Lamentable Lions, woeful Waratahs
OPINION: How about them Lions?
We’ve been fed plenty about how good the Johannesburg-based franchise are and many folk had them them among the favourites for this year’s Super Rugby competition.
It’s easy to look good when you get a saloon passage like last year’s. The Lions didn’t meet a single New Zealand team until the Hurricanes showed up for a semifinal, fresh from having to play the Brumbies in Canberra.
Never mind all the experts who wrote the Blues off last week, but are now firm fans again. Beating the Lions 38-35, at ‘‘fortress’’ Ellis Park, says or proves nothing about the Blues, but plenty about the outfit that couldn’t kick on and win from 28-10 up with 25 minutes to play.
The early coverage out of South Africa has been full of nonsense about a thrilling spectacle and what an even, unpredictable competition we have. If the Lions can’t bowl the Blues at Ellis Park - with all the advantages that entails - they really can’t be any good.
It’s only a few days since we were all told the Blues were a rabble; going around and around in the same pointless circle, succeeding only in embarrassing us all. Sure, attention spans aren’t what they used to be, but let’s not suddenly leap to acclaim the Blues after one flukey win.
After all, it was only against the Lions.
And what about those Waratahs, as well? Some Australians were quick to acclaim last week’s draw with the Sharks. Oh the resilience, they said.
Now they’ve gone to Buenos Aires and been beaten - 38-28 - by the Jaguares. That leaves the Waratahs ninth, behind even the Blues, and among those sides already starting to make up the numbers.
Unlike the Crusaders and Hurricanes, who did little damage to their reputations during Saturday’s match at Westpac Stadium. You’d hardly strike teams with more contrasting methods; the Hurricanes determined to keep the ball in play and do everything at pace, with the Crusaders preferring a set-piece grind.
Both tactics produced periods of ascendancy but it was the Hurricanes who made the most of their’s, going on to win 29-19. If there’s a side good enough to go on and deny one of these two the title, they’ll have played very well to do it.
The Highlanders will have to improve a bit if it’s going to be them. By and large, they took what few chances they created against the Stormers in Dunedin on Friday, but the final score of 33-15 flattered them.
Elsewhere, the Rebels beat the Brumbies 33-15, the Reds prevailed 20-14 over the Bulls and the Sharks were 50-22 winners over the Sunwolves.
The Rebels lead the competition, after three bonuspoint wins. However, those have been achieved against the Reds, Sunwolves and Brumbies, so that needs to be taken with a grain of salt.