Phil Gifford runs through his six talking points from this round of Super Rugby Pacific.
The new Blues aren't like the old Blues
The days of suffering for rugby fans in Auckland are over.
When Beauden Barrett coolly snapped over a drop goal at the final whistle for theBlues to beat the Brumbies 21-19 in Canberra, it was emphatic proof this year's Blues are the real deal.
The game was a dramatic, primal struggle, with the Blues endlessly battering a ferocious Brumbies defensive line.
Every man in the Blues rose to the challenge, but Barrett stood out. He finished off a classy backline move to score and get the Blues ahead 8-7 at halftime, and he was the cool hand on the wheel when the last-gasp victory was snatched.
It would confound all form if the final isn't at Eden Park next month, and the game didn't revisit the old, epic rivalry between the Blues and the Crusaders. That clash is made even more fascinating by the fact the revival of the Blues is a huge testament to the coaching and man-management skills of Crusaders legend Leon MacDonald.
When the machine shifts up a gear
There were terrific tries, but the biggest takeaway from the Crusaders' 61-3 demolition of the Fijian Drua in Christchurch was the relentless application the home team brought to the task.
The tactic of driving onto the front foot, then flinging the ball as wide as possible gave runners like Sevu Reece, Leicester Fainga'anuku and Braydon Ennor a chance to shine. What made the attacks so lethal was the almost faultless application, a trademark of every good Crusaders side. They're hitting form that makes the task for the Reds on Friday look insurmountable.
Jordie Barrett has been excelling in the No 12 jersey. Photo / Getty
Yes, it is in the genes
The Hurricanes were relentless in their 45-22 dispatching of the Rebels in Wellington, with Jordie Barrett continuing his outstanding form at second-five. The joy of sport for many of us is in unlikely stories, like two kids from a back-road farm in Pungarehu in Taranaki growing up to play, as Jordie and Beauden Barrett may well, alongside each other in an All Blacks backline.
Other big takeaways from the game in Wellington were how Julian Savea looked as committed and effective as the young man who starred at the 2015 World Cup, and the brilliant performance of 20-year-old Aidan Morgan, the former King's College first XV captain. Morgan brings all the attributes that mark him down as a future All Black.
If life's fair, he'll be fine
In the Chiefs' 54-21 win over the Western Force in Hamilton there were some sublime moments. Bryn Gatland's scorching break in the 49th minute that set up a superb try for Kaleb Trask was a great example of daring crossed with cool-headed execution.
Sadly what may linger the most is the 17th minute when 112kg Force prop Santiago Medrano entered a ruck illegally from the side and smashed into Sam Cane's right knee.
Cane was able to walk gingerly off the field, and hopefully, given that the All Blacks captain has had to come back from serious injuries in the past, he'll finally get lucky this time with a quick recovery.
Sam Cane suffered an injury scare against the Force. Photo / Getty
Shooting your own foot
Moving Sam Gilbert to first-five had been a stroke of genius for the Highlanders. So when Gilbert upended Waratahs flanker Michael Hooper, whose landing on his head and shoulder was sickening to see, you knew just 29 minutes in it was going to end badly for the home team.
Gilbert duly got a red card, which was fully deserved, and the Tahs raced away for a 32-20 win.
Late in the match in Brisbane, Moana Pasifika clawed their way back into the game with the Reds, until, already down 27-15, they saw outstanding Reds No 8 Harry Wilson seize on a pass from Christian Leali'ifano and lope in under the posts. The Reds went on to win 34-22.
Covid hasn't kind to Moana, who have performed better than their situation planted at the bottom of the table indicates, and their last week is brutal. Tomorrow they play the Western Force in a catch-up game, and then Saturday, the Brumbies.
If ever a team deserved some breaks next year, after the hurdles they've faced in 2022, it's Moana.
