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There is a good chance the Chiefs and the Reds will both be semi-finalists this season but there wasn’t an enormous amount to take away from the Reds’ loss in Hamilton on Friday.
The atrocious conditions made ball-handling a bit of a lottery, and it very much looked like both teams were holding something back in reserve.
Should they meet in the last four, Lynagh will start for the Reds and you would expect Fraser McReight to be closer to 100 per cent than he looked on Friday. Also, it would be a surprise if the Chiefs don’t inject four big All Blacks into their starting XV when the playoffs roll around – Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i, Samipeni Finau and Wallace Sititi.
The latter is ahead of schedule in his comeback from a knee injury and it very much looks like the Chiefs are structuring their campaign with a view to have their key All Blacks peaking at the playoffs.
The Force’s lineout was under significant pressure in the first half in their win against the Highlanders, with the visitors’ athletic No 6 Te Kamaka Howden causing issues at the front of the lineout.
But the Force’s ability to adapt showed they are well coached and well guided by their onfield leaders. At the start of the second period, hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa swapped to a clever lineout move with a short ball to Darcy Swain just inside the 5m line and not only did the move give the Force great momentum, it forced Howden to stop challenging so aggressively in subsequent lineouts.
The Force are well deserving of their fourth place on the ladder – they are a well-drilled side and in No 7 Carlo Tizzano they might just have the Australian MVP in Super Rugby Pacific.
Tane Edmed’s omission from the Waratahs’ 23 against Moana Pasifika – on the ground where he stood out for North Harbour in the NPC last season – certainly raises a question mark about his future.
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Colleague Iain Payten has already reported that the Brumbies are interested, and they would seem like the most natural option. But don’t be entirely surprised if there is interest from across the ditch. Edmed is one of those players who is probably more highly rated in New Zealand than he is in Australia, given his NPC exploits.
In fact, the Herald understands that both the Hurricanes and the Crusaders had nibbles at him towards the end of last year. Edmed clearly enjoyed the heads-up style of rugby the Kiwis play, so if the interest in New Zealand remains he might have a tough choice to make.
There is a good chance the Chiefs and the Reds will both be semi-finalists this season but there wasn’t an enormous amount to take away from the Reds’ loss in Hamilton on Friday.
The atrocious conditions made ball-handling a bit of a lottery, and it very much looked like both teams were holding something back in reserve.
Should they meet in the last four, Lynagh will start for the Reds and you would expect Fraser McReight to be closer to 100 per cent than he looked on Friday. Also, it would be a surprise if the Chiefs don’t inject four big All Blacks into their starting XV when the playoffs roll around – Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i, Samipeni Finau and Wallace Sititi.
The latter is ahead of schedule in his comeback from a knee injury and it very much looks like the Chiefs are structuring their campaign with a view to have their key All Blacks peaking at the playoffs.
The Force’s lineout was under significant pressure in the first half in their win against the Highlanders, with the visitors’ athletic No 6 Te Kamaka Howden causing issues at the front of the lineout.
But the Force’s ability to adapt showed they are well coached and well guided by their onfield leaders. At the start of the second period, hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa swapped to a clever lineout move with a short ball to Darcy Swain just inside the 5m line and not only did the move give the Force great momentum, it forced Howden to stop challenging so aggressively in subsequent lineouts.
The Force are well deserving of their fourth place on the ladder – they are a well-drilled side and in No 7 Carlo Tizzano they might just have the Australian MVP in Super Rugby Pacific.
Tane Edmed’s omission from the Waratahs’ 23 against Moana Pasifika – on the ground where he stood out for North Harbour in the NPC last season – certainly raises a question mark about his future.
Loading
Colleague Iain Payten has already reported that the Brumbies are interested, and they would seem like the most natural option. But don’t be entirely surprised if there is interest from across the ditch. Edmed is one of those players who is probably more highly rated in New Zealand than he is in Australia, given his NPC exploits.
In fact, the Herald understands that both the Hurricanes and the Crusaders had nibbles at him towards the end of last year. Edmed clearly enjoyed the heads-up style of rugby the Kiwis play, so if the interest in New Zealand remains he might have a tough choice to make.
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