Under Vern Cotter’s charge, they’ve embraced a direct, physical, possession-based attack built around a strong, mobile pack. The focus on a game plan that brought the best out of their forwards was clear from the first game of the season – a 34-10 win over the Fijian Drua in Whangārei.
It’s a structure that has allowed the likes of Hoskins Sotutu, Patrick Tuipulotu and Ofa Tu’ungafasi to flourish, without taking away from the razzle of their potent backline.
It’s not always pretty, but it gets results. On the table, they finished second with a 12-2 record; scoring the most points (488) and conceding the fewest (233) through the regular season.
“You don’t get any prizes for artistic display, do you?” Cotter asked ahead of their final against the Chiefs.
On Saturday night in the falling rain at Eden Park, their bash ‘em through the middle approach ended a 21-year wait for another fully-fledged Super Rugby title in emphatic fashion.
Caleb Clarke finishes off one of the tries of the season. Photo / Photosport
Two years after the horror show of their loss to the Crusaders at the same venue, it was the Blues who dished out the punishment this time, the 41-10 scoreline a fair reflection of their dominance.
Tuipulotu, who no one expected to be fit for this game, gave Scott Robertson plenty to be happy about in a busy 57-minute shift where he made an impact at the lineout, with ball in hand and in the contact areas. Sotutu, Akira Ioane, in his last game before a move to Japan, and Ricky Riccitelli all went looking for work around the ruck and took some strong carries. Finlay Christie picked the right moments to get the back line involved and had some strong defensive moments, Caleb Clarke proved his potential to strike with a hat-trick, while Harry Plummer was another to cap off a strong season with a performance to match in the final.
For the Chiefs, it’s another year of hurt.
A team who struggled with discipline throughout the season, they consistently drew the ire of referee Nic Berry, the Blues’ direct style and wealth of possession forcing the Chiefs to be on their best behaviour or pay the consequences. It was the latter for Clayton McMillan’s men, who conceded 12 penalties to five while being forced to make more than 200 tackles.
Losing their second final in as many years will be a tough pill to swallow for a team who have spent the last few years building themselves into one of the competition’s heavyweights.
They do, however, seem well-placed to hold their position in seasons to come. No 8 Wallace Sititi has been among the stars of the competition down the back end, and was again a strong performer in the final. A dynamic ball carrier with a massive engine and want for work, he’ll be one to look out for in seasons to come.
So too will halfback Cortez Ratima, who showed his vision in the No 9 jersey and formed a good combination with Damian McKenzie throughout the season. Emoni Narawa had another memorable season and should be knocking on the door of the All Blacks. Add the young talent around the already-established stars such as McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown and Luke Jacobson, and the Chiefs are well-placed to go again in a year’s time.
