Hiss and a Roar in the First Half of Round Three

Things kicked off in round three with a real hiss and a roar last night in Wellington at the cake tin.  The hiss was the sound of the air escaping from the Cats’ inflated chests after last week’s effort to win against the Chiefs with a man having been sent off.  They started well, matching the ‘canes try with a try and a penalty of their own to be ahead in the approach to half time.  

However, it wasn’t to be their night.  Lome Fa’atau pulled off a brilliant re-gather from a fairly aimless kick to canter down the sidelines untouched for a converted try as the last act of the first half.  He was also instrumental in producing a freakish try at the end of the game where, unless my ears deceived me, the ref had in fact blown his whistle before the ball was grounded by the young All Black fullback, Toeava under the sticks.

Both of these players seem to be coming of age and the Hurricanes might be a team to be reckoned with this season.  Can they cast off the hoodoo of years gone by and actually go on to win a semi-final or final?  My guess is that they would be boxing well above their weight to win against the Crusaders.  The final try of the game was awarded and that denied the Cats a bonus point, and gave the Hurricanes their third bonus point in as many weeks.  It seems to me that this franchise is going places this season, and they may have justified the shorts odds being given for their home victory.  Click here for a full match report.

Also last night the Force took on the Chiefs at Subiaco stadium.  It seems from that game that the Force are going to be the cellar dwellers this year, joined possibly by the Blues it would seem from comments on this blog.  26-9 was the final score line in yet another unimpressive performance from the Force.  At least the Chiefs managed to clock up the one win during the tour and they will be looking forward to a few home games that they can use to gage their performance by.  They will be greatly heartened by the performance of the All Black trio in the side.  At last Muliaina, Sivivatu, and Anesi came together with pace and class to score some good tries for the Chiefs.

The Force, on the other hand, has yet another loss to dissect.  Fortunately their coach is fairly used to this sort of activity from his previous career.  I read with interest his comments on the game, and was left wondering why he seems to be able to pinpoint what is wrong with his side with such accuracy and venom, however he doesn’t seem to be able to change what his team is doing.  Surely this is what he is there for?  To coach the players, the imprint on them a game plan that should address the issues he has identified that lead to such poor results?  I thought this was how you produced a better side and made a contribution.  I guess not, perhaps he just needed the job.  Does Australian Rugby really need John Mitchell though?  For a full match report, and Mitchell’s comments, click here.

And the final game last night was a torrid struggle between two teams, both of whom have been accused of cheating in the lead up to the game.  Gregan of the Brumbies was accused of delaying the feed of the scrum so that his props could settle and bore in on their opponents, to compensate for their lack of size and strength.  De Wet Barry was of course rather famously named as the dirtiest player by a survey of Australian players the week before when they met the Tahs.  Doubtless that fair appraisal of his form still stung a bit this week.

In any event we have our first draw of the season.  A draw, once famously described by a former New Zealand test match rugby player as being “like kissing your sister”, is nothing to crow about, nor is it anything to get too depressed over.  I can’t say that I ever kissed my sister (I don’t have one) but I would imagine that it is nothing like a draw at all.  To get any points when your team is over in republic is good, however I would’ve thought that the Brumbies ought to have done better out of this game.  They should have won and they can feel as if they have let one slip by.  Then again, it is better than a loss.  Just.  Click here for the full match report.

In an example of innovative coaching and totally surprising moves, it appears that the Reds may be planning to bait Troy Flavell on his return to the Blues against the Reds in Brisbane this evening.  Hold the front page.  New Zealand’s bad boy, who spent most of his career suspended, makes his return from Japan and is set to enter the mix tonight.  Is he what the Blues need to get some go forward?  He will certainly add that bit of fear in the opposition players who take the field and end up on the wrong side of the ruck.  This is a game that each team has to win if they are to have any chance of making the play offs at all.  For more on that story click here.

The other mismatch, no chance game of the round apart from the Cats vs the Hurricanes takes place in Invercargill this weekend.  Surely the Crusaders at home in true Southern Country will tear the Sharks apart.  The hype surrounding this game is pretty muted, however for a glimpse of what is coming out of New Zealand click here.  Even with turncoat Tony Brown playing for the Sharks, they will have their work cut out for them.  I may refer to him as a turncoat, but lets face it, in the professional era these guys have to make a living and that means playing for whomever will pay you.  Good on him, and no great loss to the game in New Zealand.  Taking a second rate, yesterday’s second best man, cast off player from New Zealand is a poor reflection on the state of the game in South Africa.  How come they don’t have any great first fives to choose from amongst their own players.  For more on this story click here.

Enjoy Round three, more tomorrow.  And thanks for those comments on the games, I’ll keep an eye out for some more tonight, following the latest Blues debacle, I mean game!