Super Rugby takes: Canes surprisingly stronger without Savea, Barrett deal win-win
Round eight of Super Rugby Pacific saw more teams enjoy the bye week with four fixtures on offer, including the game of the round between the Hurricanes and the Chiefs.
The Hurricanes made an emphatic statement, claiming another top five scalp. After beating the Blues, Rebels and now the Chiefs, the Hurricanes have only the Brumbies left from the top five.
The Reds fell apart in a tough scrap with Moana Pasifika, losing credibility as contenders, while the Rebels continued to ride high over the Highlanders. The Waratahs added more misery for the Crusaders.
Here are five takeaways from the week that was.
Barrett deal a win-win
News of Jordie Barrett’s NZR extension with a sabbatical clause with Leinster is a win-win for both parties. The 27-year-old is becoming one of the franchise greats for the Canes with 103 Super caps already. The only thing missing is a Super Rugby title (he debuted the year after the Hurricanes won in 2016), but that may change this year.
It’s also a rarity to see All Blacks head to Europe these days with the rise of the Japanese market, and even rarer to see an All Black head to Europe in their prime. Leinster are going to be European contenders every year, which will give Barrett the chance to test himself and play for trophies. He will no doubt return a better player.
It’s not like Leinster are short of midfielders either, with Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw contracted for 2025, so Barrett will have serious competition.
The Hurricanes have Riley Higgins waiting in the wings who is as good a midfield prospect as you can find. The 21-year-old needs to play and the door will be open to win the starting role.
Braydon Iose and Peter Lakai have to be on Razor’s radar
The Hurricanes young pair of loose forwards have been exceptional in 2024. No one would have predicted that the Hurricanes would be stronger in the loose forwards without reigning World Player of the Year Ardie Savea, but they are.
Peter Lakai at openside and Braydon Iose at No 8 has been a double-barrelled carry option. Lakai is basically a second No 8, he has played there before, and carrying is one of his best assets. Before the Chiefs game, he was equal first in dominant contact on carries along with Mark Tele’a this season.
Iose is also extremely powerful, explosive and agile with ball-in-hand. He brutally ran straight over All Black Luke Jacobson early in the first half, putting him on his back. On another carry, he adjusted for a bad pass with a spin move to evade the defence and continue on. Running off the back of the best scrum in the competition, it is unfair for opposition. He nearly had two tries on an 8 break but one was pinched by Perenara.
The pair together in the Hurricanes’ carry game is very difficult to contain. Particularly when you add in hooker Asafo Aumua out wide, the Hurricanes are stacked with power options.
If they can keep all of these players and have Savea return, it’s too early to mention a dynasty, but it starts to look intriguing if they finish the job this year.
Wallabies have to play to suit Carter Gordon
Carter Gordon has returned to 2024 with a vengeance and surrounded by new talent at the Rebels has proven himself to be one of the best attacking 10s in the competition.
His long ball is sublime, he engages the line and he isn’t afraid of the physicality. His game is getting sharper with the instinctual reads required to know when to fire shots.
He already demonstrated this talent last season but the Wallabies under Eddie Jones had him playing in a system that didn’t suit his abilities. With a forward-heavy collision game, Gordon was expected to sit back and drive the team around the park. His kicking out-of-hand was scratchy and inconsistent, meaning the few times he touched the ball he made errors.
The Wallabies need to build an attack centred around Gordon, meaning bold strike plays inside the opposition 22, an appetite for width, counter-attack, and a shape that encourages Gordon to get a high volume of touches.
Without an element of freedom to make plays and take risks Gordon will go to waste. The good news is Schmidt’s detailed style already looks to be a better match on paper.
All Blacks blessed with wingers in form
In a losing Crusaders side once again Sevu Reece showed his game-breaking ability. The pocket rocket blasted his way through halfback Jake Gordon for his first try and then fullback Max Jorgensen for his second just nine minutes in. He set up the Crusaders’ third with a line break and second touch in the movement for Dallas McLeod.
He had two try-saving plays, with a chase down on Jorgensen who had recovered a smart grubber kick and then a double effort on reserve flyhalf Will Harrison and Charlie Gamble.
He has been one of the shining lights for the Crusaders this season on return from his ACL injury.
The All Blacks are blessed with in-form finishers with Mark Tele’a, Sevu Reece, and Emoni Narawa all firing. Add in uncapped options like Kini Naholo and there is plenty to ponder for Roberston. Reece will be one of only a few All Blacks from the Crusaders.
Reece now has 52 tries for the Crusaders, equal first with Caleb Ralph for the club record, and looks set to break into the top 10 all-time try scorers in Super Rugby this season. Stirling Mortlock, Bryan Habana, Christian Cullen and Ma’a Nonu all have 56. He has six on the season already and needs four more to join them.
Defence the biggest issue for Highlanders and Crusaders
Both the South Island teams have a soft underbelly that surfaces too much during games, as far as professional teams go.
The Crusaders’ lazy ruck defenders were to blame for the Waratahs’ first try to Lachie Swinton. They basically waved the Tahs through, walking with no urgency or awareness. After conceding two penalty goals they made a decent goal-line stand in the 26th minute before conceding a penalty and maul try to give up the lead.
On half-time Tahs’ winger Dylan Pietsch burst up the middle on a set play after a scrum. The retreating Crusaders pack were all over the shop. Only a poor offload saved them from conceding. These lapses in the first few phases of setting the defensive line are a serious vulnerability that needs to be addressed.
The Highlanders were unable to hold their own against the Rebels. Whilst Darby Lancaster came up with three quick strikes with pieces of brilliance, the tries conceded to Carter Gordon were indicative of a tired wall that just gave up after conceding lots of ground.
The Landers gave up 47 points and the Crusaders 43. No team can win a battle let alone a championship without a defence.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
60 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
60 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
60 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
60 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
60 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
60 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
60 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
60 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
60 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
60 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
60 Go to comments