Moana Pasifika vs Brumbies: Fastest man in Super, this is why Ardie is MVP

The Brumbies pulled off quite the feat in round 10’s showdown with Moana Pasifika, holding the most lethal attacking team in Super Rugby Pacific to zero points.

Conditions were damp in Pukekohe, and no points were scored until the 40th minute, but the Brumbies persevered to emerge victors to the tune of 24-0.

Here are some takeaways.

The fastest man in Super Rugby Pacific

Every season, new competitors enter the conversation for the fastest player in Super Rugby, and this year is no different.

Kyren Taumoefolau’s breakout campaign has seen the 21-year-old take numerous names, outpacing some of the most prolific speedsters in the South Pacific.

However, when the Tongan star forgot who he was marking on Saturday afternoon, Corey Toole gladly reminded him.

Just as it looked as if we were heading for our first dead rubber opening half of the year, a grubber kick pitted two of the most athletic players in the comp against one another.

Taumoefolau didn’t hit high gear until Toole galloped past him, maybe expecting the ball to go dead before anyone could reach it. But that’s not what happened.

Toole’s hustle got his side on the board on the stroke of halftime, landing a crucial blow heading into the sheds.

At full pace, the young Moana flyer may be able to compete with Toole, but we’ll never know if he’s cutting corners in-game.

Toole deserves to retain the title of Super Rugby’s ultimate speedster for putting his best foot forward whenever the game calls for it.

Brumbies shut down Super Rugby’s most prolific attack

Moana entered this game scoring a whopping, comp-leading 36.4 points per game. The Brumbies became the first team this season to hold not just any team to a goose egg scoreline, but the most prolific attack there is.

It took a complete, but not out-of-character, defensive performance for the Aussies to achieve the feat. Their numbers on that side of the ball were remarkably similar to their season average.

The team’s discipline and ball security were both unimpressive in wet conditions, and they weren’t necessarily playing in the right areas of the park.

What they did do well was show character when the game called for it. Gritty defence and unyielding set-piece execution – 100 per cent success in both the scrum and lineout – steered the Brumbies clear of danger when their backs were against the line.

The visitors nailed the basics, putting two tacklers on dangerous ball-runners like Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and sending one for the legs and one for the upper body. The result was Super Rugby’s most heavily employed carrier claiming less than one metre per carry.

This is why Ardie Savea is the MVP

Moana have proven to be the most lethal attacking team in Super Rugby, but couldn’t land a hit on Saturday without their captain. All rugby fans know this: when the going gets tough, the Ardie Saveas of the world get going.

Savea, absent due to mandated All Blacks rest, is synonymous with game-changing plays, whether it be a breakdown steal, a dominant hit or a bone-crunching run. Plays like those were desperately needed against the Brumbies.

While Moana were still the better team when it came to breaking tackles and playing in the right area of the field, the composure needed to execute was lacking. Composure that an astute leader like Savea provides.

10 22-metre entries and nothing to show for it comes down to more than one player, but Savea has elevated the spirit of this Moana outfit, and his impact on games, particularly in the second half when Moana tend to get their game going, would have made a real difference in this one.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored

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Avg. Points Scored

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Cyclone Tam exposes teams

Slippery conditions highlight pressure points in rugby, pressure points that traditional heavyweights like the Brumbies excel at.

The Super Rugby Champions Final last Thursday was hit the hardest by the poor weather New Zealand was subject to in recent days, and it was the Blues with the stronger foundations who won that contest.

In a wet and wild Friday night contest in Christchurch, it was the Crusaders who were the more secure outfit, a fact that went a long way to them winning the game.

Moana Pasifika are an exciting team, but there’s no guarantee the weather will allow them to play that way should they make the playoffs.

Any team that is rough around the edges will be exposed by poor conditions, and Cyclone Tam proved that this week.