1
Wild final minutes sees drop goals decide Super Rugby Aotearoa opener
Highlanders 28
Chiefs 27
Bryn Gatland’s late dropped goal ensured the Highlanders will celebrate Dunedin’s world-first rugby union return with a courageous victory over the Chiefs as Super Rugby Aotearoa made its somewhat frustrating debut.
ADVERTISEMENT
For all the late drama, which saw Gatland turn match-winner and hand his father, Chiefs coach Warren, defeat, rugby’s return in the deep south after a three-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic was not an immediate success from a spectacle perspective as both teams grappled to come to grips with the referee’s new focus on the breakdown.
Tonight at least, the Highlanders won’t be complaining after their campaign got off to the perfect start. In the end, having scored three tries to two and enjoying the better of the match, they fully deserved their win after also surviving two yellow cards.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBXqlJOAM8N/
The first glance at the crackdown on the breakdown rules sparked a string of penalties as players learned the hard way there will be no wriggle room in this new competition. Referee Paul Williams dished out 30 penalties which often stunted the game’s flow just as it threatened to move through the gears in pristine conditions under the roof. The near-constant whistle brought a frustrating element to this contest, and is sure to be a talking point as teams attempt to adjust.
Twice the Highlanders were reduced to 14 men as wing Jona Nareki and fullback Vilimoni Koroi, a late call up to the starting line-up after an injury to one-test All Blacks first-five Josh Ioane, were sent to the sin bin. Koroi in particular was fortunate to only receive a yellow card on debut for a nasty tip tackle.
Subscribe to Premium
The Chiefs rolled the dice by starting Aaron Cruden on the bench and they were also missing captain Sam Cane. Coming out of the break, they were disjointed for large patches. Their ball control, discipline and set piece all struggled to deliver quality possession but their late comeback almost stole the game.
Anton Lienert-Brown’s late try after some slick handling from Aaron Cruden gave Damian McKenzie the chance to snatch the lead but he dragged the 73rd minute conversion wide.
ADVERTISEMENT
McKenzie then stepped up to nail his own dropped goal to give the Chiefs the lead, only for Gatland to return the favour with a clutch strike and hand the Highlanders the victory.
Playing in front of a passionate crowd over 20,000, and intent on righting frustrations from earlier in the season, the Highlanders were always going to arrive with purpose.
They did just with their forward pack, the lineout in particular, leading the way. Ash Dixon hit his targets and claimed the first try of the competition from one of many rolling mauls that the Highlanders executed superbly.
Sio Tomkinson joined the party as he profited from a brilliant angled run and offload from midfield partner Rob Thompson to push the Highlanders out to a 15-6 lead after 22 minutes.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chiefs’ ill-discipline proved costly – Pita Gus Sowakula pinged twice in two minutes as he attempted to adjust to the new focus on the breakdown laws. The visitors also lost lock Mitchell Brown to injury midway through the first half which disrupted their lineout options, but Sean Wainui’s long-range try in which the Chiefs were at their best sweeping the ball from both sides of the field closed the margin.
Koroi’s yellow card absence went largely unpunished – the Chiefs only collecting three points while the Highlanders managed to cross though No 8 Marino Mikaele Tu’u just before the break to take a 22-16 lead into halftime.
In the second spell the stop start nature of the match limited the Chiefs ability to build any form of momentum, leaving Warren Gatland plenty to work on before next week.
Highlanders 28 (Ash Dixon, Sio Tomkinson, Marino Mikaele Tu’u tries; Mitchell Hunt 2 cons, 2 pens, Bryn Gatland dropped goal)
Chiefs 27 (Sean Wainui, Anton Lienert-Brown tries, Damian McKenzie con, 4 pens, dropped goal)
HT: 22-16
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments