It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.
THEY’RE ON FIRE!
URC semi-finalists confirmed: Eight became four this weekend in the United Rugby Championship as Glasgow Warriors, Leinster, the Bulls and the Sharks progressed to the semi-finals. This was a gripping quarter-final weekend action too, with the two South African teams mounting big comebacks to progress while Leinster scraped through against a spirited Scarlets side and Glasgow downed the Stormers, but it’s probably what the league deserved after the regular season. This has been an incredibly competitive and entertaining URC season, and the two semi-finals suggest that it is set to continue.
Mo’unga and Toshiba Brave Lupus: Toshiba Brave Lupus made Japan Rugby League One history this weekend as they became the first team ever to win back-to-back titles, and All Blacks star Richie Mo’unga was right at the heart of his side’s famous victory. The fly-half, who won the third league title of his career in the process, scored a try and kicked eight points from the tee in their 18-13 win over the Kubota Spears at the National Stadium, helping them achieve a slice of modern rugby history.
Premiership semi-finalists: As with the URC, the final four in the Premiership have been confirmed after a pulsating final day. Coming into the last round of the season, only Bath had secured a play-off spot, and teams from second to sixth stood a genuine chance of booking a home semi too. All five teams knew they needed a win, and that proved to be exactly what happened as Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks and Bristol Bears all secured their spots in the top four, while Gloucester and Saracens missed out despite their victories. This now sets up two really interesting semi-finals, with Bristol headed to the Rec after already beating Bath twice this season, while Leicester have also beaten their play-off opponents, Sale Sharks, at Mattioli Woods Welford Road recently.
Super Rugby qualifying finalists: It’s not just play-off season in the Northern Hemisphere, with the Super Rugby qualifying finals also booked in too. The Chiefs had already cemented their position at the top of the table last weekend, but the Crusaders’ win over the Brumbies also ensured they would have a home tie in the next round. Elsewhere, the Hurricanes made sure of a fourth-placed finish with a huge win over Moana Pasifika, denying them a position in the top six in the process, while the Reds and Blues also managed to book their spots with big wins on the final day. Despite their loss to the Crusaders, the Brumbies will also host a qualifying final.
Lachie Anderson and Rieko Ioane: Super Rugby Pacific is blessed with elite try scorers, but Anderson and Ioane were the pick of the bunch this weekend as they notched seven between them (Anderson four, Ioane three) in their respective victories. Reds star Anderson grabbed all four of his efforts in the first-half against the Drua as he reaped the rewards of some delicious strike plays, while Ioane also showed his classy finishing ability with his hat-trick. Both men should be very pleased with their day’s work.
BROKEN THERMOSTAT
What to make of Leinster: While the URC play-offs delivered on the drama, Leinster failed to live up to the billing despite progressing. There just seems to be something off with Leo Cullen’s men right now, they aren’t the side they were this time last month. Their Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton Saints not only brought their European hopes to a crushing end, but it seems to have derailed their confidence completely. Yes, they managed to take home the spoils, but they were well below the levels we saw in those two mammoth Champions Cup wins over Harlequins and Glasgow, and even the levels we saw from the rotated team that beat the Sharks. This win could be what re-sets their season, but it was far from pretty for the Leinstermen.
Springboks star’s ‘shameless gamesmanship’ in the spotlight after Sharks’ URC triumph over Munster
COLD AS ICE!
Sharks shootout shenanigans: Well, it was certainly eventful in Durban on Saturday night. Munster seemed to have the upper hand in their quarter-final against the Sharks, before the hosts came back into it. The Irish side rallied again, though, taking the game into extra-time, which later turned into penalties. Then, it all went a bit sour. Midway through the shootout, Springboks scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse went down with cramp, however, a cheeky wink from the number nine seemed to suggest it was more gamesmanship than actual injury. Whether or not it was a genuine injury, I’ll never know, nor will I make comment on it, but the whole incident, and the clamour afterwards on social media, has left a really sour taste in the mouth and clouded what was a gripping game and a dramatic shootout.
Stormers wilt in second half: The URC quarter-final between Glasgow and the Stormers was on a knife-edge in the first-half, with the defending champions only holding a six-point advantage at the break; but the Stormers collapsed in the second period and allowed Glasgow to run away with the victory. Star men, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Evan Roos, who have been two of the form players in the URC in recent weeks, couldn’t get a proper foothold into the contest in those latter stages, allowing Glasgow counterpart Tom Jordan to run the show and fire them into the semi-finals. It’s a case of what could have been for the South African side.
Waratahs suffer heavy loss: The ‘Tahs knew a win against the Blues would take them into the top six at the expense of their opponents, however, their hopes were extinguished as they were thrashed 46-6. The Blues ran in seven tries on the way to the mammoth win, with All Blacks stars Ioane and Mark Tele’a scoring five of them alone (Ioane three, Tele’a two), but it was just an absolute demolition from the get-go. Considering they finished rock bottom with just two wins from 14 last season, this first year under Dan McKellar has been a marked improvement, but it was a sorry end to their campaign.
Run It Straight death in New Zealand: Tragically, a 19-year-old in New Zealand died while taking part in the viral Run It Straight challenge. The rugby-style one-on-one game has exploded in popularity across the world in recent months, with official competitions starting up as a result, but it has also received heavy backlash too for the risks involved. This particular incident was not in an organised event, but it makes it no less tragic, and the thoughts of everyone at Planet Rugby are with the family at this time. It has also prompted New Zealand Rugby and All Blacks star Ardie Savea to issue public statements to encourage people to learn the risks involved in the challenge too.
The NZR statement read: “New Zealand Rugby extends heartfelt condolences to Ryan Satterthwaite’s whānau and community,” a statement said.
“We urge people not to take part in Run It Straight games or competitions as they carry significant risk of serious injury.
“Those wanting to play contact sports should register for a school or club team and learn in a controlled and safe environment how to tackle safely and the art of evasion.”
Savea told reporters: “(My message) first and foremost is condolences to the young brother that passed away and his family. It’s never nice hearing that, obviously.
“I just obviously don’t want anyone getting hurt and losing lives. I’m just encouraging everyone to be safe and condolences to our brother and his family.
“It’s a tough one. I don’t know the precautions they take in terms of the head side of things and you can see the other side and understand why they’re doing it and whatnot.
“It’s hard because it’s kind of made me the rugby player I am – I used to do run it straights in the backyard with Bus (brother Julian Savea) – so you kind of see both sides.
“It’s really hard to say, but I’d just encourage people to be safe.”
European final bans: The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup finals were once again a roaring success on the pitch, with Bordeaux-Begles and Bath clinching the respective titles, but they were both marred by controversial incidents. At the end of last Saturday’s Champions Cup final, an altercation between Bordeaux players and Henry Pollock broke out, which Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson branded as ‘out of order’, and later led to French prop Jefferson Poirot copping a two-match ban.
He wasn’t alone in being cited either. Bath and England flanker Sam Underhill was also handed a four-match ban following a yellow card in his side’s win over Lyon. That incident was also controversial, with some believing he should have received a straight red card, but it seems justice has now been served for the incident.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/whos-hot-and-whos-not-wink-gate-leaves-sour-taste-as-play-off-season-gets-underway-with-gripping-games
