Classic final out of the Blue
Blues’ triumph a fitting climax to a great final — enjoy it while you can
There was a great atmosphere at Eden Park for the latest Super Rugby final this year, and it was a fantastic result for Auckland rugby. As for being a watershed moment, though, one representing a changing of the rugby guard — not for my money, which remains firmly on the Crusaders.
But first things first after the Super Rugby (allegedly) Transtasman competition reached a glorious conclusion.
It’s been a long time between silverware so Auckland (and Northland presumably) will gladly do a lap of honour, even if a street parade is hardly appropriate for a mock-up of a competition.
Leon MacDonald and his cohorts have got the Blues on track, so a mighty congratulations to MacDonald, Tom Coventry, outstanding captain Patrick Tuipulotu and everyone else involved.
The final was a nail-biter as the Blues began to fluff their lines against the low-risk Highlanders.
As the Highlanders goal-kicked their way into a lead which said more about rugby’s frailties than its ability to entertain, you had to think “here we go again” for a city soaked in football failures.
But the Blues hung on and got out of a giant scrape.
The final emphasised how rugby can work brilliantly on the big stage, where every moment counts, even if those moments aren’t exactly classy.
I’ll do a bit of code comparison here.
There’s a grandeur and range to rugby which league lacks. In contrast,
Normal service will resume next year. The Crusaders will come back better than ever.
league can provide everyday entertainment over a long season which stop-start, rules-crazy union can’t match.
If the rugby final had been a midseason game, the main talking point would have been how referee Mike Fraser was over-ruled by his fellow officials in a weird trifecta, and Ash Dixon escaped a red card for a horrible hit on Otere Black.
The actual rugby was minimal.
But as a final, it was gripping as a potential nightmare loomed for Blues supporters who realised their team, superior on the night, were in severe danger of losing at home to a team which hadn’t scored a try.
In the end, we got a minor classic, an excellent climax to a dodgy competition.
As an old Auckland footy supporter who has lived through decades of embarrassing Blues and Warriors performances, I felt shivers up the spine as fulltime approached and the players celebrated with so much joy. Wonderful stuff.
But . . . Normal service will resume next year. The Crusaders will come back better than ever. It also has to be said they did win the premier prize this year because they had to beat the best teams to lift the Aotearoa trophy. Here are five reasons why:
First, Richie Mo’unga. He’s too good in current company. The only balancing factor would be Beauden Barrett finding his best form at the Blues. But I suspect the great man is past his prime. We shall see.
Second is the Crusaders squad, still the best in the country by far, with rising talent and quality test stalwarts.
Third is the New Zealand Rugby central contract system, which helps the rich (the excellent Crusaders) get richer by safeguarding All Blacks prospects. The loss of Gerard CowleyTuioti to Japan is a devastating blow to the Blues, as is the departure of Lachlan Boshier from the Chiefs and Michael Collins from the Highlanders. NZR should reveal what they spend on player wages at each franchise. That would put the Super Rugby match-ups into interesting terms.
Fourth, a warning shot has been fired across the Crusaders’ bow, but they’ll hardly be shaking in their boots after watching the Transtasman finalists struggle to put any attacks together under pressure.
Fifth, a mighty Argentinian named Pablo Matera is on his way to Christchurch. Scary.