James O'Connor, Damian McKenzie, Siosifa Amone, Corey Toole. Photo: PHOTOSPORT, Getty Images
Analysis - It's hard to think of a better way to start the rugby season, or exactly where to start with Super Rugby Pacific's opening round. Two games were decided on the last play and another in the last five minutes, there were stirring second-half comebacks and huge performances straight out the gate by a number of test players.
Even the game that could be described as the least aesthetically pleasing, which was also the grand final rematch from last year between the Blues and Chiefs, was still an absorbing contest. However, any notion the Blues might've had defending their title was blown out of the water by the fired-up visitors, who simply didn't allow themselves to get bullied like everyone did last year.
It is far too early to start picking holes in Vern Cotter's much-vaunted direct gameplan, especially since it worked perfectly last year with every other team knowing full well what the Blues were going to do. But the sight of the entire team, minus whichever winger whose turn it was to simply watch from afar, bunched heavily around the ruck and putting their hands up for another carry made the assignment more and more obvious for a committed Chiefs defence.
What's more impressive about it is that Clayton McMillan had decided to reward his non-All Black squad members with starts, not because of any minute-managing stipulation. Yes, they found themselves down at halftime and the injection of Tupou Vaa'I, Samipeni Finau, Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown and Emoni Narawa appeared to do a firemen job, but really McMillan's dirt-tracker starters had set the tone defensively for the stars to come on and close it out.
Then there was the Damian McKenzie factor. His selection at fullback and Josh Jacomb at first five raised eyebrows, but McMillan's plan worked perfectly when McKenzie sliced through for two crucial tries in the 25-14 win.
Feel for the Blues, though. Cotter is renowned for a communication style as blunt as his gameplans, so they can expect a few words this week at training about buying into their own hype.
Thrillers, streakers and a coach happy to give a Penney for his thoughts
Things weren't looking great for the Crusaders on Friday night when it took all of four minutes for Scott Barrett to be yellow carded and eight for Noah Hotham to limp off the field. A lot of the very healthy 13,000 strong would've been thinking 'here we go again', but this ended up being the sort of resurrection that they'd been praying for all of last season. Everything went right after halftime for the home side - Will Jordan and Sevu Reece got their hands on the ball, debut halfback Kyle Preston had a blinder in the 33-25 result and finally Rob Penney could face the media and not have to explain another disappointing loss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSZHO9_tTiU
On paper, the Waratahs and Highlanders game was probably the toughest to call going into the weekend and they both managed to leave everyone guessing until the final whistle. It said a lot that the Tahs celebrated like they'd won the World Cup after the dramatic 37-36 win, but this is an important step for the team with the biggest market and Australia's biggest signing to take towards Super Rugby relevance.
The Drua did exactly what we all thought they would by fronting up at home in Suva, but also unfortunately also let discipline cost them dearly in their thrilling 36-32 loss to the Brumbies. Two Drua yellow cards were immediately followed by Brumbies tries, then lapses in defence at the end saw the Australians score two late tries to ice the result.
While the Force's 45-44 win over Moana Pasifika was enough to make any defence coach sick to their stomach, there was one big silver lining for the visitors. Moana's scrum was immense, almost a game-winner and set a much-changed tone for a team that's now under the microscope due to the profile of new captain Ardie Savea.
More than 25,000 fans made their way to Eden Park for the Blues and Chiefs game, but stadium officials will be wishing several of them stayed home. A couple of pitch invasions marred the contest, with the first lot at least having the good sense to run on the field during a TMO deliberation. But deep into the second half one fully naked intruder managed to get all the way into the Chiefs' backline during play, causing the game to be halted.
A streaker invades the pitch. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Neither captain said it affected what eventually transpired in the game though, with a nonplussed Vern Cotter claiming he thought the very pale streakers were white-jersey clad Chiefs players.
