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Social media goes wild as 'Jerome Kaino 2.0' carries a third of the Crusaders team with him to score a rampaging try
All the talk in the early stages of Super Rugby Aotearoa has concerned the young players putting their hands up for debut selections in the All Blacks squad but it was one of the (slightly) more experienced who re-announced himself to the world on Saturday night.
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The Blues’ Hoskins Sotutu, Cullen Grace of the Crusaders and Highlanders man Marino Mikaele Tu’u have all received plenty of praise for their performances in 2020 but it was 9-cap All Blacks Shannon Frizell who brought the Highlanders to life in their match-up with the Crusaders.
Frizell earned his first call-up to the New Zealand national team in 2018 after only migrating to the country from Tonga three years prior. While the rangey loose forward has clocked up a few tests here and there for the All Blacks over the last two years, he’s operated as a bit of a dark horse in 2020.
That dark horse status is well and truly gone after his barnstorming showing against the Highlanders’ northern rivals.
Frizell started the match by expertly reclaiming the first-up Highlanders kick-off and went about his business like a demented mole in the early stages of the game.
It was right at the end of the first quarter that Frizell really made his mark, however.
The Highlanders were attacking the Crusaders on the right-hand flank and powerful carries from Jona Nareki and Dillon Hunt handed the home team possession inside the Crusaders’ 22. From there, Aaron Smith’s bullet pass found Frizell 10 metres out from the goal line and the former Tongan age-grade footballer exploded onto the ball.
Frizell made contact with six defenders on the way to the Crusaders line and carried five of them over the chalk as he slammed the ball down for a try.
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Moments later, Frizell was stripping a Crusaders attacker in the carry while his defensive work was impressive throughout the first 40 minutes of the match.
Unsurprisingly, social media went wild in response to Frizell’s performance:
NZ rugby fans: Man these young loosies Grace and Sotutu are the future!
Shannon Frizell: *ahem* Hold my beer. pic.twitter.com/rBqhjBl80D
— Koro Vaka'uta (@The_KorOcle) July 4, 2020
Shannon Frizell really is Jerome Kaino 2.0 #HIGvCRU
— Chrumner Smith (@cs0mnersmith) July 4, 2020
The power of Shannon Frizell to score that.
Seven metres of a carry after beating the first defender.
A perfect example to young players on taking contact on your terms and fighting through contact. #HIGvCRU
— The Loose Head (@TheLooseH) July 4, 2020
The break seems to have re-invigorated the Highlanders, after some great play Frizell drags about 4 Crusaders players over the line. TMO pending, checking a possible knock-on. #SuperRugbyAotearoa #HIGvCRU
— Bottomless Rugby (@BTL_Rugby) July 4, 2020
Try all day long! Barnstorming run from Frizell! #HIGvCRU
— Cornflake (@CornflakeBTP) July 4, 2020
That is an absolutely unreal finish from Frizell! #HIGvCRU
— Russell Rhicard-Tierney (@andthefoxsays) July 4, 2020
Frizell putting his hand up
— Lou ♤ (@loumnandi) July 4, 2020
Anything you can do I can do better 😂😂 Try to Shannon Frizell!#HIGvCRU #SuperRugbyAotearoa #OffSeasonTourOfDuty#TassieProud #FinzUp 🦈 pic.twitter.com/xBZjxD6d8o
— Tasman Mako 🦈 (@TasmanMako) July 4, 2020
https://twitter.com/IssieAtch/status/1279317948839198720
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🇹🇴 power
Mean try #HIGvCRU
— P (@PTMLSM91) July 4, 2020
Shannon Frizell seems to be everywhere!! #HIGCRU #SuperRugbyAotearoa #AotearoaNZ 🏉
— Adam Clapp (@Clappy678) July 4, 2020
Shannon Frizell is one hard guy….that drive yo!! #HIGCRU
— Frank Degzi Kidega (@TheRealDegzi) July 4, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
5 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
5 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
2 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
116 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
2 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
4 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
116 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to comments