03 June 2019, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

SUPER RUGBY ROUND 16 – BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS

The biggest takeaways from Round 16 of Super Rugby from a South African perspective, according to Quintin van Jaarsveld.

The wet weather made for an ugly arm-wrestle in Auckland and, in the end, the 22-all draw was a fair reflection of the game. Both the Blues and Bulls toiled hard, but their collective lack of skill shone over the stadium like a rainbow, reflecting why they’re no threat to the top teams.

The conditions served as a 16th man for the Bulls. It diluted the Blues’ attacking potency, slowed the pace of the game down and led to a high number of set pieces, which favoured the Bulls big forwards. The scrum was one of the Bulls’ best weapons, earning them points and metres through pummelling penalties.

Overall, the teams very evenly-matched – for better and worse. Both scored three tries and had occasional moments of promise in between a myriad of mistakes. There’s no doubt the Bulls will be the happier of the sides. In many ways, the draw was a win for them, especially after the lacklustre loss to the Brumbies seven days prior.

With just 38 percent possession, the Bulls made roughly half the carries as the hosts. Their gainline success was evident, though, and is reflected in the stats. The men from Pretoria made 68 carries, 209 metres and nine clean breaks. The Blues, in turn, made 124 carries, 355 metres and only six clean breaks.

On the other side of the coin, the Bulls completed 113 tackles and missed 18, the Blues 85 and 13, with the visitors’ managing one more turnover than the hosts. This proved crucial as it was RG Snyman’s steal on the deck that freed up Cornal Hendricks on the right for his excellently-executed chip-and-chase try.

We love a good ol’ chip and chase! The Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby’s Cornal Hendricks treated us with a lovely try that had us smiling from ear to ear. He is our #CaptainAmerica of the week. pic.twitter.com/mPwgKkgoXq

— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) June 3, 2019

The Bulls were fortunate in the end, with Harry Plummer missing what would’ve been a match-winning penalty at the hooter. For the heart they showed, though, in twice crossing the chalk to level the scores and for the effort they put in without the key duo of Handré Pollard and Duane Vermeulen, they deserved to come away with points and the two they secured keeps them in the play-off mix.

The Sharks have often been their own worst enemy this season and that was once again the case in the 30-17 loss to the Hurricanes. Inexplicable substitutions and poor game management were as much to blame for the home defeat as Ardie Savea’s breakdown brilliance and Ngani Laumape’s midfield masterclass.

The ‘Canes deserve credit for slicing through the Sharks’ defence – the Durbanites’ biggest strength in recent weeks – and for dominating the breakdown. In the first half alone, the visitors won seven turnovers, and they managed five more in the second stanza. The Sharks won just two all game.

The Durban side repeated many of the mistakes that have hamstrung them for most of the year. They started slow and looked all but out of it trailing 20-3 after 33 minutes. At that point, they enjoyed 51 percent possession and 74 percent territory, but coughed up the ball in contact every time they entered the red zone.

For a moment, it looked as though they would channel the Chiefs – who had pulled off an extraordinary comeback win over the Crusaders earlier in the day – with well-worked tries before and after half-time to put themselves right back in it at 20-17 after 45 minutes.

The players deserve credit for this spirited rally, knowing full well that a loss in their last home game would severely hurt their play-off hopes. Even though they still trailed by three, they had forcibly taken the momentum from the ‘Canes, and then it happened…again.

Two nonsensical decisions. A power scrum by the Sharks, their first semblance of superiority in the set-piece, won them a kickable penalty to level the scores in the 53rd minute. Instead, they kicked to the corner and coughed up the ball in pursuit of a try.

Minutes later, coach Robert du Preez again injected Rob Jr. into the fray at the expense of Aphelele Fassi, who had had a fantastic game. The exciting young fullback had just knocked on, leaving many to assume that was the reason for him being plucked from the field. To be fair to Du Preez, this wasn’t the case, but rather, a pre-planned move – a card he’s come to play consistently in recent weeks.

NEWS: Nick Mallett has questioned @TheSharksZA coach Robert du Preez’s decision to substitute @onke_fassi midway through the second half of their match against the Hurricanes at Kings Park. https://t.co/Gxx6fMUyXn

— RugbyRocks (@rugby_rocks) June 2, 2019

Just like last week, the change seemed unnecessary and had a clear adverse effect on the Sharks. Gone was Fassi, the Sharks’ main strike runner on the day, and the attacking momentum Curwin Bosch had established as playmaker, only to be shunted to fullback once more.

Just like players, high-level coaches are expected to have situational awareness, the ability to call audibles and shelf preconceived plans. For the second week in a row, the substitution of Fassi and its ripple effect backfired spectacularly.

Adding to their affliction, the Sharks failed to cash in on their numerical advantage in the last six minutes and consequently came away without a single log point.

There’s life in Johannesburg beyond Elton Jantjies. That, in a nutshell, is what the Lions’ emphatic 41-22 win over the Stormers showed. It was a big call by Swys de Bruin to drop his star flyhalf for ‘breaching team protocol’. While the close-knit camp remained tight-lipped about the issue, reports suggested Jantjies failed to follow orders in the loss to the Sharks and, therefore, lost his place in the side.

The Lions coach said in the week that no-one was above the system, and it’s the system that prevailed on Saturday. Jantjies is such an influential player for the Lions, both as a playmaker and a leader. It’s long been the case that if Jantjies plays well, the Lions play well.

A regrettable, isolated incident is not going to tarnish the legacy and reputation of the Lions legend. Malcolm Marx confirmed this at the post-match presser at the weekend, saying the players stood behind the Springbok star while praising Shaun Reynolds for his solid showing as stand-in flyhalf.

What Jantjies’ omission did do was offer a glimpse into a future without the franchise’s most-capped Super Rugby player. The veteran’s contract expires at the end of the season, and like several other Springboks, he could opt for a big payday abroad after the World Cup.

Reynolds is not the playmaker Jantjies is. Few are. It’s his vision, creativity and deft hands along with his fundamental skills that make Jantjies the world-class Test-match veteran that he is. Reynolds, however, looked at home, controlled the game with confidence, made good decisions and fed his backline well.

The back division operated like a well-oiled machine, not one missing its defining cog. Andries Coetzee stood in well when it came to kicking to the corners, setting up five-metre attacking lineouts from some distance out. Lionel Mapoe, meanwhile, assumed the backline leadership role with aplomb, ably assisted in this regard by the experienced Ross Cronje, while Harold Vorster and flyers Aphiwe Dyantyi and Courtnall Skosan all impressed in their respective roles.

Everything started up front, where the Lions mauled the Stormers and laid the platform for the backs to wield their magic, treating spectators to silky-smooth handling and support play. Suddenly, the Lions have their tails up again and have shot up to second place in the South African Conference behind the Jaguares, who now look set to secure the division spoils.

BET: Super Rugby 2019