Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Chiefs upset Crusaders in Super Rugby opener but smart mouthguards steal the spotlight

Liam Napier
Liam Napier
Senior Sports Journalist·nzh·
23 Feb, 2024 08:08 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Nic Berry referee during the Super Rugby Pacific rugby match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport

Nic Berry referee during the Super Rugby Pacific rugby match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport

Crusaders captain Scott Barrett has questioned the mandatory use of smart mouthguards after several players were left baffled by their removal from Super Rugby Pacific’s opening match.

In a repeat of last year’s final the Chiefs opened the season with an unpredictable 33-29 victory over the defending champion Crusaders in Hamilton but one of the main talking points centred on frustration from players after they were sent from the field for head injury assessments.

Smart mouthguards have been introduced this season, with World Rugby setting the threshold at 75g for linear accelerations for men. If that impact is met, regardless of whether it occurs in a tackle or head collision, pitch-side doctors must remove players for a head assessment.

Crusaders lock Quinten Strange was the first to be pulled from the contest on Friday night after his mouthguard reached the required threshold. Strange was confused as to why he had to leave the field, and later returned after passing his test.

Later in the match, with the contest in the balance, Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown was visibly frustrated at being forced to depart despite not having suffered a head knock.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fellow Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea was also removed after a head knock but later passed his test.

Crusaders lock Quinten Strange was the first to be pulled from the contest on Friday. Photo / Photosport
Crusaders lock Quinten Strange was the first to be pulled from the contest on Friday. Photo / Photosport

All Blacks lock and Crusaders captain Barrett reflected the players’ frustrations when he addressed the issue post-match.

“Honestly I think it’s a step too far for a player when you’re looking around what actually happened,” Barrett said. “Obviously we want player welfare and that’s paramount but I think if you’re influencing the game and players are going off and they don’t know what for that can be frustrating for a player so there needs to be a happy medium somewhere within it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Communication was fine but it’s probably the system around it. If the player is getting dragged for something... it’s a little bit benign.

“Potentially it could be trialled within training but I don’t want to step out of line there’s obviously a lot of work going into player welfare.”

Crusaders coach Rob Penney acknowledged the intention but also expressed his concerns.

“They’re trying to bed in their technology and it’s going global whether we like it or not we’ve got to live with it,” Penney said. “It’s for the best interests of the players which we all have a duty of care to pursue. We’ll get on with it and deal with the repercussions as they unfold.”

Discover more

Super Rugby

Check out Super Rugby draw and results for 2024

19 May 06:18 PM

Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan offered an insight into the challenges of managing multiple deflections late in the match.

“We’re all well aware of the protocols. Anton didn’t feel like he needed to come off but something the medical team saw on the sideline indicated otherwise so he came off,” McMillan said.

“The tough thing for us was the game was right in the balance. You’re making decisions around do you exhaust your bench; will it go to extra time, do you need to save somebody. Those decisions got taken away from us because of the head assessments to Quinn and Anton.”

In a brutal contest both teams were left sweating on casualties.

The Crusaders, already missing Will Jordan and Braydon Ennor for the season, watched Tamaiti Williams suffer a hamstring injury after nine minutes and rookie first-five Rivez Reihana depart late.

In more welcome news Penney suggested the Crusaders will welcome back All Blacks David Havili and Fletcher Newell this week.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

McMillan, though, faces a worrying wait to determine the extent of Chiefs playmaker Damian McKenzie’s a rib issue after a huge hit from Crusaders midfielder Levi Aumua in the first half.

Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010, and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

Rugby: Chiefs U18 team to take on NZ Māori U18 team

16 Sep 12:56 AM
Sport

Kickboxing: Waikato fighter hungry for more after world title win

15 Sep 03:00 AM
Sport

Boxing: Waikato fighters ready for NZ amateur champs

15 Sep 12:01 AM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Rugby: Chiefs U18 team to take on NZ Māori U18 team
Sport

Rugby: Chiefs U18 team to take on NZ Māori U18 team

The match will take place on September 20 in Hamilton.

16 Sep 12:56 AM
Kickboxing: Waikato fighter hungry for more after world title win
Sport

Kickboxing: Waikato fighter hungry for more after world title win

15 Sep 03:00 AM
Boxing: Waikato fighters ready for NZ amateur champs
Sport

Boxing: Waikato fighters ready for NZ amateur champs

15 Sep 12:01 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP