Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders lodge big wins in Super Rugby pre-season
The Highlanders have beaten the NSW Waratahs 55-29 in their pre-season Super Rugby match in Queenstown, whilst the Hurricanes and Blues have trounced the Crusaders and Chiefs in their New Zealand derbies.
The Highlanders took a while to get into their match, with the Waratahs leading 10-7 after the first of three 30-minute intervals, before running away with the next 48 points.
Mid-fielder Rob Thompson bagged a hattrick in his first outing since re-signing with the Highlanders for three years, rewarded for backing up with great support running.
The surprise inclusion of All Black fullback Ben Smith lasted 40 minutes in a lively performance before being taken off the field. Young first five-eighth Josh Ioane also impressed in his first match at Super Rugby level.
In Greymouth the Hurricanes came away with a convincing 43-22 win over the Crusaders, the match all but over early in the second half as the Hurricanes held a 36-5 lead.
Younger brother of James Lowe, Jonah Lowe scored three tries before being replaced by Julian Savea, who scored one of his own shortly into the second half.
None of the All Blacks from last year’s end of season tour were available for the match.
In Te Kuiti the Chiefs hosted the Blues where the visitors ran out 45-19 winners. The match was tied 14-all after the first interval before a host of changes saw the match turn in the Blues favour.
New Zealand under-20s first five-eighth Tiaan Falcon scored the first try for the Chiefs, before setting up their second by throwing a long cutout pass to Tim Nanai-Williams who strolled over.
Athletic teenage lock Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa scored two tries for a Blues side that scored five of their seven tries in the second half.
The Chiefs were disjointed at times under new coach Colin Cooper and the Blues were the more cohesive unit despite both sides ringing in the personnel changes.
All sides involved will now begin preparations for next weekend’s Brisbane Tens before a final pre-season match.
Hurricanes 43 (Jonah Lowe 3, Ben Lam, Julian Savea, Finlay Christie, Vince Aso tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 2 con, Ihaia West 2 con) beat Crusaders 22 (Billy Harmon, Jack Stratham, Tima Faingaanuku, Manasa Mataele tries; Brett Cameron con)
Blues 45 (Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa 2, TJ Faiane, Glenn Preston, Antonio Kiri Kiri, Marcel Renata, Dalton Papali’i tries; Bryn Gatland 2 con, Stephen Perofeta con, Daniel Kirkpatrick con, Jonathan Ruru con) Chiefs 19 (Tiaan Falcon, Tim Nanai-Williams, Samisoni Taukei’aho tries; Tiaan Falcon 2 con)
Highlanders 55 (Ron Thompson 3, Greg Pleasants-Tate, Jackson Hemopo, Josh Ioane, Fletcher Smith, Dillon Hunt, Tevita Nabura tries; Ioane 2 con; Smith 3 con) Waratahs 29 (Alex Newsome 2, Seb Wileman 2, Kelly Meafua tries; Mack Mason 2 cons)
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments