Clarke injury casts cloud over Blues’ win
At a glance
The Blues have shown they possess all the ingredients to win Super Rugby Pacific, but the sight of Caleb Clarke hobbling from the field on Saturday is a possible blow.
Clarke was virtually unplayable for 53 minutes against the Brumbies before appearing to damage his left hamstring while trying to run down Brumbies halfback Nic White.
The injury didn’t look to be at the severe end of the scale, but hamstrings and power sprinters are not a good mix.
The Blues are odds-on to host the Highlanders in the first week of the finals, and while they will be hot favourites for that clash at Eden Park, Clarke’s loss would deprive them of one of their biggest weapons.
He was brilliant against the Brumbies, with that familiar mix of speed, agility and size causing the Brumbies all sort of issues in the 21-19 win.
The Blues have plenty of options to replace him, but no-one outside the Crusaders’ Leicester Fainga’anuku and the Hurricanes’ reborn Julian Savea offer the same mix of power and pace on the edge.
The Crusaders are coming
Anyone who has written off the Crusaders this year has rocks in their head.
At the right time of the season, their injury woes are easing to the point where they are choosing which All Blacks midfielder to leave on the bench, while George Bridge might not even make the team’s top 23.
Fainga’anuku and the in-form Sevu Reece present serious threats on either wing, while young No 3 Fletcher Newell and his mates up front did a job on the Brumbies last week.
They are trending in the right direction and could make it a painful night for Brad Thorn’s Reds in the final round of action.
If they finish second on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, they will play either the Reds or Waratahs in the quarterfinal in Christchurch – and that’s preferable to facing the Highlanders.
Bryn gun fires again
It’s been a fascinating battle for the Chiefs’ No 10 jersey this year, and Bryn Gatland may have poked his nose in front of Josh Ioane again with a good performance against the Western Force.
Gatland has transformed his game this year, frequently challenging the line to add another dimension to his play.
The Chiefs have struggled to get their top side on the field due to all manner of disruptions – and Sam Cane’s knee injury is another blow – but that Gatland-Ioane one-two punch is good enough to cause any side problems in the finals.