Chiefs storm to Super title win
4 Aug 2012
JON CARDINELLI watched the Chiefs deliver a masterclass in power and composure to crush the Sharks 37-6 in Saturday’s Super Rugby final.
Some will list travel fatigue as decisive. Some will complain that referee Steve Walsh was too lenient on the hosts. Some might say the clamour of cowbells and the driving rain made for a perfect storm of pressure that squeezed the fight out of the Sharks.
But the external factors were never decisive.
The Chiefs rocked up in rampant mood. Their forwards absorbed the early pressure, and their inside backs played outstanding finals football. They ran away with the game in the second half, but the result was secured in the first.
The Sharks needed to bank early points if they were ever going to win this final. Their forwards clattered into the collisions during a bruising first quarter and their line speed on defence kept the Chiefs on the back foot.
But a three-point return during that period was never going to be enough. They coughed up too much possession on attack, and it was a series of missed opportunities early in the piece that they were made to regret.
The Chiefs’ performance in that first half highlighted the tactical nous of the coaching staff, as well as the efficiency of the team’s key decision makers. They played for territory but they also kept the Sharks’ defence guessing with a series of grubbers and chip kicks.
It was a deft nudge by Aaron Cruden that sparked the Chiefs’ first try. Sharks fullback Pat Lambie was caught in two minds, and in the end he made the wrong decision in allowing Cruden’s chip kick to bounce.
The Chiefs, as they have done all season and managed to do on several occasions during this final, chased well and forced the breakdown turnover. From here, the Sharks’ defence was compromised, and centre Sonny Bill Williams took full advantage, breaking two tackles to take play up to the opposition 22.
From there the ball flew out to the left where it was Chiefs backs versus Sharks forwards. Tim Nanai-Williams obliged with a score that spelled trouble for the Sharks, even at that early stage.
For all the talk of fatigue, the Sharks’ intensity at the collisions never seemed to flag. And yet, they struggled to adapt to Walsh’s calls at the breakdown.
Their defensive work was outstanding for the most part, but they made some poor decisions with ball in hand and failed to stretch the Chiefs’ defence.
Their set piece was expected to rattle that of the Chiefs, but the hosts overcame some early lineout wobbles to compete strongly and force several turnovers of their own.
The Sharks also struggled to win set-piece possession in the Chiefs half, and were completely outplayed in the battle for territory. The Chiefs peppered the Sharks in the first half, and the pressure told.
Cruden, who would miss a couple of goal kicks later in the game, was accurate in front of poles during those first 40 minutes. It allowed the Chiefs to build a commanding lead, and before the Sharks knew it, they were 13-3 down.
It was a massive deficit considering the conditions. It was a gap they were never going to close with the Chiefs dominating the collisions and winning the kicking game.
The Sharks suffered a further setback when Kane Thompson crashed over from a five-metre scrum early in the second half. At 20-3, the visitors were dead and buried.
They attempted to play more expansively in an effort to close the gap but, as the final scoreline suggests, this only played into the Chiefs’ hands. The Waikato outfit fed off the Sharks’ errors and scored two more tries.
The performance was emphatic, and the victory well deserved. The Chiefs have played some brilliant rugby at times this season, but they have also shown themselves to be one of the best defensive teams.
The tactical excellence of their halfback pairing hasn’t received enough credit, and Cruden and Tawera Kerr-Barlow certainly played a decisive role in winning this final.
It’s an embarrassing end for the Sharks, who have also produced some encouraging and balanced performances in 2012. In the end, they will lament the early season failures that forced them to travel so extensively in the play-offs.
The Chiefs are the Super Rugby champions for the first time in the competition’s history. They are worthy of the title. They won the New Zealand conference. They won the right to host a semi-final and, thanks to the Stormers’ home defeat, a final.
Their consistency allowed them to do so, and it was also a consistent performance that allowed them to beat the Sharks in the decider.
603 Comments
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4 Aug 2012, 11:20 am
Chiefs deserve to be champions.Played the best rugby this year.Congrats boys.
4 Aug 2012, 11:20 am
CAB – fact is simple. Stormers v Sharks in 2012 Super rugby
Stormers played 3, won 1, lost 2
Cannot be the best. Simple as…
4 Aug 2012, 11:20 am
@cab-289: Only a Stormers fan would say the Zzzzzzzzzzz factor Stormers are a better team than the Sharks. Pathetic. Wind your neck in.
4 Aug 2012, 11:20 am
Hahahaha, where’s the boom now hg? First time in my life I’m happy to see a saffa side lose, and thats only due to Hg. Up the naught u dropkicks !!!
4 Aug 2012, 11:21 am
Chiefs were awesome today and all season. No complaints here.
Well played.
Topped the log, won their home semi finals, won their home final.
No excuses. Can defend & score tries. Well played.
4 Aug 2012, 11:21 am
Chiefs would have taken the title regardless of what happened in last week’s Sharks/Stormers semi-final.
4 Aug 2012, 11:21 am
Congratulations Chiefs and their fans… the better team on the night no doubt… and worthy Super Champions!! Best team in the comp…
Commiserations to the Sharks and their fans… brave effort and much respect… but just proved to be a voyage too far…
But Sharks fans can still be very proud of their team and what they have achieved in the last 6 or so weeks… been playing fantastic rugby…
No doubt will deservedly make up the bulk of the Bok team…
Chins up guys… we Stormers fans understand the feeling well…
(personally don’t think Walsh had a bad game or affected the outcome… he did miss a couple of things on both sides… but all refs do..)
4 Aug 2012, 11:22 am
Oh well. I suppose you can’t win the S15 final if you can’t score a try.
4 Aug 2012, 11:22 am
@whatever – apologies for any clown Sharks supporters who cannot win gracefully.
4 Aug 2012, 11:22 am
@whatever-304:
lol
4 Aug 2012, 11:23 am
And WP will win the opening game against the Sharks in the Currie Cup because these boys will no doubt be given some time off.
4 Aug 2012, 11:23 am
Sharks needed to top the Saffa conference.
4 Aug 2012, 11:23 am
Congrats Chiefs, deserved victory, best team on the day won!!!
4 Aug 2012, 11:23 am
@David-308: Or the semi-final if you got there without scoring many tries.
4 Aug 2012, 11:24 am
@David – unless you kicked 13 penalties today – you lose!
@stormerforlife – would have been nice to top the RSA conference, strange that they lose to the Lions…I just dont get it
4 Aug 2012, 11:24 am
@ufo-307:
Spot on UFO, i was just going to write that exact post.
But mine came with spelling mistakes
4 Aug 2012, 11:24 am
Well done to the Chiefs
They were consistently the best in the competition and deserve it.
And congratulations to Mark Keohane who got the heading spot on yesterday.
It was indeed a slaughter.
Tough luck to the Shark fans.
No sympathy for HG and a few others though
4 Aug 2012, 11:25 am
@BULLET-309:
I feel for the real and humble Shark fans but feel feathers for the pretenders who make the Sharks team look really bad. Sorry mate – I really wanted your team to win…
4 Aug 2012, 11:25 am
Well done to the chiefs best team on the night by a mile!!!! BOOOOOM
4 Aug 2012, 11:25 am
Tough luck Sharks.
It was always going to be a big ask. But that was a proper hiding.
The Chiefs played good rugby all season and fully deserved today’s win. Well done to them.
4 Aug 2012, 11:26 am
Congrats to Chiefs, proud of the Sharks and being a Sharks supporter. Walsh made some horrible mistakes, but result was indisputable.
4 Aug 2012, 11:26 am
@sharks_lover-313:
I feel for your side, they made us proud… We know the feeling too well…
You can be proud…
4 Aug 2012, 11:27 am
@BULLET-302:
Total S15 results.
Stormers played 17, lost 3
Sharks played 19, lost 7.
4 Aug 2012, 11:27 am
2001, 2007, 2012 most consistent finalists i know hahahahahah NZ rugby is boss .
4 Aug 2012, 11:27 am
@BULLET-315: If the Sharks started their season the way they played in the semi-final – they would have topped the log. Unfortunately they were plagued by inconsistency throughout the season.
South Africa – Australia – South Africa – New Zealand…..too much to ask. And it will be a while before a team ending 6th makes a final again. That much is for sure !
4 Aug 2012, 11:27 am
@Hurricane-316:
hehehe…
i cut n pasted yours…!!
4 Aug 2012, 11:28 am
Idiots like Woodenspoon and sl ridiculed the Stormers for winning the conference title but in hindsight that probably would have prevented all this criss-crossing the Indian ocean.
4 Aug 2012, 11:28 am
Tsk, tsk, they broke our record.
But well done Chiefs!!!
4 Aug 2012, 11:30 am
Despite el presidente being a v good sharks supporter – neverthess this is a fkup of gigantic proportions and some sort of inquest indaba into the matter should be held
toe maar volgende jaar the aim will be the same to win the sa derby battles but lose the war.
4 Aug 2012, 11:30 am
Complete performance from the Chiefs. Back three played great, stretched the Sharks defence well, forwards stood up and always made inroads. The whole Sharks team, including the management, were outclassed on the day. Cruden’s gonna be big! Goosen needs to get some exposure at the biggest level soon because it’s done wonders for Cruden.
4 Aug 2012, 11:30 am
Thanks Gumboots.
Some supporters anger everybody nonetheless.
Anyway, onwards and upwards – the RC will be interresting, and I am dying to see the Bok squad.
Me thinks Lambie might have just played his way out of the team!
@David – good point.
Sharks way too inconsistent. But I am not convinced of the Stormers when they keep losing in the matches that count the most
4 Aug 2012, 11:30 am
JP Petersien the best of the sharks this year for me
4 Aug 2012, 11:31 am
Yeeeaaahhh, the Super Rugby season is finally finished.
Fark the competition started on the 24th of February…….
SANZAR is sucking on a t*t that’s running out of milk.
They have made a domestic competition over 100 years old, insignicant and are killing this beautiful game we all love.
4 Aug 2012, 11:31 am
@cab-329: Yep – exactly like the Stormers did. Won the SA conference but couldn’t progress…..again…..like last year…..
4 Aug 2012, 11:31 am
Hard luck to Sharkies , they played the best all round game of all SA teams , great offloads out of the tackle and continuity. Youngsters like Jordaan and Coetzee coming through the ranks.
But nice to know HG will have a lekke miserable Saturday.
4 Aug 2012, 11:32 am
Either way the Kiwis and Saffas did themselves proud in the tourney, makes for some exciting upcoming battles in the Rugby Championship, with the added mix of the Argies.
4 Aug 2012, 11:33 am
i felt the chiefs were dirty shoulder charges high tackles early tackles holding players back in the rucks but still we lost no matter what
4 Aug 2012, 11:34 am
The best team this year won. Well played Chiefs.
Guppies suck – Lambie is bloody useless all guppies were useless.
4 Aug 2012, 11:35 am
I’ve always questioned Lambie’s BMT and now I’ve been vindicated.
4 Aug 2012, 11:36 am
Chiefs players and fans will be sucking on those Waikato Draughts tonight! Well done Chiefs!!
4 Aug 2012, 11:36 am
@Dusky-334:
This is the Sharks moment. Stop the excuses and focus on how well your team did. You look rather sour which is a shame to the loyal Sharks supporters. You beat us good and solid and you team was thumped by a way better team today. Take it on the chin buddy. Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat…
4 Aug 2012, 11:38 am
HG now will be in bed holding his Teddy bear, sucking his thumb in a fetal position poor fella.
Fern will be playing in his dam without his infaltable arm swimmers, poor fella as well.
Oh well they still should be proud of their team.
4 Aug 2012, 11:38 am
Not exactly 61-17 is it?
4 Aug 2012, 11:39 am
@BULLET-331:
It was only the semi game they lost, with a hooker at 8. Whilst we both suffered injuries during the season the Sharks were back to full strength towards the end.
I doubt whether the Stormers would have won it anyway, with a depleted and inexperienced pack against a full Chiefs side.
4 Aug 2012, 11:39 am
Hehehehe there is much glee amongst the Stormers fans here, no? Some concealed, some not quite so concealed. hehehehe!
Well done to the Chiefs. They were clearly the best team in the competition for the whole season. Well done to the Sharks for making it, let’s not forget how good they were in the last 2 months. Sharks were indisputably the best South African team this year, so well done to them.
Watching Clarke’s acceptance speech he mentioned and accepts the travel difficulties the Sharks faced. I think the tournament format is a little flawed and perhaps SANZAR can look at how to level the playing fields a bit in future formats to ensure competitive and fair contests.
4 Aug 2012, 11:40 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-343:
or 49-0
4 Aug 2012, 11:41 am
The best Saffa team never ends sixth on the log…never ever!!
4 Aug 2012, 11:41 am
@stormerforlife and RL, cmon guys give the laaitie a chance he’s got plently time on his side, he’ll be a rolls royce one day, and to be honest have always found him pretty mature under pressure.
4 Aug 2012, 11:42 am
hurricane @ 342
Exactly mate
54321….. booo……. fizzle
Useless fu ks
4 Aug 2012, 11:42 am
this fantastic!
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