You could add to the Blues’ winning mix lineout dominance so total, the Crusaders might almost have been better off tapping and running a penalty kick, rather than kicking for a lineout, nine of which they lost on their own throw.
A good man
I’ve never had much faith in the truism that sport builds character. What I do believe is that it reflects character, as was perfectly illustrated by captain Patrick Tuipulotu after his 100th game for the Blues was marked by a victory over the team’s greatest rivals.
There wasn’t a hint of gloating or arrogance when he spoke after the match. Yes, he said, it was good to have beaten the Crusaders “but what matters now is the next game”.
Holding on for the reinforcements
Crusaders coach Rob Penney was not being too optimistic when he suggested that on a grim night for his team, they showed courage in their goalline defence.
His task now will be to ensure that team spirit doesn’t die, as his squad is hopefully boosted by experienced players returning from injury.
All on for young and (fairly) old
Two stars for the Hurricanes in their 54-28 drubbing of the Melbourne Rebels in Palmerston North were 32-year-old T.J. Perenara at halfback and 21-year-old Harry Godfrey at fullback.
Perenara displayed the energy and dash that made him a schoolboy sensation, playing for Wellington in 2010 when still at Mana College. His blazing return from injury proved he still has the ability to challenge for an All Blacks spot.
Godfrey made the Hawke’s Bay provincial squad when he was 18, and although at 75kg (8kg lighter than Aaron Smith), he’s never going to knock would-be tacklers over, there was a stunning passage of play in the 19th minute that showed a gifted player doesn’t need to be a giant to shine.
Godfrey soared into the air inside his own half, caught the ball, then darted away from two tacklers.
Twenty metres later, he eluded another defender and, 35 metres from the Rebels line, sent Salesi Rayasi free for an effortless run to the tryline.
The spirit was certainly willing
Down 28-0 after 54 minutes against the Chiefs in Hamilton, with their most dynamic broken-field runner Tanielu Tele’a red-carded, you might have expected the Highlanders to cave in.
Instead, in what might have been a comeback for the ages, in the last 21 minutes, the Dunedin scrappers scored three tries and were on attack when a lost ball meant time was called with the Chiefs winning 28-21. The pick of the Easter round now looks likely to be the rampant Hurricanes playing the Highlanders under cover in Dunedin.
Hothouse sensation
The formula when playing the Fijian Drua in steamy Lautoka has usually been simple - if you’re behind at halftime, declare your innings closed and rush back to the hotel pool.
But nobody told the Waratahs, down 26-10 at halftime on Saturday, who fought back so well in the second half, we saw the most exciting game of the round, as the Drua squeaked to a 39-36 win via a Kemu Valetini dropped goal in extra time.
Tough times in Canberra
In the glory days of the Brumbies, playing them in Canberra was usually as pleasant an experience as sitting through a piano accordion recital.
So it was for Moana Pasifika on Friday. They toughed it out for 35 minutes, then saw the game race away from them until at the final whistle, the Brumbies had romped to a 60-21 victory.
With Noah Lolesio at first five, coach Stephen Larkham has a player in his old position who is showing the kind of command he used to display when the Brumbies won the Super Rugby title in 2001 and 2004.
Phil Gifford has twice been judged New Zealand sports writer of the year, has won nine New Zealand and two Australasian radio awards and been judged New Zealand Sports Columnist of the Year three times. In 2010, he was honoured with the Sparc lifetime achievement award for services to sports journalism.
