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Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
The playoffs — how the top six shape up
And then there were six. The new-look Super Rugby Pacific playoffs begin tonight. Hayden Meikle explains how it works and looks at the three qualifying finals. HOW IT WORKS There is a lot to be said for the top four teams playing semifinals, and the winners progressing straight to the final. Remember them glorious days? Sigh. Rightly or wrongly, an 11-team Super Rugby Pacific competition introduces a new six-team qualifying series this year. The top six from the regular season — 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4 — play each other. The three winners plus the highest-ranked loser proceed to the semifinals next weekend. CRUSADERS v REDS Crusaders record: 11 wins, 3 losses, + 100 points differential, second after regular season. Reds record: 8 wins, 6 losses, +54 points differential, fifth after regular season. History: The Crusaders have won 13 of their past 14 games against the Reds, and triumphed 43-19 in round four. Remarkably, the Crusaders have not lost a playoff game since 2016 — helped that they missed the playoffs last year, obviously. They have won 20 of their past 21 games against Australian opposition in Christchurch. The only team to spoil that run? The Reds in 2024. The oil: Everyone outside the flatlands will be backing the Reds, but the sad reality is the Crusaders are good again. Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Scott Barrett and Ethan Blackadder set the platform, Noah Hotham and Rivez Reihana control the show, and Sevu Reece and Chay Fihaki do the damage out wide. The Reds will need big, booming games from loose forward stars Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight, but the real keys might be first five Tom Lynagh, who has a deadly accurate boot, and winger Lachie Anderson, fresh off four tries against the Drua. Prediction: Crusaders 35-22. Groan. CHIEFS v BLUES Chiefs record: 11 wins, 3 losses, +231 points differential, first after regular season. Blues record: 6 wins, 8 losses, +47 points differential, sixth after regular season. History: This is a rematch of last year's final, won 41-10 by the Blues. The Chiefs have won nine of their past 11 games against the Blues in Hamilton, but won just 32-31 earlier this season. The oil: Bit of a mismatch on paper as the Chiefs are clearly the best team in the competition and the Blues hold the ''in the playoffs but do not really deserve to be in the playoffs'' spot. The Chiefs are in the top three in every major statistical category this season and do not really have any weaknesses. Tupou Vaa'i, Luke Jacobson and Simon Parker are in smashing form in the pack, Damian McKenzie remains the most influential non-Ardie player in Super Rugby, and there is an embarrassment of riches out wide. The Blues will match up in areas but you sense they will need enormous performances from Hoskins Sotutu, Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane to stay close. Prediction: Chiefs 42-20. BRUMBIES v HURRICANES Brumbies record: 9 wins, 5 losses, +87 points differential, third after regular season. Hurricanes record: 8 wins, 1 draw, 5 losses, +106 points differential, fourth after regular season. History: The Brumbies have won two straight playoff games against the Hurricanes. But the Canes had a 35-29 win when the teams met in Canberra in round 11, and are riding a six-game undefeated streak. The oil: Potentially the most intriguing playoff game yet quite possibly one that is basically meaningless. Assuming the Crusaders and the Chiefs win, both these teams will be safely in the semifinals, and with no possibility of playing for home advantage. Weird. The Brumbies are consistent and calm and all the sorts of things you like to see in the crunch stages, and Rob Valetini, Noah Lolesio, Len Ikitau and Tom Wright are class acts. But beware the booming Hurricanes. They are red-hot, powered by Tyrel Lomax, Du'Plessis Kirifi and Peter Lakai, and ignited by Cam Roigard and Ruben Love, and they will sense an upset. Prediction: Hurricanes 32-29 in a thriller.
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Bygone tour of media frenzies, fabled footy
Yesterday marked 20 years since the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand began. Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle, who followed the tour for all five weeks, reflects on a memorable experience. Honestly, it still all seems a little unreal. But the memories are fresh. My former boss, Craig Page, then the sports editor of the Otago Daily Times , made a bold pitch to the higher-ups that our newspaper needed to follow the Lions for the entirety of the 2005 tour of New Zealand, and that both young(ish) rugby writer Hayden Meikle and photographer Craig Baxter should be given a free pass to hit the road. It seems unthinkable in modern times, when newspaper reporters are lucky if the budget extends to a trip to Mosgiel, and we will forever be grateful for the opportunity we were given. We worked hard, to be fair. Craig snapped a million photos, I wrote match reports and columns and profiles and colour stories, and there was never really a second when we were not in work mode, because there was just so much happening. Oh, and we were walking advertisements for New Zealand's best newspaper, too. We were given ODT -branded winter jackets, a sack of 30 ODT beanies (still got one), and enormous magnetic signs for the sides of our rental car. Signs which, full confession, found their way into a rubbish bin rather early in the tour. There were unprecedented levels of hype around this tour, the Lions' first to New Zealand in the professional era. Tales of past tours dipped into romanticism but this one was more of a corporate affair with as much emphasis on marketing and communications — the Lions were accompanied by notorious spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who had been Tony Blair's man at 10 Downing St — as the rugby. Control-freak coach Clive Woodward, surfing on the glory of leading England to World Cup success two years earlier, enlisted an insanely large squad, and commissioned a ghastly tour anthem, The Power Of Four , that was met with rolled eyes whenever it was played. Yet, for all the hooha that surrounded it, the tour was immense fun. Our task was to capture as much of the off-field colour as rugby action, and we deliberately went off the beaten path at times. We caught up with lots of visiting fans — the real reason Lions tours are so wonderful — and accompanied the players on hospital visits and had a delightful day in Southbridge, near Christchurch, where we were invited in for tea and biscuits at the childhood home of a rising star called Dan Carter. I wrote a lot about our travel experiences and about the pre-match entertainment, the latter getting me into a little hot water when I was less than complimentary about an element of the Carisbrook show that did not particularly impress. Then there was the bombing. The July 7 London terrorist attack, targeting commuters on their way to work, cast a shadow on the tour. With our printing flexibility, the ODT was the only New Zealand newspaper to have reaction from the Lions in the next day's edition. New Zealand has never seen anything like the hordes of media that descended on these shores for the Lions tour. All of Britain's great rugby writers were here, along with television and radio crews sniffing out every story angle, and press conferences were a huge deal. It was an odd Lions squad, containing some of Woodward's old English soldiers and a bunch of players who were not really comparable to some of the great touring stars of the past. Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll, Lawrence Dallaglio, Gavin Henson and Jason Robinson were the big names, but for various reasons, none really made any impact. The Lions won all their provincial games but were beaten by New Zealand Māori and then whitewashed 3-0 by a very good All Blacks team. Christchurch hosted the first test. It poured with rain, and there was a flashpoint after just two minutes when the great O'Driscoll was invalided out of that tour after a clumsy clear-out. What followed was remarkable as Woodward called the media together for a forensic explanation of why perpetrators Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu should have been banned, and there were days of septic atmosphere as the Lions kept banging on about the transgression. Umaga, the All Blacks captain, finally spoke about the incident at a fever-pitch press conference during which team-mate Anton Oliver stood by as a sort of bodyguard. The second test, in Wellington, featured the All Blacks at their best, led by a divine performance from Dan Carter, and it was all rather anti-climactic when they wrapped up a 3-0 series win at Eden park. Many reflect on the 2005 tour as something of a fizzer because the Lions were so average. For my friend Baxter and I, well, it was a special time. The Lions returned to New Zealand in 2017 for a contentious 1-1 series draw and games against Super Rugby teams, not provinces, and are scheduled to tour in 2029. Their series in Australia starts against the Force in Perth on June 28. 2005 Lions tour Five big moments 1. Laurie's prediction. "We'll maul Clive's pussycats" was the wonderful headline on a pre-tour story I wrote with former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains. He was spot-on. 2. Woodward's largesse. Much of the discussion before the tour surrounded Lions coach Clive Woodward and his decision to bring 44 players — allowing him to run a separate midweek team — and 25 management to New Zealand. 3. Tū meke. New Zealand Māori showed unfathomable courage to beat the Lions in Hamilton. 4. The strife of Brian. The Lions suffered a terrible blow, and the tour got a discussion point that just would not quit, when star captain Brian O'Driscoll suffered a tour-ending injury just two minutes into the first test when he was tipped up by Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu. 5. Carter masterclass. Dan Carter scored 33 points in the second test in Wellington in arguably the greatest All Blacks individual performance of all time. Results Beat BOP 34-20, beat Taranaki 36-14, lost to NZ Māori 19-13, beat Wellington 23-6, beat Otago 30-19, beat Southland 26-16, lost to All Blacks 21-3, beat Manawatū 109-6, lost to All Blacks 48-18, beat Auckland 17-13, lost to All Blacks 38-19.
Otago Daily Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Dare to dream . . . or accept reality
A rousing charge to the playoffs? Or an ignominious slide to a first wooden spoon since 1997? Both are in play for the Highlanders over the remaining three weeks of the Super Rugby season. Hayden Meikle considers both paths. Yes they can Let us start with the obvious. If the Highlanders are to sneak into the top six, they are going to have to play an awful lot better than they have over the past couple of months. They are going to need a dozen of their players to discover career-best form along with generous helpings of luck. They are going to need to beat the Hurricanes in Wellington (they haven't done that since the 2015 final), beat the Crusaders in Christchurch (they have managed that once in the past nine attempts) AND beat the Chiefs in Dunedin (they have lost six straight to the Chiefs). There is always hope. So, here is a best-case scenario for a battling Highlanders team in the final stages of the season. Round 14 We start with the Highlanders beating the Hurricanes in Wellington. Stranger things have happened. Will not be a huge winning margin, obviously, so we give the Highlanders four points and the Canes one. In other games, the Crusaders will beat the Waratahs narrowly in Sydney, the Drua will pip the Force in Lautoka, the Blues will beat Moana Pasifika at Albany, and the Brumbies will beat the Reds in Canberra. Running tally: Brumbies 43, Chiefs 41, Crusaders 41, Reds 32, Blues 31, Hurricanes 27, Moana Pasifika 24, Waratahs 23, Force 23, Highlanders 22, Drua 19. Round 15 A darkness hovers over the 2025 Super Rugby campaign. The Crusaders are good again. Perhaps only the Chiefs stand between the rest of us and the horrible vision of the title going back to Christchurch. Somehow, whatever it takes, the Highlanders need to play their part to withstand the forces of evil. Pray for a big Timoci Tavatavanawai turnover, a sizzling break from a fit-again Caleb Tangitau, and a late Highlanders victory against extremely long odds. Ideally for the Highlanders, other games would feature the Reds hosting and beating the Hurricanes, the Chiefs thumping Moana Pasifika in Hamilton, and the Force beating the Waratahs in Perth. Running tally: Chiefs 46, Brumbies 43, Crusaders 42, Reds 36, Blues 31, Hurricanes 27, Force 27, Highlanders 26, Moana Pasifika 24, Waratahs 24, Drua 19. Round 16 It comes down to this. The Highlanders need one more miracle to confirm their place in the top six. Under the Friday night lights for a third consecutive week, they only go and knock over the table-topping Chiefs. Bravo, lads. The Brumbies beat the Crusaders in Canberra, the Blues tonk the Tahs at Eden Park, Ardie Savea leads Moana Pasifika to a rousing win over the Hurricanes in Wellington and the Reds whack the Drua in Brisbane. Final points: Chiefs 47, Brumbies 47, Crusaders 43, Reds 41, Blues 36, Highlanders 30, Hurricanes 28, Moana Pasifika 28, Force 27, Waratahs 24, Drua 19. First-round playoff games thus being Chiefs v Highlanders, Brumbies v Blues, Crusaders v Reds. It really is that simple. Ah, no, they can't Hurricanes, Crusaders, Chiefs. With the greatest respect for a good bunch of blokes who will try their hardest, do Highlanders fans really see any of these games ending in victory? If the Highlanders do lose all three, their only hope of avoiding the wooden spoon is likely to be the Drua losing — at their Lautoka fortress — on Saturday afternoon.
Otago Daily Times
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Even optimist concedes Landers up against it
Five games to go — and the Highlanders might need to win four of them if they are to make the playoffs. Hayden Meikle looks at their run home and tries to find reasons to be optimistic. Six, six and eight. Those represent the number of wins the sixth-placed Super Rugby Pacific team has ended with in the past three seasons. The Waratahs were sixth with eight wins (38 points) in 2022, and held the same spot with just six wins (31 points) a year later. Last year, the final season with an eight-team playoff system before being trimmed to six, the Highlanders owned sixth spot with six wins and 28 points. Not a scientific formula, then, but a fair guess is a team needs to have about seven wins and about 33 points to be reasonably sure of a place in the top six. The Highlanders, at present ninth after getting a right old hiding by the Chiefs on Saturday night, have three wins and 17 points. Well spotted — they have quite a lot of work to do if they are to be playing in June, and they have a rather tough draw. Let's have a look at their remaining games and try some vague guesswork. v CRUSADERS Dunedin, Saturday night Optimist: It is the South Island derby, and the Highlanders usually get right up for that. Sean Withy will be back, and hopefully Caleb Tangitau as well. The Crusaders might be second in the table but they are still a work in progress. And surely there enough awful things in the world without having to watch a bunch of Cantabrians win a rugby game. Be kind, rugby gods. Pessimist: Look at the disparity in talent between the two teams. Sadly, the Crusaders could rest five of their All Blacks and still be warm favourites. And the Highlanders are really misfiring. The tip: Crusaders win but Highlanders nab a bonus point. v MOANA PASIFIKA Dunedin, May 4 Optimist: The Highlanders are at home and are a (marginally) better team. While Ardie Savea inspired Moana to a furious comeback in this fixture at North Harbour Stadium, the Highlanders were otherwise untroubled in building a big lead. And Ardie cannot do it all. Pessimist: Ardie can do it all. Moana need another win or two this season to really feel they are building momentum, and they will be targeting this game. The tip: May the 4th be with the Highlanders. They turn on a show and win with a bonus point. v HURRICANES Wellington, May 16 Optimist: The Canes just aren't that good. They were lucky to get out of Dunedin with a narrow win in round four. The Highlanders match up well with the men from the capital in several positions. It will be nearing 10 years since the Landers won their title in Wellington, too, so expect a rousing pre-game talk from Ben Smith and Nasi Manu. Pessimist: The Hurricanes might be dropping too many points but they have class over the park, and will be desperate to win this to stay in the hunt. Ruben Love might act like a clown but he has talent to burn, and no doubt Can Roigard and Peter Lakai will have season-best performances. The tip: Hurricanes to win by six points. v CRUSADERS Christchurch, May 23 Optimist: Remember that beautiful 2024 season when the Crusaders finished ninth? Good times. Pessimist: This could be the game that seals first or second place for the Evil Empire. Not good times. The tip: Evil triumphs over good by 15 points. v CHIEFS Dunedin, May 30 Optimist: The Chiefs could be clear in top spot, so we might see them rest some players or at least get a little complacent. The Highlanders will be wildly motivated to finish a mediocre season on a high note. Yes, the Chiefs are a vastly superior team, but they do not always shine at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Take out their 52-28 win here in 2023 and there have been four Highlanders wins, a draw, and two narrow Chiefs wins (three points and nine points) in this fixture since 2014. Pessimist: The Chiefs are a vastly superior team. The tip: Call me a fool, but I sense this could be a good night for the Highlanders. Echoing the 2008 season, when they ended the round-robin with a huge upset over the eventual champion Crusaders, the Landers will shock the Chiefs, who will go on to win the title. My rough calculations have the Highlanders finishing eighth or ninth, perhaps tied with the Hurricanes on 28 points. The Chiefs to finish top on 48 points, followed by the Crusaders (47), Brumbies (45), Reds (39), Waratahs (32), Force (31) and Blues (31), with the Fijian Drua (25) and Moana Pasifika (20) at the bottom.
