Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Bonus-point Brumbies just bristling with ideas
Kiwis set the standard in thrilling opener, Jaguares edge Bloem catfight
THE BRUMBIES laid down a marker to the rest of Super Rugby with a 52- 10 demolition of last year’s losing finalists the Hurricanes in their season-opener at Canberra Oval yesterday.
The Brumbies, who had the meanest defence in the competition last year, all but shutdown the highoctane Hurricanes attack and ran in seven tries to earn a bonus point and a small measure of revenge for their semi-final defeat last season.
Centre Tevita Kuridrani, debutant Argentina scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli and Wallaby openside flank David Pocock all crossed to help the hosts race to a 24-3 halftime lead.
Blindside Scott Fardy, skipper Stephen Moore, his replacement as hooker Josh Mann-Rea and lock Sam Carter drove home the advantage after the break with flyhalf Christian Lealiifano converting all seven and adding a penalty to boot.
Only livewire All Black fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder managed to break the shackles and his searing return of a Matt Toomua kick set up Canes centre Ngani Laumape for a try on debut eight minutes after the break.
After a season in which the catch- and- drive was their main offensive weapon, Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham had promised a more imaginative approach to their attack this season.
His team certainly responded and from the alertness of Cubelli’s effort from the base of a five-metre scrum to the neat training-ground move that got Pocock over from an attacking lineout, the Brumbies bristled with ideas.
Fardy’s 46th-minute score was probably the pick of the bunch, the pack rumbling a rolling maul over halfway before rampaging wing Henry Speight charged to the tryline and the loose forward picked up the ball to score from an ensuing ruck.
● The Blues held off a late surge from the Highlanders to stun the reigning Super Rugby champions 33-31 in a thrilling all-New Zealand 2016 season-opener at Eden Park.
Two penalties from flyhalf Ihaia West and a 71st-minute try from lock Patrick Tuipulotu were enough to turn-around a 24-20 halftime deficit and give Tana Umaga a winning start to his reign as Blues coach.
The Highlanders were reduced to 14 men after wing Patrick Osborne was sin-binned for the last 10 minutes but still rallied to score a brilliant converted try through Ben Smith with two minutes on the clock and get within a penalty kick of victory.
The competition has been expanded to 18 teams this year with the arrival of Japan’s Sunwolves, Argentina’s Jaguares and South Africa’s Kings but New Zealand is again expected to set the standard.
The first half was a thrilling affair with plenty of attacking rugby and featuring five tries, the best two of which came from kicks.
After fullback Ben Smith had given the Highlanders an early lead with his first try, West spotted space behind the defensive line and his crosskick found fullback Lolagi Visinia who was able to release Melani Nanai for a clear run to the line.
Blues flank Blake Gibson charged through four tacklers to score the home side’s second after 26 minutes, but debutant centre Teihorangi Walden evened up the try count at just after the half-hour mark. Two West penalties looked to give the Blues a half-time lead but Highlanders scrumhalf Aaron Smith chipped through from the back of a ruck and wing Waisake Naholo, who scored 13 tries last season, leaped to score his first of 2016.
The second half was a more cagey affair and when Tuipulotu forced his way over from close range it looked like the Blues would win comfortably, only for Smith to set up a tense finale. ● Meanwhile,
reports that the Jaguares got their challenge off to the perfect start, by beating a very impressive-looking Cheetahs side 34-33 in Bloemfontein last night.
Brilliantly led by Augustin Creevy, the Jaguares pipped the Cheetahs by a single point but they were reduced to 13 men at one stage in the first half and trailed 24-3 after 25 minutes.
Home team skipper Francois Venter, who was excellent on the night, scored early on after intercepting a poor pass by Nicolas Sanchez. Not too long after the Cheetahs were well in front after being awarded a penalty try and further five pointers by Torsten van Jaarsveld and William SmallSmith. The tries came after the visitors lost two men – Sanchez and Martin Landajo – to the sin-bin.
But both men returned to the action 10 minutes before the break and played key roles in getting their side back into the contest. Landajo scored on the half-hour mark and he was soon followed by Creevy – both men enjoying an outstanding outing. Flank Rodrigo Baez then got his team’s third try soon after the restart, the conversion by Sanchez levelling the scores.
The Cheetahs seemed to get their mojo back when Fred Zeilinga slotted back- to- back penalties around the hour mark, but a second try by Landajo and a Sanchez drop goal put the Jaguares in control. They’d hang on for a famous win despite Cheetahs replacement Neil Marais slotting a late penalty to bring his side to within a point of the Argentinians’ score.