Spoils shared in Hamilton scrap
10 Jun 2011
JON CARDINELLI reports on the 18-18 draw between the Chiefs and the Hurricanes on Friday.
Neither team was in play-off contention heading into this fixture, but there was still plenty of pride at stake. While they would have preferred the win, a draw was still good enough to ensure the Hurricanes stayed marginally ahead of the Chiefs in the New Zealand conference. Both teams are looking to avoid the division’s wooden spoon, and so the Hurricanes have helped their cause by collecting two log points.
The Chiefs fed off some early Hurricanes errors, and shot to a 10-0 lead. They were the more competitive side during this initial period, especially at the breakdown, and it appeared as if the Hurricanes’ off-field issues were being reflected by a lack of intensity and desire on the pitch.
But the visitors showed some mettle to fight back, and ironically it was the two players that coach Mark Hammett had labelled surplus to the Hurricanes’ requirements ahead of the 2012 season that had the greatest impact.
Captain Andrew Hore muscled over from close range in a rare display of control by the Hurricanes’ forwards, while centre Ma’a Nonu troubled the Chiefs’ midfield defence with some scything and determined runs.
The Chiefs managed to strike before half-time through Isaac Ross, but their 10-point lead was cancelled just six minutes into the second stanza. Nonu sparked a try with a midfield break, and some slick handling in spite of atrocious conditions eventually saw the ball reaching Hosea Gear for the finish. Aaron Cruden kicked a difficult conversion as well as a further penalty to level the scores with 34 minutes to play.
The weather worsened at this point, and both teams battled to control possession. The Hurricanes dropped the ball in promising positions, Julian Savea guilty of losing possession over the tryline and Nonu failing to collect a difficult pass when he had the goal-posts in sight.
Cruden and Donald exchanged penalties to set up a dramatic finish, and both teams strove for territorial dominance as the final whistle approached. The tactics at this stage were geared towards hoping for an opposition error or infringement.
The Chiefs did well to pin the Hurricanes in their own half during this period, but after taking the ball through 20 phases, Donald’s drop-goal attempt was charged down and the Hurricanes decided to put the ball into touch instead of keeping it alive and trying to win the game.
25 Comments
10 Jun 2011, 08:22 am
Canes in internal disarray.
10 Jun 2011, 08:30 am
Anger is a great motivator for playing rugby. I think the Canes will take this one well.
10 Jun 2011, 08:57 am
Canes aren’t angry. Only dazed and confused.
10 Jun 2011, 09:29 am
is anyone else’s keo.co.za site all screwed up?
10 Jun 2011, 09:31 am
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-4: nope, only yours Maccie
10 Jun 2011, 09:42 am
faaaark stupid chrome
10 Jun 2011, 09:46 am
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-4: Yes. In other words, it’s normal.
10 Jun 2011, 09:49 am
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-7: lol
10 Jun 2011, 09:51 am
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-4: are half the comments blacked out Mac?
10 Jun 2011, 10:29 am
Great try there by the Hurricanes
10 Jun 2011, 10:41 am
No drunk hores for Nonu
10 Jun 2011, 10:45 am
who scored?
10 Jun 2011, 10:49 am
try saving tackle from Donald….
10 Jun 2011, 10:56 am
does the result of this game matter at all?
10 Jun 2011, 11:05 am
^^ Other than the NZ conference wooden spoon, not really.
10 Jun 2011, 11:06 am
here goes the superbru again
10 Jun 2011, 11:07 am
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-14: and superbru points..
10 Jun 2011, 11:16 am
And almost everyone hates a draw in Superbru.
10 Jun 2011, 11:16 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-13: the duck off to bath to fill in for that butch chap with the stiff arm
10 Jun 2011, 11:20 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-17:
bugger forgot to make my picks. again. i’m not doing too good.
10 Jun 2011, 11:22 am
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-19:
butch wasn’t a stiff armer so much as a no armer. like jerry the hitman collins. one of them still has an international career tho.
10 Jun 2011, 11:26 am
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-21: only in SA, in NZ or Australia Butch would have been put out to pastureLOOOONG ago…here he is part of the FatBoys Club so he is
10 Jun 2011, 11:40 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-22: Butch has a RWC winner’s medal which he earned by being pretty much the best flyhalf at the tournament. Not bad for a fat boy.
10 Jun 2011, 11:45 am
stirling mortlock is also part of the fatboys club.
so is nathan sharpe.
and matt dunning
10 Jun 2011, 12:19 pm
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-21: agreed, but one must remember the relative nuances of both Collins and James positions… dont remember Jerry arming his no arms above the neck
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