Phil Gifford lists six talking points from the controversial, fascinating Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals.
Finals fever arrives
Super Rugby without the South Africans can see round-robin weekends where match-ups have all the pizzazz of a wet Sunday playing Scrabble.
The quarter-finals, on the other hand, had a bit ofeverything. A dream match-up guaranteed next weekend between the Crusaders and the Blues. A stunning underdog effort from the eighth-placed Reds against the top-of-the-table Chiefs. And, in what may be the most lasting memory of the weekend, Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea choking back tears after a brutal refereeing call in Canberra.
Having replayed 11 times the refusal to award an injury time match-winning try to Savea, that left the Brumbies 37-33 victors over the Canes, it looked to me that replays showed Savea had touched down for the try.
Referees this season have been encouraged to make on-field calls. As a result, when Nic Berry said it wasn’t a try, the TMO would have needed a crystal clear shot on screen to overrule him.
When Savea crossed the line Berry would have needed X-ray vision to see if he’d got the ball down. Berry was behind a pile-up of bodies, not facing Savea, when Savea crossed the line.
If Berry had told the TMO, “I’m not sure”, would there have been a different call? We’ll never know.
After strolling to a 41-12 win over the Waratahs at Eden Park, the Blues head to Christchurch to play what should be a semifinal for the ages on Friday.
Historic rivalry? By the bucketload, going back to the massive 1998 Eden Park upset when the Crusaders won their first title. Brothers at war? Scott Robertson and Leon McDonald were teammates and later coaching partners for the Crusaders. Nothing’s quite as intense as mates wanting to one-up each other. A war of words? Blues’ captain Dalton Papali’i says “The blood gets a bit more boiled after a while” when the city boys go to Christchurch.
Expect a sell-out, fierce crowd. I can vouch for the fact that, contrary to what Aucklanders may think, Christchurch people don’t believe the Devil lives in Auckland. But they do suspect that he visits there a lot.
Leicester Fainga'anuku of the Crusaders and Dalton Papali'i of the Blues. Photo / Getty Images
Almost the biggest Super upset ever
In theory, the Reds had as much chance of tipping over the Chiefs in Hamilton as Boris Johnson does of a return to power in Britain.
Instead, it was a white knuckle roller coaster for the Chiefs, who had to hang on tight to get the victory, 29-20.
But it wasn’t media coach speak from Chiefs’ coach Clayton McMillan when he said the close shave with the Reds was better for his team than an easy cruise to the semifinal with the Brumbies in Hamilton on Saturday.
There’s nothing that sharpens players’ minds, and stiffens their resolve, than a big scare in a knockout game.
The stars shone
While the Chiefs had some problems in the forward battle, two of their dashing backs were on fire.
At a crucial time for All Blacks selection, with the first squad of the year named next weekend, Shaun Stevenson and Emoni Narawa were dynamic. There are areas in the All Blacks that look thin. The locking stocks depend heavily on Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock staying healthy. But the selectors are spoilt for choice in the back three.
The Crusader casualty ward
This has been a year when the Crusaders’ changing shed only needed Dr Ropata to stroll in to resemble a rugby version of Shortland Street’s emergency room.
It felt grimly appropriate that they’d finish the game in Christchurch against the Fijian Drua with just 13 men on the field. (In Super Rugby a player tactically subbed off is not allowed back on as an injury replacement).
Ten of the Crusaders’ squad are unavailable with injury, and there have been 14 debutant players this season.
The game with the Drua was really over in the first 13 minutes, when the Crusaders had streaked to a 21-0 lead. The 49-8 win was inevitable. Richie Mo’unga, as always a key man in directing play, noted later that it was essential the Crusaders make their statement early, before the Drua could exploit “any chaos” with counter-attacks.
What happens next Friday night in Christchurch may depend a lot on reports this week from the Crusaders’ medical team.
