Canes do it the hard way, again
There have been plenty of barbs thrown the Hurricanes’ way this year but the one thing you can never doubt is their ticker.
They have developed that habit of winning tight games and they needed it again to beat Tony Brown’s resourceful Sunwolves team in Tokyo.
The 29-23 win was far from perfect but the four competition points means they are at least stopping the Crusaders disappearing into the horizon at the top of the Super Rugby ladder. The Hurricanes have 27 competition points, seven behind the Crusaders. The Bulls are next best on 24.
The other three Kiwi teams would love to develop the Hurricanes’ ability of winning the close ones. In fact, due to their inconsistency, the Blues, Highlanders and Chiefs all have a negative points differential after nine games.
The Hurricanes were indebted to the bench for the win in Japan.
James Marshall brought some nice touches and a sense of control to proceedings when he was injected, while underused big man Isaia Walkerleawere brought genuine energy.
Wes Goosen also took his decisive try well. However, the match reinforced how reliant the Hurricanes have become on Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett and they are yet to show anything to suggest they can knock over the Crusaders.
In Dunedin, the Highlanders were well worth their win after a frustrating spell but the Blues’ performance left coach Leon Macdonald bitterly disappointed. Macdonald had felt the Blues had prepared well but must now wrestle with the fact that they still travel worse than Guinness.
It’s been six years since they beat a Kiwi side on the road and they couldn’t get the job done in Dunedin despite Ma’a Nonu again showing he is the real deal in 2019.
The Highlanders blew a few chances of their own but overall they won the big moments, with Matt Faddes grabbing a crucial intercept with the scores at 14-5 to really put the Blues to bed.
At No 10, Josh Ioane took ‘‘another step forward’’, said coach Aaron Mauger, and with four home games still to come and the hardest part of their season over they are far from out of the playoffs picture.
In Hamilton, the Chiefs showed that the Hurricanes aren’t the only side which needs its top All Blacks to lift them.
Without Brodie Retallick and Damian Mckenzie – and the continued absence of Sam Cane – they looked well short of inspiration and vulnerable against a Lions team which dominated the scrums and won the breakdown battle as well.
Come home Aaron Cruden, your whanau needs you.
Across the ditch, the Israel Folau-less Waratahs v Rebels derby was a messy affair in wet conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but the home side was tough enough to secure a vital 23-20.
The Waratahs had to do it the hard way after coughing up cheap tries to Billy Meakes and Reece Hodge but a crucial second-half try to Bernard Foley and a penalty from the same man got them home.
Quade Cooper is now trending downwards after a strong start to the season and the Rebels have some thinking to do in their bye week after two losses on the bounce.
To make matters worse for the Rebels, they lost Will Genia to injury in the second half and will be praying for a positive medial update on their star halfback.
But two gritty wins by the Reds and Brumbies on South African soil were the highlights of the weekend for the Aussies.
Brad Thorn’s young Reds side prevailed 21-14 in Durban thanks in part to a lovely try by promising halfback Tate Mcdermott, while the Brumbies survived a yellow card to former Chiefs wing Toni Pulu to hang on for a 19-17 victory against the Stormers.
Those results left the Bulls on top of the South African conference despite having the bye, although just four competition points separate them from the Stormers, who are fifth in that conference.