Day Two of the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens started bright and sunny with a good vibe from yesterday and expected temps of 40+. A very clever points and pool structure meant no teams had yet been eliminated from the tournament. Who would come away with the inaugural trophy?
It took only the first two matches though for two teams to be eliminated. The Rebels and the Waratahs didn’t make it through to the knockout stages when the Chiefs absolutely pummelled the Wild Knights who had named a B team but even with a loss still finished second. That the Chiefs played so well after the news of the death of Sione Lauaki at age 35 is testament to their amazing fortitude and the crowd were behind them.
The Reds snuck into the quarters when the Crusaders spanked the Blues in their third pool match. Karmichael Hunt is looking good out there and I am really hoping that 2017 sees him playing a full season and hitting his stride.
And Toulon continued to bring nothing but a name when they lost their third match of the tournament against the Hurricanes to be sent home early. Scoring only 5 points during the whole tournament meant Toulon were the tournament bunnies and with JOC blaming the fields at Easts for his non-appearance it seems that the sooner they get on the plane home, the happier they will be.
The Highlanders v Bulls match was a good hit out and a fabulous free-running team try from the Bulls. And the Brumbies tournament progression hinged entirely on the points differential for Pool C – they needed the Highlanders to score a converted try to progress.
And the Western Force made it through to the quarters with only one win – the flaw in the tournament structure with Pools C and D only having 3 teams.
Quarter Final 1: Chiefs v Reds
An early round of fisticuffs and a knock on by the Chiefs set the tone for a tight Quarter Final with much on the line for both teams. Bobby Tuttle was held up over the line and sustained pressure inside the 22 saw Kerevi cross for the Reds 5 minutes in. An almost length of the field try to Chiefs’ Stevenson leveled the scores just before half time. Reds hit back with a second try to Samu before HT was called. A couple of solid breaks by Eto and Samu have the Reds looking much more confident and happy in the format than their pool matches.
HT score: Chiefs 5 Reds 10
An early try attempt from the Chiefs was denied and there was contention as to whether a shoulder charge was employed by the Reds. Slipper forced a turnover in the 22 and a nice clearing kick eased the pressure. The Reds defensive line was quite tight but Tupou saw the cheese again this time for a high tackle. Another yellow card followed for Houston and the Reds were 8 men against 10. Dropped ball from both sides made the last few minutes a tense scenario but the Chiefs emerged winners of the first Quarter Final.
FT score: Chiefs 12 Reds 10
Quarter Final 2: Crusaders v Wild Knights
George Bridge crossed in the second minute and the Crusaders were on the board. The Crusaders certainly had the bulk of possession and had a try held up over the line, but Tamanivalu crossed less than a minute later. The Wild Knights figured out early in the tournament to go wide and open the play but the other teams wised up quickly and the Crusaders played brilliantly yesterday and flowed that through today. Diggers was yellowed for a tackle on Barnes that may also have been a flop by Barnes, but let’s not split those hairs. Crusaders are totally dominating the surprise package of Day One.
HT score: Crusaders 12 Wild Knights 0
Damon Murphy appeared to be the most dominant player on the field carding Tamanivalu but then Barnes botched the penalty. It was one step forward one step back for each team. The PWK players were fading a lot more quickly than the Crusaders and didn’t have the speed needed to convert an excellent cross field kick from Barnes. The Crusaders defense held up brilliantly under sustained pressure for almost the full match but the resurgent Daniel Heenan crossed after the buzzer. He has looked pretty solid all weekend and it was a shame he didn’t stay in Australian rugby after his brief stint in the early 2000s.
FT score: Crusaders 12 Wild Knights 7
Quarter Final 3: Blue Bulls v Western Force
The Force made it through to the Quarters on only one win and scored first in the match when Chance Peni crossed. The Bulls defense wasn’t putting up much of a fight when Alex Newsome crossed out wide with no defenders to dodge. Both teams continued to attack but as half time neared looked out on their feet. Much like my commentary at this point.
HT score: Bulls 0 v Force 12
The format is good, the play is enjoyable and some teams are exceeding expectations. But really I need more than 2 minutes to duck out to refresh myself. Nuts. And pressers happening at the same time as matches it is a little chaotic. The Bulls account was opened in the second half by Warwick Gellant who has scored the most tries this weekend. A brilliant break by Obi was sealed by Schoeman who dotted down under the posts. Less than a minute later Brummer for the Bulls crossed again to all but seal out any Australian team in the Semi Finals.
FT score: Bulls 19 v Force 12
Quarter Final 4: Hurricanes v Highlanders
Almost certainly this was destined to be the tightest of the Quarter Finals and it took almost 8 minutes for points to be scored. There was a great intercept by the Hurricanes that fizzled very quickly and NMS was cleaned up quite solidly but it was Adrian Smith who crossed the line out wide for the Highlanders, delighting their fans who had appeared from nowhere to stand in the blazing sun in support of the Landers.
HT score: Hurricanes 0 v Highlanders 5
The second half wasn’t the slick scenario fans were hoping for, with a lot of loose passes and generally messy play. The Highlanders copped one in the bin for cynical play and Riccitelli crossed to level the scores. Jordie Barrett converted to put the Canes ahead with a minute to play. A nail-biting finish saw the Hurricanes progress through to Semi-Final 2 where they will play the Crusaders.
FT score: Hurricanes 7 v Highlanders 5
Semi Final 1: Chiefs v Bulls
The Chiefs were bringing their A game in honour of Sione Lauaki and the fans continued to gather in the Eastern stand to support their heroes. Liam Messam had been slated to fly home early to support Lauaki’s family, but took the field for this match. The Bulls came out pumped and had the bulk of possession early but it was Shaun Stevenson for the Chiefs who dodged 4 or 5 tacklers to cross for the first try of the match. A penalty try was awarded to the Crusaders and a Bulls player sent to the bin. The Chiefs third try came courtesy of Alaimalo and was converted.
HT score: Chiefs 26 v Bulls 0
Alaimalo crossed again early in the second half and the body language and the demeanour from the Chiefs elevated again – these boys were incredibly focused and committed. The Bulls were running on empty but AR Warner crossed in the shadow of half time to restore some respectability to the score.
FT score: Chiefs 26 v Bulls 14
Semi Final 2: Crusaders v Hurricanes
I am a fan of 10s – faster than 15s but with the set pieces we know (and I love) and more structure than 7s. It’s a lot of fun. Not loose fun like the 7s because heaven help me I don’t do loose fun. I only do structured fun. It was again a testament to both teams that meant it took more than 8 minutes for the Crusaders to score the first try of the match. It was somewhat controversial circumstances when Strange crossed, because the Hurricanes had only 9 men – Fifita came down poorly after a lineout and was stretchered from the field.
HT score: Crusaders 7 v Hurricanes 0
Bryn scored for the Crusaders after halftime to put them ahead 14-0. A beautiful try to the Hurricane’s Jordie Barrett saw him chip and chase and regather to cross under the posts. Very impressive for a 19y0. An unusual decision was employed when the Crusaders were awarded a penalty and pointed at the posts – only the second penalty kick of the tournament. The Crusaders finish with a win – the only team to have 5 wins from 5 starts.
FT score: Crusaders 17 v Hurricanes 7
Winner, winner, chicken dinner: Chiefs v Crusaders
The Chiefs didn’t start the match they wanted to with the kick too long and going into touch. A high number of turnovers in the early minutes saw both teams needing to settle a little. The Crusaders crossed with a driving maul try (the first of the tournament) to Andrew Makalio. Injury time was called early in the match for Brad Weber to be stretchered from the field with a knee/leg injury. Luke Jacobsen gathered a loose ball from the Crusaders to put the Chiefs on the board. Chiefs squeaked ahead at HT.
HT score: Chiefs 7 v Crusaders 5
The Chiefs had a brilliant try in the making but Vaeno refused to pass to an unmarked man inside him and the try went begging. The Crusaders had a man sent from the field and it opened up enough the field enough for Seu to cross for the Chiefs. Injury time cut in again for Chiefs’s player Mitchell Graham to be stretchered from the field for a (very badly) broken leg. The Chiefs were copping a battering and their bench was depleted. But never fear as Graham left the field he was dabbing. Yep, thanks to the green whistle, we saw an injury dab! The Crusaders were desperate to claw back the deficit and their passes reflected that desperation.
FT score: Chiefs 12 v Crusaders 5
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The Results: Day Two
Waratahs 14 def Rebels 12
Chiefs 33 def Wild Knights 5
Reds 12 def Samoa 5
Crusaders 17 def Blues 12
Hurricanes 32 def Toulon 0
Bulls 26 def Highlanders 17
Quarter Finals
Chiefs 12 def Reds 10
Crusaders 12 def 7
Bulls 17 def Force 12
Hurricanes 7 def Highlanders 5
Semi Finals
Chiefs 26 def Bulls 14
Crusaders 17 def Hurricanes 7
Final
Chiefs 12 def Crusaders 5
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Crowd
Just over 29,000 tickets sold. Not many walk-ups, mostly due to the heat I suspect.
Would also recommend they sell single day tickets next year to get some more traction. Not a lot of families can give up two full days for rugby. And particularly following a 7s weekend.
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Tournament Verdict
Looking forward to the tournament next year with hopefully 16 teams and presence from Fiji and Tonga to complement Samoa’s efforts this year.
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