Super Rugby Pacific, LPGA Chevron Championship, and the ANZ Premiership are all in action this weekend as Newstalk ZB's Kate Wells and Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua preview what's to come. Video / NZ Herald
Newstalk ZB lead rugby commentator Elliott Smith analyses the latest from the world of rugby.
An observation...
Moana Pasifika have given Super Rugby Pacific a much-needed shot in the arm in the past seven days. The prospects of anything being salvaged from their maiden season beyond some "learnings" seemed bleakwhen they folded against the Chiefs a fortnight ago, now with a golden-point extra time win over the Hurricanes and a close loss against the Blues they are suddenly riding a wave of momentum which hopefully carries them through the rest of the campaign. Rival teams will see Moana Pasifika as a genuine threat of defeat, and I suspect a few coaches might be shredding previously laid plans to rest big guns against them. Sekope Kepu's leadership has a lot to do with that – a man with incredible mana that perhaps wasn't appreciated this side of the Tasman during his time as a Wallabies centurion.
Moana Pasifika players sing after the Super Rugby Pacific match between Moana Pasifika and the Blues. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
What exactly is up at the Hurricanes? While there's no shame in losing to Moana Pasifika given they backed up the win with a strong performance against the Blues, questions have to be asked. A team that seemed set for a legacy after back-to-back finals, including a maiden win in 2016, now seem perennial also-rans. After losing Beauden Barrett they seem to be a team that is back to the days of having the ability to surprise (the last 10 minutes against the Blues come to mind) but not the ability to string together a title chase.
An explanation...
There was a line U2's Bono trotted out as they released a new album after some coolly received output, saying he and his chums were "reapplying for the biggest band in the world". While the Crusaders had a perfect record until their last-gasp loss to the Chiefs in Christchurch, there did feel an element of a statement win around the victory in Hamilton and reapplying to be the team to beat on this side of the Tasman in Super Rugby. A lot was made about the Chiefs usurping them as frontrunners, but that performance was vintage Crusaders. And infinitely more enjoyable than most of U2's material from the last 15 years.
A prediction...
Could we be seeing an eye towards the All Blacks' future midfield prospects on Sunday afternoon when Jordie Barrett wears the number 12 jersey against the Chiefs? It's not foreign territory for Barrett, but it's always seemed like his final destination. With the midfield continuing to be an issue for the national side and Will Jordan a natural fullback, the solution may be an obvious one for Ian Foster.
Hurricanes player Jordie Barrett after scoring his try during their Super Rugby match Moana Pasifika v Hurricanes. Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
A suggestion...
Apologies to the hookers' union, but we have to do something about rolling mauls and tries. A flying pack of eight charging to the line is still a thing of beauty as a rugby tragic, but there are so few legal avenues to stop the charge it becomes a fait accompli when you have a team with a dominant pack. Having a dominant pack is one of the big skillsets of rugby but I can't abide by hookers collecting as many tries as they do these days. Perhaps they need to make a handicap rule like mixed social touch where tries by men aren't worth as much as those by women. Perhaps tries from a rolling maul should be worth four points. I'm only partially joking...
