'You take the shot at goal': Hurricanes late game management under the microscope
The Hurricanes late game decision-making has come under scrutiny following the side’s 24-21 Super Rugby Pacific defeat to the Crusaders on Saturday.
The Wellington-based franchise turned down a would-be three points with time up on the clock at Sky Stadium two days ago, instead opting to kick for touch for a lineout maul from a penalty rather than attempting to take the game into extra-time.
The team was in a long huddle deliberating the decision before assistant coach Cory Jane ran onto the field to communicate with captain Ardie Savea about the decision, presumably having been instructed to do so by those in the Hurricanes coaches box.
As such, the Hurricanes kicked to the corner and attempted a driving maul to win the game then and there, but the Crusaders contested the throw, with Scott Barrett competing with Savea for the ball in mid-air.
Both players took the ball to the ground before it became unplayable among a pile of bodies, leaving referee Brendon Pickerill to bring the game to an end.
Such a decision was surrounded by controversy, with Savea and Jordie Barrett both visibly distraught at Pickerill’s call as they felt a penalty should have been awarded for their side due to Scott Barrett’s involvement at the lineout.
However, former All Blacks wing Jeff Wilson believes the Hurricanes should never have put themselves in that position as he told The Breakdown in the wake of that match that they should have taken the shot at goal when given the chance.
Wilson argued that by taking the match to extra-time, the Hurricanes would have given themselves multiple opportunities to win the match, rather than relying on one play to score a match-winning against a Crusaders side renowned for their lineout defence.
“You take the shot at goal and give yourself multiple chances to win the game, not just one,” Wilson said as he referenced the Warriors and their extra-time heroics against the Cowboys in the NRL last Friday.
“Ask Shaun Johnson [of the Warriors]. It took them four goes [at a match-winning drop goal] on the weekend. Kick the goal, get to golden point and then all of a sudden you will get more than one opportunity to win.
“By making that decision [to kick for touch], for one play, it was against one of the best defensive lineouts in the competition. They got up and competed and made it incredibly difficult to succeed.
“I understand [the need to kick for touch] if there is no other option, but for me, this wasn’t the right one in this game.”
All Blacks centurion Mils Muliaina agreed with Wilson’s sentiments, noting his surprise that the coaches called for the kick to the corner.
“It’s not so much what you would’ve done if you are a player, I think it’s would you would have done as a coach,” Muliaina told The Breakdown.
“They’ve got the benefit of looking at the situation from upstairs. You haven’t got the hype, you can make a really calm decision.
“It’s usually the coaches that sit down and say, ‘Okay, what do we do here’, without the emotion.
“I would’ve thought they would’ve gone for a shot [at goal], and say, ‘Let’s reset and go again’, and, also, against a team that has not conceded a driving maul try, I would’ve taken the shot.
“I was really surprised the wanted to go for the sideline. That’s my point. As the coach, you get the opportunity to say, ‘Where’s the game at’, without the emotion.
“Obviously Ardie was sitting there with his players wanting to go to goal. When they sit down on Monday to talk that over, because they will, I’m sure there will be some honest words from both sides.”
Ex-All Blacks wing Sir John Kirwan was the lone panelist in favour of the Hurricanes’ decision, but instead questioned the officiating of the lineout, which saw Savea sacked and turned after a questionable contest by Barrett in the air.
Barrett grabbed onto the ball while Savea was in the air, leaving both players to tumble and spin downward.
By latching onto the ball and falling on the wrong side, Barrett prevented the Hurricanes maul from forming properly. The collapsed maul resulted in the Pickerill calling a scrum which ended the game.
“They tried to win it, they tried to win it,” Kirwan told The Breakdown.
“They had confidence in themselves. I would’ve kicked to the corner. I thought it was a great decision. However, the next thing is, was it the right decision from the referee when the player gets attacked in the air?”
Wilson said Pickerill’s decision could have fallen either way due to the ambiguity of the laws as he believed that Barrett contested the ball fairly, but noted that it could just as easily be argued that he played at Savea in the air.
“This one here was the most difficult for a referee to adjudicate. If you went to the law, and you looked at all the angles, you could possibly find a reason either way,” Wilson said.
“JK, you are saying he took him in the air, I think Scott Barrett goes for the ball at the same time Ardie Savea does. They are both holding the ball.
“It’s one of those issues where it gets complicated. All of a sudden it goes to ground, Scott Barrett then falls on the far side and then it becomes unplayable.”
Muliaina sided with Kirwan and disagreed that both players had the ball, stating Savea had secured the lineout throw before Barrett got involved before calling on the referees to make public comment about the situation.
“I disagree that both players have the ball in their hands, I think Ardie has clearly got that and got to ground first,” Muliaina told The Breakdown.
“Then Scott Barrett has come over the top of that. Yes, they are fighting for the ball, but Ardie’s clearly won that, so what is the referee looking at then?
“The disappointing part is he’s frustrated. I hope the referees come out and say something about it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The 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….
75 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments