And then there were four – it’s Super Rugby semi-finals weekend. ON Friday, teh Blues host the Brumbies at Eden Park before the Chiefs make the trip the Wellington to face the Hurricanes in an all-Kiwi affair on Saturday. Darry Worthington previews.
Friday 14 June
Eden Park plays host to the first of this weekend’s semi-finals with the Blues and Brumbies squaring off this Friday.
Both sides enjoyed solid quarter-final showings and while the Blues do come into this one as strong favourites with the bookmakers, the Brumbies could well give Auckland’s finest a real run for their money.
Blues 2/11 | Draw 33/1 | Brumbies 15/4 (09:05)
Handicap
Blues (-11.5) 9/10 | Brumbies (+11.5) 9/10
The Blues had little trouble overcoming the Drua this past weekend, putting in a clinical performance to run out 36-5 victors. Their forward pack was once again a domineering force, with their big guns excellent at lineout time and two of their tries coming from rolling mauls.
While most of the pack put in eye-catching showings, a couple of the backs put their hands up too with Harry Plumber again putting in a mature shift at fly-half while All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke bagged himself two tries.
The Brumbies had a slightly less comfortable time in their quarter-final clash as they were made to work hard in the opening 40 minutes of their date with the Highlanders, with a try just before half-time seeing the Aussie franchise sneak a 17-16 lead as the teams went into the break. They would click through the gears in the second stanza, however, as they managed to score 15 unanswered points, with winger Andy Muirhead scoring an absolute screamer.
Last weekend’s quarter-final victory came at a price for the Blues with veteran lock Patrick Tuipolotu sustaining a serious knee injury, while the Brumbies seem to have a pretty clean bill of health and got a slight boost this week as young fly-half Noah Lolesio inked a new contract.
In terms of the recent head-to-heads between the sides, the Blues have won four of the last five games between the sides with the biggest win in this sequence being this year’s round-robin fixture which they won 46-7. There is a glimmer of hope for the Brumbies as they did win last year’s clash between the sides at Eden Park 20-25.
Verdict: Blues (-11.5) 9/10
This Auckland team is so well-drilled and clinical. They are designed to win championships and I reckon they’ll march on to the final at something of a canter.
Saturday 15 June
There’s an absolute classic in the making at the Wellington Regional Stadium this Saturday with regular season table-toppers, the Hurricanes, squaring off against Damien McKenzie’s Chiefs.
Both sides are well stocked with All Blacks and a load of rising talent, which means we should be in for an absolute spectacle out in Wellington.
Hurricanes 6/10 | Draw 22/1 | Chiefs 14/10 (09:05)
Handicap
Hurricanes (-3.5) 9/10 | Chiefs (+3.5) 9/10
They were the pick of the sides in the regular season, finishing top of the standings with only two losses to their respective names but the ‘Canes face a real test this weekend with a very tidy Chiefs side coming to town.
The visitors for Saturday’s derby made something of a statement this past weekend as they hammered the Reds 43-21. The scoreline was actually rather kind to the Queenslanders as the Chiefs, who were 31-0 up at half-time, took their foot off the gas in the second half allowing the Reds to score three tries.
Damien McKenzie was once again the key man for the Waikato side with the all Black masterfully pulling the strings at pivot His kicking game was on point and he’ll be crucial to the Chiefs’ chances this Saturday.
Like their semi-final opponents, the ‘Canes came up against Aussie opposition in the quarter-finals and also made short work of their opponents from across the Tasman as they recorded a 47-20 victory over the now-defunct Melbourne Rebels.
After a rather cagey first 39 minutes, a try just before the half-time mark sprung the ‘Canes into life as they scored 33 points in the second stanza with All Blacks Jordie Barrett and Asafo Aumua laying siege to the Rebels midfield defence.
Both sides have a couple of long-term injuries but it doesn’t seem either side picked up anything substantial in the quarter-finals, so I expect both to field very similar teams to the ones that ran out last weekend.
Looking at the recent head-to-head results between the sides and the Chiefs have won three of the last five games between the sides but the last two have been won by the Hurricanes with the most recent coming just over three weeks ago where a late penalty gave the ‘Canes a 17-20 victory in Waikato.
Verdict: Chiefs 14/10
I’m going to have a crack on the upset here. Both teams are brilliant outfits but I feel Damien McKenzie will be the difference maker on Saturday.
