Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Chiefs player ratings vs Brumbies | Super Rugby Pacific

By Jack O'Rourke
Tupou Vaa'i. (Photo by Jeremy Ward/Photosport)

For round 12 of Super Rugby Pacific, the Chiefs welcomed the Brumbies to FMG Stadium in Waikato.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Brumbies were looking to continue their good run against New Zealand opposition in 2022. Both teams exchanged tries back and forth in a free-flowing game. The Brumbies were able to execute when it mattered with some silky skills to covert on their entries in the opposition 22. 

The Chiefs showed a dogged effort to stay in the match, but the Brumbies showed their class to shut them out with a clinical performance. 

Video Spacer

Are the Australian teams catching up with New Zealand?

Video Spacer

Are the Australian teams catching up with New Zealand?

In the end, it was the Brumbies ability to take the points on offer from Lolesio’s kicking off the tee that separated the two teams, running out winners 38-28. 

Here’s how the Chiefs rated:

1. Aidan Ross – 6/10
Was pushed off the scrum on a Chiefs feed which set up the Brumbies’ second try. Was subbed for Norris in the 50th minute.

2. Samisoni Taukei’aho – 6.5
Was at his bullocking best, and was there to run on to a number of offloads from his fellow forwards. No one was getting through his channel in defence either.

3. Angus Ta’avao – 6
Was an entertaining scrum battle between him and the veteran James Slipper and is proving his credentials as one of the best scrummagers in the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

4. Josh Lord – 6
Was targeted three times in the lineout and even used his big mitts to reel in some stray throws. Won a penalty for his team by holding Tom Wright in the tackle to stop the Brumbies attack.

5. Tupou Vaa’i – 6
Rolled up the sleeves and made 13 hard-fought carries in tight. Made five lineout grabs in a solid night for the Chiefs set-piece.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by RugbyPass (@rugbypass)

6. Luke Jacobson – 6
Continues to establish himself as one of the hardest working backrowers in the competition. Popped a superb little offload close to the line to put Ratima over for a try. Was a pinged a few times for offside.

ADVERTISEMENT

7. Sam Cane – 6.5
Just hours after celebrating the arrival of his first child, Cane suited up to lead the Chiefs and toiled hard all night. Was shut out at the breakdown but still managed to record a team-high 14 tackles.

8. Pita Gus Sowakula – 7
Busted tackles and got over the advantage line all game. Made some big metres by caring off the back of the scrum and scored a try off the back of the Cheifs lineout to keep the Chiefs in the match. Backed it up on defence with 10 tackles.

9. Cortez Ratima – 6.5
The young scrumhalf was a live-wire, providing fast ball to his backs and testing the Brumbies will clever kicks from the base of the ruck. Ran onto an offload to score the Chiefs second try.

10. Bryn Gatland – 5.5
Varied it up in attack but struggled to get his backline into the game. Was breathing a sigh of relief after he stopped a Brumbies try from a Josh Valetini charge down. Subbed off for Narawa in the 55th minute.

11. Etene Nanai-Seturo – 6
Was solid in defence, not allowing any traffic to come down his side and making important covering tackles late in the game. Was pretty well defended and was forced to step through heavy congestion to find any gaps in the Brumbies.

12. Quinn Tupaea – 6.5
Was his typical abrasive self in close quarters with some hard running through the middle, making 38 metres and beating 4 defenders.

13. Alex Nankivell – 7
Continues to mount a case for an All Blacks jersey. Scored the Chiefs’ opening try and challenged the Brumbies defence all night. Found the outside shoulders of his opponents to break the line for 52 metres off 11 carries.

14. Jonah Lowe – 6
Wasn’t presented with much attacking ball in the first half so went in looking for work around the fringes. Found some space as the game opened up in the second half.

Related

15. Kaleb Trask – 6
Was peppered with high balls all night but did reasonably well. Spilt the pill a few times when he was asked to step into first receiver but found his way into the game late.

Reserves:

16. Bradley Slater – N/A

17. Ollie Norris – 5
Came on for Ross and shored up the scrum. Added a nice bit of dynamism to the front row for the Chiefs.

18. Atu Moli – N/A
Got on the park late for his 50th match. Was pinged for offside late in the game.

19. Naitoa Ah Kuoi – 5.5
Distinguishable in his multi-coloured headgear, it made it easy to track his work rate around the park. Got involved in everything and scored the Chiefs’ final try to close the gap.

20. Samipeni Finau – N/A
Came on late in the game.

21. Xavier Roe – 6.5
Entered the game early in the second half to inject some energy into the game. He proved a handful for the Brumbies.

22. Rameka Poihipi – N/A

23. Emoni Narawa – 5.5
Came on to play fullback and the Chiefs backline sparked into action. Made some nice runs and looked confident in the air.

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Storm clouds gather over Biarritz with owner poised to bail out Storm clouds gather over Biarritz with owner poised to bail out
Search