Highlanders time run to perfection
They still really shouldn’t be rewarded with a playoffs spot, but maybe the Highlanders are timing their run to perfection.
Just three weeks ago, Tony Brown’s mob were sitting with an ugly 1-8 win-loss record and facing the prospect of missing the playoffs in this inaugural Super Rugby Pacific competition.
Now, in the midst of an ugly travel schedule, the southerners have seemingly turned a sharp corner with three wins on the bounce to all but ensure eighth spot will be theirs.
Two thirds of teams making the finals is of course a crock, but the Landers didn’t write the rules and at this stage they appear to be channelling their underdog-best selves, so much so that Brown was heard on pre-match TV coverage ahead of their previous match against the Reds talking down his troops’ talent, noting they had no superstars in their ranks.
Halfbacks Aaron Smith and Folau Fakatava could have had reason to baulk at that, but they’ll know the game Brown is employing – the little old battler mentality, the one which served them so well on the way to what remains their only title, in 2015, when they beat higher qualifying sides on the road in the semifinal (Waratahs) and final (Hurricanes).
The Landers might not have just knocked over a trio of superpowers, but on a travel schedule that has gone DunedinMelbourne-Suva-BrisbaneDunedin, they ought to be pretty chuffed with their work of late.
Their latest 61-10 demolition of the Force on Friday night was the biggest victory in the franchise’s history, and they now look a serious chance of making their win streak five, finishing the regular season by hosting the Waratahs then travelling to the Rebels.
It then looks set to be a trip to Eden Park for the quarterfinal,
Round 13 results Highlanders 61 (Andrew Makalio 2, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u 2, Folau Fakatava 2, Scott Gregory, Rhys Marshall, Billy Harmon tries; Sam Gilbert 8 con)
Force 10 (Jeremy Thrush, Andrew Ready tries). HT: 28-10.
Crusaders 37 (Codie Taylor, Sevu Reece, Bryn Hall, Will Jordan tries; Richie Mo’unga 4 con, 3 pen
Brumbies 26 (Irae Simone 2, Folau Fainga’a, Tom Wright tries; Ryan Lonergan 2 con, Nic White con). HT: 23-5.
Fijian Drua 34 (Apisalome Vota 2, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, Vinaya Habosi tries; Teti Tela 4 con, 2 pen) Moana Pasifika 19 (Solomone Funaki, Abraham Pole, Timoci Tavatavanawai tries; Lincoln McClutchie con, William Havili con). HT: 24-12.
Blues 53 (Bryce Heem 2, Caleb Clarke 2, Soane Vikena 2, Beauden Barrett, Stephen Perofeta tries; Perofeta 5 con, pen) Reds 26 (Jock Campbell 2, Suliasi Vunivalu, Ryan Smith tries; James O’Connor 3 con).
HT: 22-14.
Hurricanes 22 (Tevita Mafileo, Bailyn Sullivan, Ardie Savea tries; Jordie Barrett 2 con, pen) Waratahs
(Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco, Dylan Pietsch tries; Tane Edmed con, pen, Ben Donaldson pen). HT: 0-15.
Chiefs 33 (Luke Jacobson, Chase Tiatia, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Emoni Narawa, Ollie Norris tries; Josh Ioane 4 con) Rebels 30 (Carter Gordon, Andrew Kellaway, Reece Hodge tries; Hodge 3 con, 3 pen). HT: 12-10.
and they will surely have shown enough to put some nerves amongst the high-flying Blues, who relied on a late converted try to seal their 23-15 win over the Landers in last year’s transTasman decider there.
Brumbies are beatable
After three wins on the trot against Kiwi sides, the secondplaced Brumbies yet again found the Crusaders to be their kryptonite.
Their 37-26 defeat in Canberra on Friday night was their 11th straight defeat to the red and blacks, dating back to 2009, and was also an important psychological dent for some other sides to see ahead of the playoffs.
A match which promised so much proved not to really even be close. The only caveat was the Canberrans were missing outstanding blindside flanker Rob Valetini and talented young pivot Noah Lolesio.
The Brumbies now host the Blues on Saturday night in another intriguing one.
Franks’ huge memo to Foster
Ahead of his debut for the Hurricanes last weekend following an Achilles injury, 108-test former All Blacks tighthead prop Owen Franks confirmed he still wanted to once again feature at the highest level.
And in the wake of the Canes’ 22-18 fight-back win over the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday night, the 34-year-old has certainly dished up some food for thought. ABs coach Ian Foster might want his front-rowers to be mobile with good hands, but they also need to be able to scrum.
In front of a packed crowd at Leichhardt Oval, Tahs loosehead Angus Bell was having a field day and the visitors’ scrum was being sent backwards at a rate of knots, copping a whopping four penalties (not counting advantages) from 11 pack-downs.
Canes coach Jason Holland virtually had no option and come the 34th minute came the remarkable sight of both starting props – Xavier Numia and Tyrel Lomax – being hooked.
Franks immediately sorted out Bell, and in conjunction with Tevita Mafileo and Dane Coles (who entered straight after halftime), the Canes’ scrum underwent the most remarkable of turnarounds, with them all of a sudden being the ones to win penalties out of referee Jordan Way.
Lomax, a 13-test All Black, looked rightly disgusted when summoned to the sideline, and could it just be that his new domestic team-mate has shown him up so markedly to jump ahead of him in the national No 3 queue?
The Stars have taken a giant step towards ANZ Premiership finals netball with a crucial away win over the Pulse.
In a match that pitted two versus three on the table, the Stars toppled the Pulse 49-44 in front of 3000 fans at Wellington’s TSB Bank Arena yesterday.
The Stars took a 36-34 lead into the final term, but blew the hosts off the court in the last quarter.
Last season, the Stars faded badly late in their campaign to miss the finals, but delivered arguably their finest win of 2022 to beat the Pulse.
The Stars’ upset win draws them level with the Pulse on 22 points with both sides having four round games left. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them meet again in the two versus three elimination final on June 8.
Silver Ferns goal shoot Maia Wilson, who has struggled for game-to-game consistency this season, stood tall when the Stars needed it most.
She had one of her best performances of the season against Pulse defensive standout Kelly Jury.
Wilson landed 36 goals from 42 attempts and knocked down some pressure shots in the final quarter to keep the Pulse at bay.
It was anyone’s game in the fourth quarter, but a critical 9-4 burst from the Stars allowed them to push clear on the scoreboard at 45-38.
The Pulse didn’t have the same crisp attacking connections in this one, committing 22 turnovers, squandering away ball in the attacking end.
Defender Kayla Johnson and goal attack Amorangi Malesala (eight goals from 10 attempts) added spark for the Stars in the second half after being injected into the game.
Silver Ferns goal keep Jury, who has been the form defender in the premiership this season, was again outstanding in the loss for the Pulse.
In the first half alone she had a whopping nine deflections, two intercepts, and four gains.
It was the final quarter that stung the Pulse though with the
Stars standing up in the key moments on both attack and defence.
In the earlier match, Silver Ferns hopeful Kimiora Poi delivered a standout showing as the Tactix kept their ANZ Premiership finals hopes alive.
Less than 24 hours after losing to the Mystics, the Tactix produced a gritty performance to beat the Steel 61-56 in Christchurch.
In a pulsating battle, which