Round 4 of Super Rugby for 2015 have been completed and once again we find many tipsters shaking their heads in despair as a couple of upsets highlight this particular round.
The Australian Conference
The Brumbies kicked off Round 4 with an in-house conference match against the Force in Canberra and ran out comfortable winners – at least on the scoreboard by 27 points to 15.
They secured a four-try bonus point along the way while their defensive structure was provided a good workout.
The Brumbies stand out as the top team within the Australian conference however of concern may be their ability to close out a match, having to sustain significant periods of pressure in the second half against the Force and similarly in the closing stages against the Rebels the weekend before.
Considering the last minute loss to the Chiefs in Round 2 it will be a work on for the Brumbies coaching staff to have their charges producing a consistent 80-minute performance for the balance of the competition.
The Force certainly improved on their last few performances, particularly in the set piece with a perfect record against the Brumbies, winning all of their lineouts and scrums and dominating possession for long periods. Unfortunately, despite making the Brumbies complete 234 tackles to their 86, the Force lacked any real invention with ball in hand.
Countless barrages of men one out from the ruck is too easy for defences in today’s game and finding a way for them to convert this sort of possession into points will be the major focus for the coaching staff, along with their defensive lapses, as they missed 17 tackles.
The Waratahs were back in action after last week’s bye and travelled to Brisbane to face the Reds to continue the 133-year-old rivalry between the two arch rivals. Unfortunately, this particular chapter was not one to be remembered.
The Waratahs were comfortable victors, simply having too much physicality and strike power for the Reds. But outside of securing the win, the Waratahs will be far from happy with their overall performance, failing to convert several try scoring opportunities and coughing up a number of unforced errors against an opposition that that was quite frankly there for the taking.
I imagine Michael Cheika will be hammering home execution this week in training.
The Reds were well below par and that is the nicest way I can think to describe their performance. They lacked physicality in the tight exchanges and were rudderless in attack. The Waratahs defence could easily stop the Reds making the gain line and the longer the Reds held possession, the further back they went.
The kicking game was poor and it was really only the Waratahs’ high error rate which kept them from suffering more on the scoreboard.
Already the critics have started to flow in the direction of the coach, Richard Graham, who now must be feeling the pressure if he wasn’t before. And there is no respite on the horizon with the conference-leading Brumbies due in town next week. While a number of quality players are yet to return to the fold, prospects for the Reds and their supporters do not look good for the balance of this season.
The Rebels had the bye and are back in action next week.
The New Zealand Conference
The Highlanders travelled to Hamilton to face the Chiefs and came away with a hard fought victory over their highly fancied opponents on Friday night.
In a match highlighting the team’s resolve, the Highlanders defended like mad, then took their opportunities when presented and despite a yellow card – a period in which the Chiefs were awarded two penalty tries from scrum infringements – they were able to regroup and finish the match the stronger and secure the win.
They still have plenty to work on, particularly maintaining possession, and will know this result will quickly fade into the background if they cannot back it up at home against the Waratahs next week.
The Chiefs really were their own worst enemies. In contrast to a week ago when everything worked against the Crusaders, they quickly fell apart against the Highlanders as poor execution and decision making permeated the performance.
Is it anything to get worked up about? I don’t think so at this point. Their play had them earmarked as potential title favourites before this round and I am unsure if you can say that has changed after one bad day out, but I am sure there will be many analysts looking over this game with keen interest.
The Blues suffered their fourth straight defeat to the Lions to now remain the only winless team in 2015 in a performance which has left their fans and critics fuming.
In a mirror image of last weekend, the Blues dominated their opposition in every department except where it matters most, on the scoreboard, and the pressure and scrutiny on the franchises Sir John Kirwan has been lifted several notches.
The decision making and execution was extremely poor and there looks to be little cohesion or understanding within the group and no real answers within sight. Like the Reds, their season looks a long haul for their faithful.
The Crusaders and Hurricanes had byes this week and will back in Round 5.
The South African Conference
The Lions secured a rare overseas win and much needed competition points, beating the Blues in Albany.
The victory was based on their resolve and flat out determination on defence, and when afforded their one opportunity they took it. It was unfortunate to read a few match reports disparaging the Lions team in an effort to emphasise the Blues’ dismal performance, taking away from a well-deserved victory.
While they are not the most creative or possess the star quality of other franchises, they certainly lead the way in terms of pure guts and determination and opposition will take them lightly at their peril.
The Bulls have also highlighted that they have got their season back on track with a comfortable win over the Cheetahs in Blomfontein. A pre-season favourite from the South African conference, a disappointing start to the season has been wiped away as they looked the part in dismantling the Cheetahs, particularly in the contact areas.
Led by a sterling performance from their first five Handre Pollard and utilising the talents outside him, the Bulls look to be hitting their stride and perhaps the bye this coming weekend has hit at the wrong time.
The Cheetahs had two solid victories heading into this round and would have been confident heading into this fixture, however the same tenacity at the breakdown and defence was not there and they were ruthlessly exposed by a Bulls team coming into form. Time will tell, but I suspect the Cheetahs will struggle against bigger packs and may struggle for many more victories this season.
The Stormers continued their imperious start to the season, remaining unbeaten in defeating the Sharks in Cape Town and head both the South African conference and overall competition.
A scratchy win against the Lions last weekend has been well and truly scratched from memory as they disposed of a strong Sharks team at home, outmuscling their rivals and dominating the set piece, in particular the scrums, earning three tightheads before halftime.
Their relentless approach eventually ground their opponents down, forcing a number of errors and a penalty try in a composed and patient performance.
The Sharks, in comparison, struggled to get into this match which I found quite surprising. While there were a few notable absentees, one of the pre-season favourites are now standing on shaky ground with a one win, three loss record. New coach Gary Gold will already be feeling some heat.
I still have faith the Sharks can turn this around but another loss will make it very hard from here, particularly with their overseas trip still to come.
In terms of players, Malakai Fekitoa has added turnovers to his repertoire, earning five against the Chiefs, while Jerome Kaino consistently produces despite his team’s fortunes.
Jaco Kriel is an impressive unit and Jesse Kriel continues to impress.
Handre Pollard played his best match of the year while Damian de Allende is making a serious case for inclusion in the Springbok midfield. Vincent Koch has also been very effective and I wonder if he may present an option for Heneke Meyer to consider in the troublesome tighthead position.
Joe Tomane had one of his better games in recent memory while Rory Arnold continues to impress and Ben McCalman consistently produces and Steve Mafi appeals as one to keep an eye on.
Looking forward to next week already!
