Chiefs chopped, upsets continue
Once upon a time, not so long ago, opposition teams had to fight to keep their breakfast down as they contemplated taking on the Chiefs in their fight pit in Hamilton.
Not any more, they won’t.
In fact, if the win-less Chiefs continue this awful run of form they risk being regarded as the bunny everyone wants to drop into the cooking pot.
Yes the Chiefs, who once roamed the Super Rugby landscape like a band of unruly gargoyles with splitting migraines, are that bad.
Those who didn’t watch the latest capitulation, a humiliating
30-15 defeat to the
Sunwolves at FMG
Stadium, may feel tempted to dismiss this as just another glitch in what is clearly proving to be a rough start to the competition.
Don’t dare do that.
To do so would be a fool’s game.
Questions need to be asked of the Chiefs, and you can bet the message boards on social media were smoking as supporters vented their rage on Saturday night. Coach Colin Cooper, one of the game’s good guys, will know that while the Sunwolves were in hot form on Saturday night, his lot were terrible.
It’s hard to believe the Chiefs could have been so meek in the breakdowns, slack with their execution and lacking urgency in the tackle. This weekend they have the Crusaders in Christchurch. Good luck with that.
The Blues also remain without a win, failing to convert a 5m attacking scrum in the final minute into points during the 23-19 loss to the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
News of the sudden death of 2018 squad member Mike Tamoaieta would have shocked the Blues, and they probably did well to go so close against the Argentinians.
This has been a nightmare start for new coach Leon MacDonald at the Blues, and the Sunwolves, their next opponent, have proved they are capable of making them 0 and 4.
The Rebels sparked off the flurry of wins over New Zealand teams, shading the Highlanders 24-19 in Melbourne on Friday night.
If Rebels replacement halfback Michael Ruru hadn’t smacked the ball out of All Black Shannon Frizell’s hands as he dived for a try in the 79th minute, the Highlanders could have escaped with at least another competition point.
Let’s not be too lenient. The reality is the Highlanders, stripped of All Blacks Ben and Aaron Smith and Luke Whitelock from this game, produced an average effort and that is that.
Despite some inexplicable muddling from the officials, who refused to allow Richie Mo’unga to return to the game to replace the concussed Mitchell Hunt in the final minutes, the Crusaders held on to beat the Reds 22-12 in Brisbane and are the only Kiwi team to win all three games.
Beauden Barrett souped up the Hurricanes attack in his comeback game against the Brumbies in front of a full house in Palmerston North. No 10 Barrett regularly ran at the defensive wall during the 43-13 win, and midfielder Ngani Laumape marked his return to his old haunt by scoring three tries.
Those wise owls who have successfully predicted the outcomes of games involving the South African teams in the first three rounds deserve an extra biscuit in the lunch boxes.
The Bulls’ blitzing of last year’s beaten finalists, the Lions, was comprehensive in Jo’burg. Handre Pollard, surely the key man for the Springboks this year, slammed over 20 points with the boot in the 30-12 triumph.
If you thought the Stormers were toast after their awful loss to the Bulls in round one, think again. They inflicted a 16-11 loss on the Sharks in Durban, their first away win against them in 10 attempts.
Super Rugby has been far from predictable. The competition is richer for it.