By Roger Childs
Arguably the competition’s most influential player through three rounds, McKenzie limped off the field with 10 minutes to go. Jamie Wall, RNZ Sport
The excitement continues
The entertaining rugby and close scores in the first two rounds continued over the weekend. This is the stuff that brings the fans out to the venues to see their favourite team. All five games – two in Australia and three in New Zealand — were tight contests.
The Chiefs v Brumbies match playing in Hamilton was very close until the last 10 minutes when the home side piled on 13 points, including a try to Lienert Brown from a wild Brumbies pass on their goal line. Unfortunately, about this time Chiefs playmaker Damian McKenzie limped off with a leg injury.
The other four matches were won by 5 points or less, but sadly the two Pacific teams Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua missed getting their first wins of the competition by 2 and 5 points respectively. The former were down 10-31 at half time in Albany, but inspired by a wonderful try to skipper Ardie Savea after a 50 metre run, “won” the second half 19-0. It was not quite enough.
Across the ditch the Western Force just failed to get their third win in a row going down to the Reds 24-28. Meanwhile in Wellington, last year’s champions the Blues were anxious to get their first success of the season.
An exciting match at the stadium
The Auckland based franchise was looking for a win after losses to the Chiefs and Highlanders in the first two rounds. It was a game which had a bit of everything, good, and bad such as too much aimless kicking, and arguably the referee Angus Gardiner was “man of the match”. The Australian no-nonsense whistler had to deal with plenty of ill-discipline and dished out four yellow cards. However he let the game flow when he could and near the end ignored the officials who were bending over a computer to decide who could replace who, and just blew his whistle to get the game going again.
No-one in the crowd left early as with the score favouring the Blues 33-28 in the 75th minute, the Hurricanes were pressing hard on the visitors’ line. But despite being down to 14 men when Hoskins Sotutu was given a red card for a head clash, the Blues weathered the storm to pick up their first win on the season.
The lead chopped and changed with the visitors scoring five tries to the home team’s two. It was only the accurate kicking of first-five Harry Godfrey that kept the Hurricanes in the hunt. He scored 25 point in all, including a brilliant try in the first half when he ran 40 metres straight through the Blues defence to score by the posts.
But perhaps the best try of the night was a brilliant effort started by Blues full-back Beauden Barrett. He ran down the left flank and Caleb Clarke also made the ground. Then from the breakdown the ball was swung to the right and 45 meters out from the line winger Mark Tele’a made a brilliant run to beat three players and score in the corner in a dramatic dive.
For the Aucklanders, the standout players were hooker former Hurricane Ricky Riccitelli, Sotutu, Tele’a and half back Finlay Christie. Amongst the Hurricanes the standouts were Brad Shields at lock, half-back Cam Roigard, centre Peter Umaga-Jensen and prop Xavier Numia.
It was another exciting rugby round on both sides of the Tasman and picking winners in particular games is no easy task. Fans are certain to get plenty of exciting, unpredictable matches in the weeks ahead.