Justin Marshall: Kiwi sides on the rise in Super Rugby; N Herald

The Hurricanes, Chiefs and Highlanders will all be feeling good about themselves following very different victories this weekend.

The Blues, too, will feel okay despite their loss to the Hurricanes at Eden Park. While they made some poor decisions at times, and were a bit unlucky with a couple of rulings, they were well in the match in the final minutes and perhaps should have won in the end, with the pack scenting blood and Victor Vito in the sinbin.

The Hurricanes got off the mark at last, the Chiefs put the Kings to the sword to help wash away the disappointment of last weekend's loss to the Lions, and the Highlanders looked superb on the counter against that very team in Dunedin.

One team out of this picture is the Crusaders because of their bye. But they will be feeling just as happy as the rest of their New Zealand colleagues, if not more so.

They are in pretty good shape with five competition points, and despite sitting out the weekend they remain in a play-off spot - fifth overall in the Australasian conference behind the Brumbies, Chiefs, Highlanders and Rebels and with a game in hand.

They are also sitting in wait for the visit of the Kings, who have yet to pick up a competition point this season, were hammered 58-24 by the Chiefs at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and must make the long and arduous trek to Christchurch with the real possibility of being humiliated by one of the best packs in the competition.

Todd Blackadder should be feeling pretty good about things because, despite having some very heavy backline artillery out injured in the form of Israel Dagg, Ryan Crotty and Robbie Fruean, he has a pack who can virtually win matches on their own. Owen Franks looks revitalised, Sam Whitelock is playing well, Jordan Taufua is his usual powerful self, and they are getting good performances from newer guys like Tom Barrett and Jimmy Tupou.

Remember, too, that Luke Romano and Matt Todd are yet to play this season.

Add in some organised defence and the fact that they are refusing to take any risks in their own half, and that's a pretty formidable unit, especially when you have the finishing power of Nemani Nadolo lurking on one wing.

Following the Kings match next Saturday the Crusaders will the on the road with two difficult games in South Africa against the Sharks and Lions, and a tricky visit to Perth to play the Force on the way back.

It's imperative then that Blackadder's men prepare well this week because anything less than five competition points will leave them extremely disappointed.

The new bonus point system of teams needing to score three more tries than the opposition caught out the Highlanders after Ruan Ackermann scored by the posts in Dunedin in the final minutes to make it four tries to two, and the Crusaders must be aware than any similar slip-up will not be acceptable.

- NZ Herald

 As predicted, Kiwi teams look good. 
Nice the see the wee Justin Marshall has a balanced view for a change. Normally he is placating the likes of Beeno & the rest of his international audience by talking down NZ teams. We will see how the other kiwi teams do on the road. The Lions did extremely well so they have set a high standard.

 Have to agree, your boys are looking the business. It will be interesting to see whether they step up to test level and if they do then the loss of Carter, McCaw and the rest might not negatively impact on your national team.

 The holes in the ABs left by the likes of McCaw, Carter, Nonu & C. Smith will leave great opportunities for younger players. 
I am glad that Hansen & Smith are providing some stability in the coaching. The battle for the 10 jersey will be a good one with Cruden the incumbent IMO but Sopanga challenging. Barrett of the bench seems to be a concensus but we have a long way to go.
Boks have some holes to fill also. The mighty Matfield will be missed by some. We will see if de Toit continues to estabish himself. Lood is touted by some but has his detractors (to me he is not the typical tough SA lock, looks a little wimpy). We the new bock coach go for more mobile and skilled loose forwards? Will b e interesting to watch.

 JW, I don't expect you'll understand when I say that there is nothing wrong with Bok rugby when properly played. The Boks don't need to play like the Oz or AB's to be successful against either team. Carter in the quarterfinal of the WC played Bok style rugby with his clever kicks getting in behind the Boks. Butch James to my mind was the last Bok flyhalf to execute the same type of clever kicking. There is a need to improve their backline play, it's been dismal for decades but that doesn't mean for the Boks to ditto Kiwi and Oz styles of play. Jones in his short stint did a wonderful job with our backs leading into the 2007 WC.

 Denny, it would be boring if Boks played like we do, I'll give you that. 
If the boks can get some skilled backs it might be enough to  tip the balance so Boks wins some games against us. 
BUT overall boks forwards (as selected in recent years) emphasize brute force & tend to neglects handling skills (exceptions have been Etzabeth, Matfield (no force but some handling skills & good line-out skills, and Burger (was good link man but misused in RWC as battering ram). 
ABs have shown they can adjust their game and they can do this because of better skills levels across the team. We have men like Retallick, Fauuina & Tuipulotu who are big and skilled but but overall the ABs don't have the most physical forwards in the world, perhaps the boks or the Argies do. But being the most physical in itself is not enough. 
Incidentally, we are still looking for the ideal hybrid lock/loose forward that will allow us to select one less specialist lock . We will see how that goes because that could further reduce our physicality but increase our skills.

 Exactly right...take Oz for example, not known for their physicality with big forwards but not exactly small either have done exceptionally well over the years utilizing good combinative play backed up with skills. What helps you guys is the sameness about your rugby, same with Oz, from one franchise to another you play the same game whereas South African provinces are different from one to another. It's so much easier on that basis for your guys to form combinations even though players are playing next to each other for the first time. I also believe that our lack of skills starts at school age...seriously, we have had senior players who die with the ball because they cannot pass. In Oz when my son was playing I noticed that kicking was never encouraged and obviously it's a good thing to get into a kid's head.

Denny, problem solved. T he Bok coaching job is still open mate

 Ou JM as opposed to wee JW is an honest guy but like JW, JM can lack a bit of cerebrality!
The kbbs are still good at ballet but not hard rugby.  Bwahahahahahahahha

 Beeno, I didn't know you were still interested in rugby. Still tying yourself up in knots with your twisted "logic" I see what with the JW, JM, JW ...
Your mate Justin is like that nutcase Trump only with better hair. He likes to appeal to his audience so he comes out with some crazy statements. For once he is right though, kiwi sides are on the rise. Landers, Canes & Blues all looked good. Did you see Fekitoa play, poor we de Allende will be put to shame when he comes back.

 JW your ignorance regarding rugby is of course legendary but I can see your political views are even dumber! Wouldnt have thought it possible! Bwahahahahahaha.
Sensible folk will be hoping Trump wraps up the nomination on Tuesday.Bernie's little disrupters better watch their step as folk might just get nasty with them if they continue their disgusting bigoted ways. Imagine if Trump supporters disrupted the commie bernies meetings! these bigoted leftists would be weeping and wailing in the most pitiful way. Bu boy did they make huge fools of themselves depicting Trump supportrs as giving trump a nazi salute Hahhahahahahahahahah a that backfired big time. They were shpwn to be goebels like smear atists but ncredibly dumb ones! Now they ignore the first ammendment rights of Trump and supporters and bust up his meeting! Its goodby cruz and rubio and kasich. There is only one MAn and its Trump!

 Beeno, this is the rugby section of the board the Trumpet section is down below. The US political campaign is like the S18 season in that it still has a long way to go.
On rugby, the current standings are Brumbies, Sharks, Chiefs, Stormer, Landers. No one in their right mind would think the Landers will end up behind the Sharks in the standings by the end of the season. So you see my point is it's early days yet. Please note that the Chiefs are ahead of the stormers

 JW you brought up T rump and I have noticed your obsession with him! hahahahahahahhahaha ou JW's secrets are an open book to Beeno.
The hapless chief struggled against the kings and got beaten at home by the Lions. they are a puddle of wets! 

Beeno, if the Chiefs keep "struggling" like they have they will be in the finals. 
I do keep a sympathetic eye on the wee stormers & it appears "size does matter" as the poor we chaps were chum for the sharks this weekend. Glad they had a kiwi ref for that game as he kept the game honest.
JW bringing a perspective you can trust