For Canes to maintain high standards
found a much more consistent rhythm.
That’s why their second-half disappearing act on Friday night hurt so much. They had the magic flowing through the first 40 as the Barretts, Beauden and Jordie, Ngani Laumape, Matt Proctor, the returned Cory Jane and Wes Goosen feasted on a smorgasbord of possession served up by their forwards.
‘‘In the first half we played with width and freedom and were happy to back our skills and back people to get where they needed to be. But we closed it down a bit and got a little conservative,’’ said Boyd. ‘‘In the second half we were putting some ineffective kicks in, and we stopped dominating the physical battle around the ball.
‘‘They had no chance in the first half because we never gave them a chance. We had all the momentum. But they turned it around and it went the other way. There was a pretty big learning in that for us.’’
Still, the Canes are tracking nicely as they refocus for the Blues in Auckland next Saturday night, and their third Kiwi derby of the season.
‘‘The Blues at Eden Park is tough for us. They’re a formidable side when they get their tails up, so we’ve got to control that tempo and momentum against them, if they allow us to do so,’’ added Boyd.
The coach doesn’t expect Beauden Barrett’s surprise red card (incurred via two yellowcard offences for instinctive knockdowns while hard on defence) to incur a Sanzaar suspension, though notes he’s now just one more yellow from another trip to the judiciary.
‘‘I think the suspension part of HE’S back. And what a beautiful sight it was to see Sonny Bill Williams on the field playing proper rugby again.
Even if his introduction didn’t quite do the trick for the Blues who crashed to their fourth defeat of the season, and were leapfrogged by the Highlanders into the wooden-spoon slot in the Kiwi conference.
We had to wait until the 55th minute of a brilliant, brutal, breathtaking Kiwi derby between these two desperate sides under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin to see it, but the Offloading One finally made his entry into Super Rugby in 2017 off Tana Umaga’s bench.
He hadn’t played a game of XVs rugby since the 2015 World Cup final, and of course he’d been through that ill-fated Olympic sevens campaign last year which ended with abject team failure and a torn Achilles tendon for the man himself.
But he’s worked painstakingly to get himself fit again, and if last night’s pulsating contest, won splendidly by the Highlanders 26-20 in a titanic arm-wrestle, is any guide, he will soon be starting matches, and eventually slipping on that black jersey that means so much to him.
It wasn’t all perfect from Williams, who missed an early tackle on the rampaging Liam Squire, and bobbled one crucial late pass along the ground, allowing the Highlanders to clear from deep on defence at a key moment in the contest.
But on the 67-minute mark we saw exactly why he’s such an influential performer when at his best. He sliced through between Joe Wheeler and Squire to charge upfield, then stepped Patrick Osborne like he wasn’t there. the cards is designed around foul play or absolutely cynical and repeat infringing . . . neither was applicable for Beauden,’’ he said.
There did not appear to be any fresh dings from Friday. Jeff To’omaga-Allen has a bruised shoulder and Brad Shields a minor leg strain. Both should be fine. There’s also a ‘‘50-50 chance’’ talismanic loosie Ardie Savea returns to face the Blues as he works through a niggling hamstring strain.
Boyd gave Jane’s return a cautious pass mark. ‘‘He didn’t get as much opportunity as some did, but what he did, he did accurately.’’ He also liked what Wes Goosen showed in his first chance on the left wing.
But with Vince Aso and Julian Savea to bring back (Nehe MilnerSkudder remains a few weeks off yet) and Jordie Barrett continuing to showcase his dazzling skills in his rookie campaign, Boyd has no shortage of options in his back three.
He also has a midfield of Leaumape and Proctor playing as well as any in New Zealand, and possibly pushing for higher honours.