Sonny Bill Williams on the burst for the Blues against the Stormers. Photo / Photosport
Sonny Bill Williams on the burst for the Blues against the Stormers. Photo / Photosport
Ten talking points from Super Rugby, and a team picked only on form in the weekend.
IT AIN'T WHAT YOU DO, IT'S THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT
Beating the Stormers 24-9 at Eden Park was impressive enough. Better still for the Blues was the fact that the tally of improvements in how they're playing keeps clicking up. In the drive that led up to Otere Black's vital try halfway through the second half nobody, as has happened so often in recent seasons, made a dick out of himself trying to be a try-scoring hero. Along with brick wall defence, it spoke volumes of players believing in, and trusting, each other.
BACK OF THE WEEK
Rieko Ioane. As Richie McCaw has been known to say, "Crikey." This season, Ioane alone is worth the price of admission to Eden Park.
Patrick Tuipulotu. When Tuipulotu was 12, Herald journalist Simon Wilson helped coach him. Five weeks ago Simon wrote that when Tuipulotu was a kid "you could see had reservations about pain —receiving it and inflicting it." Bet that Eden Etzebeth, a terrific, tough lock for the Stormers and Springboks, wishes Tuipulotu had never overcome that aversion. The tackle Tuipulotu made on Etzebeth 13 minutes into the second half was the sort of shuddering, brutal, bone jarring stop that makes coaches beam and puts a spring into teammates' steps.
Blues co-captain Patrick Tuipulotu was immense. Photo / Photosport
It took just 40 minutes of watching Kieran Read powering upfield, perfectly setting up rucks, and slipping offloads, to remind us what a great player the man is. I've picked Akira Ioane ahead of Read in the team of the week because Ioane had a blinder against the Stormers. But the great thing with Read is that you know, 100 per cent, that he'll get better and better with match fitness, and can turn on his form on the biggest stages, just as he did at the World Cups in 2011 and 2015.
WELCOME BACK TOO, SONNY BILL
Why do the All Black selectors like Sonny Bill Williams so much? Check out the try to Black in the second half of the Blues win over the Stormers. Williams' slight delay, and then his perfect pass out of a tackle to Black, was a shining example of the skills that go with the huge frame.
AND A BIG WELCOME BACK TO YOU GUYS ALSO
A piece of Zen wisdom from Steve Hansen, quoting his late father Des. "Your tactics are determined by the opposition." The real Crusaders were back as they beat the Hurricanes, 32-8, in Wellington. And, as great teams do, every time the Canes had a moment of flakiness (and they had a few), the Crusaders were as ruthless as a pride of lions hunting out the weakest member of a wildebeest herd, flawlessly knocking off tries. They remain the gold standard in the competition.
WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE
The debate over Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo'unga will burn even brighter after Mo'unga's stellar form in Wellington. The contrast been the more orthodox first-five (Mo'unga) and the crazily quick attacker (Barrett) does trigger memories of the great Andrew Mehrtens-Carlos Spencer controversy of the early 2000s. That one was never really resolved. Cantabrians blamed Spencer for the 2003 World Cup semifinal loss. Aucklanders were harsh on Mehrtens after the 1999 semifinal defeat by France. In 2019? If I had to bet it'd be on Barrett starting at the Cup in Japan, with Mo'unga the clean-up guy in 10, while Barrett moves to fullback.
COACH KILLER
The dropped ball by Chiefs' wing Solomon Alaimalo that led to the try by Matias Orlando, and put the Jaguares in front, 27-23, with eight minutes to go in Buenos Aires.
The precision in the 78th minute when replacement No.8 Taleni Seu ran a perfect line off a scrum for Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi to score the try, and the Chiefs to win 30-27.
THAT SURNAME LOOKS FAMILIAR
Damian McKenzie in action against the Jaguares. Photo / Getty
They breed them pretty tough down south, none more so than the McKenzie brothers, Damian and Marty. We can all marvel at how they look half the size of the behemoths they're usually facing, and always emerge unscathed. Not as much commented on in the revival of the Chiefs' fortune is that moving Marty into first-five looks like a masterstroke. Damian has the brilliance, but Marty settles the whole show.
Finally, a squad picked only on form in the weekend:
Fullback: Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) Right wing: Braydon Ennor (Crusaders) Centre: Jack Goodhue (Crusaders) Second five: Sonny Bill Williams (Blues) Left wing: Rieko Ioane (Blues) First five: Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders) Halfback: Brad Weber (Chiefs) No.8: Akira Ioane (Blues) Flanker: Matt Todd (Crusaders) Flanker: Tom Robinson (Blues) Lock: Sam Whitelock (Crusaders) Lock: Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues) Tighthead prop: Ofa Tuungafasi (Blues) Hooker: Codie Taylor (Crusaders) Loosehead prop: Karl Tu'inukuafe (Blues)
Reserves: David Havili (Crusaders), Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes), Bryn Hall (Crusaders), Kieran Read (Crusaders), Scott Barrett (Crusaders), Aidan Ross (Chiefs), Ben May (Hurricanes), Nathan Harris (Chiefs)
