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Super Rugby playoffs: What we learned

Ardie surveys his options

The weekend’s Super Rugby quarter finals came and went and, apart from the Lions/Sharks game, with little in the way of highlights or excitement. However, there were a few things here and there that will give us something to think about over the next week:

  • Dane Coles is back. It only took 20 minutes from the Hurricanes captain to show everyone what a difference he would’ve made had he been healthy for the British & Irish Lions series. Sure, the Brumbies aren’t up to much – but what other hooker in the world right now can pull a sidestep, accelerate through a gap and then throw a perfectly timed offload to set up a match-clinching try? At least for the Canes’ sake, he’s come right at exactly the right time.
  • The Crusaders and Chiefs can win ugly. The games in Christchurch and Cape Town were not pretty, although at least the Chiefs win involved two teams trying to actually play rugby (just not that successfully). They now meet at AMI Stadium this weekend for a do-or-die semi, so the chances of them settling down into an arm wrestle are a lot higher after their victories on the weekend.
  • Beaver’s still got it. Stephen Donald breaking the line and cruising upfield was a fine sight for Chiefs fans, who had to accept the fact that Charlie Ngatai was once again injured. The 33-year-old filled in at second five and did a solid job, and obviously can act as a backup goal kicking option – because we all know he’s done that before.
  • The refs will get reminded to use the TMO more. There were some dodgy as hell tries given over the weekend, most notably Dan du Preez’s effort that temporarily put the Sharks into the lead against the Lions. The number eight looked to have grounded the ball short, while in Christchurch the Crusaders’ first try was about as close to a double movement as you can get.
  • Australian commentators need to start learning how to pronounce some pretty easy names.

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For the record, that’s how it sounded when the Fox Sports crew tried to tell us when Ardie and Julian Savea, Wes Goosen and Wharenui Hawera were involved in the play.

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Nickers 20 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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