All Blacks: Sir Graham Henry brings unique perspective to Dave Rennie’s team – Phil Gifford

The Hurricanes now comfortably lead the table on 49 points from 12 games and the Chiefs are second with 44 points from 12. Where it gets more complicated is from third place down. The Blues have 38 points but are the only team in the current top six to have played 13 games. To make the qualifying finals in three weeks’ time, a side have to be sixth or better on the table when the round-robin games finish in a fortnight.

As they were last year, when they took the title, the Crusaders, especially if Will Jordan returns, look threatening. It’ll be tough, as they now face the Chiefs and the Hurricanes, albeit in home games that should draw a large supportive crowd to Te Kaha stadium.

Next weekend, the Queensland Reds, now in sixth place, will need a quick recovery from an upset 19-14 loss in Perth to the Western Force, but should be too strong for Moana Pasifika.

The New South Wales Waratahs, now seventh, might claw their way up a place against the ACT Brumbies in Sydney on Friday night, after the Waratahs’ impressive 50-25 mauling of the Fijian Drua in the Suva heat on Saturday afternoon.

From the first whistle, the Hurricanes stunned the Blues, and a 20,000 plus crowd, at Eden Park in Saturday night’s feature match of the round. The Wellington-based team went into the game as favourites, at $1.50 against the Blues at $2.50, but the most one-eyed supporter in yellow and black might not have expected that after just 10 minutes of intense, accurate rugby, the visitors would be leading 14-0 and would never look like losing. The harsh reality was that in almost every area that counted, the Hurricanes had the better of the match.

In the process, Ruben Love provided a reminder to the national selectors that he’s a player at first five-eighths who offers a cool head, whether using his considerable speed running the ball, or accurate tactical kicking, which he thankfully uses sparingly. It was also encouraging to see Jordie Barrett at second five-eighths the most engaged he has been this season.

In the battle for turnover ball, flanker Peter Lakai was a terrier, but even better for the Hurricanes was towering lock Warner Dearns (at 2.03m the same height as Sam Whitelock), whose energy was electric. From the charge-down that led to him scoring in just the eighth minute, he was energy personified.

With All Blacks coach Rennie in the stand, it was a good night for Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua to be at his raging, snorting, bruising best. Hooker is now one of the All Blacks positions best served for depth.

Meanwhile, wing Fehi Fineanganofo showed his running abilities and more. His chip kick back infield for Jordie Barrett’s 10th-minute try spoke of a rounded footballer, who offers not only quick thinking, but also the technical skills to physically achieve his aims.

Blues loose forwards Malachi Wrampling (a hugely worthwhile import from Waikato) and Anton Segner scrapped all the way but as a unit, the Blues forwards, usually commanding, didn’t come close to dealing with the power and unity of the Hurricanes pack.

It wasn’t the most spectacular and the ball was only carried 15m, but for the purist, Hurricanes wing Kini Naholo’s 54th-minute try was so perfectly planned and executed, it deserved to be framed and hung in a gallery as a beautiful work of art. From a lineout near the Blues’ line, the Hurricanes won the ball. Halfback Ereatara Enari, who made a great hand of replacing the injured Cam Roigard, darted forward then flicked a behind-the-back inside ball to Naholo, who in a flash was over for the try.

Heading to Hamilton to face a tough, well-drilled and talented Chiefs side was always a massive ask for the Highlanders, who went into Friday night’s game as six-to-one outsiders. It’ll be no real consolation to coach Jamie Joseph and his men that the final score of 42-12 didn’t really give a hint of the opposition the Highlanders provided. The Southern Men began so strongly that after 30 minutes, the game was tied up at 7-7.

But individual brilliance, epitomised by a flying loose forward from Kerikeri, Luke Casey, was never going to be enough, and when Highlanders lock, Tomás Lavanini, was binned for 10 minutes before halftime, the Chiefs responded the way very good teams do and soared, while the Highlanders crumbled.

The emotional heights scaled in sport can, sadly, be balanced, especially in a contact sport like rugby, by sad, sometimes frightening, injuries. In the heartbreak category, put Highlanders wing Caleb Tangitau, whose devastation after tearing his Achilles tendon was distressing to watch.

In the 68th minute, we saw the scariest moment in the game, with Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie lying motionless face down on the field, clearly knocked cold by the heel of a boot as he attempted a tackle on Casey. McKenzie will face a mandatory stand-down, but hopefully will be ready to tour South Africa with the All Blacks. The situation is much worse for Tangitau, who must have been attracting national interest before the injury. His season is almost certainly over.

Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most-respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.