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First of all, take a bow to versatile back Damian McKenzie (No.10 tonight) who was not only was excellent with his kicking game & attacking creativity as always; but he too has also set another record as the fourth NZer to reach 1000 points in the history of Super Rugby. He just never stops generating these big scores and extra conversion points while designing the Chiefs’ passage of play with some pace & space to get past the Highlanders through the channels. It goes to show how extraordinary he is so far this year as Damian is here to stay for another two years, with winning a Super Rugby championship a huge golden goal to tick off come Finals time early next month. If he can do that, then he will no doubt want to their main No.10 for the All Blacks in a bid to regain the World Cup later this year.

Gotta say that Daniel Rona has shown some magic on the Chiefs outside midfield at No.13 tonight. Love how he assisted Shaun Stevenson with a brilliant little kick where the Chiefs overtook the Highlanders for the first time halfway through the opening 40. Then he always backs up their attacking play going forward while scoring back-to-back tries in the 2nd half that sums such a brilliant night by the 23-year old. Daniel has oozes of talent, physicality & pace to show the world as to why he wants to take Super Rugby by Storm for himself & the Chiefs.

And Shannon Frizell has been excellent on the blindside back row at No.6 for the Highlanders tonight based on his brilliant physicality against the Chiefs defense which was tested really well. You just couldn’t stop such a huge player who has the tall reach & vast expertise every time he unpacks with the ball, so the Highlanders know that they’re trying to build some attacking momentum. It helped his side score the opening TRY v the Chiefs including some fightback later on where he scored one of the late tries himself. Sadly, a lack of executions has isolated their defense & ill-discipline mightily where they were brutally beaten at the hands of the runaway leaders.

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Highlanders opened their scoring account first against the high flying Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, but the away side dominated the opening term with a few tries on the board ahead of half-time, 14-28. Going into the 2nd half though, the Chiefs were simply too good while extending their huge lead with another set of big touch scores; Although the Landers had the final say with the late TRY just before full-time whistle, 28-52.

Gotta say that the Highlanders fired off really well by surprise against the still undefeated Chiefs, even though they’ve couldn’t stay ahead of top spot through the opening 40 minutes. But then a really poor/isolated defense, ill-discipline, lack of fight & incomplete attacking conversions have punished them in the end with a big loss unfortunately – despite showing some fight at times. That sums up how the Landers play their rugby at the moment where they’re just still hanging on 8th spot of 12th in the Playoffs bubble, as they got another tough game ahead v the ACT Brumbies in Canberra next Sunday arvo.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are still lighting the whole competition undefeated after 10 regular-season rounds of 14 so far in 2023. They might have been behind at the start away from home, but the way the Chiefs fought back with so much attacking flair & executions has erupted Forsyth Barr Stadium. A mix of interceptions, running through the Highlanders gaps through the channels, creative cross kicks & patience with the ball were all the key ingredients that made the Chiefs so unbeatable tonight. Now they got the QLD Reds next Friday in Waikato, but improving on strong starts would help if they wish to go all the way in the Playoffs by winning the Final.

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Tate McDermott made such a huge difference for the Reds at half-back tonight v Western Force. Every time has the ball on hand, Tate has the the licence to thrill such as the quick tap & go as well as controlling the scrum, driving maul and everything in between in order to make the most out of his side’s attack. It’s not just his work rate & communication being top notch as always, but he has excellent mobility & kicking prowess to roam around the pitch too. He’s glad to stay in Ballymore for another few years through 2027 – the year when Australia gets to host another Rugby World Cup & glad he will get to learn the best from Eddie Jones.

Harry Wilson has also been excellent tonight at No.8 for the Reds. His physicality saw him smash barriers through the Western Force blocks every time the Reds build their attacking momentum. It gave his side time to find their way through the gate where not only the Reds dominated possession going forward, but also scored a couple of tries along the way. Plus, his height is such a huge factor too, particularly with the vision so Harry can also look for some support to his own players to finish off for him. He hopes tonight’s display is the start towards proving Wallabies coach Eddie Jones that he’s a hard worker all around.

And Zach Kibirige continues to make waves on the Western Force left wing position at No.11 with his back-to-back tries tonight v the Reds. He was blessed with the Force’s great start where Zach squeezed his way just inside the score zone thanks to No.2 Tom Horton on the far-right short side. Then he read a brilliant intercept later on off Tom Lynagh tried where he got the job done by himself with no one there to stop him through oozes of pace. But sadly, the Force just couldn’t stop the Reds’ possession that limited their attacking chances, even though their defense wasn’t bad while suffering ill-discipline at the same time.

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Michael Hooper is a many of all-round talents on the Waratahs openside back row at No.7 last night v Highlanders. He can look after & assist with the attack, as well as defend & even made a 50/22 kick too that helped his side stay ahead on the front foot. Now the majority of the 2nd half may not be exactly the same while the Landers catched up, but he’s glad that the hard work was done when the Tahs regained the lead just in time thanks to the other team’s discipline drama ahead of a win by a single point (21-20). Such an excellent skipper to watch who still has plenty of energy left in the tank, as he’s got unfinished business left going into May so the Tahs can stay in the Top 8 bubble.

Next up is Lalakai Foketi on the inside back at No.12 for the Waratahs. He backed up the attack really well while offering so much physicality at the same time, having collected just the one TRY ahead of half-time. Yes, he might have been sent away to the naughty chair later on for like 10 mins, but he has redeemed himself once he came back just in time to help regain the lead before the Tahs held off the Highlanders for the win. It goes to show that he is such an important player who has tremendous experience in his prime right now (aged 28). Now he’s ready to hopefully not only beat the Reds next Saturday, but also keep winning on games to make the QF again for another year.

And Aaron Smith has made a huge difference for the Highlanders at No.9, particularly when his side made some lost time for most of the 2nd half. He looked after the ruck well while building some momentum going forward that earned them some three-point penalty goals earlier on. Then he showed some excellent leadership & attacking masterclass after half-time where he helped his side overtake the Tahs for the lead with under 20 mins to go. Sadly, he wished he can stay on until the end when not only he was replaced by Folau Fakatava with 7 to go, but his side also suffered some discipline drama as they’ve let it slipped away while the Tahs went on to celebrate with the win.

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Michael Hooper is a many of all-round talents on the Waratahs openside back row at No.7 last night v Highlanders. He can look after & assist with the attack, as well as defend & even made a 50/22 kick too that helped his side stay ahead on the front foot. Now the majority of the 2nd half may not be exactly the same while the Landers catched up, but he’s glad that the hard work was done when the Tahs regained the lead just in time thanks to the other team’s discipline drama ahead of a win by a single point (21-20). Such an excellent skipper to watch who still has plenty of energy left in the tank, as he’s got unfinished business left going into May so the Tahs can stay in the Top 8 bubble.

Next up is Lalakai Foketi on the inside back at No.12 for the Waratahs. He backed up the attack really well while offering so much physicality at the same time, having collected just the one TRY ahead of half-time. Yes, he might have been sent away to the naughty chair later on for like 10 mins, but he has redeemed himself once he came back just in time to help regain the lead before the Tahs held off the Highlanders for the win. It goes to show that he is such an important player who has tremendous experience in his prime right now (aged 28). Now he’s ready to hopefully not only beat the Reds next Saturday, but also keep winning on games to make the QF again for another year.

And Aaron Smith has made a huge difference for the Highlanders at No.9, particularly when his side made some lost time for most of the 2nd half. He looked after the ruck well while building some momentum going forward that earned them some three-point penalty goals earlier on. Then he showed some excellent leadership & attacking masterclass after half-time where he helped his side overtake the Tahs for the lead with under 20 mins to go. Sadly, he wished he can stay on until the end when not only he was replaced by Folau Fakatava with 7 to go, but his side also suffered some discipline drama as they’ve let it slipped away while the Tahs went on to celebrate with the win.

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Sam Cane has been working very hard this afternoon on the Chiefs Openside back row at No.7, especially when his side made up lost time to come back from behind by leapfrogging the Hurricanes throughout the 2nd 40. He has tremendous physicality, tall reach, leadership and communication skills that what makes Sam such a great player both at Super Rugby & International level. Not only he helped the Chiefs score a series of 2nd 40 tries going forward, but he also has a great defensive skillset where Sam read well to stop an isolated & faltering Canes attack by giving the ball back in his own end. It goes to reflect how good he is right now, having seen his side remain undefeated going into the 2nd half of 23’.

Next up is fellow Chiefs star at No.10 in Damian McKenzie who also made such a stunning impact at the same time as the skipper. His kicking & conversion skills has been excellent as always, particularly when he sinked a long penalty goal from halfway. Plus, he drew the execution of the attack really well that got his side back on track later in the 2nd half including one big score for himself towards full-time. He just simply ticks all of the above with an abundance of pace & physicality in the hope of delivering them the championship for the first time in a long time since 2013.

And No.9 Cam Roigard played a huge role of his Canes flying fightback in the first half against a decent Chiefs side. Love how he gets to run through the channels with pace where Cam touched down his side’s 2nd TRY, as well as working with the forwards & backline at the same time so things can end up smoothly which worked well from the beginning. He’s got so much potential at such a young age who can not only plan out the attack, but also use his physicality & pace to rip out the opposition defenders himself as well. Sadly, the 2nd 40 just wasn’t the same when the Canes couldn’t stay ahead, with ill-discipline & poor defense being the main deficiencies that isolated their attack dearly in the end.

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It’s bright and early this afternoon at Sky Stadium in Wellington when the march was supposed to be held at night as usual, but then the lights needed more time to repair in order to meet the criteria FIFA needed ahead of the Women’s Soccer World Cup later this year. But the centre of attention is the top of the table clash today between the Hurricanes & Chiefs where we saw really good play by both teams from the start, with Chiefs fired off early while the Canes answered well with a nine-point lead ahead of the half-time break at 17-8. Then the 2nd half belongs to the runaway leaders by the Chiefs where they were so dominant to come back from behind, while regaining & increasing the lead on the run home with a comfortable win over in Wellington, 17-33.

Commiserations to the Canes at home who were just the last 40 away towards ending the Chiefs unbeaten start to their 2023 campaign, but then they’ve let it slipped away on the run home without a 2nd half score at all with the loss. As said, the Canes replied well to the with two tries & a three-point penalty goal on the board through a nine-point advantage ahead of half-time. However, the momentum just wasn’t the same when not only ill-discipline restricted their ball opportunities, but it also let their defense being poor while the attack was isolated in which was really game over before it reaches FT. They need to be really mindful when facing the stronger teams as the Brumbies is their next test in two Fridays time with a bye in between now next week.

And the Chiefs unbeaten run continues after seven matches of 14 regular season games so far following a well earned bye during Easter last week. They were the first team to register these big points before the Chiefs were outclassed for most of the opening half by the Canes thanks to some poor discipline, which left them some catch up to do going into the final 40 of the afternoon. But the Chiefs never gave up when they scored a bunch of 2nd tries before the away were too good in the end, even though some ill-discipline remains an issue with only a few minutes to go. Great comeback there as the Chiefs keep moving forward with two huge games ahead at home in Waikato – one is Fijian Drua on Friday night followed by Crusaders again on Sat 29th April.

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Gotta say that Ben O’Donnell is such a special player to watch after his hat-trick scoring brace tonight v Fijian Drua on the Brumbies wide left at No.11. He possesses so much pace & power every time he links up with the attack, which means that Ben has the licence to thrill once he has the ball on hand where he beat a few defenders along the way. Glad he’s lighting up at GIO Stadium with Stephen Larkham where he’s been following his boss around straight from Connacht over in Ireland since mid-2020. Now with a mix of 7s & Euro experience at his prime (age 27), he’s ready to do more damage by providing decent competition to Corey Toole (currently injured) on the wings.

Next up is reserve No.8 Luke Reimer off the bench where he helped the Brumbies keep their lead against the dangerous Drua side tonight. He has been an excellent backup to Pete Samu who is in his prime right now (age 31), having put his body on the line to save his team from danger & make the Drua fumble with excellent physicality as well as his height too. He’s such a great player to watch by reading through the opposition body language while being vocal when Drua were so desperate & hesitant before Luke can be a useful attacking force that helped safeguard the Brumbies with the win. He’s happy to be here (age 22) by pushing on & learning from Pete before making a name for himself every week.

And Teti Tela has been excellent who provided lots of creativity with Super Rugby experience for the Fijian Drua at No.10. He might not be tall but knows how to get the job done with excellent physical strength, particularly where to draw his men in with support before his side were able to get past the Brumbies blocks with a couple of tries on the board including one for himself just at half-time. Teti never stopped doing this when Drua were almost within the Brumbies radar for the lead at one point all thanks to his hard work. But then a couple of denied TRY opportunities unfortunately gave the Brumbies the chance to capitalise and they have done it towards the end of the game with the loss.

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Matt Faessler has been exceptional at No.2 for the Reds earlier this afternoon where he collected back-to-back tries along the way. He’s got such great throw-in skills as always before orchestrating the driving maul well going forward. Plus, he boasts so much physicality to not only protect the Reds ball opportunities, but also the pace & power that saw Matt speed his way into the TRY area. He credits the attacking communication & patience needed to get the job done today v Moana. And after his 2nd TRY in the 2nd half, he gets an early mark too with the Reds well secure towards a crucial win.

Next up is Suli Vunivalu over on the wide right at No.14 for the Reds and he too showed some attacking magic in his own end. Love how he runs through the channels with pace as long as Suli has backup there including that intercept TRY where the Reds extended their lead ahead of half-time. You never know what to expect and when/where to mark Suli every time he has the ball on hand, especially when he gained a bit of Wallaby experience v England late last year. He hopes to now get his Reds team & supporters on-side in the hope of winning more games during the back half of 2023.

And No.6 Miracle Fai’ilagi has been making such waves for Moana Pasifika in front of their spiritual base earlier today on the blindside back row. He connected well with the backline along the way through some inside balls before Miracle also scored back-to-back tries. How good was that to showcase his talents for his country (Samoa), having gone through the sevens ranks before Moana gave him a chance to prove himself over in the XVs & SR level. With such a tall build as well as a great age (age 23) & physicality, there’s more to come over the months & years to come. It would’ve been great with a win but then Moana couldn’t catch up later on where the Reds were too good in the end.

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It was a low-scoring and close opening 40 over at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin,  with the Hurricanes touched down first while the Highlanders responded well before the Canes got away through a one-point ball game via a successful penalty goal ahead of half-time, 7-8. But the second 40 belongs to the away team who were absolutely on fire through the every end. And the Landers just let it slipped away, even though they collected the consolation TRY. The final score is 14-29.

The Highlanders winning run has came to an end the other day at the hands of the Hurricanes. Most of their first half run wasn’t bad where they responded well to the Canes five-point opener with a converted TRY earlier on + an unlucky next attempt being held up. They’re actually good to get the job done at scrum and maul time but not on open play when the Landers’ attack have been poor, while the defense have been isolated & adding so much ill-discipline along the way. They may enjoy winning easily v teams regularly below their level, but needs to be on their absolute best at the same time v top teams.

And the one team whose winning form goes on right now is the Hurricanes over from Wellington. They were really patient with the ball going forward all along where the rewards paid off, such as opening the scoring account first followed by regaining a small lead off Highlanders ahead of HT & extending their winning margin throughout the 2nd half. It goes to sum up such a great night away from home in Dunedin. I’d say the only thing they need to be aware of against the top teams is some of the ill-discipline & defense where the Landers had the lead for a while at one point for most of the opening 40.

Well, the Highlanders may continue to enjoy the next two easy games against the Western Force & NSW Waratahs away from home in Australia with a bye this week. And the Canes are getting ready to hopefully get past two of the other top SR teams – The Chiefs this Saturday at home & ACT Brumbies away on Friday 28th April in Canberra with a bye in between. Bring on Round 8 of 15 now in this year’s Super Rugby season going into the next four games over on this Friday & Saturday.

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