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Chiefs player ratings vs Crusaders | Super Rugby Aotearoa
The Chiefs squad was facing 11 losses in a row as they moved to Christchurch to face the champion Crusader outfit. The visitors inserted Josh Lord and Kaylum Boshier into the match day 23, the young duo getting their Super Rugby Aotearoa spurs.
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The Crusaders had looked clinical in their first victories; they had backline stars David Havili and Will Jordan coming back to start.
The Chiefs started well and were 10 points up in no time. Sadly from that moment on the Crusaders ground them to dust in the set piece and powered through to a 39-17 victory. Eleven losses in a row for the Chiefs, one more and they’ll hold a very undesirable record.
Here’re the Chiefs’ ratings:
1. Reuben O’Neill – 5
It’s tough against the Crusaders scrum…..he was solid on defence and improved his negative yardage from last week with no carries for 0 metres. Penalised in 36th minute at scrum. Off at 43.
2. Samisoni Taukei’aho – 6.5
A muscular weapon around the field with 14 tackles and bruised some Crusader’s ribs. Got to show his skills in the 11th minute with ball in hand after he’d lost a line out. Got penalised in the 35th with what looked like a vigorous, legal counter ruck. Didn’t throw poorly but the Crusaders line out locked out his jumpers and he was part of a crumbling scrum. Off at 57.
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3. Angus Ta’avao – 4
Two good strong carts in the first minute to straighten the attack. Lost scrum in the 14th minute against Bower and that was just the start. At 49 minutes gave away a free kick trying to referee rather than scrum, then muscled by Moody for a penalty off the resulting scrum. Probably should’ve have been subbed off then as the scrum wheels were coming off. Penalised again at 57, then got a rest.
4. Tupou Vaa’i – 6.5
He’s really turning into a leader with some angry defence. 16 solid tackles. Collapsed a maul at the 29th minute when the ball was out, at one stage missed a hot-stepping Mo’unga but got up and nabbed him seconds later. Robbed Goodhue in the 38th minute with a great turnover. One player who is shining in adversity; it’s got to be good for him and NZ rugby!
5. Josh Lord – 6
Showed some special skills but was out-smarted at lineout time. Showed how to defend Will Jordan early on with a big bearhug to hold him up for a maul. Did it again in the 26th to show it wasn’t a one-off. Off at 43; we’ll see plenty more from this young giant.
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6. Mitch Brown – 6
He is a workaholic, with plenty of petrol in the tank to execute great workrate in the trenches. At the end of both halves he was putting his hand up for the ball to work it up. Had the satisfaction of finally smashing Mo’unga after he’d toyed with the Chiefs in the 2nd half.
7. Sam Cane – 7
It’s going to take a special player to top this guy on the tackle count, a match high 25. Tough call in the 23rd minute to be penalised at the back of the ruck. That penalty almost leaked a line out drive try. Then another offside penalty conceded three minutes later. Tried to stem the tide but mission impossible. Off at 63.
8. Luke Jacobson – 6.5
Attributed with the turnover in the 38th mine with Crusaders on attack. Great engine, got the turnover at the 72nd for a Chief’s attack that brought the Nanai-Seturo try. Little drop in the 76th but a great component in the pack.
The Crusaders have maintained their undefeated start to the Super Rugby Aotearoa season by picking up a 39-17 win over the Chiefs in Christchurch. #CRUvCHI #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/FIO1zOFnI1
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 13, 2021
9. Brad Weber – 6
Not the night for Weber to buy a Lotto ticket. Penalised wrongly at the scrum for being offside in the 31st minute, then yellow carded after a disallowed captain’s challenge that seemed to show he had stopped the try legally. Off at 63.
10. Bryn Gatland – 5
Playing second fiddle to McKenzie on attack but is a good wingman. At 42 minutes flew in to a ruck to ensure a turnover. Dad would have been proud! Off at 56.
11. Etene Nanai-Seturo – 6
Always dangerous with the dance floor moves and a useful left foot for exits. Error on defence with Havili handing him off for Fainga’anuku’s try. Popped up on the right flank in the 73rd minute for a try.
12. Quinn Tupaea – 5.5
Showed his strength in the midfield with 17 tackles. Got hammered a couple of times early on with ball in hand; looked like he was a little upright. Pinged for an infringement at the tackle in the 28th.
13. Sean Wainui – 5
I had a go at his distribution last week but a beautiful pass off the left hand to put DMac in space in the first minute for his try. Lost ball on attack in the 19th minute, then radio silence as the Crusaders turned the screws. Off at halftime.
14. Shaun Steveson – 4.5
So quiet. Didn’t touch the ball once on attack. Had a burst in the 52nd minute with 2 tackles in two seconds. Stark contrast to Jonah Lowe’s effort last week in terms of work rate.
15. Damian McKenzie – 7
Three touches in the first minute and somehow hustling over to give the Chiefs first blood. Such an influential general and accurate goal kicker. Brilliant on cover twice on Goodhue and Fainga’anuku. Stepped up to first receiver with aplomb.
Leicester Fainga'anuku has produced an early contender for the try of the year with an acrobatic effort in his side's clash against the Chiefs. #CRUvCHI #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/trNzZ8GcQx
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 13, 2021
Reserves:
16. Bradley Slater – 4.5
On at 57 and looked motivated. Penalised in the 60th minute for offside.
17. Aidan Ross – 4
On at on 43. Penalised at scrum in 78th minute and couldn’t combat the champion’s scrum.
18. Sione Mafileo – 4
On at 57. Couldn’t stop the procession in reverse.
19. Naitoa Ah Kuoi- 6
On at 43 and looked animatedly busy this week. Made a nuisance of himself at the lineout and was energetic in defence. Missed Douglas on the way to his try but was an improved performance.
20. Kaylum Boshier – NA
On at 63. We’ll see more of him.
21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi – 6.5
On at 63. Awesome flying tackle on Reece in the 68th minute. Got a bit excited and took a player out in the lead to the Dunshea try. Obviously with Xavier Roe in the picture he needed to be noticed and he was very good.
22. Anton Lienert-Brown – 5
On 40. Couldn’t make a difference through no lack of trying. Came up on defence and in no man’s land that led to the 45th minute Drummond non-try.
23. Chase Tiatia – NA
On at 56. Had a good spell at 64 with a couple of carries but pretty quiet.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
19 Go to comments