Let’s get right into it. We have had a rip-roaring weekend off rugby with some brilliant running rugby and some great tries.
Highlanders 33 vs Stormers 15
What a way to start the weekend. Both teams came out of the hut looking to play some running rugby. The Game was an end to end and affair but the Highlanders just proved too strong for the Stormers who failed to convert many of their chances.
The Highlanders were in a running mood and kept the pace of the game high. If it wasn’t for a couple of errors and a debatable call from the referee the score line might have not flattered the Stormers as much as it does. The Highlanders scored first, but soon found themselves trailing as Damian Willemse sprinted away for the Stormers second try after a Highlanders mistake. Parity was however soon restored as Naholo and Smith crossed the chalk to make it 19-15 at half time. In the second half however, the Highlanders ran riot as the Stormers couldn’t score a single point. The Higlanders will be happy with the convincing win, but will be disappointed with the number of mistakes they made.
The Stormers fought valiantly and showed some moments of brilliance. The Stormers did not have a bad game and it was an impressive debut for 19-year-old Moerat. The Stormers might have played well, but the worrying thing is that they were out classed once again. The Stormers are now 1 from 4 and is already lagging behind in the South African conference. The Stormers have looked amateur at stages with their defensive letting them down. Raymond Rhule and Damian De Allende especially are way too soft defensively and lack composure going forward.
My Player of the game:
Waisake Naholo, appart from a couple of handling errors the big winger was brilliant. He carried the ball really well was solid defensively and even contributed at the breakdown. Naholo was good under the high ball and scored one and had a hand in a couple more.
Rebels 33 vs Brumbies 10
On recent form there should have only been one winner. At the end of the day the form team came out on top with a comfortable win. The Rebels never looked in trouble and dominated a poor Brumbies unit.
The Rebels were brilliant taking advantage of the Brumbies mistakes. Will Genia marshalled the game and was brilliant once again and at this moment looks like the signing of the season. The Rebels dominated every aspect of the game. The Rebels showed some brilliant skills running the Brumbies ragged. The Rebels seemed to cross the advantage line at will and their expansive play is very exciting for all to see.
The Brumbies on the other hand were poor once again and now find themselves more than 10 points off the pace three games into their season. The only positives for the Brumbies was the performance of Isi Naisarani and Henry Speight who both looked dangerous carrying the ball well and looking full of running. The Brumbies face the Sharks next and I cannot see it getting better. It seems like the Brumbies know what they want to do but seems to struggle with the execution. Looking at the Brumbies squad they do seem to lack a certain quality that we saw in the past.
My Player of the Game:
Amanaki Mafi, the Japanese number eight was magnificent. Defending like a monster and showing his class with ball in hand. He was deadly of the back of the scrum as well as in open play. Mafi is without a doubt one of the best number 8’s in the comp.
Hurricanes 29 vs Crusaders 19
A brilliant game of rugby with the Hurricanes ultimately coming out as the victors. The home team came out of the hut and looked a complete different outfit that we saw in the first two weeks.
The Hurricanes came out and rushed into a 21-0 lead. The Canes were ruthless and capitalized on their opponent’s mistakes with an accuracy we have gotten used to with the New Zealand sides. The Hurricanes have once again proved to be the Crusaders bogie team and the result was similar to the past couple of games played in Wellington. The Hurricanes will feel that this result is exactly what they needed to kick start their unimpressive start to the season.
The Crusaders were facing an uphill battle from early in the game when they lost Sam Whitelock and Ryan Crotty to head injuries. The Christchurch franchise put up a brave fight and as it was only a late Jordie Barrett penalty that took the game out of their reach. The Crusaders looked like they could pull off the comeback, but could only manage 2 tries in the second half as the Hurricanes defense proved to resilient.
My Player of the game:
The Hurricanes defense, after the great start the Crusaders attempted to pull back the game from ashes. What stood in front of them however was a very resilient defensive unit that in the end proved to strong.
Reds 20 vs Bulls 14
A somewhat surprise result looking at how both sides started the season. However, the past results show that neither team have been able to win away in recent years. The Bulls however will be very disappointed as they started the season well but have now fallen back to square one.
The Reds will be absolutely delighted as they have strung together consecutive wins for the first time since late 2014. The Reds will also be delighted that they managed to cross the chalk and score two tries. After a horrid start against the Rebels the Reds dominated the set piece and Brad Thorne’s chargers seems to be on the up. Aiden Toua scored a brilliant try and the team from Queensland held off a late onslaught from the Bulls.
The Bulls seemed to slightly fall back into old habits as they kicked more frequently than we saw in recent weeks with 21 kicks from hand. The Bulls are still showing glimpses of how their new style of play can be a positive in the long run, it only needs some refinement.
My Player of the game:
Caleb Timu, the young number 8 proved that he is indeed on too watch as he was instrumental in his team’s performance. Many pundits described the game as the 24-year-olds coming of age.
Sharks 50 vs Sunwolves 22
A game that was always going to end with one result. The Sharks started early and never really stopped. The Sunwolves were never really in the game.
The Sharks ran riot and will be hoping to use this result as a springboard for the rest of their season. The Sharks centre pairing looked dangerous, the try machine Mapimpi bagged two and the Sharks outscored their opponents 7 to 3. The Sharks will however not take too much from the result and will be hoping it could be the base from which they can build.
The Sunwolves were never really in the game they did however score a couple of good tries but struggled to test their opponents.
My Player of the Game:
Akker van der Merwe, the former Lions hooker is looking to cement his starting role and with physical ball carrying performances like he had this weekend, Akker should ensure that he gets the nod more regularly. He was brilliant even scoring a great try to be the icing on the cake.
Lions 35 vs Blues 38
Probably the biggest upset of the weekend with the finalists from the past two seasons let it slip late on against the men from Auckland. The form guide and recent history showed that there should have been only one result. The men from Auckland however seemed to not get the memo.
The Blues relentless never say die attitude proved too much for the Lions. It was the Ioane show as both brothers were brilliant looking threatening every time they touched the ball. The Blues will be delighted with their last gasp victory, courtesy of a late Murphy Taramai try. A player who impressed was flyhalf substitute Stephen Perofeta as the youngster looked very composed in the latter stages of the game. The Blues fixed their errors from previous weeks, taking more calculated risks and punishing the Lions for their mistakes.
The Lions will however be very disappointed as they let the game slip from their grasp. The Lions led 35-24 with six minutes to go and threw away their chance to go 4 unbeaten. My personal opinion is that the Lions have an air of arrogance and complacency in their camp as these late tries have happened in every game of their season up to this point. The Lions seem to out power their opponents for 70 minutes and then go to sleep. Young winger Aphiwe Dyantyi will also bbe having restless nights as the youngster failed to finish a routine chance as he tried to be fancy when dotting down the ball after a charge down. This mistake ultimately provided the Blues with the opportunity to steal the points from under the Lions noses.
My Player of the game:
Akira Ioane, the number eight was brilliant. Solid defensively and Lions defenders just seemed to fall by his side. The powerful running and absolute physicality will have the world on the edge of their seats as this youngster is making a serious claim for the All Black number 8 jersey.
Jaguares 38 vs Waratahs 28
After the first 18 minutes it was going to take something out of this world for the Waratahs to come away with anything.
The Jaguares showed glimpses of what they are capable of. The biggest problem for the Argentinian team however is that performances like this one very rarely occur. The Argentine franchise played some great structured rugby with most of their backline crossing the chalk. The backline seemed to almost cross the advantage line at will. The Jaguares proved unstoppable on the counter attack.
The Waratahs will be very disappointed after starting their season in wonderful fashion and getting a result in Argentina would have made their tour even better. The Waratahs have conceded a lot of points so far, this season and in this game, it unfortunately cost them. One impressive stat however is that Bernard Foley managed to keep his 100% record for the season going.
My Player of the game:
Nicholas Sanchez, the flyhalf is just something special. He is a very reliable goalkicker and with a solid base set by the forwards he runs the backline like a true general. Sanchez just controlled the game and allowed his talented backline to run the Waratahs ragged.
Sources:
http://www.rugby365.com/match_centre/4513/match
http://www.rugby365.com/match_centre/4636/match
http://www.zimbio.com/Tevita+Nabura/pictures/pro
http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/team/_/id/25894/melbourne-rebels
http://www.iafrica.com/articles/1058340.html
https://www.rugby.com.au/teams/reds
http://www.superxv.com/super-rugby-quarter-finals-team-team-preview/
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/super-rugby-2017-the-final-round/
http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Israel+Folau/Javier+Ortega+Desio