With the June Internationals now over, the Super Rugby competition was coming back for the last 3 Rounds of the regular season. Before these last 3 Rounds, there was still a dozen of franchises which had an opportunity to be part of the coveted 8 play-offs spots.
Before the beginning of the Round 17, only two franchises were sure to be part of these play-offs : the Crusaders and the Hurricanes. It meant that the standings were remaining very close and all the teams had their chance. Picking bonus points was going to be key.
Moreover, this Super Rugby window was very important for a few players who were targeting a place in the squad for the Rugby Championship. Some players, not involved in the summer, wanted to perform well to have a chance to play in that big competition.
Round 17 : All the franchises chasing the Crusaders
* Blues vs. Reds : Super Rugby (Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand)
The Blues were under pressure at scrum time from the start with Jono Lance kicking a penalty. Stephen Perofeta replied for the Blues before a good build-up was concluded by wing Melani Nanai. The Reds lacked discipline with two players binned in two minutes.
First, Jordan Petaia was guilty of a high tackle on Michael Collins before Taniela Tupou made a high tackle. The Blues played with freedom as Rieko Ioane touched down. Later, hooker Matt Moulds had his try after some good offloads. The momentum was there.
In second-half, Stephen Perofeta got a try as Ducan Paia’aua replied. Lacking discipline, the Blues lost Matiaha Martin and Sione Mafileo to the bin before Alex Mafi scored. Though, Bryn Gatland kicked a penalty and wing Caleb Clarke had a last try (FT : 39-16).
* Highlanders vs. Chiefs : Super Rugby (ANZ Stadium, Suva, Fiji)
In Suva, the Chiefs played from the start and Solomon Alaimalo scored a brillant try. The Chiefs kept the momentum as winger Toni Pulu and prop Karl Tu’inukuafe scored from close range. Pushing, flanker Luke Jacobson had a fourth try after Brad Weber’s offload.
The Highlanders number 8 Luke Whitelock was binned for foul play. Sean Wainui scored in the corner while Toni Pulu got a brace from a turnover ball before Half-Time. The Highlanders had to react in the second-half with Teihorangi Walden touching down.
Rob Thompson and Aki Seiuli also scored as Damian McKenzie kicked a penalty. Michael Allardice was binned for the Chiefs and the Highlanders had another try thanks to Shannon Frizell. The Chiefs did not get the bonus but it was a brillant win (FT : 22-45).
Other Talking Points in Round 17 :
* The Hurricanes were playing the Brumbies in Canberra and despite a good start, they conceded a third straight loss. The discipline was not good enough and Blade Thompson was also binned. Jordie Barrett playing at centre did not seem to be the smartest of options.
* The Bulls could not get some momentum before the last Super Rugby rounds. In Singapour, against the Sunwolves, a lack of control in the first and the last minutes of the game cost them. The accuracy and the intensity was not quite there to get a good result.
* The Lions were targeting the top of their conference in Durban. Enjoying most of the possession, they could not convert that into points at the start of the second-half. Their defence was not great and they also gave an intercept try to the Sharks in that big game.
* The Stormers wanted to finish their season well with only two games remaining. Despite having some possession and building good phases of play, they did not get the points. They also missed too many tackles and the Jaguares scored some tries from the missed tackles.
Round 18 : Searching for momentum before last round
* Crusaders vs. Highlanders : Super Rugby (AMI Park, Christchurch, New Zealand)
The Crusaders got the possession and they started with some impressive build-up. It led to a brillant try scored by winger George Bridge as the Highlanders came back. Following some great offloads, forwards Tyler Lomax touched down and it was a great contest.
However, the Crusaders kept playing and they spread the ball wide with David Havili scoring. The Highlanders got a turnover ball and Ben Smith finished the move. In a high-intensity game, the Crusaders got another try thanks to Scott Barrett after a great play.
In second-half, the Crusaders had momentum with Richie Mo’unga scoring an individual try. Waisake Naholo had a try for Highlanders but the Crusaders kept the control. George Bridge got a brace and Richie Mo’unga kicked a few penalties to get the win (FT : 45-22).
* Chiefs vs. Brumbies : Super Rugby (FMG Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand)
It was a very physical contest between the two sides. The Chiefs took a brillant start with a penalty scored by Damian McKenzie followed by a try from Nathan Harris. Playing with the offloads, the Chiefs got more rewards when Damian McKenzie touched down.
The Brumbies replied in the second-half with winger Henry Speight scoring on the left wing. Under pressure, the Chiefs defended well and got a counter-attacking play which was concluded by Johnny Fa’auli. He gathered a good chip-kick from Marty McKenzie.
Nevertheless, the Brumbies came back again as Jesse Parete was binned for a high tackle. Fullback Tom Banks found the space for the try and Henry Speight got a double. Damian McKenzie missed a kick and the Chiefs had to stay strong in defence to win (FT : 24-19).
* Hurricanes vs. Blues : Super Rugby (Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand)
Targeting improvements, the Hurricanes conceded an opening penalty, kicked by Stephen Perofeta. They relied on their scrum to come back with Ngani Laumape offloading for Julian Savea. Ngani Laumape was the try scorer later in that good game.
The Hurricanes were playing smarter and Ngani Laumape showed his power and carried over the line for his double. Though, the Blues came back before Half-Time thanks to winger Rieko Ioane who got his double at the beginning of the second-half.
The Hurricanes kept playing with Beauden Barrett reaching the line after a scrum. The Blues were not out of it with Matt Moulds touching down. However, Ngani Laumape got a Hat-Trick and a fourth try. The Hurricanes got a massive bonus point win (FT : 42-24).
* Waratahs vs. Sunwolves : Super Rugby (Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Australia)
The Sunwolves had a good start with Hayden Parker kicking a penalty. The Waratahs scored the first after a good carry from Sekope Kepu. Hayden Parker kicked a second penalty before Akihito Yamada touched down. The Waratahs replied with Israel Folau.
The Sunwolves got another try with Michael Leitch before Kurtley Beale finished a good build-up. Before Half-Time, Israel Folau got a brace and Semisi Masirewa was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Bernard Foley. The Waratahs spread the ball in the second-half.
Ned Hanigan, Nick Phipps and Taqele Naiyaravoro scored as Akihito Yamada got a double. Curtis Rona and Michael Wells had tries and Fumiaki Tanaka was binned. Taqele Naiyaravoro had a double and Alex Newsome also got two tries for the win (FT : 77-25).
* Bulls vs. Jaguares : Super Rugby (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, South Africa)
The Jaguares took a brillant start with Nicolas Sanchez finding the space for the first try. Pablo Matera had a second try before Gonzalo Bertranou added another one. The Bulls replied thanks to winger Johnny Kotze after a great work from fullback Warrick Gelant.
Scrum-half Embrose Papier concluded a nice move and centre Jesse Kriel got the intercept before Half-Time. In the second-half, Handré Pollard kicked a penalty as Gonzalo Bertranou had a brace. Then, RG Snyman offloaded for Jamba Ulengo’s good try.
At lineout, Marco Van Staden raced away for a try for the Bulls. Emiliano Boffelli got a penalty but Handré Pollard made the assist for Jamba Ulengo’s double. The Jaguares got a late try with Pablo Matera, getting a double too, but the Bulls got the win (FT : 43-34).
* Stormers vs. Sharks : Super Rugby (Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa)
The Sharks scored the first points with a penalty from Robert du Preez. After that, the Stormers played with intensity and second-rower Cobus Wiese scored the try. Robert du Preez kicked two more penalties for the Sharks to reclaim the lead in that good first-half.
Trusting their structures, the Stormers applied pressure. Centre EW Viljoen finished the move before Raymond Rhule scored from a stunning play. In the second-half, the Sharks came back early after good phases with a try scored by the utility back Kobus van Wyk.
The Stormers re-gathered in defence and forced many turnovers. Showing an outstanding effort, they got back in the opponents’ half. Fly-Half Joshua Stander kicked two penalties to get a massive win for the Stormers’ last game of the season (FT : 27-16).
Notes from Round 18 :
* The Crusaders game : Prop Wyatt Crockett played his 200th game for the Crusaders. He had the stadium named after him for that game. Starting on the bench, he was called on the pitch after only 5 minutes. He replaced prop Joe Moody who was struggling with his leg.
* The Chiefs game : Playing their usual brand of rugby, the Chiefs scored some great tries but they had to defend a lot. Damian McKenzie had another great game but there was a controversial call at the end where the Brumbies could have potentially won that game.
* The Hurricanes game : Flanker Brad Shields played his 100th game in Super Rugby and became an Hurricanes centurion. Centre Ngani Laumape became only the 7th player to score 4 tries in a Super Rugby game. It was a much-improved performance from the team.
* The Waratahs game : The Waratahs scored their most points ever in a Super Rugby game (77). Israel Folau recored his 53rd and 54th try for the franchise while Taqele Naiyaravoro scored his 13th and 14th try of the season. Alex Newsome was the other one to get a brace.
* The Bulls game : The Pretoria-based franchise had to react following the Sunwolves game. Despite conceding 19 points in a quarter, they bounced back. Handré Pollard and Jesse Kriel played well. RG Snyman and Jesse Kriel have kept their form, just like Warrick Gelant.
* The Stormers game : It has been a disappointing season for the Stormers who will not reach the play-offs. The WPRU (Western Province Rugby Union) also stated that Newlands could be deserted for another place. The Stormers offered a great show to the home crowd.
Conclusion
The last two Rounds of Super Rugby have set up a great final before Round 19. The Crusaders have maintained the standard and will finish top of the standings. The Blues offered a great farewell to Jerome Kaino but did not play well against the Hurricanes.
The Chiefs have been impressive with two great wins and the Hurricanes bounced back in style at home. The Waratahs played brillantly and will secure top of their conference. The Bulls bounced back against Jaguares as the Lions will play at home next weekend.
Finally, the Stormers finished the season on a great note with the home win. It was a young team to build for the next season. For the last Round, there will still be a few play-offs spots to grab. Then, the Quarter-Finals will begin in that great Super Rugby 2018.
Astonishing Weekends ! Brillant Games !
Max.
Rugby, Only Rugby ! 