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Crusaders were way ahead from the beginning with a couple of tries on the board, while the Blues only collected just the one three-point penalty goal going into the break 32-3. Then nothing much has changed after that when the Saders continue to more a few more tries as their winning lead has extended even further on the scoreboard. And although the Blues finally scored a TRY or two later on, but the game was easily won by the Saders as they are through to another final this time on home soil in Christchurch. The final score at Orangetheory Stadium is 52-15.

Gotta feel sorry to the Blues who fell short this time last night. It took a while for them at last to search their first few points before they scored two tries in the 2nd half, even though they were way out of the picture by that stage. The main problem they suffered, however, was a mix of ill-discipline and a lack of ball opportunities where the Blues just couldn’t stop such a dangerous Crusaders attack along the way. While that was unfortunate, there’s going to be huge shakeup in Auckland next year without Beauden Barrett & coach Leon McDonald. It wouldn’t be possible without them as they hope to keep on winning games of the back of their legacy that made them great again.

And congratulations to the Crusaders on what is about to be another big Final showdown ahead next Saturday v either Chiefs or Brumbies. The way they play with their attacking structure & execution was simply outstanding where a lot of early tries were made before wrapping it up just over the half- century mark – that’s all I can say. While they can be good defensively, the Saders would need to watch their discipline if they want to end up with another championship – should they face the top-ranked Chiefs once again. They are hoping to give their coach Scott Robertson the best send off they need with all Super Rugby trophies being won under his leadership before he takes over the All Blacks job starting next year.

One more semi final left now with the Chiefs v Brumbies coming up in a few hours time on the race for the 2nd & last final spot over at FMG Stadium in Waikato, NZ. The game will start tonight at 5.05 pm AEST/7.05pm local time.

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Pita Gus Sowakula has been excellent in the No.8 Chiefs position when his match-winning TRY was enough to help his side go through into the semi-final. He has a great eye of getting the best out of the attack thanks to his impressive physical traits, having taken a greater look of what the Reds is doing at their own end while building the momentum before he can run by backing up through the channels or bust his way past the Reds blocks down low. Don’t forget he can be a handy defender as well. It all goes to how he operates on the field as he too wants to keep on going with the semis next weekend v either Brumbies or Hurricanes.

Then here’s another Chiefs player who is here to try and take the main trophy away from the Crusaders in Damian McKenzie at No.10. His conversion kicks look spotless as always that gave his side the added extras they’re after thanks to a mix of tries and winning penalties. He can also design the attack really well every time the Chiefs has the ball on hand with a mix of swift passing + little cross kicks, so the attacking momentum can continue past the Reds end before the rewards ended up his way. He too will look to continue that dynamic approach alongside his usual kicking duties by gifting the Chiefs more tries & points in next weekend’s semi-final.

And right-winger Suli Vunivalu was such a huge threat to the Reds’ outside push thanks to his two TRY brace this afternoon. He sent a brilliant message to Wallabies coach Eddie Jones where he’s got the pace & power + the vision in order to get the job done as well as defend & back up thanks to his tall reach. You can’t just get enough of him who knows what it takes to play against the big sides like the Chiefs & also through NRL in the past. But sadly ill-discipline didn’t go their way under pressure before it was too late, as he hopes to bounce back & win more games from here for the Reds & Wallabies.

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Me oh my!! This match has gone through the wire where both Chiefs & Reds were right in it all along, but it only has to be winner and one loser to be knocked out of the Final 8. Here we go!! The opening half saw the Reds open the TRY first while Chiefs went the other day with these three-point goals before they struck their first TRY right going into the break 16-10. 

Then Chiefs continue to pile up more three-point goals to stay on top of the leaderboard; Reds on the other hand, find their way to stay in the hunt with their third TRY towards another upset also on their turf. But in the end, it’s the Chiefs who keep on grasping while never giving up, having regained the lead once more before they can finally see the light for the win as the clock ticks down going into full-time at FMG Stadium in Waikato 29-20.

Oh so close from Queensland who fell short by only nine points in the end against the top-ranked Chiefs side as a win once again in their land would’ve been unreal to advance into the last 4. They started the game really well while showing the best fight they’ve got as the game goes on which includes holding top spot on occasions. But they just couldn’t hold on under pressure when ill-discipline came into play with these lost penalties/advantages where the Chiefs struck one back a few times to regain the lead & stay in there before it was too late in the end.

Yes, their finishing has been poor for the majority of the year. But can’t deny their team spirit & the way they promote young talent thanks to the work Brad Thorn has built over the last few years as head coach. Whoever takes over from next season will not only be able to continue the good work from Thorny’s legacy, but hopefully improve their attack & first two towers that could potentially be a regular force at least in the Top 4 once again.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are still standing after they got away with the win against the Reds where they don’t give them a free ride from start to finish. They too also replied very well to the Reds good start who knows what it takes to win in their own turf before the Chiefs found a way to stay on top of them going into the half-time break. Although they had to keep on adding these mini boosters via the penalty goals while the Reds caught them up to regain the lead for a while. But they never gave up as the clock runs down where a late TRY by Pita Gus Sowakula was enough to keep their outstanding season alive going into next week for the semis.

Glad to see the Chiefs escape against an outsider who knows all about them pretty well where they were beaten once in New Plymouth a few weeks ago. Credit to their unmatched squad & coaching staff that saw them dominate the regular season including this Quarter-Final match with just one loss v the Reds of course. Now they better be aware of the fast starts against whichever team the Chiefs are set to face next weekend whether if it’s Brumbies or Hurricanes in the hope of going one better for the final & win the championship also v Blues or Crusaders.

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The first half saw the Waratahs open their scoring account first with an early lead thanks to Ned Hanigan, but it was the Blues who won mightily going into 17-7 at the break. Then there’s nothing much apart from the Tahs’ consolation TRY later on where the Blues went on to hammer them even further with an easy win that puts them into the semis once again either against Crusaders or Fijian Drua 41-12.

The Waratahs 2023 season has came to an end last night after being eliminated out of the Final 8. They opened the scoring first which was good off a loose high ball from Beauden Barrett where Ned Hanigan did well to distract him before touching the ball down. However, they went on to lose more penalties as the game goes on. Although they did score another TRY with 10 mins left, but was sadly poor for the majority that cost them time & time again with limited ball opportunities against a very destructive Blues attack. If the Tahs did watch their discipline, then the result would’ve been a different story. But it wasn’t a bad season though nonetheless to finish 6th on the ladder for another year thanks to head coach Darren Coleman.

And the Blues are in the semis for another year following an easy win on home soil at Eden Park. Their response in the way they play was unbelievable following a poor start, having got away with 2 tries & a penalty goal in the first half. Then they kept the momentum up with more tries on the board before the semis are coming their way against either Crusaders or Fijian Drua next weekend. Well, the Tahs have given them some feedback to be aware of which is the slow starts, particularly when they will most likely face the Crusaders after they couldn’t get the job done twice so far this year. But they want to go one better & having a spotless display hopefully will do them good against the reigning champions this time.

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Hats off to Fijian Drua’s all-rounder Frank Lamani who showed that he’s more than just a half-back tonight in the starting No.9 shirt. He can communicate well every time his Drua team have the ball on hand & follow his lead in order to get the job done in attack, while he can fill-in well as conversion kicker too which is a bonus particularly during the 2nd 40. It just goes to show he has an excellent mindset as well as pace & power that demonstrates his all-round natural game & leadership too. Thanks to the Reds weaknesses through the ill-discipline, he never stopped working hard as he’s can’t wait to challenge the Crusaders next Saturday in hoping to upset them once again for a semis spot.

There’s another Drua player to get behind en route to Christchurch in none other than Joseva Tamani on the blindside back row at No.6. He too has been destructive with his all-round input just like F. Lomani except the height of course where Joseva is much taller than him, such as the physicality, vision & defensive contribution. All of these attributes he’s got helped Drua put themselves on the front foot, especially right from the beginning. Then his side went full on after the half-time break & Joseva has been active as ever since with one TRY assist to Mesake Doge & a TRY himself to finish such an easy game at home with pace. 

And Angus Blyth rounds out as the top Reds player of this match playing on the second row at No.5. He played a huge role in the Reds’ two tries earlier on where Angus provides a combination of such brilliant strength & towering height too that helped his side get past Drua in its tracks. Plus, he can be a sound defender too on occasions as well, having played about just over 50 Super Rugby games for them since 2018. Great mind, physicality &  input that makes him an important player for his team. It’s not just his day today when lots of ill-discipline & lack of 2nd half ball chances bite back to haunt the Reds, as it remains to see if the Reds will play in the Quarter-Final v Chiefs next Saturday. After the Western Force’s loss v Chiefs, Reds will now face them again but will need to show some team spirit in the hope of another upset like they did a few weeks ago.

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Damian McKenzie continues to shine this time by leading the Chiefs backline at No.15. His kicking game is excellent as always; he also possesses a lot of all-rounder attributes where he was tested so well while backing them up both in attack & defense. Gotta say that the forwards communicated with him well by giving them a helping hand in return. That way, the Chiefs know where to stop the Brumbies in their tracks, as well as being able to fire up the pressure back at the Brumbies going forward. It’s something how the Chiefs have scored time & time again for the majority before he gets to add these extra conversion points, which is always a nice bonus to have even when looking to kick from these difficult angles. 

Next up is Chiefs No.8 Luke Jacobson who also did well right from the beginning. He has such a towering frame and ever mighty physical power to shift things around, especially when not only he’s such a brilliant attacking force but he can also defend as well. You can’t go wrong when he helped his side open the scoring account by himself early as seen when he blew everyone away with his pace & power, while he continues to do the hard yards that helped the Chiefs stay ahead of the Brumbies when it comes to the lead. He is sure enjoying his best rugby right now at 26, having seen the Chiefs just taken home the regular season title as all eyes is on dominating the Finals real soon.

And Len Ikitau has been excellent on the Brumbies midfield at No.12. He was a huge attacking contributor thanks to the winning penalties/advantages being given on occasions. It gave his side some time to get around the Chiefs blocks before the close communication & the executions are there to reflect his input, having scored one TRY & one TRY assist against the runaway leaders. He will no doubt be a huge contributor towards the Brumbies upcoming Finals bid soon. Yes, they may have scored two late tries. But it’s the attacking inconsistency that saw his side struggle to break up a robust Chiefs defensive line mightily with the loss.

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The Chiefs fired off the scoring account first while ACT Brumbies levelled them up at 7-7 after a TRY of their own. But the first half belongs to the Chiefs who managed to score another TRY + the penalty goal ahead of the break, 7-17.

Although the Brumbies scored two consolation tries within the last 10 minutes of the night. However, that wasn’t enough to close in the unbeatable Chiefs who got away with a well-secured victory on the run home. The final score at GIO Stadium in Canberra was Brumbies 21-31 Chiefs.

Commiserations to the best Australian Super Rugby side right now following a rough night in the office. They weren’t bad on occasions when it comes to the fightback, having been blessed with the winning penalties/advantages/turnovers at times that led to a couple of tries along the way. They just couldn’t crack a robust Chiefs defense for the majority where not only the inconsistent attacking deficiencies are there, but their defense has been isolated too every time the Chiefs swoop in with the tries they’ve conceded on their doorstep. Speaking of the Brumbies doorstep, they got another home game coming up v Melbourne Rebels on Friday night + the Quarter-Final after that most likely v the Hurricanes. 

Meanwhile, it’s great to see the Chiefs take home the Minor Premiers after a near unbeaten 2023 campaign – bar the shock loss v the Reds two weeks ago. Their defense was simply outstanding where they gave the Brumbies a really hard time for most of the night. Not only that, they were really dominant going forward too thanks to the sheer physicality the Chiefs have in their arsenal where tries are being made there. And that is how the Chiefs were in cruise control all along by opening the scoring account first before they extend their winning margin by staying ahead on the run home towards a secure win in Canberra. They will now fly out to Perth v Western Force for the last regular season match of the year next Saturday.

With one round left, the Brumbies really need the home crowd to give them a great lift towards making the semi-finals once again no matter what happens – as they could go one better for a chance in the big final this time. Meanwhile, if there’s 1-2 weaknesses the Chiefs might wanna look out right now is the injury of Brad Weber earlier on & some discipline as of late, but hope Brad is okay as they do want this Super Rugby trophy real bad going into the Playoffs starting in two weeks time.

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Shoutout to Freddie Burns on what has been an outstanding night at No.10 for the Highlanders. He too has been such a huge threat in the attack, particularly during the 2nd half revival including the game-winning conversion kick. His role dissects the ability to design their way past the Reds blocks in the hope of getting the job done that includes some physicality to unpack himself, having been given ample time thanks to the Reds injury struggles before his side touched down with these big scores a few times off the back of his work. And he’s happy to be here after a illustrious career in the Premiership, especially when he scored the winning drop goal also at the death in the final v Saracens last year for Leicester Tigers.

Speaking of last-minute heroics, how about we go with the Highlanders reserve half-back Folau Fakatava who scored the winning TRY with less than two minutes to go. He has made such a huge difference since he came on where Folau helped them overtook the Reds with the lead for the first time; Although the Reds stole back once more via the penalty goal shortly after but he too found a way to close them out just before full-time with the win. He boasts a mix of pace & physicality even though Folau might not be very tall just like his understudy Aaron Smith, as he learned so much from him that made Folau a long-term asset for the Landers. Now he & Freddie are hoping to surprise the Blues next week in the hope of having an extended run from behind soon.

And Harry Wilson has been excellent in the No.8 Reds shirt where he possesses a mix of pace & physical power that broke the Highlanders line at times along the way. He’s such an all-rounder that saw him win penalties/turnovers as being tested both in attack & defense. His attacking skillsets have devastated them the most though, having helped the Reds win possession where his side were able to get the job done throughout the opening half by staying ahead. Sadly, injuries to a few key players saw the Reds good start begin to collapse through only a few penalty goals before they were piped by the Highlanders towards the finish line at the last minute with the loss in Dunedin.

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The Reds got ahead early with a few tries for a start while the Highlanders responded well at times where they were just seven points behind at half-time, 14-21. Later on, the Reds might have extended their winning share a bit but it’s only via a series of three-point penalty goals & nothing more. But then the Highlanders came back from behind to close in on the Reds & overtook them with the lead for the first before the Reds stole one back via another penalty goal. In the end though, the home side were glad to get away with the late win thanks to the match-winning TRY off No.9 Folau Fakatava. The final score at Forsyth Barr Stadium is Highlanders 33-30 Reds.

Unlucky from the Reds who were so close towards winning this match away from home until the Highlanders stole the lead baton at the last minute over in Dunedin, NZ. Their first half was really good where the Reds scored three converted tries on the board. Although they regained the lead with seven mins left via another three-point penalty goal thanks to these winning penalties & a good defense, but what really hurts them the most is the injuries amongst these key players. Sadly, that really hurt the great work they’ve built from the beginning where it allowed the Highlanders to make up lost time before the Reds couldn’t close them down under pressure as the clock ran out. Their next game is against Fijian Drua in Fiji next Saturday, which is going to be a must-win game if they want to stay within the Top 8.

And Wow!! Just Wow!! The Highlanders are not out of the Finals just yet with only one more regular round to go thanks to a really close win against the Reds on home soil. They showed some fight earlier on through 1-2 tries, while struggling to hold off defensively at times every time the Highlanders saw Queensland touch down with the TRY at their own end. However, they finally found a way to escape the opposition team’s clutches thanks to the a number of key players being hauled off the pitch due to injury. From there, the Highlanders were able to close in also thanks to a few new faces off the bench, before they managed to close out the Reds at the last minute on what has been an unreal finish with the win. Now they got a tough road ahead v the Blues in Auckland next Friday, but the Landers hope other results go their way in order to advance into the Finals for another year.

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Hats off to Max Jorgensen who led the Waratahs backline well at No.15 (full-back). Love how he can do all sorts of things that helped his side steer clear above Fijian Drua such as his defensive contribution thanks to the help from his robust forwards line, as well as the passing, kicking to clear out, pace & TRY assists going forward. It goes to show he can make such a big impact right away after making his Super Rugby debut 11-12 weeks ago & also straight out of High School at the same Allianz Stadium in Moore Park. He never stops working hard from start to finish & that is something he wants to keep on improving every week, as he can’t wait to get tested now v the champs Crusaders next Saturday in NZ.

Next up is 2nd half superman for the Waratahs Joey Walton on the inside midfield role at No.12. He too has made such a big impact that helped complete his side’s attack in order to stay ahead of the Fijian Drua who doesn’t give the Waratahs an easy run. Every time he has the ball, he boasts some blistering pace as well as some brilliant passing through the channels where the support players around him were able to get the job done with a few tries on the board. Such a dynamic player to watch, especially when he made that successful 50/22 line-out kick before they converted that into a match-winning TRY. He’s still got a lot to offer after tough times with injury at 22.

And Joseva Tamani did so well on the blindside for Fijian Drua at No.6  He did everything possible in order to keep his side in contention, having helped Drua win a few penalties including 2 x three-point goals earlier in the 1st 40 before he tested the Waratahs blocks well later on that led to a TRY assist & a TRY for himself. You can’t underestimate his natural game where he has greater vision thanks to the tall frame, as well as the physicality in order to plow himself over the line. Sadly, the Drua just couldn’t overcome the Tahs robust defense despite winning possession, as they just couldn’t keep it up under pressure with the loss.

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