A game of two halves? Way too low-key a description. The first 39 minutes could have been bottled and soldas a cure for insomnia. The Canes were relying on Ruben Love penalty goals to stay in the hunt. The Chiefs were solid as a rock, and about as exciting.
On the cusp of halftime, Canes centre Billy Proctor, whose display in general was more proof that he’s ready for an All Blacks recall, had a pass intercepted by Chiefs flier Daniel Rona, who sprinted 55m to score.
Down 17-9 at halftime to a team as competent as the Chiefs should have been a death knell for the Canes. Not on this Saturday night. If the first spell had the feel of a grey, kick-obsessed English club game, the second half was the perfect antidote — the best of the Super season.
Men of the match
The 26 unanswered points the Canes ran up in the second 40 minutes were impressive in themselves. What was even more notable was that all four tries in that tally came from one man, substitute wing Bailyn Sullivan, who replaced the injured Kini Naholo after just seven minutes. Sullivan was nerveless and accurate as he destroyed Chiefs’ hopes.
But as weird as it seems, even with a four-try haul, Sullivan had to share top billing with Canes first-five Ruben Love. Love’s goal kicking and general play were brilliant. His tactical kicking skills were perfectly demonstrated in the 65th minute, with a crosskick Sullivan seized for his third try. Love had a tough off-season, recovering from ankle surgery, but on Saturday night, he was in the form that won him an All Blacks jersey last year.
On Saturday night in Christchurch, there may well be a preview of the Super Rugby final when the Crusaders take on the Chiefs. A stung Chiefs against a Crusaders team that’s found its mojo? Gold, in my book.
Clawing their way up
With their 40-19 bonus-point victory over the Western Force at Eden Park on Friday night, the Blues started the huge job of clambering out of the massive hole they’ve dug for themselves on the Super Rugby table.
It’s certainly not mission impossible. It took a while for the Blues to settle on Friday. There were jittery moments at first-half lineouts. A terrible decision by hugely gifted 20-year-old midfielder Xavi Taele in the 23th minute to not pass to an unmarked Rieko Ioane, who could have walked the try in, had a hint of the dreaded “I can win this on my own” malaise that can affect a struggling side.
But following the terrific examples of captain Patrick Tuipulotu and Dalton Papali’i, the Blues settled, and from leading only 12-7 at halftime, they buckled down to dispose of the men from Perth.
A French lesson?
During the week, Blues coach Vern Cotter tried a ploy usually associated only with French sides; the man in charge criticising his own team to the media.
At the 2011 World Cup, French coach Marc Lievremont, after his squad disobeyed his order to not go out after a game, described his players as: “Undisciplined, disobedient, sometimes selfish. Always complaining, always whinging. And it’s been like this for four years. It seems to be our way of functioning.”
The blast worked for Les Bleus. They unexpectedly reached the final at Eden Park two weeks later, losing by just one point, 8-7.
Cotter’s comments after the Reds rolled the Blues on Anzac Day were, for a Kiwi coach, just as startling as Lievremont’s in 2011.
“There was a little bit of softness in our play in the first 20 minutes,” said Cotter in Brisbane. “We have to toughen our game up if we’re going to be competitive.”
His remarks obviously stung the Blues and appear to have done the job.
Blues head coach Vern Cotter: 'We have to toughen our game up if we're going to be competitive.' Photo / Photosport
The heat goes on
We’ll know exactly how well the Blues are back on track on Friday night, when they take on the Fijian Drua in Suva. The Drua have spent most of the season bottom of the table.
But at home, they’re a different side. Ask the Reds, who were outgunned 36-33 in Suva on Saturday. If all you’d seen was the score, you might have guessed the Drua in particular had run the ball to their wings at every opportunity, willing to take risks to find open ground.
In fact, the Drua mostly smashed the ball up field with one-off passes, using physicality rather than elusiveness.
It was a huge game for Moana. To stay in playoff contention, they needed a first win over the Highlanders.
Victory was sealed with two minutes left when replacement halfback Melani Matavao scored a spectacular chargedown try.
But at the heart of the win was Moana captain Ardie Savea. He was, as he has been all season, endlessly industrious. And to seal the legend, in the 32nd minute, he scored a magnificent solo try, kicking the ball ahead, nudging it further forward with his left knee, then grabbing it to score.
