Super Rugby Aotearoa: Five Talking Points from Round 5
The Crusaders celebrate a try during the 26-15 victory over the Blues in Christchurch
Credit: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
The halfway point of Super Rugby Aotearoa is upon us, with Round 5 seeing the pace-setters going head to head in Christchurch and the Highlanders travelling to Wellington to take on the Hurricanes.
The Crusaders ensured they went into the halfway mark unbeaten after grinding out a comeback 26-15 win over the Blues, shaking off a six-point deficit in the second half as Richie Mo’unga inspired them in the final quarter.
The Hurricanes continued their recovery from a slow start to the competition by ousting the Highlanders, as Jordie Barrett came to the fore again and the All Black scrumhalves did battle.
Here is a look at the big talking points from Round 5 of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Crusaders prove their mettle as team to beat - again
Saying the Crusaders are the team to beat in Super Rugby is so well-worn by this stage that it is bordering on comical cliche.
There is just no getting around the fact they are top dogs in this competition, and proved as such by muscling out a win over the previously unbeaten and resurgent Blues.
Arguably the biggest discussion point of Super Rugby Aotearoa so far, the Auckland outfit would have come into the game fancying their chances of knocking the perennial champions off their perch and taking an outright lead in the competition.
They came away only with a stark reminder of the work still to be done to match the best.
We know about the ‘Saders squad depth already, but it is the level of accuracy with which they play and the number of X-factor talents they possess that makes them a genuinely scary prospect.
Led from the front by Richie Mo’unga (more on him shortly) and Sam Whitelock, with strike weapons coming out of their ears, it is going to take some sort of performance to dethrone them at this point in the competition.
The rise of Will Jordan in the previous few weeks serves only to underline the conveyor belt of talent coming through for the Christchurch outfit.
However, the ‘Saders showed a different side of their game this time around and it was the ability to win the clutch moments.
Mitchell Drummond’s try on the hour mark encapsulated what is good about this side - when the heat came on, they threaded the needle and pulled off a tricky play with aplomb just as the Blues were looking to take the game away from them.
The Crusaders are a perfect embodiment of what the All Blacks do so well - finding their best late in games and performing when the pressure comes on.
It’s what champions do.
Mo’unga lands knockout blow in playmaker battle
Richie Mo’unga of the Crusaders carries against the Blues in Christchurch
Credit: Photosport
The battle of the prospective All Black playmakers has been one of the dominant trends in Super Rugby Aotearoa so far.
Creatives from all five sides have made their respective cases across the first full rotation of fixtures, but on Saturday it was one of the incumbents that firmly stamped his authority on the battle.
Richie Mo’unga was imperious (one penalty kick sent dead aside) in leading the Crusaders to victory in the battle of the tournament’s unbeaten sides, showing his full range of skills on both sides of the ball as well as his superb instincts.
He managed to prevent what looked a certian try to Hoskins Sotutu, then backed it up by laying on a gorgeous delayed ball to George Bridge in the lead-up to Mitchell Drummond’s try and one of the most inspired kick-off routines will ever see.
Whether planned or not, it is that type of invention and execution that looks to have given Mo’unga a leg-up in the battle for an international jersey and has got the Crusaders flying high in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
The same cannot be said for Beauden Barrett or Otere Black, already touted by this parish as a potential combination Ian Foster may want to explore, as they strived manfully to keep pace with Mo’unga and the Crusaders.
Despite Black landing two fine try assists to Telea and Ioane, he ultimately came up short in the clutch moments. However, this should not put the dampener on a fine season for the man from Palmerston North.
Perenara wins battle of generals on points
TJ Perenara goes past opposite number Aaron Smith on his way to scoring against the Highlanders
Credit: Masanori Udagawa/Getty Images
Another, more personal, battle played out on Sunday as well as incumbent All Black number 9s, Aaron Smith and TJ Perenara, butted heads in Wellington.
Billed by some as a battle for the Kiwi scrumhalf spot, the two players proved the amount of influence they have over their respective sides from the base of the scrum but it was the Hurricane that ultimately came away with the chocolates.
Smith, so imperious for the Highlanders last week, was shown up by his opposite number early doors here as Perenara threw the smallest dummy and strolled through the yawning gap before him.
The ‘Canes man’s manner as he crossed the line suggested he couldn’t believe it had been that simple either.
The Hurricanes’ dominance throughout the first hour of the match would only underline the boost Perenara has given his chances of wrestling the starting jersey from his main rival.
However, Smith still managed to land a hefty blow in the bout, with his quick thinking and communication with Ash Dixon leading to the nitfy nine registering a try of his own.
It was not enough to pull the Highlanders out of the hole they were in by that stage but showed the quality still brings consistently despite being the wrong side of 30.
There is no doubting Smith is central to the way the Highlanders play and though Perenara got the best of him on this occasion, it will take a serious shift in momentum in that race for Smith not to be wearing 9 the next time the All Blacks play.
Return of the Jordie gives ‘Canes a lift
Yes, he hasn’t technically returned this week (that happened last time out) but the pun was too good an opportunity to miss.
In the wake of the playmaking void left by the departure of brother Beauden to the Blues, the return to the side of Jordie Barrett has provided just the spark the Wellington faithful would have been desperate for.
He announced his presence firmly shortly before halftime when he timed his run off a Scott Scrafton perfectly to scythe through the Dunedin defence and, via an admittedly slightly wayward balloon pass, put Kobus van Wyk into the corner for a hammer blow of a score that put the match firmly in the Hurricanes’ hands.
He possesses the kind of strike power that is at a premium in the Wellington stocks at the moment and he will need to bring these kinds of plays regularly if the Hurricanes are to have any genuine impact on the direction the title will ultimately be heading in five weeks.
His consistency, as he is a still young bloke don’t forget, will be an area ripe for improvement over the coming weeks and months but there is no doubting he has the ability to be the ‘Canes strike weapon as they progress through the competition.
The mid-term report cards are in
The end of Round 5 of Super Rugby Aotearoa marks the halfway point of the Kiwi competition, which gives us an opportunity to examine what we have seen so far.
Top of the class is very clearly the Crusaders - they have answered every question asked of them and have shown consistently impressive results and work ethic.
Their challenge will be making sure they carry it through and perform when the final exams come around.
The Blues are undoubtedly shoe-ins for the most improved in 2020 so far.
Leon MacDonald and his coaching staff have worked wonders already in Auckland, with their forward pack having rediscovered their bite and the developing combination between Otere Black and Beauden Barrett giving the team new direction.
Beauden Barrett has inspired a massive change since joining the Blues this season
Credit: Kai Schwoerer
Individual performances from the likes of Caleb Clarke have lit up different games and Hoskins Sotutu may have a claim to being the outstanding player so far, and all that has kept them off top spot is the Crusaders’ juggernaut.
That return clash in Round 10, maybe with the title on the line, could be very tasty.
The Hurricanes (2-2) and Highlanders (1-3) have plugged away manfully, with both sides lacking something in the play-making department to allow them to really compete with the top two.
Lots of play coming off scrum-half in both sides does play to their strengths, but then is much easier for good sides to defend as well.
Both have room to improve but have shown flashes of good work to suggest they are ready to take on the bigger sides on a more even keel in the second half of the competition.
The Chiefs? See me after class. Their performances have not necessarily been bad - they were within a whisker of walking out of Round 1 with a win before Bryn Gatland’s intervention, and who knows how that may have affected their trajectory this season.
Their biggest defeat has been by 12 points, so they have by no means been embarrassed at any point and are possibly unlucky to be 0-4. What they possess in grit and work ethic they just lack in polish and ability to perform in pressure moments.
But then, if any coach knows how to get the best out of his teams, it is Warren Gatland, so look for a serious rebuttal from the Waikato outfit in the second half of the competition.
