By Ben Pearce

The Highlanders kicked off their 2012 Super Rugby campaign with a truly inspirational 23 – 19 win against a star studded Chiefs at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

The Chiefs looked comfortable at 19 – 9 with 20 minutes to play, holding their possession well and looking the more threatening of the two sides. But as the southern men do, they never die and with late tries to replacement halfback Aaron Smith and midfielder Phil Burleigh, the Highlanders caused the unbelievable to gain the best possible start to 2012.

The first half of the match was a struggle, both sides equally trying to gain dominance and put a foot hold on the game.

The Highlanders posted the opening points through a Chris Noakes penalty goal in the second minute, giving them a 3 – 0 advantage. Three minutes later the Chiefs drew even through Aaron Cruden, kicking a simple penalty from right in front of the posts.

The Highlanders looked strong throughout the backline with returning midfielder Tamati Ellison showing plenty of class along with Phil Burleigh who looked impressive against more star studded opposition.

The Chiefs crossed for the first try of the match through winger Lelia Masaga, after a sweeping backline display involving Sonny Bill Williams, Aaron Cruden and Richard Kahui sending the flyer to score next to the posts.

The Chiefs went to the break 16 – 9 ahead and looked well in control.

In the 49th minute, Aaron Cruden extended the home sides lead to 19 – 9, kicking another penalty.

The Highlanders battled to stay in the match and finally had their hard work pay off with a Aaron Smith try through a Adam Thomson offload in the 61st minute.

Then five minutes later, the unthinkable. Aaron Cruden’s kick inside the Chiefs half was charged down by Highlanders replacement Jason Rutledge, who regathered and offloaded to the flying Phil Burleigh to put the visitors ahead. With fifteen minutes to the go the score was 23 – 19, the Highlanders on a high.

As the southern men do, they shut out the game in the final ten minutes and in the closing moments, import lock James Haskill made the final steal in the ruck to secure victory for the visitors, his team mates equally emphatic praising the big England international.

This was a big victory for the Highlanders who host the Crusaders in the first ever Super Rugby match at Forysth Barr Stadium next Saturday. For the Chiefs, they host the Blues next week in Hamilton and must recover from this unexpected loss.

By Ben Pearce

New Zealand Conference:
 
 
1.Crusaders
 
Unlucky to have not gone the full mile in 2011, the Crusaders are better prepared to top the conference and win the 2012 competition. Based back in Christchurch, the Crusaders finally have a ground they can call home, unlike last season where they used Nelson, Napier, Timaru, Wellington and even Twickenham to host matches. That plus great depth and their star studded All Black contingent plus the promising pre season form of Ryan Crotty leaves them in good stead for higher honours and Super rugby domination.
 
2.Blues
 
The Blues stepped it up a notch in 2011 challenging the Crusaders for top honours, eventually missing out by a whisker in the final few rounds. With such a strong squad with the likes of ex Hurricanes players Piri Weepu and Ma’a Nonu, the Auckland based outfit will certainly be there or thereabouts in 2012. Will they be good enough to go all the way or will they trip up along the way which has been a trait of the past ? Certainly a contender.
 
3.Chiefs
 
With undoubtedly the best backline of the competition, the Chiefs will raise enough hell in the New Zealand conference to challenge their opponents. Players such as Sonny Bill Williams, Aaron Cruden, Richard Kahui and Tim Nanai-Williams will be the ones to watch plus the likes of former Highlander Robbie Robinson, who needs a big season. The main talking points will be their forward pack where they will need to shine and take charge, something they will need to display early in the competition for any chance in 2012.
 
4.Highlanders
 
Coach Jamie Joseph has recruited well this season, bringing in ex Hurricanes players Hosea Gear and Andrew Hore to the squad. Gear is in devastating form after his latest stint in the New Zealand Sevens squad and with Hore as captain, the side will certainly have some grunt up front. The return of Tamati Ellison will benefit the southern franchise as well as England lock James Haskill, who will link well with fellow locks Jarrod Hoeata and Josh Bekhuis. The Highlanders playing on the new Forsyth Barr Stadium track will be interesting as they seem to play better in more rugged conditions as they have done in Invercargill and at Carisbrook. They have plenty of talent but can they put it into competition points?
 
5.Hurricanes
 
What ever Mark Hammett was smoking when he got rid of the likes of Andrew Hore, Ma’a Nonu, Aaron Cruden and Piri Weepu leaves plenty to be desired and his team will suffer in 2012 because of it. The Hurricanes will be lucky to win half a dozen games this season and will struggle with the likes of the Crusaders, Blues and Chiefs when competing in this conference. Hammett can only treat this season as one of rebuilding and any win at home or away will be greatly received. The positives will be the leadership of Conrad Smith who is outstanding talent along with the likes of Victor Vito and All Black fullback Cory Jane. Look for better results in 2013 from this squad, not this year I’m afraid.
 
 
Australian Conference:
 
 
1.Reds
 
Two words simply describe the Reds of 2011, simply superb. They deserved their Super rugby title and earned plenty of respect from the world rugby public after some outstanding performances. It wasn’t just the backline that impressed, it was the entire squad which set themselves up for success throughout the season. It will be pressing for this team to win it again after the heroics of last season when missing the likes of Quade Cooper. Even though his shocking Rugby World Cup form, Cooper is an integral part of the Reds setup. Cast that aside, the Reds will still take out the Australian conference.

2.Waratahs 

Some say the most boring side in Super rugby, the Waratahs certainly command respect when it comes to winning matches and dominating a match. As boring as they may be, the men in blue have the ability to challenge the Reds for the conference title.

3. Rebels
 
Third place in the Australian conference maybe a little out of left field, but when you send in a team to battle with the likes of James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale, something good must come of it. Much better on paper than the likes of the Brumbies and the Force, this maybe the Rebels time to shine.

4.Brumbies

Once a force to be reckon with, sadly the Brumbies will fight for the wooden spoon with the Western Force this season. At times tough to watch, the boys from Canberra will need more than inspiration to feature this season. Both backs and forwards will need to fire for any chance.

5.Western Force

The Force looked good in patches in 2011, however this season they will suffer from a lack of depth in most areas of the field. David Pocock is the only worthy name to mention, a player who is extremely influential around the field. Other than him, no hope.

South African Conference:

1.Stormers

The Stormers will again be at the best, a side which can punish anyone on any given day. Without any real competition from the likes of the Bulls who are missing a mass of experience, the Stormers will be lone rangers in the South African Conference.

2.Sharks

Many predict every year the Sharks as potential title winners but this never seems to happen. Another side who are hard to beat on their given day, the Sharks will need plenty to fire without the likes of John Smit. A much better looking side on paper than the Bulls, the Sharks will finish a clear second.

3.Bulls

Tempted to place this side fourth behind the Cheetahs, the Bulls will find it tough without the likes of Victor Matfield. Matfield was inspirational and arguably the best lock in world rugby, a player who will be dearly missed. Fourie Du Preez will also be missing which leaves the Bulls relying on their new talent for Super rugby success. Sorry to say, not this season, unfortunately.

4.Cheetahs

Great to watch on occasion, the Cheetahs are definitely worth the Sky Television bill at the end of the month. Normally given the underdog tag, the boys from Bloemfontein put together some entertaining rugby from time to time. They will need a little bit more than this to feature come finals time, but this may be their season to shine.

5.Lions

Well talked about before every season, the Lions have some strong talent as well as a worthy coach in John Mitchell. Unfortunately, winning is something they seem to struggle with. Last place beckons again for the Lions, even though they come off a Currie Cup title which is encouraging.

By Mechiel Louw

South African conference:

1. Sharks

It’s been reported that the Sharks have reached new heights in fitness levels. They will look to experience a good season, having only lost a few players since last year.

2. Stormers

The unlucky team to have lost the Super Rugby semi-final, and Currie Cup final in 2011. They will be commited to go the extra mile and finally take the cup. Lots of Springboks, and influential leaders.

3. Bulls

The Bulls have lost about 7 players to retirement and mainly to Europe. They still have a strong team, but will lack leadership. If the new players put their hands up, they will still be within a good chance of great success.

4. Lions

The winners of the annually contested Currie Cup. They have a very able coach in John Mitchell, and an impressive captain, Josh Strauss, leading from the front. The competition is just too stiff out there to put them further up.

5. Cheetahs

Always unpredictable. Always a threat. Unfortunately inconsistency goes hand in hand with unpredictability.

New Zealand conference:

1. Crusaders

The team to beat in 2012. Sounds familiar? The 7 time champions Crusaders will just improve on their brave effort last year.

2. Blues

The Blues are also somewhat inconsistent at times, but they play amazing rugby. They will push the Crusaders for 1st place.

3. Hurricanes

The Canes should be very keen to turn their fortunes of last year around. They were on a losing streak at first, only recovering later in the season. With one of the best backlines in the competition, they will rely on good ball from their forwards.

4. Highlanders

They faded a little around the end of the competitiion last time around, but made a brilliant start. Lots of young talent, and never to be underestimated.

5. Chiefs

Despite gaining a few valuable players from other franchises, I don’t believe they will have enough in the tank.

Australian conference:

1. Reds

Cooperless doesn’t mean hopeless. The Reds still have a star studded team, and will be one of the front runners.

2. Waratahs

One of the most difficult to beat in their own backyard. The Waratahs will shine in their very balanced style of play. They are a smart team, and always tough to beat.

3. Brumbies

The forgotten force of Australian rugby. Will they be able to achieve greatness on the same level again? Time will tell. Expect a better season this year.

4. Western Force

Simply not enough depth to go all the way. They often play magnifficent rugby, but in the long run fail to impress.

5. Melbourne Rebels

Won’t name them the 15th wheel on the wagon, but I doubt in their overall capabilities. They are tough to beat at home, but are rarely a threat elsewhere.

By Conor Kelly

A late late Leigh Halfpenny penalty broke Irish hearts at the Aviva Stadium to give Wales a 23-21 victory to get their Six Nations campaign off the mark.

The main talking point will surround the yellow card off Bradley Davies who committed a spear tackle off the ball and could arguably have been sent off for his indiscretion.

Despite turning down an early opportunity to take the lead Jonathan Sexton made amends on the fourth minute when he split the posts from a penalty to put Ireland 3-0 up.

However, a lineout directly after that score saw Bradley Davies break down the wing and Wales piled on the pressure and it took a number of heroic attempts from the Irish to hold the visitors out.

Wales did get over the line but were denied after Wayne Barnes referred to his video referee who found the footage inconclusive. And from the resulting scrum Ireland were let off the hook when the Welsh front row engaged to early handing Sexton a chance to clear his lines.

From that point on Wales were flowing and they were rewarded with thirteen minutes gone after Jonathan Davies went over in the corner for his sixth international try. Priestland’s missed conversion left the score at 5-3 in their favour.

Priestland would then miss what could be classed as an easy penalty when he struck the post from 22 metres in front of the posts.

Ireland looked to attack straight away and Rob Kearney would rise higher than Leigh Halfpenny to gather Sexton’s kick but again Ireland’s discipline let them down as they gave away another penalty.

The missed penalty from Priestland seemed to give Ireland the spark they needed and they began to make more ground in attack.

Declan Kidney’s men grew during the last ten minutes and were rewarded when quick hands put Rory Best over to put Ireland ahead 10-5 at half time.

Wales were dealt a blow at the break when Sam Warburton was forced off. He had been controlling the breakdown up to that.

Ireland started the second half well when Sexton added a penalty to bring the score to 13-5.

This didn’t deter Wales and after another Priestland miss Halfpenny took over the kicking duties and immediately pulled his side back to within five points of the hosts.

And just moments later Jonathan Davies broke through the Irish line with ease and touched down to put Wales back in front.

Their lead only lasted a few moments as Ireland drove into the Welsh twenty two and looked like scoring when Mike Phillips gave away a penalty to leave Sexton with a penalty to put Ireland in front once more.

Sexton put any previous nerves behind him to once more split the posts and bring the score to 16-15.

Then with fifteen minutes to go Bradley Davies got a rush of blood to the head when he lifted Donnacha Ryan and dropped him off the ball. He would spend ten minutes in the bin and is lucky that it was only yellow when you compare the incident to Warburton’s red card in the World Cup semi final.

This would prove costly as from the penalty Ireland forced their way into the Welsh red zone and after a number of drives Sexton put the ball wide and Tommy Bowe slid in at the corner to put his side six points ahead with ten minutes to go in the game.

Again the visitors would prove resilient when big carries put Ireland on the back foot and George North made the most of his bulk to crash over and make the score 21-20 to Ireland. Halfpenny would miss the touchline conversion.

Wales needed just two points and a lapse in judgement by Stephen Ferris handed Halfpenny a golden chance to win the game. And that’s just what the winger did when he slotted the penalty between the posts to win the game for his side.

Ireland:

Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Fergus McFadden, Gordon D’Arcy, Andrew Trimble, Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray, Jamie Heaslip, Sean O’Brien, Stephen Ferris, Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mike Ross, Rory Best, Cian Healy Replacements: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Donnacha Ryan, Peter O’Mahony, Eoin Reddan, Ronan O’Gara, Dave Kearney

Wales:

Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North, Rhys Priestland, Mike Phillips, Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton, Ryan Jones, Ian Evans, Bradley Davies, Adam Jones, Huw Bennet, Rhys Gill Replacements: Ken Owens, Paul James, Andy Powell, Justin Tipuric, Lloyd Williams, James Hook, Scott Williams

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Man of the Match: Mike Philips

By Ben Pearce

The New Zealand Sevens team have beaten Fiji 24 – 7 in the final of the Hertz Wellington Sevens held at Westpac Stadium.

A magnificent performance from Tomasi Cama spirited the reigning champions, playing his part in numerous tries and scoring one himself. Frank Hali was again a dominant figure in the contest, scoring two tries and Captain D J Forbes crossing over for the teams opener.

Fiji fought hard but were never in the match as New Zealand’s 24 unanswered points in the first half became too difficult to chase.

New Zealand now leads the HSBC World Series with 73 points, with Fiji second on 70 and England third on 64 points. The next tournament is in Las Vegas kicking off on February 10.

RESULTS

CUP FINAL:

New Zealand 24 – Fiji 7

3RD/4TH
England 21 – Samoa 12

PLATE FINAL:
South Africa 24 – Tonga 0

BOWL FINAL:
Kenya 12 – Australia 7

SHIELD FINAL:
Scotland 19 – Cook Islands 17

Friday, February 4, 2012

Crusaders 47 – (Ryan Crotty 3, Tyler Bleyendaal, Willi Heinz, George Whitelock, Codie Taylor tries; Bleyendaal 5, Andy Ellis con)

Highlanders 19 – (Bronson Murray, Nasi Manu, Buxton Popoli’i tries; Chris Noakes 2 con).

VENUE: Greymouth
ATTENDANCE: 4000
HALFTIME: 35 – 0 Crusaders

Chiefs 36 – (Thompson, Kerr-Barlow, Bradley, Horrell, Pulu, Taumalolo: Cruden 3 con)

Rebels 0

VENUE: GEELONG
ATTENDANCE: 3000
HALFTIME: 17 – 0 Chiefs

Saturday, February 5

Blues 36 - Jerome Kaino, George Moala, Chris Lowrey, Anthony Boric, Sherwin Stowers, Dan Prior tries; Michael Hobbs 3 cons.

Hurricanes 22 – Julian Savea try; Daniel Kirkpatrick pen, Beauden Barrett 4 pens, con.

VENUE: WHANGAREI
ATTENDANCE: 6000
HALFTIME: 26 – 3 Blues

By Conor Kelly

This Sunday Ireland and Wales will renew an old rivalry when they lock horns in the first round of the 2012 Six Nations at the Aviva Stadium.

The Celtic cousins have been two of the most successful sides in the six nations over the past decade having won three titles between them along with numerous Triple Crowns going Ireland’s way.

It has not been long since the pair last met as they battled it out for a place in the World Cup Semi Finals just last October. That time it was the Welsh who came out on top to claim a spot in the final four.

Sunday, however, will be Wales’ first game since the retirement of talismanic winger Shane Williams. Williams has been a key figure for the Principality over the last number of years.

While on the other side of the field Ireland will be without their captain Brian O’Driscoll who will miss the whole series following surgery on his shoulder.

These loses shouldn’t hamper either side too much as their domestic sides have been in fine form over the past number of months and there is no doubt a new star will fill the gaps left by two legends.

Warren Gatland has revisited the preparations which were so successful last Autumn by bringing his side back to the same Polish camp that they used prior to the World Cup.

For Declan Kidney he will be looking to give new blood a chance with the inclusion of youngsters such as Simon Zebo and Eoin O’Malley in his squad.

One thing will be certain and that is that both countries will have high expectations for this season so we can expect this meeting to be another epic game of rugby between the countries.