Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2021 www.photosport.nz
Opinion - Hurricanes coach Jason Holland probably couldn't believe his luck* when he saw his team's 2023 season draw for the first time.
The Super Rugby Pacific front end has turned into a perfect way for the Canes to consolidate the sort of points platform that should set them up for a very good regular season finish, with the first part of a tricky fortnight taken care of with a 29-14 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin.
They now sit atop the ladder, edging their next opponent on points difference. That opponent is the unbeaten Chiefs, which will be the toughest test yet for the Canes - but even then, the draw has them with home ground advantage next weekend in Wellington.
There has been a lot to like about the Canes so far. While their scrum wobbled a bit against the Highlanders, across the season it's been about as solid as it ever has in the team's history.
All of the loose forwards have been in good form, with Ardie Savea doing his usual heavy lifting, but the intriguing story is six-foot halfback Cam Roigard. The Counties-Manukau product can't do a thing wrong right now, his intercept of Folau Fakatava's pass and subsequent 70-metre dash to the goal line may well be a turning point in both men's narratives this season.
The Canes do have a challenging end to the regular season, with their last three games being the Chiefs again in Hamilton, the Blues at Eden Park, and the Crusaders at home.
However, even that situation is tipped in their favour somewhat, with all sides needing to adhere to All Black rest and rotation policy. That may well mean any of those games could be effectively tanked, by any of those teams, with an eye on the finals.
Highlanders winger Mosese Dawai celebrates his try with Folau Fakatava in the Moana Pasifika v Highlanders game at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland on 31 March, 2023. Photo: Photosport / Brett Phibbs
*****
Other observations from the weekend:
A lot of chat around Beauden Barrett's form was answered in the back end at least of the Blues' big win over the Rebels.
Up until then, the former two-time World Player of the Year had basically kicked the ball every time he'd got it and shanked his shots at goal. But it all came right when the Blues clicked and scored a point a minute in the second half. Suddenly, Barrett was walking on water, having a miraculous hand in three tries.
However, Barrett performed his Easter resurrection in front of what looked like a crowd the size of The Last Supper at Melbourne's AAMI Park.
It wasn't a great night for attendance, with the earlier match inexplicably played on a uni holiday in Dunedin, robbing the Highlanders of a few thousand boozed teenagers in the student section.
*****
Moana Pasifika had their best game of the season in Christchurch, taking a lead into halftime off the back of mammoth efforts by Levi Aumua and Timoci Tavatavanawai.
Unfortunately though, it still wasn't enough to stop the Crusaders winning relatively comfortably, however the home side did benefit from some slightly questionable refereeing.
Here's hoping a shift in scenery up to Apia when they play the Reds will result in some calls going Moana's way for a change.
*****
No such reffing issues in Brisbane on Friday night with Queensland's Angus Blyth's moronic tackle attempt on Brumbies winger Corey Toole proving that Super Rugby Pacific's new in-game disciplinary review is one of the best innovation's the game has seen in years.
Blyth was dismissed to the bin, then rightfully had it upgraded to a send off, without a tedious on-field legal discussion by the refs.
The only downside is that it once again proved that red cards, at least in their current form, don't do much to actually promote player safety - Toole was gone for the rest of the game too with a far bigger headache than Blyth.
*Holland probably can't believe his luck in regard to the All Blacks either, this morning strongly linked with a role in Scott Robertson's new coaching set-up.