Hurricanes storm past Crusaders

On Saturday night the Hurricanes took on the Crusaders in Wellington, in what was really a must-win

game for both franchises. After losing to the Hurricanes in round seven, the Crusaders were looking to even the score but came up short, with the Hurricanes taking out the game 16-9.

The Crusaders were the under-dogs going into the game, missing captain Richie McCaw through a rib injury, and explosive outside back Nemani Nadolo, who was on duty for the Fijian national team. From the start of the game, one had the sense that the Hurricanes were going to be too strong for the Crusaders to beat, even with the early losses of Victor Vito (calf) and Alapati Leiua (ankle).

While the Crusaders were the dominant team at the set piece, the Hurricanes were powerful when on defense, and threatening when on attack. Julian Savea was at his typical best and made a few storming runs which had the crowd on their feet and screaming. I was very surprised when the final whistle blew and Savea didn't have a try to his name... or three tries!

The Hurricanes forwards were also dominant; Brad Shields in particular, had an impressive game, forcing turnovers and he stole the ball on more than one occasion. It was great to see him have a decent stint on the field, after a season plagued by injuries.

No write-up about the game would be complete without mentioning Blade Thomson. Not only was he effective on both attack and defense, he also scored the Hurricanes' two tries... not only is it rare to see the Hurricanes forwards scoring tries, it is even rarer to see one scoring two tries! I, for one, am looking forward to seeing him in the amber and black of Taranaki in the ITM Cup!

Hurricanes' first five, Beauden Barrett, had an uncharacteristically bad night with the boot, kicking at 66% after missing 3/5 attempts at goal. Unlike Barrett, Crusaders first five Colin Slade had a perfect night with the boot, slotting 3/3 before he went off in the second half with concussion. Slade was replaced by Dan Carter, in his first appearance since coming back from sabbatical. Carter's performance wasn't particularly memorable, but it was good to see him back in red and black!

The game was predictably a very physical one. A scuffle between Dane Coles and Andy Ellis turned into an all-out brawl, with most players on the field either involved in the scuffle, or trying to break it up. The ref spoke to both captains, but there were no yellow cards resulting from the brawl.

A yellow card was however given to Matt Todd, early in the first half, for entering the ruck from the side. After his ten minutes in the naughty chair, Todd returned and went on to give the most complete performance by any of the Crusaders forwards. He made a 18 tackles, the most of any Crusader, and third only to Ardie Savea and Ben Lam (both with 20). As well having the highest number of tackles, Todd also ran the most metres (38) of any of the Crusaders.

Neither team gave a perfect performance. The Crusaders were great at lineout and scrum time, but they made far too many handling errors, seeming to only ever go a maximum of five phases before dropping the ball or knocking it on. The Hurricanes were the opposite. Their scrum was – let's face it – awful, their lineout was marginally better, but their handling was GOOD. Had the Crusaders' handling been better, they could have won the game. Had the Hurricanes been better at the set piece, they could have won the game by a far more sizeable margin.

The Crusaders' seeming reluctance to use players off the bench is potentially another reason they failed to secure the win. Luke Whitelock was having an off night and should have been replaced at half time by Kieran Read. Slade, while having a good night kicking for goal, had a shocker of a night when it came to kicking for touch, with hardly any of his attempts being successful. I was surprised (as was the rest of the nation, it seemed) that he wasn't replaced until well into the second half, and then it was only because of his concussion test.

In all, the game was a bit of a let-down for me. And not just because the Crusaders lost! I was hoping for a fast-paced, high-scoring game full of lots of flashy running. I wanted it to be a thriller, a game that came down to the last second (think Highlanders v Crusaders from round 15). I wanted try after try after try. Alas, it was not on the cards.

Am I sad the Crusaders lost? Yes. Am I worried about the Crusaders' finals hopes? Yes. Do I think the best team won on the night though? Yes. Yes I do.

All Blacks v England - in review

(also published on Pink Rugby)

The All Blacks have recently wound up their series against England, coming away with a 3-0 winning streak. As one would predict, as one would hope. But it wasn't all smooth sailing, far from it

actually...

Test 1 and test 2 were both down to the wire and in reality, the All Blacks were lucky to secure two wins. I felt that in the first test in particular, the All Blacks were outplayed by the English, and it was pure luck that they somehow got more points than the English. The second game was more evenly contested, but the English were very unlucky to not win after their second half comeback.

Test 3 was the one game that gave All Blacks fans some hope. There was a notable improvement in both their attacking and defensive game, and for the first time in the series, the All Blacks looked like the All Blacks.

The backs were especially impressive:

• 
  Julian Savea was on fire, smashing through the English like they were five year olds (scoring three tries on the way)
• Cory Jane had one of his best games in the last couple of years
• Aaron Smith was good with ball in hand – and scored two tries - but his kicking game leaves a lot to be desired
• Malakai Fekitoa made his starting debut for the All Blacks and he didn't look out of place in the #13 jersey. He made some powerful runs and worked well with Ma'a Nonu. This is one guy that you can say deserved his place in the All Blacks, without a doubt. I bet John Kirwan is kicking himself for dropping Malakai from the Blues! He has been more outstanding for the Highlanders in 2014, than the Blues team in its entirety!
• Ben Smith overtook Israel Dagg as the first choice fullback. How could he not? Smith's game – attacking, defensive and kicking - has been far more comprehensive and complete in 2014, and his performance on Saturday night confirmed that. Steve Hansen needs to stop playing him on the wing, it is a waste of his talents. Here's hoping Hansen and co have given up on the idea of playing him at #13! Easily the player of the series.

After the first test the English media were very quick to pounce, suggesting (proclaiming?) the All Blacks had lost their 'aura', and were no longer the peak of rugby perfection. What they failed to take into account was the fact that prior to the first test, the All Blacks had had a total of FOUR training sessions together. No team can be expected to play cohesively and impressively after four training sessions. After the second test, the English media spoke of a 'much improved' All Blacks team, and after the third test? The English media were extremely quiet.

So where does this leave the All Blacks, in the lead up to the Rugby Championship?

Simply, I think the All Blacks are in a good position for the Rugby Championship. If you compare their performance in the first test, with their performance in the third test, the improvement was vast. It was almost as if they were two completely different teams. That just goes to show how quickly the All Blacks develop as a team when they have a decent amount of time together.

A lot was made of the All Blacks' less than impressive first couple of tests, but I think it was a good

thing for them to have such tough opposition first up. All Blacks supporters tend to expect the All Blacks to win by a convincing margin in every single game they play. The reality is, NO team can win every game, and NO team can make it through the season without being challenged. It is GOOD for the All Blacks to have three tough tests first up, because it better prepares them for games against South Africa and Australia, which are sure to be tough contests!

All Blacks v France... As I Saw It...

(also published on Pink Rugby)

The wifey and I drove to New Plymouth for the third test

The All Blacks came away from their recent Steinlager Series against les Bleus having won all three

Who doesn't love a good haka?

tests. It was to be expected. The French did, however, prove to be very worthy opponents, particularly in game one and game three, making the All Blacks work for both wins.

This is what went down...

Game 1 – Eden Park (Auckland)

score: 23-13

This game was a very physical but scrappy one, with both teams making a lot of mistakes and appearing unable to string anything fluent together. It was the first game for the All Blacks – who had only had three training sessions prior to the game – so the scrappy, mistake prone play was to be expected. New Zealand won the game 2 tries to 1, and though it was a messy game, it was quite clear there was a lot better to come from the All Blacks.

Tries: Aaron Smith, Sam Cane

Stand out player: Ben Smith – set up one try and made 95 running metres. Very dangerous running with ball in hand!

Oh Captain, Our Captain...
Richie McCaw was in the stands watching the 3rd test
... no doubt wishing he could get out on the field
& get the job done!

Game 2 – [the new] AMI Stadium (Christchurch)

score: 30-0

Without a doubt, the All Blacks best game of the series - holding the French scoreless in a great defensive effort - which was matched by their attacking prowess. Large improvements had been made from the week beforehand, the team starting to look more like the All Blacks that the country know and love. Even without Dan Carter or Richie McCaw on the team. The backs put on an excellent display, with all three tries to the home team, being scored by backs.

Tries: Julian Savea, Ben Smith, Beauden Barrett

Stand out player: Israel Dagg – great under the high ball and found plenty of space behind the French defence when returning kicks. Made some threatening runs with the ball toward the end.

Man of the series, Ben Smith

Game 3 – Yarrow Stadium (New Plymouth)

Score: 24-9

While this game was a step up in comparison with their first test performance, it was a lacklustre affair in comparison to the second test. There was an apparent lack of attacking continuity and the All Blacks were unable to string together enough phases to look threatening. Dan Carter's performance with the boot was a little off – earning him lots of boos from the New Plymouth crowd – all anxious for hometown hero Beauden Barrett to get on the field. When Barrett did eventually make it on the field – with two minutes left on the clock - he rewarded his thousands of fans by scoring his second try in as many weeks. Coach Steve Hansen had said earlier in the week that three new caps would get 'plenty' of game time in the second half, but due to the All Blacks (it has to be said) crappy performance, the new caps weren't put on until there were only 10 minutes left on the clock.

It must have been a painful experience for Richie McCaw, who was watching from the stands.

Hometown hero & scorer of tries
Beauden Barrett

Tries: Ben Smith, Beauden Barrett

Stand out player: Ben Smith – the clear cut performer of the night. High workrate, some explosive running, and a nice little try at the end of the first half. Even made a few good kicks throughout the night.

To sum it all up...

Player of the series: Ben Smith.

He was the only player that went from strength to strength with each game, and consistently impressed in all aspects of his game.

Question answered: Super XV form – can they step up?

Ma'a Nonu and Israel Dagg BOTH stepped up to the mark in the black jersey, after less-than-impressive Super XV campaigns, to date. It was [a great] relief to see.

Question asked: Super XV form – why can't they step up?

So why the hell can't Ma'a Nonu or Israel Dagg perform at their peak for their franchises? Is it a case of them both being with the wrong franchise?

And a related question asked: Ma'a Nonu, what the hell were you thinking?

After an encouraging test series with the All Blacks, Ma'a Nonu came off the bench for the Highlanders against the Crusaders, and ended his Super XV season. Spear tackles are NEVER cool, Nonu. NEVER. You deserved that red card. Know what else isn't cool? A head high tackle on Dan Carter, earning you an off field yellow card to add to your pretty array of cards received this season.

That leads me to another related question asked: Where to from here, for Nonu?

Mr Todd, looking VERY good in black

Will Ma'a Nonu be left franchiseless after this year's Super XV is (officially) over? The man causes nothing but trouble wherever he goes. The Highlanders will be better off without him, and I'm going to go as far as to say that the NZRU will be better off without him on their books, as well.

What I learnt, on a personal level: Matt Todd looks spectacular in the black jersey. I hope to see him in it more often. Also, for a white boy he has a surprisingly fierce haka face.

And on a final note: Kudos to the St Johns team at Yarrow Stadium, and the staff at Taranaki Base Hospital Emergency Department. Your great service and treatment almost made my sprained ankle an enjoyable experience.

Okay, a final final note: Be careful when climbing over seats to get to your assigned seat at the rugby. Take special care to look out for uneven ground, which you could potentially stand on awkwardly, and then sprain your ankle. Just saying.

Movember Mo-Men (week 4)

I saved (some of) the best until last!

Movember 22nd - Julian Savea
... another one who does the mo relatively well.

Movember 23rd - Stephen Donald
... the man won the RWC2011 for New Zealand...
even if the mo looked dreadful I would be full of praise.

Movember 24th - Sam Whitelock
Falls under the category of SURPRISE MO!
and doesn't look half bad...
Still in existance post Dec 1st as well!

Movember 25th - Israel Dagg & Richie McCaw.  feat. Prince William.
I'm sure that Prince William felt that Izzy's mo-nstrosity took some of the
attention way from his receding hairline... the same can be said about Izzy's
receding hairline too... nicely played Iz, nicely played.

Movember 26th - Aaron Smith
quite possibly the most surprising of all the moustaches...
relativley thick & dark for such a little fella...
VOTE PEDRO!

Movember 27th - Conrad Smith
Conrad was going for 'cop mo' look, circa 1960's-1970's
& as a tribute to his father!  how sweet

Movember 28th - Kieran Read
... another one for whom the mo doesn't look dreadful
but he looks a lot better with scruff!

Movember 29th - Luke Romano
considering the man has size 17 flippers (sorry, feet),
I thought his mo would be a lot more epic...

And naturally, the VERY best was saved for the VERY last day of Movember...  And I post these photos in honour of my fiancée, who I believe has become very fond of the McAwful/McAwesome mo!  Somehow he managed to pull it off.  The wearing of the mo, I mean.  He didn't pull the actual mo off.  That would hurt.

Movember 30th - Mr Movember himself, Richie McCaw

It's only appropriate to finish off with Lauriel's favourite movember McAwesome mo...