Chiefs steal it late
16 Mar 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on the Chiefs’ 29-22 victory over the Brumbies secured through a Jackson Willison try at the death.
It was by no means convincing but the Chiefs continue their early-season march, giving further fuel to the growing belief that they will be among the teams involved in the business end of the tournament. To progress beyond the play-offs they need to exorcise the demons that sporadically tempt them to abandon a balanced approach in favour of crowd-pleasing panache.
The Chiefs at times resembled the rudderless side they were last year, shifting the ball laterally without any platform to do so effectively. Where purpose had characterised their attacks prior to this match, there was too much hope of individual brilliance, which was in short supply. It was no surprise that both their tries were built on pragmatic phase play.
Credit to the Brumbies for their structure, accuracy and power on defence – hallmarks of a Jake White team. The pressure they were able to exert in this regard contributed significantly to a string of handling errors the Chiefs committed, although a number of their cough-ups were simply schoolboy.
The Brumbies should have been ahead at the break (tied 9-9) having shown greater composure on attack but lacking the killer blow in the red zone. Their phase play and rolling mauls troubled the Chiefs, who lacked the gainline physicality to stifle the former and the organisational skill to quell the latter. Their lack of punch in the tackle compromised their breakdown contest and resulted in them conceding a string of breakdown penalties, which Christian Lealiifano duly banked.
He traded three pointers with Aaron Cruden, the flyhalves kicking five apiece to lock the scores at 15-all going into the final quarter. However, you sensed that the Chiefs had the edge. With their cavalier spirit reigned in slightly they were able to exert pressure in a manner they never were in the first half. They worked through phases and rewarded when Sona Taumalolo drove over from close range. Cruden converted to give his side the lead with seven minutes to play.
But then the Chiefs showed their tactically naive side once more, attempting to run themselves out of their territory instead of punting deep and forcing the Brumbies to take risks. They turned over possession and with four minutes to play Brumbies lock Sam Carter burrowed over the whitewash. Lealiifano held his nerve to level the scores once more from a difficult angle.
But the Chiefs redeemed themselves immediately. They depleted the Brumbies’ defensive line through multiple phases before shifting the ball to Willison for the match-winning score.
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226 Comments
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16 Mar 2012, 10:34 am
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-99: which fantasy league are you in?
i find the fox version to be the most statistically accurate so i dont use the supersport 1
16 Mar 2012, 10:36 am
Best display of scrimmaging I’ve seen in a long while, both packs were great. Flat as a table.
16 Mar 2012, 10:38 am
@Papoose(papaown)-101: I’m with ultimate dream teams
16 Mar 2012, 10:39 am
It’s with Sports Illutrated.
16 Mar 2012, 10:40 am
great last ten minutes though.
16 Mar 2012, 10:41 am
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-103: what the heck is that? which website? is it any good?
16 Mar 2012, 10:41 am
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-104: thanks, will look it up
16 Mar 2012, 10:42 am
Ok so nice Superbru start to the weekend for me.
Next up my boys!
16 Mar 2012, 10:44 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-93:
i was about to say the same wrt just how the chiefs won the game with the last try especially.
16 Mar 2012, 10:48 am
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-102:
no, the brumbies knew they would be under scrutiny in the scrums. i mean when lyndon goes on tv to say they appointed a front row specialist panel to study some of the refereeing decisions involving the scrums of the brumbies in the game just the weekend before then of course they will have done their homework on a plan to avoid trouble and possibly losing the game there.
ergo… they ****** scrummed straight cos they were beibg watched.
the chiefs were still the better imo.
16 Mar 2012, 10:54 am
There are 2 tiers in this year’s Comp
Tier 1 (No particular order)
Stormers
Bulls
Sharks
Reds
Tahs
Blues
Saders
Highlanders
Chiefs
Canes
Tier 2
Lions
Cheetahs
Rebels
Brumbies
Force
Tier 2 will upset the apple cart here and there, making it a very interesting competition this year.
16 Mar 2012, 11:07 am
So far this years games have been very difficult to predict!!
16 Mar 2012, 11:09 am
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-104:
you’re in sports illustrated?
yum yum.
16 Mar 2012, 11:20 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-111:
the sharks do noy belong in tier one and the hurricanes belong in an inbetween limbo tier to be decided at this point.
16 Mar 2012, 11:23 am
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-114: the sharks finished 6th last year, one better than the bulls…
what you say about that?
16 Mar 2012, 11:24 am
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-114:
LOL at Sharks
Canes I can agree with you, after their match vs Highlanders we’ll know where they really stand.
16 Mar 2012, 11:27 am
Tier 1 and tier two
How did you come to this …history…this year…last year?
Tier 2 teams – brumes are going through a rebuild but history has told us they have been a top 4 competitor mostly with two Super titles.
Cheetahs – nothing
Lions – nothing
Stormer? – have won nothing. best a top four finisher how many times…3?
Sharks – how many times a top four finisher…3 times?
16 Mar 2012, 11:31 am
@wallabie.(wallabie.)-117:
This year, i clearly stated THIS YEAR.
16 Mar 2012, 11:38 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-113:
ja, she must be a hottie. i remember transie saying something along those lines too.
but (and its a big but)… i believe she’s real short (her own words) and for me height (minimum 6’2″ or taller), strong, wide child bearing hips and big feet are a very sticky negotiating point.
even kim kardashian would have to make a really convincing case to me if i were to consider sacrificing, at least four, great springboks (a 10, two centers and a utility back because i aim to fix the sprigbok backline woes myself…of course if we are having problems at openside i could stick one in there) .
16 Mar 2012, 11:40 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-115:
ag transie, rock science is not an exact science, you know
16 Mar 2012, 11:41 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-116:
yip, that we will.
@wallabie.(wallabie.)-117:
i think he’s referring to this years comp only.
16 Mar 2012, 11:46 am
Wobblie… Sharks been in 3 finals and about 6 semis with a playoff… Thats a top contender history wise…
16 Mar 2012, 11:48 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-100: How can someone be so utterly clueless? Did you not observe how the Brumbies committed few players to the breakdown? This was anything but a forward orientated game! You can throw around a few rugby terms but you fool nobody. Absolutely clueless.
16 Mar 2012, 11:54 am
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-111: And what tier were the Stormers/WePee in when they missed a year of Super Rugby competition…
When they were’nt… ahem… quite good enough….
Sort of their GayChristmas tree jersey era… erm… sorry… That era is present…
Sure you know what I mean though…
16 Mar 2012, 11:56 am
@Alucard(Alucard)-123:
And you can call me Doff, clueless and a fool as much as you like.
How did the Brumbies score the try to level the score at the end, wasn’t it through their forwards?
What instruction did the Chiefs coach give to his players that they decided to take the ball up close around the fringes at speed instead of trying to spread it the whole time since the Brumbies were not committing too many players to the rucks and when they did they cleverly counter-rucked and flooded that area, slowing down the ball?
What area of the game was the tightest, the backlines running at each other or the scrums, line-outs and rolling maul?
Didn’t the Brumbies get another score levelling penalty from an impressive rolling maul?
16 Mar 2012, 11:58 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-124:
Yoh
I was only talking about this year’s competition, not previous tournaments.
16 Mar 2012, 12:02 pm
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-119: what are you on about?
16 Mar 2012, 12:05 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-123:
And (lmimp) for clever Rugby terms.
What words do you suggest i must use to describe what is happening on the field?
Eg
A bunch of players pushing and shoving each other over the ball when it goes to ground – A ruck?
16 Mar 2012, 12:08 pm
Most Penalties Conceded After Round 3 :saffas
1. Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks) 8
3. Dean Greyling (Bulls) 7
3. WP Nel (Cheetahs) 7
6. Derick Minnie (Lions) 6
9. Werner Kruger (Bulls) 5
9. Zane Kirchner (Bulls) 5
our props are suffering @ the scrums, bissie is leading because he doubles up as a fetcher.
16 Mar 2012, 12:11 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-24:
The only way out for the affected parties or families may be to consider reclassification
I understand that the criteria is tough
If unsuccessful then it’s D, K or further out A
16 Mar 2012, 12:12 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-127:
your friend rossernori was in sports illustrated. i was just making a joke about it with gunther and mentioned that you also said she was a babe.
i mean it in the nicest way and not a peverted lewdy way.. at least i hope it comes across that way.
16 Mar 2012, 12:15 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-129:
bissie is doff.
a lot of the penalties against greyling and kruger have been a little unfair but zane deserved most of his.
16 Mar 2012, 12:20 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-127:
One word
Jas
16 Mar 2012, 12:21 pm
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-132:
Was wondering how the hell did Zane get penalised so many times.
16 Mar 2012, 12:23 pm
well that’s the last time i make these kind of jokes.
16 Mar 2012, 12:38 pm
As I said yesterday – any team can beat any other team on their day.
Stop calling any of the teams in this year’s competition plonkers.
There are none !!
16 Mar 2012, 12:39 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-129:
Kirchner ????
16 Mar 2012, 12:41 pm
good day all you nutty people
16 Mar 2012, 12:48 pm
@willievz(willievz)-137: Four of the five were for his hair. The other one was for illegal binding, but I think the ref got the wrong guy.
16 Mar 2012, 12:49 pm
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-131: How do you two leap frog to me being featured in Sports Illustrated, from me saying I am playing a super rugby fantasy league game from the Sports Illustrated website? Jeeeeezzz Louise!
16 Mar 2012, 12:51 pm
@willievz(willievz)-136:
I think its still safe to call the Rebels plonkers for the time being.
@>^..^< katman(katman)-139:
LOKL (G)
!
16 Mar 2012, 13:00 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-140:
oh, i am sorry hehe
i dont know what to say, sometimes my brain makes wierd associations i suppose and i should read through posts carefully while keeping that in mind.
but, in my defense gunther had said it and i went on what he said…. gunther does say a lot of nonsense…but i know this…so no excuses.
sooooo fantasy league hey..?…
16 Mar 2012, 13:02 pm
@rossoneri(rossoneri)-140: So you’re not in Sports Illustrated? Feck it, I hope they’ll let me cancel the subscription.
16 Mar 2012, 13:13 pm
Fantasy League,
Sports Illustrated,
.
Swimsuit Edition,
.
.
Rosie.
.
.
A logical progression of thought.
16 Mar 2012, 13:14 pm
******* all over the cover………………………………………love it.
8)
16 Mar 2012, 13:14 pm
@cane(cane)-144:
Nkosi.
That’s what I thought.
16 Mar 2012, 13:16 pm
Since when has h ott ies been censored?
Was katman resposible for this?
16 Mar 2012, 13:17 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-146:
I know Bakkies.
That’s what All men thought.
8)
16 Mar 2012, 13:18 pm
@cane(cane)-145:
lolapaloosa.
you can’t say that word here.
16 Mar 2012, 13:20 pm
@cane(cane)-145:
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-146:
sies man, jy’s n stoute kabouter.
what i do not understand is when you make these jokes you’re “so cool” but when i make them i’m a pervert.
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