Super Rugby Aotearoa - Chiefs player ratings vs Crusaders
Chiefs player ratings: The table-topping Crusaders travelled to Hamilton to take on cellar dwellers the Chiefs in Round 8 of Super Rugby Aotearoa. There were milestone moments for Aaron Cruden bringing up his ton of Super rugby games and Sam Whitelock clocking up 150 to his name.
Crusaders always play with venom after a loss and they chalked up two early tries but the Chiefs, with their nothing to lose attitude, stayed in the game for long periods before succumbing 32-19.
Here’s the Chiefs player ratings:
1 Reuben O’Neill 6
Short night for the loosehead adding to the Chief’s tight forward injury woes. Off at 17 minutes.
2 Bradley Slater 7
Impresses week after week with his awesome, combative forward play. Great run down the right flank in the 49th minute. Off at 56.
3 Nepo Laulala 6.5
Would have been relieved to match up against Bower instead of Moody but couldn’t really make a dent in the champion’s scrum. Gutsy turnover in the 55th minute after valiant defence from the team, not allowing the Crusaders over the advantage line through multiple phases. Off at 60.
4 Tupou Vaa’i 6.5
Amazing effort from the young tyro, improving each outing even with the endless grind of Super rugby.
5 Mitchell Brown 6.5
Buries his head in the tight stuff and doesn’t usually come up for air.
6 Lachlan Boshier 7.5
Some classic turnovers after a quiet week last week. Wins lineout ball, runs and distributes like a centre and finishes like a pro. Off at 64
7 Sam Cane 8
Just kept putting in thundering hits on the Crusaders. Game high, quality 21 tackles and some good carries in the final minutes as the Chiefs tried to spark a comeback. Slight miss on Mo’unga 67th minute that set up try.
8 Pita Gus Sowakula 7.5
Storming first run set the tone and he just kept going. Magnificent on both sides of the ball with 44 metres off 14 carries and 15 tackles. No wonder Vern Cotter, the Fijian coach is licking his lips!
9 Brad Weber 6.5
Couldn’t get his running game going tonight but was solid. Off at 65
It’s Aaron Cruden’s 100th game for the Chiefs! Big congrats to him! pic.twitter.com/VJHFQOZwAi
— Sky Sport NZ (@skysportnz) August 1, 2020
10 Aaron Cruden 7
Mixed night. Found it hard to kick for territory as the Bridge, Reece and Jordan trio made them pay on kicks into the backfield. Lovely ball to Ah Kuoi 71st minute and put his body on the line time after time. Undoubtedly a Chief’s legend. Off at 78.
11 Sean Wainui 7
Strong ball runner with low error rate. Sevu Reece’s past opponents would have cheered loudly when Wainui put a strong shot on the jack in the box early in the second half.
12 Alex Nankivell 6.5
No frills just solid running and defence.
13 Anton Lienert-Brown 6.5
Ripped Goodhue off in the tackle in the 2nd minute but it turned out to be a quiet night for the All Black, with just 7 metres running.
PLAYER RATINGS
Finn Morton rates the Saders #CHIvCRU ???https://t.co/jy87oQSq3p
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 1, 2020
14 Shaun Stevenson 6
It was a mercurial evening for the man they call Shooter. He missed matching up on Jordan for his try. Good run down the right flank after 20 minutes. Lovely scrambled save getting back in the 39th minute but then moments later got yellow carded with an optimistic slap down on a Crusaders overlap. Missed supporting runners on a break in the 49th minute as Bridge gobbled him up.
15 Damian McKenzie 7
Top run metres from either team as he injected himself well in the line. Kept a cool head slotting some nice long range penalties but as Justin Marshall remarked he has to work on his kicking from hand. To be fair the Crusaders are one of the best squads at running back the ball.
REPLACEMENTS:
16 Samisoni Taukei’aho 6
On at 56 and full of vigour with ball in hand. Just a shame his lineout work has become a liability.
17 Ollie Norris 6.5
On early at the 17th minute. Tall athletic prop, one for the future.
18 Angus Ta’avao 6
On at 60 and apart from the odd scrum hiccough looked in good knick.
19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi 6
On at 60 and quite energetic
20 Simon Parker 6.5
On at 63 with his debut and didn’t look out of place or overwhelmed by the occasion.
21 Lisato Milo-Harris 5.5
On at 65 and didn’t get the easiest of rides.
22 Kaleb Trask N/A
On at 78
23 Quinn Tupaea N/A
Chiefs player ratings
Comments on RugbyPass
The side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
4 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
4 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
4 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
4 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to comments