Good, grisly and gruesome
their wonky calendar, which doesn’t allow all teams to play each other, means some teams will be angry that they won’t get the chance to collect maximum points against the Japanese team.
Fair play to the Hurricanes for not allowing things to get too loose, but they would acknowledge the Tokyo game was miles away from the confrontational, almost savage, contests they can expect against their fellow Kiwi teams.
You couldn’t question the Highlanders’ commitment during their 24-15 loss to the Chiefs in the enclosed stadium in Dunedin, but you would be well within your rights to ask if they thought they were still playing beach footy.
Chiefs wing James Lowe benefited from sloppy execution by the Highlanders, scoring tries after intercepting wild passes by Aaron Smith and Waisake Naholo. Hooker Hika Elliot also couldn’t believe his good fortune when the Highlanders took a nap at the front of a lineout.
The major worry for the Highlanders is that they will be without co-captain and fullback Ben Smith, who left the field with a concussion, for the South Island derby match against the Crusaders in Dunedin next Saturday.
The Highlanders may take encouragement from the fact that the Crusaders were far from convincing in their 17-13 win over the Brumbies, having led 12-3 at the break.
Loading up on territory and possession is all very good, as the Crusaders did in the first spell, but they should have been ahead by more. That the Brumbies, a side shorn of stars such as David Pocock, Stephen Moore and Matt Toomua, roared back and almost secured their first win in Christchurch in 17 years will ensure Crusaders coach Scott Robertson won’t be short of material to present at his post-match debrief.
There was some decent stuff on show in South Africa, with the Stormers scoring tries through SP Marais, Cheslin Kolbe and Nizaam Carr to lead 24-0 at the break against the Bulls in Cape Town. The Bulls rallied with three tries of their own but the final result was a 37-24 victory for the Stormers.
Last year’s beaten finalist the Lions required a late burst to ensure they scraped home 28-25 against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. The Kings, another of the competition’s lame ducks, got done 39-26 by the Jaguares, who completed the game with just 13 men after two players were yellow carded in Port Elizabeth.
In Brisbane on Friday night the Reds welcomed back playmaker Quade Cooper with a 28-26 win over the Sharks. Kane Douglas and Karmichael Hunt were yellow carded, yet the Reds held on.
And, to think, a year ago the Reds were already getting ready to sack coach Richard Graham. Things seem brighter 12 months on.
(Gonzalo Bertranou, Leonardo Senatore, Joaquin Tuculet tries; Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias 2 con, Joaquin Diaz Bonilla con, Diaz Bonilla 3 pen, Gonzalez Iglesias 3 pen)
(Makazole Mapimpi, Luzuko Vulindlu tries; Lionel Cronje 2 con, 4 pen). HT: 19-12 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth. (Nizaam Carr, Cheslin Kolbe, Siya Kolisi, Dillyn Leyds, SP Marais tries; Jean-Luc du Plessis 3 con, 2 pen)
(Hanro Liebenberg 2, Pierre Schoeman, Piet van Zyl tries; Handre Pollard, Tian Schoeman con). HT: 24-0 at Newlands, Cape Town. 5.15pm Dunedin, 7.35pm Singapore, 11.55pm 2.05am