Super Rugby R11 review: Brumbies hammer Chiefs; Force master wet; Reds, Waratahs beaten

THE Brumbies’ 18-point hammering of the Chiefs has them perfectly positioned for a crack at top spot while it’s curtains for Richard Graham’s Reds.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 25: Nic White of the Brumbies runs the ball during the round 11 Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and the Chiefs at Canberra Stadium on April 25, 2014 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

IT was a mixed weekend of Super Rugby action for Australia with the Brumbies and Force flying the flag and entrenching themselves in the top six.

The Brumbies’ 18-point victory over the Chiefs went some way to exacting revenge for last year’s grand final loss but it’ll be of little consequence for coaches Laurie Fisher and Stephen Larkham, who are firmly focused on delivering third title to Canberra in 2014.

In Perth, the Force produced a grinding performance in horrible conditions to register their sixth win of the season but the news wasn’t so good for the Reds and Waratahs who were both soundly beaten across the Tasman.

BRILLIANT BRUMBIES JUGGERNAUT ROLLS ON

What a weekend for the Brumbies. Just about everything that could go right did for Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher’s side, which confirmed its status as a genuine Super Rugby contender by jumping to within a point of the ladder-leading Sharks.

It all started with a 41-23 thumping of the Chiefs at GIO Stadium on Friday. For all the talk of revenge no result was going to take away the pain of last year’s grand final defeat at Waikato Stadium.

But the Brumbies did the next best thing, disposing of a current threat to this year’s title with a dominant five-try display against the back-to-back champions.

Flyhalf Matt Toomua continued his superb season as he crossed for his first career double, centre Tevita Kuridrani also bagged a brace while winger Joe Tomane channelled Superman with a stunning diving effort to score at full-stretch in the corner.News_Rich_Media: The ACT Brumbies have produced an impressive performance against the Chiefs, smashing the defending champions 41-23.

Up front the Brumbies were equally as impressive, with lock Scott Fardy, hooker Stephen Moore and skipper Ben Mowen all superb as they led another busy and physical performance from the home pack.

A lot certainly went the Brumbies’ way. The Chiefs were undermanned, for a start, missing a host of top-line talent led by star flyhalf Aaron Cruden. They were also on the wrong end of a couple of questionable calls on forward passes that went the Brumbies’ way – and led to crucial tries.

But it would be more than a stretch to suggest the Brumbies weren’t the better side and deserved winners over their 2013 grand final conquerors.

The Sharks’ shock loss at home to the Highlanders, combined with the Waratahs’ defeat to the Blues to create more breathing space in the Aussie conference, only served to make a good round for Larkham, Fisher, Mowen and co become great.

Next up for the Brumbies is a trip across to Christchurch and a tantalising clash with the in-form Crusaders, who had round 11 off and will be keen to remind everyone why they were being talked up as a title threat just a week ago.

WOEFUL WARATAHS DROP THEIR BUNDLE

Let’s not be cute about this: the Waratahs were woeful in Auckland on Friday night, when they dropped enough ball to lose two games, let alone the 21-13 defeat that they did suffer to the Blues.

There was very little to like about a bumbling display that saw NSW crash to its third defeat in five weeks and fall to third in the Australian conference behind the Brumbies and Western Force.

Coach Michael Cheika certainly wasn’t happy, and apparently the post-match spray he gave his side was “one for the record books”.

“Maybe they think they’re the Harlem Globetrotters, I don’t know,” Cheika told the media after the match as he tried to come to terms with his side’s error-riddled performance.

If there was one passage of play that summed up the Tahs’ terribleness it was when flanker Jacques Potgieter won a lineout, threw the ball quickly down … and hit Will Skelton flush in the head.

Whereas the Waratahs couldn’t hold on to the ball to save themselves, the Blues showed off some sensational skills as they continued their perfect Eden Park record in 2014 to keep their finals hopes alive.News_Rich_Media: The Waratahs have gone down 21-13 to the Auckland Blues, with the Waratahs taking 60 minutes to find the try line.

Almost fittingly, the best example of the contrast in skill levels came when NSW was trying to launch a try-scoring opportunity.

Bernard Foley’s cross-field kick was just too far away for Rob Horne to reel in and when he knocked on at full stretch Blues winger Lolagi Visinia quickly snaffled the loose ball and sprinted clear, before offloading to fullback Charles Piutau who in turn showed equally superb hands to pass back inside for centre Francis Saili to run in and score.

For all the doom and gloom that surrounded the Waratahs late on Friday, they remain in the top six and Cheika, for one, hasn’t yet given up on his pre-season aim of a top-two finish.

Whether the Eden Park disaster was a bad night at the office or a sign of more bad things to come will become clearer when the Waratahs return home to face the red-hot Hurricanes this weekend.

If they turnover a similar amount of ball on Saturday night, they will be in for even more pain.

WATCH OUT WALLABIES, HERE COMES KAINO

The Waratahs coaching staff and supporters weren’t the only ones handed a stern warning at Eden Park on Friday.

Wallabies boss Ewen McKenzie would surely have written down in his notebook (and then underlined, highlighted and circled repeatedly) the name of one key performer for the Blues: Jerome Kaino, the World Cup-winning All Blacks flanker who continued his Super Rugby renaissance with another explosive display.

The All Blacks have hardly missed a beat in the two years since Kaino departed New Zealand to play in Japan, with the excellent Liam Messam and rising star Steven Luatua stepping in to capably fill the breach at blindside flanker.

But Kaino reminded everyone of just how damaging he can be in the No.6 jersey, unleashing “Beast Mode” in a brilliant demonstration of power and precision to lead the Blues pack to a domination of its NSW counterpart. News_Image_File: Jerome Kaino is getting better with every game.

He had seven strong surges that resulted in 67 metres, four tackle busts and a linebreak as well as an offload. He likewise made his presence felt in defence with 12 tackles, including a memorable effort on Kurtley Beale when he combined with Keven Mealamu to drive the Waratahs inside-centre back five metres.

The return of Kaino has the potential to give McKenzie nightmares as he prepares for the Bledisloe Cup later this year but it’s the stuff of dreams for All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, whose thoughts on the Blues star’s recent form were reported on stuff.co.nz

“It’s taken him a wee while to get the speed of the game but his physicality is certainly still there. He’s just getting better and better which is great,” Hansen said.

“He’ll inspire people like Liam and Steven to raise their game if they know he’s around and playing well.

“Liam is the incumbent and Steven has been the back-up but Jerome is pretty hungry. That’s what you want. You want big loose forwards in the No 6 jersey who go out there and make their presence felt.”

Wallabies, you’ve been warned.

REDS’ SEASON OVER AS HURRICANES SOUND TITLE WARNING

Queensland Reds’ season slumped to a new low on Saturday night as their slim semi-finals hopes evaporated in the face of a free-flowing Hurricanes outfit in Wellington on Saturday night.

Hoping to mark skipper James Horwill’s 100th QLD game with a performance worthy of the former Wallabies captain, the Reds made a bright start before Cory Jane set the Canes in motion with a well-taken hat-trick.

Ben Lucas grabbed the match’s opening try after a great ball from Quade Cooper put a charging Beau Robinson into the backfield. But two tries in six minutes from Jane quickly kick-started the Canes and while the Reds went into half-time with a 14-10 lead, the hosts’ irresistible attacking threat wouldn’t be denied.

Halfback TJ Perenara – who is pushing Aaron Smith in the race for the All Blacks No.9 – added another five-pointer seven minutes after the break and 10 minutes later Jane had his third.

Replacement hooker James Hanson revived the Reds’ hopes when he forced his way over from close range but that was quickly extinguished when Ardie Savea touched down under the posts following a sustained Canes attack.News_Rich_Media: The Queensland Reds have gone down 35-21 to the Hurricanes with Cory Jane scoring a hat-trick.

The 14-point loss means the Reds now sit at the bottom of the Australian conference with just three wins from nine matches and it doesn’t get any easier in round 12 with Richard Graham’s side heading further up the north island to face the Blues in Auckland.

Rumblings about Graham’s job will only get louder, particularly after his side again struggled to build the continuity that was the hallmark of Ewen McKenzie’s Reds tenure.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are flying. Their fifth win in six matches, the last two of which have come since coach Mark Hammett announced he wouldn’t continue next season, has them one point clear at the top of the New Zealand conference.

They face the Waratahs and Rebels – both in Australia – over the next two weeks and with big-name players now producing on a regular basis, they’re two winnable games for Super Rugby’s form team.

WESTERN WET BRINGS BEST OUT OF FORCE

Never has a game looked less likely to deliver a try but the 14,000 on hand at nib Stadium on Saturday night didn’t care as the Force registered their sixth win of the season – a 15-9 triumph over the Bulls.

The wet conditions on hand were never going to be conducive to running rugby, and it was the home side who best settled into wet-weather tactics.

Michael Foley’s side were determined not to play any rugby inside their own half and were happy to kick down the centre of the field and allow the Bulls to make the mistakes.

The visitors largely obliged through kicks out on the full – one of which was incorrectly called by the match officials – and simple handling errors which presented the Force with the field position they needed.News_Rich_Media: Nick McArdle and Tim Horan review the Western Force's 15-9 win over the Bulls.

Sias Ebersohn went perfect with the boot in one of his best performances of the season while the tireless work of the Force’s backrow ensured any sustained pressure the visitors could build never made it beyond the seven-phase mark.

The most pleasing aspect for Foley though was surely the fact that this was another instance of a game the Force have made a habit of losing in the past.

But this is a different Force outfit and one that can head to Africa with the achievable goal of back-to-back victories. The Cheetahs and Stormers are out of the race for the playoffs and with a week off to rest up and possibly regain stars Luke Morahan and Alby Mathewson, the Force will head to the Republic high on confidence.

FEKITOA FLIES WITH ANOTHER SOLO STUNNER

While we are on the subject of potential opponents for the Wallabies this year, will there be a new face in the All Blacks line-up?

We speak, of course, of Malakai Fekitoa, who added to his fast-growing highlight reel with another spectacular solo try at the weekend.

The Highlanders outside centre blitzed through the renowned Sharks defensive line and left up to seven tacklers in his wake as he surged 55m to the tryline.

We’re not saying he’ll usurp Conrad Smith from the New Zealand No.13 jersey, but if he continues to shred tackles like he did in Durban, Fekitoa will be in an All Blacks kit sooner rather than later.News_Rich_Media: The Highlanders have pulled off one of the shocks of the season so far, convincingly beating the Sharks in Durban.