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Why TJ Perenara is the ‘favourite’ to finish season as all-time top try scorer
Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui believes TJ Perenara is the “favourite” to finish the Super Rugby Pacific season as the all-time top try scorer after the halfback Julian Savea’s record last weekend.
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Perenara, who has played 80 test matches for New Zealand, equalled Savea’s record of 62 tries with a decisive double during the statement 36-23 win over rivals the Chiefs at Sky Stadium.
The halfback crashed over with a pick-and-drive for the first try of the night midway through the first-half before linking up with the backs for his second in the 58th minute.
That effort saw Perenara draw equal with former Hurricanes and All Blacks teammate Julian Savea, who now plays for Moana Pasifika, with both men now one score away from history.
With Savea’s Moana Pasifika on a bye this week and the Hurricanes set to play the Fijian Drua in Suva, Morgan Turinui briefly explained why Perenara will likely finish the season ahead.
“Oh he’s the dollar-20 favourite to finish the season surely in the head-to-head against Julian Savea,” Turinui explained on Stan Sports’ The Call Up.
“He’s gonna get opportunity, he’s gonna get to play deep into the backend of the season in the finals and he’s always been a great try-scoring number nine.”
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After returning from a devastating Achilles injury that had sidelined Perenara for more than 450 days, the halfback is thrived during a strong start to the season with the table-toppers.
Perenara, 32, played two matches off the bench before being handed a start against the Rebels in round five – with the scrum-half scoring a try during that big win in Palmerston North.
There’s history here and history to be made 🤝
TJ Perenara and Julian Savea both continue to wrestle atop the #SuperRugbyPacific all-time try scoring leaderboard. pic.twitter.com/3cBdUaE9PC
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) April 17, 2024
Including one score against the Highlanders a week later and that double against the Chiefs, Perenara has scored four tries in three matches and he’ll be eager to keep that going in Fiji.
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“When you’ve got a pack that’s going forward… he’s got confidence within the pack,” Rugby World Cup-winning All Black Mils Muliaina added.
“He looked really good. Even defensively… his experience really came to fruition on that night.
“We’re going to see a lot more of him.
“To score two tries on that night, pretty good.”
The Hurricanes sit in first on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with a perfect 7-0 record so far, and while Turinui believes the Drua could record an upset on Friday, Muliaina has tipped the Canes.
Coach Clark Laidlaw – who hasn’t been afraid to make mass changes this season – has gone with a fresh starting side which included a staggering 10 differences compared to last weekend.
Head-to-Head
Last 3 Meetings
Wins
1
Draws
0
Wins
2
Average Points scored
16
43
First try wins
100%
Home team wins
67%
“You would be forgiven to say you take a weakened side over there and you could be bitten. We’ve seen that already a number of times,” Muliaina explained.
“But I don’t see that with this Hurricanes side.
“The pack up front, especially the front row, they’ve gone through a lot of work in terms of Tyrel Lomax and Asafo Aumua… the fact they get a little bit of a rest.
“Flanders and Du’Plessis Kirifi, I mean… how much competition do those guys need in this department?
“Of course, Aidan Morgan – he’s been there or thereabouts. Probably a chance also for Clark Laidlaw to be able to give him some game time.
“Salesi Rayasi, we all know what he’s capable of.
“I sense, even last week after that game against the Chiefs, they’ve sort of blocked this out and almost got the feeling that these players already knew they were going to go to Suva and they’re going to be starting.
“The preparation for team has probably already started.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Not a fan of Penney to be fair as I don’t see him able to perform at SR level. However he has stepped into a bit of a mess with so many long service players leaving. No matter how good a coach us he can’t wave a magic wind and turn young pups into Crusaders in 5 mins. Wheaven to accept this is a complete rebuild of players and culture. Have some patience just as the other teams have had in years gone by
29 Go to commentsWhat is Ben’s point exactly? Cause if it’s that the ABs should’ve won that game, then yes I think every AB fan would agree with that. But the DIDN'T. You need luck to go your way and it went the Springboks way, just as it went the ABs way in 2011. Given that this article is written 6 months after the final shows that Ben is still incredibly butthurt. Time to move on Mr Smith. Maybe join something that suits your bias… i’m thinking the Australian commentary panel?
10 Go to commentsSA players and fans calling the irish arrogant, ooh the irony!!
78 Go to commentsPersonally i’d have BB off the bench and DMac as 10. BB seems to have more ‘average’ games and less ability to mix it up on the fly than DMac,
6 Go to commentsBen’s Myth History is written by the guy who does the engraving on the trophy. Took Ben six months to write this piece.
10 Go to commentsThis article should have been written immediately after the final, not half a year later. While the content of the article is accurate with the references to the cruel bounce to Savea right before the try line, Etzebeth’s cynical infringement, and the inconsistent cards, some of the hyperbole emotional statements are unnecessary and gaslighting. The fact remains that the Springboks took their scoring opportunities. They had amazing defence throughout the entire match (limiting the ABs to one try is very respectable), their scrum was pretty good and they had quite a solid lineout despite having a part-time hooker throwing the ball in. Let’s give credit where credit is due and move forward. The Springboks won because they know how to win big games through strong defence and kicking, and they had lady luck on their side on the day. The All Blacks miraculously made the final despite everyone’s predictions and could’ve won the whole damn thing with 14 men who should’ve taken better advantage of their scoring chances and committed less mistakes (shoddy lineouts, dropped balls, some poor kicks and passing, etc), and an average coach and captain with some questionable tactics (Jordie kicking for goal late in the game from a dodgy position and perhaps the wrong game plan overall). Time to move on.
10 Go to commentsThere’s no doubt the All Blacks were the better team on the day, but it’s not enough to be better, you also have to have luck.
10 Go to commentsI dunno, Ben. It does feel a little like you are just in denial that the Springboks are really good. Good enough to win two straight world cups.
10 Go to commentsAre we still talking about the World Cup final in May? The final took place more than 6 months ago. Isn’t it time to move on?
10 Go to commentsIt looks like the trauma counseling is not helping the Ben Smith troll much. He is still trying to convince his little brain that his loser team won the RWC.
10 Go to commentsOh dear, Jon. Ben Smith’s Saffer clickbait was at least backed up by some rationale!
10 Go to commentsThe more direct approach to your past time this time I see Ben. Look, it doesn’t need to be said, anyone watching the match knows the ABs played better and just got robbed by the officiating, but lets face it, their dominance in the match was only because South Africa choked and forgot how to play rugby with the ball. South Africa were still the better side. Of course Ireland and France were also better sides that New Zealand. Possibly even England on WC performances.
10 Go to commentsGreat mythology - no surprises Ox didn't talk about being driven backwards by Laulala in the RWC final!
4 Go to commentsJust shows how a hand up can help as long as the invitation is accepted. Good story.
1 Go to commentsKarma is a powerful force
22 Go to commentsFrench players said the same thing to the All Blacks after their pool match in 2011. But the French can back up their s**t talk with action.
78 Go to commentsThe problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
22 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
78 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
78 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
29 Go to comments