The first game of Super Rugby played in the northern hemisphere was a doozie! A few hours ago the Crusaders beat the Sharks 44 to 28 in a fierce contest marked by scything runs and ferocious clear-outs.
The Saders put up 4 tries in the first 30 minutes and looked to have the match in hand. But the Sharks stuck with their game plan of dominating rucks and quick recycling and clawed their way back into contention. It was talent versus character, brains versus heart, and with 15 minutes to go, it was anyone’s game. The end of the game probably came as a disappointment to fans of both sides. With 9 tries scored (5 to the Saders, 4 to the Sharks), no one wanted it to end.
If there was any pressure on the players to put on a good show for the northern hemisphere audience, they didn’t show it. There may be a few who complain about the high score, saying real rugby ought to be a grinding, slow-moving affair. But I suspect there will be more who will be won over by the dizzying pace and rapid ball movement. This was helped, in part, by referee Steve Walsh who evidently left his whistle at home and let most infringements go.
The game was very much a clash of styles. The Saders with their monster backs ran like they were in a Sevens tournament. The Sharks with their monster forwards totally owned the rucks.
It was also a game of contradictions. The Saders ran in 5 tries overall but the Sharks defense was otherwise solid. The Sharks pack were relentless at the breakdown but useless in the scrum
Standout players for the Crusaders included the hard-running Sonny Bill Williams, the energetic Keiran Read, and Zac Guildford, who slotted back into the starting XV like he hadn’t been away.
Standout players for the Sharks included the enterprising Ryan Kankowski, Jacques-Louis Potgieter who scored in a brilliant individual try running 50m through traffic, and the hard-to-put-down Tendai Mtawarira. Why the Beast isn’t in the starting XV is a mystery to me.
My MVP was Dan Carter. Once again he was the maestro leading the orchestra and his flawless kicking (7 from 7) meant the Saders weren’t under quite so much pressure when the Sharks came storming back in the second half.
Kudos to the BSkyB commentators who were operating well out of their comfort zone. For a while there it seemed that they knew the names of only two players – Sonny Bill Williams and Dan Carter – but they otherwise called the game well. And those super slow-mo replays that are a regular feature of Six Nations rugby were brilliant. Dear Mr Murdoch, can we have those down south too?
The Sharks players went straight from Twickenham to the airport, heading home to prepare for their next match against the table-topping Stormers. The Crusaders have a week off to lick their wounds (injuries to Carter, Read and Sam Whitelock could be costly) before preparing to face the reigning champs, the Bulls, in Timaru.
Filed under: Crusaders, Dan Carter, rugby, Sharks | Leave a Comment »




















