Hurricanes alone at the top
1. Seven to 15 works for Laidlaw, but six in eight doesn't for Cotter
And then there was one. After three rounds, the Hurricanes are now the only unbeaten team in the competition.
Despite missing the suspended Jordie Barrett and still without injured captain Brad Shields, and on the back of a six-day turnaround and travel across the ditch after a golden-point game, the Canes were still far too good for the previously 2-0 Blues in their home opener.
Former All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw must be thinking this 15s business is a piece of cake, what with having more than double the players on the park to what he’s used to, and power-packed winger Kini Naholo producing one of the more remarkable bursts to seal the victory.
Blues coach Vern Cotter, on the other hand, was left to rue his gamble of a 6-2 forwards-backs bench split, when Zarn Sullivan and AJ Lam were both forced off early with head knocks and halfback Taufa Funaki had to play out of position.
2. Reds again prove Chiefs’ Kryptonite
There will be no shortage of nervous Chiefs fans should their side again come up against the Reds in this year’s playoffs.
That much is sure after the Queenslanders yet again proved the high-flyers’ undoing, holding out 23 phases near their own line for a gutsy upset win in Brisbane.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Reds survived 28 phases at the death in last year’s shock result in New Plymouth − the Chiefs’ only loss in the regular season.
The Reds, who also made life very tough for the Chiefs in last year’s quarterfinals, have won just three of their last 20 games against Kiwi teams. They have all been against the Chiefs.
3. Crusaders’ horrible hat-trick
It was such a sight to behold as Crusaders winger Sevu Reece streaked away for a fantastic try that clearly meant plenty in his native Fiji.
For the next hour, though, the red-andblacks failed to register a point, as the Drua clawed their way back then began to completely dominate in the heat and humidity, going on to register their first win of the season and repeat their dose of defeat on the Crusaders from the same time last year.
It was a further blow to the seven-time defending champions, who haven’t lost three consecutive games in a campaign since 2010, and who have only once before started a season 0-3 − back in the first-ever
season of Super Rugby, in 1996, when they went on to finish last.
4. Hard-nosed Highlanders hang tough
The Highlanders do not have the luxury of depth when it comes to team selection, so good on them for being bold and holding captain Billy Harmon and fellow loosie Sean Withy to account for being late to a team meeting, despite coach Clarke Dermody labelling the pair’s tardiness a “genuine accident”.
In any case, it no doubt served as a wakeup call of the standards being driven by new head of rugby Jamie Joseph. The Highlanders do not have the out-and-out talent to be ultra-competitive this year, so they know they must do what they can to help their own cause.
They came within a final-play penalty kick of being beaten by the Waratahs, but Tane Edmed missed the shot, and all of a sudden the Landers have a decent platform from which to build from.
5. Savea senior a record holder
Remember this one for pub quiz time − Hurricanes great Julian Savea broke the Super Rugby try-scoring record on March 8, 2024 ... who was he playing for, who did it come against, and where was the game played?
In the most low-key of occasions, looking almost like a return to Covid times as Moana Pasifika took their home game against the Rebels to Hamilton thanks to North Harbour Stadium’s turf not being up to scratch, the former All Blacks winger made history wduring his side’s defeat.
Unwanted by the Canes this year, Savea senior (now 33), the second-equal-highest All Blacks try-scorer in history, is turning out at second-five for Moana, and his first try of the season saw him surpass Israel Folau in the record books, with what was his 61st score.