Savea starts tomake an impact
When Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett step up, the Hurricanes are a different side.
The All Blacks flanker will take time to hit last year’s heights in terms of form, but the win against the Chiefs on Saturday was a big step forward. Savea won one crucial turnover on his own line and opened the throttle a few times to burst into space.
Savea and No 7 Du’plessis Kirifi resembled two brick walls on defence as the Hurricanes stood up well to what the Chiefs were throwing at them.
Hoskins Sotutu will be an All Black, but you’d wager that Savea gets first crack at the All Blacks No 8 jersey this year. He goes to the back of the scrum in Stuff’s Team of the Week.
15. Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes): Created two tries, kicked a penalty from Te Awamutu, and is starting to use that massive frame as a real weapon from fullback.
14. Will Jordan (Crusaders):
Coach Scott Robertson was buzzing about his potential after the game as the battle for All Blacks back-three spots becomes harder every week.
13. Rob Thompson (Highlanders): Threw one wonky pass early but his hard running off Aaron Smith is becoming a feature of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
12. Jack Goodhue (Crusaders): Made strong carries but wasn’t too far ahead of the improved Ngani Laumape.
11. Leicester Fainga’anuku (Crusaders): The Crusaders’ backthree depth is bordering on greedy. This youngster would start every week in most other franchises.
10. Richiemo’unga (Crusaders): Played down his thumping secondhalf tackle on Jona Nareki and was critical of some of his own kicking, but still the best No 10 on show.
9. Aaron Smith (Highlanders): Seems to have found an extra yard of pace in the legs and his passing was typically brilliant.
8. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes): More like the 2019 Savea, who was the best player in New Zealand. Clearly getting better every week.
7. Du’plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes):
Appears to be as broad as he is tall, which can’t make running into him a lot of fun. Discipline was off a touch but that’s forgivable when you take in the commitment levels.
6. Shannon Frizell (Highlanders): In the absence of Cullen Grace, the standout No 6 in the competition by some distance.
5. Samwhitelock (Crusaders): Master v apprentice contest with Pari Pari Parkinson and both had their moments. So good in the air.
4. Pari Pari Parkinson (Highlanders): Yes, there are ‘workons’ but it is getting hard to ignore that huge potential. Some of his contact work and ball presentation was elite.
3. Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes): Chiefs couldn’t budge the Hurricanes’ scrum even with lock Scott Scrafton off the field.
2. Codie Taylor (Crusaders): Another highly productive outing for the All Blacks hooker on both sides of the ball.
1. Joe Moody (Crusaders): Got on top of the Highlanders early at scrum time, indirectly leading to the first try, and the visitors always had the edge at the set piece in Dunedin.