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Super Rugby Aoteroa: Chiefs player ratings vs Hurricanes

By Mike Rehu
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Pretty much a visit to the last chance saloon for both teams on a Sunday afternoon in Hamilton, the Chiefs (0-3) and the Hurricanes (0-2) both winless, the victor still in with a long shot in Super Rugby Aotearoa, the loser destined to play a spoiling role for the remainder of the games.

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The black and golds came off a bye and gave a heart felt welcome back to fullback Jordie Barrett and Peter Umaga-Jenson got a start at centre. The Chiefs looked strong last week against the Crusaders but they were without influential mid-fielder and talisman Anton Lienert-Brown, out with concussion.

The Chiefs went down in flames 25-18 despite a surfeit of possession (56%) and territory (61%). The Hurricanes their slight chances still alive in the competition. Here’re how the Chiefs rated.

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Dan Carter | Southbridge press conference

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Dan Carter | Southbridge press conference

1. Aidan Ross – 6.5

Solid scrum and good contribution in the open. Exemplified by a good hit on Laumape in the 36th minute, definitely an improved performance. Off at 56.

2. Bradley Slater – 6

Good tradesman at the line out and scrum.

3. Nepo Laulala – 7

Got his team out of jail in the 23rd with a scrum pen v Ben May on attacking scrum and was a rock for the set piece.

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4. Mitchell Brown – 6

Solid line out option and a real bonus with his work rate round the field.

5. Naitoa Ah Kuoi – 5.5

Energy plus curtailed with a nasty injury and off in 34th minute. Locking stocks take another hit.

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6. Lachlan Boshier – 6.5

Hasn’t had his mojo at the tackle in the last few weeks, and was outshone at the breakdown by Kirifi and Savea. Has become a good lineout option with 6 takes. Defused a promising Hurricane’s attack with an intercept at 57 minutes. Found himself out wide for the 77th minute try.

7. Sam Cane – 6

Big shots in defence, led valiantly with most Chiefs tackles. Sign that desperation bubbled with a late shoulder clatter into Perenara. Lucky not to be yellow carded, not a good look from the All Black captain.

8. Pita Gus Sowakula – 5.5

Good some good raps from the Sky commentary team as he went off at 74 mins. Certainly had some brave carries (but no real line breaks) but the Chiefs coaching team surely must be concerned at his work on the other side of the ball. Only 2 tackles for the game and an annoying miss on Laumape in lead up to Karifi’s try.

9. Brad Weber – 6.5

Looking more likely this week with some nice snipes but Tahuriorangi’s impressive return will put some pressure on him.

10. Aaron Cruden – 6

Good chips to get behind and turn the rush defence early. Didn’t show the elusiveness that made him a super threat last week, put that down to solid game plan execution from the Wellington team.

11. Etene Nanai-Seturo – 6

One of the best kick off chasers in the game. Needed to get involved more, good to see him come in for some work up the middle that led to penalty goal straight after halftime.

12. Quinn Tupaea – 5.5

Hasn’t shown his tackle busting ability for a couple of weeks and needed to tonight wearing the 12 jersey in place of Anton Lienert-Brown. Missed a tackle on Booth that led to van Wyk’s second 5-pointer. Couldn’t get ball down and desperately held up moments later. Kicking to touch on attack 30 metres out with a one man advantage? Still learning.

13. Tumua Manu – 5

Didn’t make an impression and looked very passive in contact against a physical mid-field. Off at 49.

14. Sean Wainui – 6.5

Quiet first half but played well at centre in the last half hour. Lovely pass to release Boshier for his last stanza try. Reminds me more and more of a big strong Northern Hemisphere outside back like Gareth Thomas or George North.

15. Damian McKenzie – 7

A misread on defence for van Wyk’s first try. Finally came alive and beat some tackles in the second half and gained 79 metres in total but in general well contained by the Hurricanes. Sparked a renaissance with the quick tap penalty try at 64 minutes that red-carded Scrafton.

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16. Samsoni Tauke’aho – 6.5

On 56 with a good effort up the middle and an improvement at line out time.

17. Reuben O’Neill – N/A

On 56

18. Ross Geldenhuys – 6.5

On at 55. Did his set work well and some lovely soft hands in distribution.

19. Tupou Vaa’i – 5

On at 33mins. His performance highlighted the Chiefs real problems at lock.

20. Dylan Nel – N/A

On at 74

21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi – 7

On at 65 and was at the forefront of the Chief’s comeback. Some strong running into space and looks hungry.

22. Orbyn Leger – N/A

23. Solomon Alaimalo – 6.5

On at 49 and straight into it with a brutal carry up the middle. Continued well with some strong surges on the right wing.

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J
Jon 7 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”?

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j
john 10 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.

40 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 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

40 Go to comments
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