Rugby: 14 of the finest

The Chiefs finally made a Super rugby final after 14 frustrating years. Photo / Getty Images

Like the previous two seasons, this Super 14 was a slow burner, taking until the second half of the season to ignite the public's imagination. Early on it looked like New Zealand would struggle to have any representation in the playoffs yet by season's end there were three. Dylan Cleaver picks his 14 most compelling storylines of the Super 14.

14. Shades of grey at the Lions
Despite committing to anti-racism messages at Ellis Park and on their website, Lions assistant coach Leon Boshoff falls on his sword after invective-laced tirade at Earl Rose and Lawrence Sephaka, two black players, after a mauling at the hands of the Stormers. But to show that things are not always black and white in South Africa, he was cleared of making racist comments.

13. Victor Vito's fall and rise
"In my first game I ran around like a headless chicken," said Vito of his Super rugby debut against the Waratahs. Colin Cooper had little need for chickens, beheaded or not, and sent him off to play sevens for a while. When he returned he started to become the player everybody hoped he would. Against the Reds he was irresistible with the ball in hand, singular, and crunching on defence. Is now officially an All Black-in-waiting.

12. Neutral refs?
It's an admirable concept, having the best refs officiate, no matter the nationality, but it is also fraught. The best example came late in the Sharks-Blues clash at Eden Park when NZ assistant referee Chris Pollock not once, but twice, informed South African referee Marius Jonker that a Sharks player was offside as the Blues pressed for a try. Jonker not once, but twice, disregarded Pollock's advice and the Sharks raced the length of the field and scored a match-sealing try. It was poor refereeing and inevitably raised questions about impartiality.

11. Cheet-ahed
How do think Sir Alex Ferguson would react if he was handed this draw for the 2009-10 Premiership season: vs Manchester City (a); vs Portsmouth (a); vs Tottenham (a); vs Arsenal (a); vs Chelsea (a); vs West Ham (a); bye; vs Aston Villa (h)? The smart money would be on him turning the air blue, marching straight into the FA's offices and throwing chairs, PCs and whatever he could get his hands on before the army's Tactical Response Unit arrived. This is what the Cheetahs were lumped with: vs Lions (a); vs Force (a); vs Reds (a); vs Hurricanes (a); vs Blues (a); vs Highlanders (a); bye; vs Brumbies (h). Outrage at Sanzar's offices? No, just world-weary apathy.

10. Siti's shoulder
The All Blacks best winger and the man on whom the Chiefs piggy-backed on their way to the final suffered what appeared to be an innocuous knock in their semifinal victory against the Hurricanes. Not so innocuous, as it turned out. Sitiveni Sivivatu not only missed this morning's final with a dislocated shoulder but could miss most of the international season.

9. Blackadder Rides Fourth
It was never going to be easy filling the leisure suit of Robbie Deans... and it wasn't. Local legend Todd Blackadder rode into town on a wave of warm sentiments, carrying a bag full of rugby cliches, but halfway through the competition the goodwill was starting to evaporate, especially after a turgid 0-6 loss to the neighbouring Highlanders. They were awful to watch, but slowly started to expand their ambitions. They scraped into the semifinals in fourth spot and were rewarded' with a trip to Pretoria for a semifinal where they engaged the Bulls in the match of the tournament. They lost, but their lustre had at least been restored.

8. Bonus points
Many would argue that the Crusaders had no right playing that semifinal. The Waratahs, who seemed to be in competition with the Crusaders for the least attractive team of the tournament until the final rounds, won nine games, the Crusaders eight but scraped in with two more bonus points. Even if you happen to think the bonus point is a valid tool for creating more entertaining rugby via the four-try system, how do you defend the Crusaders getting a point out of a 0-6 loss? Who can justify the Blues getting two points for losing at home to the Reds? You can't, because there should be no system where you achieve as many points for a loss (four tries, finish within seven points) as you can for a draw. Perhaps we need the French system where you gain a bonus point for scoring three or more tries than the opposition.

7. Super 15... Yay!
So the Sanzar partners are sitting around the table, talking. They're discussing what a hard sell Super rugby has become. Then someone pipes up, "I know, let's give them more of the same dressed slightly differently but this time we'll throw another contrived Australian franchise into the mix." Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

6. A Spies story
That South Africa won the World cup without Pierre Spies, who was ruled out with blood clots on his lungs, should strike fear into the hearts of those wanting to prevent Springbok back-to-back victories in 2011. His try against the Crusaders in the semifinal was an encapsulation of his skills and power. He's good and he knows it. In a story that appeared in SA Rugby he was asked: "Who is the best No 8 in world rugby?" "That player is still in the making. It's me." Are you going to argue?

5. The combustion of the Blues
A familiar storyline, this. A talented squad chock-full of All Blacks (10), equal with the Hurricanes for the most of any New Zealand franchise, the Blues suffered from a chronic lack of leadership in key positions and the arrested development of players, such as Kurtis Haiu and Jerome Kaino, who have promised much and delivered little. Blues fans could take heart, but not too much, that Pat Lam endured a miserable first season in charge of Auckland before turning it around.

4. Hurricanes choke... again
You can only assume Colin Cooper has spent many restless hours pondering his Hurricanes' hard-to-swallow, kick-and-chase game plan at Waikato Stadium last weekend. If he hasn't, then he should. The ultra-talented Hurricanes reinforced the belief that they are Super rugby's premier chokers by falling to an undermanned Chiefs side. Even more worrying at a national level was the ineffectiveness of skipper Rodney So'oialo over the past month. The man looks worn down to the quick. He has missed vital tackles, struggled to make, let alone break, the advantage line and his leadership at Hamilton was lacking. Give the man a break.

3. Boys behaving badly
Rene Ranger, David Smith, Taniela Moa and Sione Lauaki found themselves answering questions from those in uniform over the past year... and we're not talking the Salvation Army here. You have to wonder how long it will take to get through to young sportsmen that it's a bad career move to fall foul of the law. At least Lauaki found a better outlet for his pent-up anger - Rodney So'oialo.

2. Death in Durban
Has there ever been a more emotional setting for a rugby match than the Brumbies vs Stormers, coming in the week when the Brumbies learned a popular teammate had succumbed to the injuries he had picked up in a hit and run accident in Durban two weeks earlier? Shawn Mackay, R.I.P.

1. Chiefs at the big dance
It took 14 long, sometimes excruciatingly long, years for the Chiefs to make the final, becoming the last New Zealand franchise to do so. Chiefs used to be a byword for futility and because of that they have become a little like the Chicago Cubs (title drought 101 years) in baseball - everybody's second favourite team.