalty try).
The second half started as a tense battle and remained so with the Waratahs just edging ahead through a penalty kick. However, come the 54th minute the Highlanders struck back through another of their danger men Waisake Naholo. The Waratahs were looking increasingly frazzled; they were being outplayed in the scrums, outreached in the lineouts and their kicking and running game was riddled with errors. You were beginning to get the feeling that there was only going to be one outcome in this match and it was going to favour the men from New Zealand.
Then came that controversial penalty try. It was close, so close but you could understand the referees and the TMOs view of the affair even if you had trouble agreeing with it. In fairness to Joubert he did penalize a fellow South African so I hardly think you can accuse him of bias. Also if you look at the offending player for the Waratahs, Jacques Potgeiter’s disciplinary record this season which hasn’t been good, you could perhaps see why the referees would perhaps feel that his actions smacked of foul play. However, once the debate died down I think the point is more that even without this decision the Highlanders at this stage were still well on the way to running away with this game – and that is precisely what they ended up doing.
The Waratahs even by their own head coach’s admission had just been too sloppy to really be able to contain or provide an answer to the Highlanders’ tightly knit attacks, solid defence and brilliant opportunism in the loose. In the end the jubilation on the Highlanders’ faces at the final whistle confirmed that this team who really have been the “little engine that could” all season, thoroughly deserved the win and a place in the final. There is no doubt that New Zealand rugby is boasting some pretty extraordinary form this season with the Hurricanes showing some real skill and the Highlanders showing us that sometimes it’s that X-factor that comes from being a tightly knit group of players running high on self-belief that can actually defy the odds and win the big games. For all the lesser ranked teams going into this year’s World Cup, they would do well to study the Highlanders and try to capture some of that magic they have shown us all season!
Fixtures this weekend
Hurricanes vs Highlanders
Saturday, July 4th
Wellington
So this year’s Super Rugby season comes to a conclusion and in spite of a conference system that many felt was unbalanced, we still end up with the two best teams in the competition facing up against each other. It’s going to be fast and furious and expect lots of fireworks. After a stellar season, Super Rugby finals can often be overhyped and disappointing affairs but I think this year will provide plenty of drama.
I have to admit finding this one very hard to call. On sheer form alone then I think you have to give it to the Hurricanes and it would be hard to argue against it. They have been clinical and focused all year and have produced some of the most spectacular rugby of the competition. TJ Perenara as leading try scorer has been a constant source of excitement. The centre pairing of Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu have been showing the form of their careers and consistently found space for the likes of the electric Julian Savea and find of the year Nehe Milner-Skudder. Skudder in particular has stood out for me, and this young man surely has a truly outstanding future ahead of him in an All Black jersey – his form, speed and skill set this season have been simply incredible. With the Hurricanes boasting a forward pack having many key All Black stalwarts plus a healthy mix of younger talent, there is little question that in terms of youth and experience this is probably the most complete team in Super Rugby if not rugby in general right now. The only real question for me in what the Hurricanes will look like on Saturday, is will they have the incredible talents of openside flanker Ardie Savea? Ardie Savea has along with Skudder been for me one of the real revelations of this year’s season, and I still can’t help feeling a little surprised that he has not been named in the All Blacks plans, though as many have said it is surely only a question of time and don’t be surprised to see him on the plane to England come September.
As for the Highlanders, they too boast a very solid outfit. While not having as many all-star names as the Hurricanes they probably still have the form player of the year in the shape of Aaron Smith at scrum half. As “the everywhere man” you often find yourself having to go back to the slow motion replay to see him score, that’s how quick he is – all over the park. He has never ceased to impress me in an All Black jersey and I see no reason for this Saturday to be any exception. Meanwhile the rising stars of Malakai Fekitoa and Waisake Naholo have consistently shown their All Black pedigree while Ben Smith at fullback often seems to be the glue that holds it together. Meanwhile Richard Buckman and Patrick Osborne get better with every outing along with Lima Sopoaga at fly half and you have a set of players from 9 to 15 who are probably the best synchronised outfit in international rugby right now. What their forward pack lacks in big names and experience they have more than made up for with talent and spirit and regularly outmuscled bigger name packs around the park.
In short I can’t really find any weaknesses in these two teams, but ultimately can’t help feeling that the only gap here really is experience and a slight edge on form. On those grounds I am going to have to give it to the Hurricanes, but not by much, at the very most 5 points. The Highlanders will push and challenge them hard for the full eighty minutes. If at any point they start to get the upper hand then I strongly believe that given their incredible self-belief and never say die attitude they could pull off one of the competition’s biggest upsets in history. The Highlanders have had a fairy tale season based on solid organisation, hard work and an incredible spirit – something we have all been privileged to watch. Even though they may not lift the trophy after 80 minutes on Saturday, they nevertheless have shown us that given the right attitude anything is possible and this hopefully will serve as inspiration to any team going into this year’s World Cup who is wondering how they might take on the All Black juggernaut. In short, the Highlanders rise from the ashes this season has been a great advertisement for international rugby. Even if the men from Dunedin don’t lift the trophy on Saturday they can rest assured that they have captured the heart and soul of the competition this year as well playing some of the best rugby we have got to watch this year. Strap yourselves in ladies and gentlemen – it’s going to be a scorcher!
The Lineout 