Super Rugby Weekend Review: The Badger's send off

With the weekend’s southern hemisphere action now finished, we at Talking Rugby Union wanted to bring you a round-up and analysis of all the games.

Western Force 30-20 Reds

Kicking things off it was a late Nathan Charles try which kept the Western Force firmly in the Super Rugby play-off hunt as they beat the Queensland Reds 30-20 at the NIB Stadium, even though the result should have been sown up long before then.

Nick Cummins came out the traps like a man possessed, scoring a try and having a hand in Ben McCalman's touchdown as the Force raced into a 17-3 lead.

It looked like the Reds could get a bit of a hiding, but tries from debutant Samu Kerevi and Albert Anae helped to drag it back to 20-20 with less than 15 minutes to go.

Jayden Hayward banished the memory of two easy penalty misses to split the posts and nudge the Force back in front, before Charles darted over to secure what could be a winner-takes-all clash with the Brumbies next week.

Cummins, who leaves the Force to play in Japan after the end of the current Super Rugby season, seemed determined to put on a show in front of his home fans.

He smashed Rod Davies into touch straight from a restart after Mike Harris kicked the Reds into a 3-0 lead after seven minutes. It was from this field position, and statement of intent, that the hosts eventually worked an opportunity for Cummins to go over in the corner for his 16th Super Rugby try.

Hayward added the extras and then slotted a penalty to extend the Force's lead, before Cummins combined well with Chris Tuatara-Morrison to unleash lock Sam Wykes on a back-pedalling, panicking, Reds defence.

Wykes' cool offload set McCalman through to the line and he made no mistake, with Hayward once again converting.

Just before the half-hour mark Hugh McMeniman was sin binned for a dropping a knee into Ben Lucas' back on the ground and that let the Reds back into the game.

Kerevi, whose powerful running was a constant threat at 13, took advantage of some woeful tackling to score his first-ever Super Rugby try to make it 17-10 at the break.

Despite being back to 15 men, the Force suddenly seemed nervy at almost every opportunity as the Reds started to ask more questions.

This was epitomised by Hayward, who missed two easy penalties before kicking one over in the 52nd minute to add the first points of the second half.

But the Reds played on the hosts' nerves and Anae went over at the back of a rolling maul, with Harris converting, to reduce the arrears to three points.

The Reds could hardly believe their luck after such an indifferent display, especially when Harris' penalty levelled the scores shortly after.

However, the hosts managed to rally with Hayward notching a penalty and then converting Charles' opportunist touchdown to secure the win in the end.

The victory takes the Force level on points with the sixth-placed Brumbies, who they face at Canberra Stadium in the final game of the regular season next week.

 

Lions 34-17 Rebels

Elsewhere it was the South African Lions who proved too fierce for the Rebels, as Marnitz Boshoff kicked 19 points to earn the Lions a 34-17 victory over the Melbourne Rebels at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

The hosts won by three tries to two to extend the Rebels' losing streak to six straight matches.

Anthony Volmink, Warwick Tecklenburg and Warren Whiteley crossed for the South Africans, with Tom English and Colby Fainga'a touching down for the visitors.

The Lions got off to a flying start and were on the board after only a minute when, having being stopped on a charge for the line, they moved the ball wide and Volmink went over.

Boshoff missed the conversion, but was on target with a penalty after eight minutes.

Scott Higginbotham looked to respond to the Australians by diving for the corner, but replays showed his foot was in touch.

The Lions then missed out when Stokkies Hanekom knocked on after racing to gather a ball that had been chipped ahead.

The Rebels hit back in the 19th minute. A quick tap penalty saw Higginbotham send the ball out wide to English, who raced in to score. Jack Debreczeni slotted the conversion.

Debreczeni missed a penalty which would have put the Rebels in front.

He was on target with one before the break, but Boshoff nailed two more to leave the Lions 14-10 ahead at half-time.

Boshoff missed another three-pointer soon after the break, and instead Fainga'a dived over the line to put the visitors in front, Debreczeni adding the extras.

Tecklenburg responded with the Lions' second try after a patient build-up and Boshoff's conversion put them back in front.

Boshoff added two more penalties to put the Lions further clear and the game was up for the Rebels when Higginbotham was shown a yellow card after a TMO review for a lifting tackle.

The Lions took full advantage as Whiteley crashed over to score and Boshoff added the final conversion.

 

Crusaders 21-13 Blues

Two tries from winger Nemani Nadolo helped the Crusaders comeback to beat the Blues in an extremely hard-fought encounter in Christchurch.

The result keeps the Crusaders flying high near the top of the Super Rugby standings but means the Blues are now virtually out of contention for a place in the play-offs.

The Blues now need to claim a bonus-point victory over the Chiefs in their final game and also need other results to go their way if they are to get into the top six.

It is a different story for seven-time winners the Crusaders after they provisionally climbed into the top two after claiming their 10th win of the campaign - although it was far from comfortable.

The Crusaders had star players Kieran Read, Dan Carter, Israel Dagg and Nadolo in their starting line-up but the Blues made it tough for their opponents and led 13-11 at the break.

Colin Slade and Ihaia West swapped penalties early on before the Nadolo scored the opening try of the game, the powerful winger barging his way over in the corner as two Blues defenders tried in vain to keep him out.

Slade was unlucky not to add the extras from the touchline but the Crusaders looked certain to add a second try just moments later anyway when Dominic Bird was hauled down on the tryline under the posts.

That gave Crusaders a great platform with an overlap out wide, but Blues wing Frank Halai read the situation perfectly and he raced out to intercept Andy Ellis' pass before racing the length of the field to touch down unchallenged.

From what looked set to be a possible 15-3 Crusaders lead, the Blues were suddenly ahead with Slade's conversion making it 10-8 to the visitors.

That became 13-11 at the break, but the Crusaders hit back in the second half with All Blacks ace Carter putting them ahead with a 66th-minute penalty after taking over the kicking duties.

Nadolo then crashed over for his second try, which was converted by Carter, to seal the victory which leaves the Crusaders in pole position to finish top of the New Zealand conference.

 

Chiefs 24-16 Hurricanes

The Chiefs managed to keep their play-off hopes alive with tries from Jamie Mackintosh and Brodie Retallick helping the Chiefs to a much-needed 24-16 victory over the Hurricanes that keeps them firmly in the hunt for a Super 15 play-off spot.

Mackintosh crossed in the first half to set the Hamilton-based side on their way and Retallick's score just after the hour mark gave them a comfortable cushion, with Aaron Cruden adding 13 points with his boot.

That ensured Hadleigh Parkes' score - converted by Beauden Barrett, who also scored three penalties - was mere consolation for the Hurricanes.

Victory lifted the Chiefs level on points with sixth-placed Brumbies as the defending champions attempt to seal a place in the play-offs.

Coach Dave Rennie made a string of changes following their defeat to the Highlanders, with Cruden the only back to retain his place in the XV.

Cruden made an inauspicious start by missing the posts with a 35-yard penalty although he made amends by putting the Chiefs ahead after Hurricanes prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen had infringed at the ruck.

The Hurricanes drew level through Barrett soon after as the Chiefs' forwards were punished for a similar offence, but the hosts regained the lead when Mackintosh scored the opening try in the 28th minute after being driven over the line.

Cruden added the extras and booted two penalties in the four minutes before the interval after Barrett had scored his own three-pointer as the Chiefs took a 16-6 interval lead.

Barrett then reduced the deficit to seven points with his third penalty after Mackintosh was penalised for a high tackle on Dane Coles.

But their hopes of launching a comeback were undone by Cruden's penalty after the Hurricanes' forwards collapsed a maul, while Retallick crashed over in the left corner in the 61st minute as the Chiefs took a 24-9 lead.

Parkes narrowed the arrears by bursting through two tackles to score under the posts, leaving Barrett a simple conversion, but it proved too little, too late.

 

Waratahs 44-16 Highlanders

Back in Australia the Waratahs secured the top spot after running in six tries to rout the Highlanders 44-16 and confirm their position at the top of the Super 15 standings in Sydney.

Rob Horne got the only try of the first half in what turned into a bit of a kicking duel before the break, but any thoughts of it being a tight encounter were soon dashed as Australia internationals Israel Folau and Sekope Kepu ran in fine tries shortly after the interval.

Nick Phipps and Jacques Potgieter touched down to add gloss to the scoreline, before Phil Burleigh caught his own chip through to register a fine consolation effort for the Highlanders. But the final word fell to the hosts as Taqele Naiyaravoro notched his first Super Rugby try.

The Waratahs now cannot be caught at the top of the Super 15 standings and they go into their final regular-season game against the Queensland Reds next week knowing they will have a home semi-final and an extra week off.

The Highlanders were hit with a double blow early on, as scrum-half Aaron Smith was sin-binned for deliberately moving offside in a failed attempt to stop a flowing Waratahs attack that ultimately saw Horne cross to make it 8-0 anyway.

But they managed to hold firm with 14 men as Lima Sopoaga kicked two penalties, with Bernard Foley only adding one more to his earlier three-point effort for the Waratahs, to take it through to half-time.

Folau made his mark two minutes after the restart, busting through three tackles on his way to touch down as the Australian Conference winners took full advantage of a knock-on by Highlanders full-back Ben Smith. Foley added the conversion.

Ten minutes later Alofa Alofa popped to Kepu and the tighthead prop crashed over from close range as things started to look bad for the Highlanders.

Phipps was next to get in on the scoring, with his try sealing the bonus point, before Potgieter touched down after more good work from Kepu. Foley managed to convert both tries.

Substitute Burleigh at least gave the Highlanders something to shout about, exploiting a gaping hole left by Folau, but Naiyaravoro strolled over late on to seal a fine day for the hosts.

 

Cheetahs 27-20 Sharks

Elsewhere there was a surprise win for the Cheetahs as they moved off the bottom of the Super Rugby table with a 27-20 win over the third-placed Sharks in Bloemfontein.

Tries from Torsten van Jaarsveld, Philip van der Walt and Lood de Jager set up victory for the home side, while Johan Goosen kicked 12 points.

For the Sharks, it was a second successive defeat and dented their hopes of a home play-off semi-final.

Goosen opened the scoring with a penalty before converting after Van Jaarsveld dived over off the back of a driving maul.

But the Sharks responded in kind with a Tim Sweil penalty and a try from scrum-half Cobus Reinach, breaking away following a lineout.

Sweil converted and gave his side the lead with a second penalty but Van der Walt's converted score gave the Cheetahs a 17-13 half-time lead.

They moved 11 points clear as lock De Jager touched down and Goosen again converted, and his second penalty left the Sharks needing two converted tries to level the scores.

They managed one, courtesy of replacement hooker Bismarck du Plessis, but another substitute was denied on the hooter.

With the Cheetahs having lost Goosen to a late yellow card, their opponents surged forward and wing Tonderai Chavhanga touched down in the corner, but television match official Deon van Blommestein ruled that he had put his hand in touch.

 

Stormers 16-0 Bulls

Finally all play-off hopes were extinguished for the Bulls on Saturday as they fell to a 16-0 defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town.

Jaco Taute scored the only try, with Kurt Coleman booting 11 points, as the already-eliminated Stormers took advantage of some sloppy play to go in 16-0 up at half-time.

The Bulls came into the game more after the break, but could find a way to score in testing conditions as the home side eased to victory.

Coleman booted the Stormers ahead after five minutes with a penalty, but the Bulls followed that with a good spell before the home side had their first try.

Coleman was at the heart of it as his break created space and, when he off-loaded to Nizaam Carr, the back-rower found Taute who went over.

The extra two points were added by Coleman and the Stormers led 10-0 after 15 minutes.

It was a scrappy contest and Coleman punished mistakes at every opportunity, adding another three points from the kicking tee.

The Bulls were seeing plenty of the ball, but persistent errors stopped them making any real inroads and they were once again made to suffer as another penalty made it 16-0 at the break.

The second half began in bizarre fashion as the Bulls gained a penalty at the scrum, but referee Craig Joubert then reversed the decision after Deon Greyling slapped Deon Fourie on the head.

The Bulls continued to battle in the wet conditions and came close to scoring as they mauled toward the line, but Schalk Burger intervened with a vital turnover.

The Stormers were on the back foot, but they came close to putting the game out of reach when Cheslin Kolbe looked certain to go over only for Marcel van der Merwe to produce an impressive last-gasp tackle.

Coleman hit the upright with a penalty as he had the chance to add to his lead in the last 10 minutes, but it was of no consequence as the Stormers ran out comfortable victors.