Highlanders player ratings vs Crusaders | Super Rugby Aotearoa
The Highlanders have shocked the Crusaders in Christchurch. As so often when a team feels under pressure, the visitors relished the physical clash and intimidated the champions off their game; they just couldn’t couldn’t get in to gear after a bye.
The great southern men were leading 16-0 after 33 minutes, the Crusaders managed to peg a try back before halftime but if the home crowd were expecting their team to come out and walk over the men in blue in the second half they were disappointed as hero after hero stepped up for the Highlanders to push the margin out to 33-12.
Here’re the Highlanders’ ratings.
1. Ethan de Groot – 8
Has become one of the form looseheads in the competition. A 6th min scrum penalty over Alaalatoa and managed to keep his side of the scrum up under pressure. Smashed into first ruck in second half and cleaned 3 or 4 out and looked up for it but was subbed shortly after.
2. Ash Dixon – 7.5
Was well up for the battle against Taylor and displayed aggression and defiance. Lineouts were smooth, scrum held together and angry carries. Off at 52.
3. Siate Tokolahi – 8
An unsung hero for the Highlanders all season. Very safe player in every facet. Got some claret at 42 minutes but didn’t look like he wanted to go off. Proved his worth winning a penalty over Moody seconds later and then off at 46.
4. Bryn Evans- 8
What an asset the 36 year old has been for his team. Like a classic car; purring along after a few kilometres on the clock. Amazing tackle tracking back in 39th on Codie Taylor and spirited run at 50 minutes.
5. Paripari Parkinson – 8
Was one of the top carriers alongside Frizell and Umaga-Jensen although it would be good to see him hit the line with more momentum. Good lineout option as usual and showed against Barrett and Whitelock he would not be out of his depth in an All Black pack. Off at 54.
6. Shannon Frizell – 8.5
Continued his menacing form in the trenches. Unmatched on either side of the ball in terms of strength.
7. Billy Harmon – 7.5
Had some good linking play before his try in the 24th minute. Freakish steal on Barrett at the 38th minute and top tackler in his team. I’m sure he will derive a load of pleasure with that win over his old side.
8. Kazuki Himeno – 7.5
Hit the ball flatfooted a couple of times early on but tireless as a carrying option. Cool turnover in 37th minute. Bumped his head during Taylor’s try but got up and continued working. Off at 52.
The Highlanders have put a turbulent week of off-field dramas behind them to stun the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday. #CRUvHIG #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/8bqtmk0Y5d
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 2, 2021
9. Folau Fakatava – 8
Incredible moments of individual skill. Amazing turnover at 15 minutes to deny the home team their first try. Loved the relaxed play on the back foot in the 27th minute as he cleared the from inside the 22. Led the line a lot in defence, a magical pass between the legs at 28. Must continue the Smith apprenticeship on the All Black scrum bench this year. Off at 49.
10. Mitch Hunt – 9
Seemed to channel Phil Bennett, Carlos Spencer and Dan Carter all in one match! Led the Highlanders game plan. None of his team mates gained giant amounts of metres but with Hunt’s cool distribution, passing (e.g. sparking attacks form inside the 22) and kicking (e.g. great grubber in the 72nd minute for position), it meant the Crusaders were left dumbfounded and had no answer.
11. Jona Nareki – 7.5
The team will thank Nareki for his left foot clearances during the game and attacking pokes into the corner towards the end. Didn’t get much chance with the ball in hand.
12. Thomas Umaga-Jensen – 8
Always looks good when he runs straight and hard. Worked well as a strong carrier down the blind in the second half. Hobbled off 55th minute.
13. Michael Collins – 7.5
Solidity and maturity throughout, some good linking to the first try. Toe kicked in broken play in the 57th minute and finished the try from a challenging pass moments later.
14. Scott Gregory – 8
It was the perfect type of game for the sturdy wing. Good drift defence on Goodhue and Fainga’anuku in first half. Loved the lineout take in the 45th minute over the back that gave the attack some good momentum and the perfect bear hug defence in the 62nd minute to deny Blackadder a try.
15. Connor Garden-Bachop – 8.5
Should have been indignant that after being taken in the air by Jordan, his team got penalised. All season I’ve been impressed with his quick feet and reactions. He is quicksilver in everything he does. Some lovely runs throughout the match and topped off with a well-deserved try in the 74th minute.
Falling just short in their first meeting, Melbourne feel they've got now got more "arrows in their quiver" as they attempt to deliver Queensland's first Super Rugby AU defeat. #SuperRugbyAU https://t.co/nWrPmkwXCE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 2, 2021
Reserves:
16. Liam Coltman – 7.5
On at 52. Played with great resolve and tackled his heart out.
17. Ayden Johnstone – 7.5
On at 42. Looked like he wasn’t going to last long after getting a knock but he ran it off and battled on.
18. Josh Hohneck – 8
On at 46. Had been a bit of a liability in the last few weeks with some brain explosions but was pitch perfect this week. Looked unphased as he played first receiver many times. Bower was penalised in a crucial scrum at the 64th minute and Hohneck can take a load of credit for the pressure he exerted.
19. Josh Dickson- 7
On at 54. Solid and reliable.
20. Hugh Renton – 6
On at 52. Got penalised for lifting the legs of Dunshea and looked a little anxious with the ball.
21. Aaron Smith – 8
On at 49. Orchestrated proceedings thoughout, particularly in the lead up to the second try to get the southern men out to 26-7. What a guy to bring off the bench!
22. Caleb Makene – 7.5
On at 54. Good covering at 72 minutes on wing to snuff a chance out. A debut he’ll never forget!
23. James Lentjes- N/A
On late.
Comments on RugbyPass
Brayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
4 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
26 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to comments