Aotearoa Team of Round 1: Have the Crusaders unearthed another All Blacks midfielder?
In the opening round of Super Rugby Aotearoa for 2021, last year’s two most impressive teams flexed their muscles while some potential long-term superstars also made a statement.
Friday’s clash saw the Highlanders host the Crusaders in Dunedin and while the hosts were able to keep the contest tight in the first half, the visitors pulled away late in the piece to secure a 26-13 victory.
On Saturday, Ardie Savea’s 100th match for the Hurricanes was the only cause for celebration in Wellington as the Blues managed 31-16 win after capitalising on the home side’s errors.
Despite the losses, plenty of Highlanders and Hurricanes players put their hands up for selection in RugbyPass’ first team of the week for Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021 while the Crusaders dominate the side.
15. Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)
Jackson Garden-Bachop may be wearing the No 10 jersey for the Hurricanes but the key lynchpin in the backline is certainly Jordie Barrett. Things happen when the fullback gets his hands on the ball and it was his ability to blast kicks over from a distance that kept the Hurricanes in the hunt. His 53-metre penalty shortly before half-time was about as good as they come.
Key stat: 9 ball carries – third amongst backs
14. Sevu Reece (Crusaders)
In-goal antics aside (though that’s always going to be a product of introducing goal-line drop-outs), there was little to criticise about Sevu Reece’s performance against the Highlanders. Rarely was a first-up solo tackler able to bring the All Black to the ground and Reece kept his opposition on their toes throughout the match. His in-field kick to Bryn Hall was a thing of beauty.
Key stat: 89 metres run – third amongst all players
13. Rieko Ioane (Blues)
It wasn’t until the second half that Rieko Ioane really started to make an impact on attack against the Hurricanes, but the former wing was safe as houses on defence throughout the game and was able to cut loose as the match progressed. 91 metres run and four beaten defenders make for solid viewing – but it’s the fact that Ngani Laumape and Billy Proctor were so well-contained that has helped earn Ioane a spot in the team this week.
Key stat: 8 tackles made – second amongst backs
After an important win on Saturday night, the news that followed was somewhat sobering. #HURvBLU #SuperRugbyAotearoahttps://t.co/RfdAF7mTQG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 27, 2021
12. Dallas McLeod (Crusaders)
The Crusaders always have a few token injuries before the season kicks off, but they always finds replacements who, more often than not, look like they’d walk into almost any other side’s starting team before the season comes to an end. Dallas McLeod, in just his third match for the Crusaders, was a rock in the midfield and stood up well to the physicality of Ngatungane Punivai and Patelesio Tomkinson – whether it was on attack or defence. Keep an eye on this 21-year-old.
Key stat: 30 metres run – second amongst midfielders
11. Jona Nareki (Highlanders)
Jona Nareki sometimes has flashes of brilliance followed by moments of complete despair. He was all brilliance on Friday evening, however, threatening the line with every touch of the ball and eventually setting up the Highlanders’ second try of the evening. His reliable boot also got the Highlanders out of trouble on a handful of occasions and would be a huge asset for any outside back.
Key stat: 5 defenders beaten – first amongst backs
10. Otere Black (Blues)
With Beauden Barrett in Japan, Otere Black has again stepped into the No 10 role and handled the pressure with aplomb. His field kicking was pin-point while he nailed all five of his attempts on goal. Importantly, Black also regularly challenged the line – which created space for his backline on attack and forced the Hurricanes defenders to commit.
Key stat: 10 runs – first amongst first fives
9. Bryn Hall (Crusaders)
Few players emerge from a head-to-head with All Black Aaron Smith knowing they’ve outplayed their opposite, but that’s exactly what happened on Friday night. While Hall’s passing wasn’t at Smith’s level, his general support play and kicking game were exceptional. He also knew exactly when to send the ball out to the backs and when to let his forwards take control.
Key stat: 32 passes – second amongst starting halfbacks
8. Marino Mikaele-Tu’u (Highlanders)
The man who was unlucky not to earn an All Blacks cap last year was a threat across the park on Friday, especially when he popped up in the outer channels. His work-rate on attack was also exceptional, notching up the most carries of any player for the period that he was on the park.
Key stat: 59 metres run – second amongst forwards
Was this a coming of age performance from the former age-grade star? ? #HURvBLU #SuperRugbyAotearoahttps://t.co/AJ2jDnx0PE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 28, 2021
7. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes)
While Ardie Savea wasn’t able to captain his side to victory in his 100th Super Rugby match, he was a massive presence on the field and was arguably the top-performing forward from the weekend. Was there a breakdown that Savea didn’t contest or a contest that he didn’t disrupt?
Key stat: 10 carries – first amongst forwards
6. Akira Ioane (Blues)
This time last year, Akira Ioane wasn’t even a starting player for the Blues. Now, he’s perhaps the most formidable blindside flanker in the country. Ioane was devasting on attack on Saturday but was also reliable – and physical – on defence, making the most tackles of anyone on his team. No one should be questioning Ioane’s work-rate anymore.
Key stat: 65 metres run – first amongst forwards
5. Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)
As one of the oldest players running about in Super Rugby Aotearoa, Sam Whitelock could be forgiven for not having the biggest engine anymore – but Whitelock has seemingly defied Father Time and looked as sprightly against the Highlanders on Friday as he did in his debut season, way back in 2010. Whitelock was instrumental in the final stages of the game and while he wasn’t the captain on the day, you can guarantee that he was a vocal leader as the Crusaders closed out the match.
Key stat: 13 tackles – second amongst all players
4. Josh Dickson (Highlanders)
Somewhat unheralded by those outside the Highlanders region, Josh Dickson is a key cog in the Highlanders pack. The 26-year-old was the primary option for the Highlanders at lineout time and impressed with his overall work rate.
Key stat: 21 metres carried – first amongst locks
3. Michael Alaalatoa (Crusaders)
If there was one area where the Crusaders obviously had the wood over their counterparts it was in the scrums, with Michael Alaalatoa earning a handful of penalties for his side as well as always helping to supply his team with solid front-foot ball. On defence, Alaalatoa also helped keep the Highlanders honest, making 10 tackles for the Crusaders.
Key stat: 10 tackles – first amongst props
2. Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes)
Two tries is a handy return for Asafo Aumua – but it’s not like he was simply dropping over the line from a lineout maul or burrowing over from close range. Perhaps more importantly, Aumua nailed his lineout throws and ensured the Hurricanes had plenty of attacking opportunities. What a performance.
Key stat: 6 defenders beaten – first amongst all players
1. Joe Moody (Crusaders)
The rock. Solid in every aspect of his play but it was his dash for the line in the first half that would have received the most plaudits – had he actually managed to cross for a try!
Key stat: 16 metres run – first amongst props
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
6 Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
14 Go to commentsWho got the benefits out of Schmidt, Lowe, Aki, and Gibson Park?
14 Go to commentsWhat’s new its a common occurrence, just the journos out there expecting a negative spin. The outcome will be beneficial to jordie and Leinster. The home grown lads hav got some experience to step up to and be more competitive, that or spend the 6 months keeping the bench warm.
14 Go to commentsI’m all for speeding up the game. But can we be certain that the slowness of the game contributed to fans walking out? I’m not so sure. Super rugby largely suffered from most fans only being able to, really, follow the games played in their own time zone. So at least a third of the fan base wasn’t engaged at any point in time. As a Saffer following SA teams in the URC - I now watch virtually every European game played on the weekend. In SR, I wouldn’t be bothered to follow the games being played on the other side of the world, at weird hours, if my team wasn’t playing. I now follow the whole tournament and not just the games in my time zone. Second, with New Zealand teams always winning. It’s like formula one. When one team dominates, people lose interest. After COVID, with SA leaving and Australia dipping in form, SR became an even greater one horse race. Thats why I think Japan’s league needs to get in the mix. The international flavor of those teams could make for a great spectacle. But surely if we believe that shaving seconds off lost time events in rugby is going to draw fans back, we should be shown some figures that supports this idea before we draw any major conclusions. Where are the stats that shows these changes have made that sort of impact? We’ve measured down to the average no. Of seconds per game. Where the measurement of the impact on the fanbase? Does a rugby “fan” who lost interest because of ball in play time suddenly have a revived interest because we’ve saved or brought back into play a matter of seconds or a few minutes each game? I doubt it. I don’t thinks it’s even a noticeable difference to be impactful. The 20 min red card idea. Agreed. Let’s give it a go. But I think it’s fairer that the player sent off is substituted and plays no further part in the game as a consequence.
3 Go to commentsThose are pretty good draws for the two top Aussie teams. I certainly wouldn't want my Chiefs to have a quarter final in Brisbane. None of the top teams will want the Crusaders.
1 Go to commentsHonestly, I am a bit lost here …. Ireland - RSA was (at least in my opinion) perhaps (from a purely technical / rugby-skills-show point of view) the pinnacle of the RWC2023 - almost flawless playing (putting aside the kicking of RSA which was the difference between the two teams), rugby at it’s very best …. if I were a Bok and after the game some Irish lads came around saying “see you in 5 weeks same place”, I definitely wouldn’t have thought of it as being in any way “arrogant”, rather a sort of jolly “if we both continue to play like this, no one could stop us” - besides, few of us fans would have, at that time, been surprised to see the same teams playing on 23 september and 28 october 2023 ….. well, we all know Ireland chose to hit a slump to keep the QF curse alive …..
136 Go to commentsThere’s value gleaned from having an All Black star running and training with your team. How many games he starts (or even where he plays in the backline) will be decided on a week by week basis based on the needs for that week. But the overall learning and growth for all concerned, I’d think, is massively beneficial. Especially for Irish players.
14 Go to commentsSon, whith just " raw athlete “ , you are able to beat “ better rugby players “ by 74 points…. May be England should recruit in athletics….
1 Go to commentsPffft. It’s not a one-way street bud and Irish teams don’t seem to have had an issue taking kiwi players previously.
14 Go to commentsParticularly great to have captain Scott Barrett back after going off last week for the Crusaders. Codie Taylor a real leader and mighty Tamaiti Williams join Fletcher Newell in the front row. Those 2 will make a big difference. Great bench with the likes of Tom Christie, Jamie Hannah etc who are playing well. Should be a great derby.
1 Go to commentsDoes a blitz defence not have a weekness against a well-placed grubber kick, perhaps angled cleverly. All the defence is up and the full-back can only cover so much ground. Thoughts?
28 Go to commentsWhile Iose is destructive in the Canes set-up, he is not big for an international 8 and could struggle against the top teams. With his speed, he could be developed into a seven but, as Ben points out, he doesn’t show a scavenging game with the Canes or make dominating tackles. Sotutu has shown a step up this year and attitude plus motivation seems to be the big areas of growth. Deserves another AB shot imo.
3 Go to commentsNaholo is my only question mark for this side. He wasn’t the only one who had a forgettable game against the Brumbies but he was passive, defensively poor and generally lacked energy. Needs to get a whole lot busier for me. I would have liked to see Sullivan on that wing with Higgins on the bench (if staying with a 6-2 as BeegMike points out on here!)
3 Go to commentsWell, I am sure that Eben said exactly what he meant to say, exactly how he meant to say it. Does he strike you as a man that doesn't know arrogance when he sees it. He should know it because he has shaken the arrogance out of many foes before.
136 Go to commentsPls get it into your thick arrogant heads that the final was played by two Southern Hemisphere teams. The best against the best and that Argentina was just unlucky otherwise non of the Northetn Hemisphere teams would have seen the light of day.
136 Go to commentsAs long as New Zealand youth are involved in sport they are passionate for, and are well supported, it’s all good. I love league as well as rugby. NRL clubs have long since scouted the First 15 competitions, the NH and Japan scout super rugby and NPC. It’s a miracle there’s any players left for the all blacks to pick from.
6 Go to commentsI'm a Bok fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he is one of my all time favourite players. I am really going to miss watching him play. Thanks for many great memories. You are a true legend of the game.
3 Go to commentsBest way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
136 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
14 Go to comments