Super Rugby Results Aotearoa Round Two

Round two of the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition has seen the Blues beat the Chiefs 24-12 in Hamilton, and the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes 39-25 in Wellington.

On a cold and wet Saturday night in Hamilton, the Blues beat the Chiefs at home for the first time since 2011.
The Chiefs dominated early possession and territory, but they had only managed a solitary penalty by the 12th minute. It was after the Damian McKenzie penalty that the Blues struck back from the restart with Hoskins Sotutu scoring beside the posts, with Otere Black adding the conversion.
Midway through the half the Blues had conceded eight penalties to the Chiefs one, and McKenzies penalty kicks kept the Chiefs in the match, trailing 10-9 at halftime.
The second half saw both side kicking for territory in the wet match, and McKenzie and Black trading penalty kicks.
It was not until the late in the match that the Blues scored their second try, with winger Mark Telea finishing off an attacking move.

Chiefs: 12 

Penalties: McKenzie (4)

Blues: 24

Tries:  Sotutu, Talea, Penalties: Black (2), B. Barrett, Conversion: Black, Drop: B. Barrett

The Crusaders played their first match in the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition and it resulted in a 39-25 win over the Hurricanes in Wellington.
The Crusaders scored an early try to wing Sevu Reece in just the second minute of the match with Richie Mo'unga kicking the conversion.
The Hurricanes kicked a penalty in the 7th minute toget on the board, but it was the Crusaders extending their lead in the 14th minute with a second try to centre Braydon Ennor.
The Hurricanes had leveled the scores 12-12 by the 31st minute with two penalties and a drop kick to first five Jackson Garden-Bachop.
The Crusaders scored their third try to second five Jack Goodhue, with the conversion extending the lead to 19-12, but it was 19-15 at halftime after Garden-Bachop added another penalty.
The Hurricanes reduced the gap to 19-18 after Goodhue was sin-binned, but Mo'unga kicked two penalties to put up 25-18.
The Hurricanes then scored their first try to replacement Asafo Aumua, and Garden Bachop's sideline conversion tied the scores 25-25.
The Crusaders then added a further two tries in the last ten minutes to Mo'unga and replacement David Havili.

Hurricanes: 25

Try: Aumua, Penalties: Garden-Bachop (5), Conversion: Garden-Bachop, Drop: Garden-Bachop

Crusaders: 39

Tries – Reece, Ennor, Goodhue, Mo’unga, Havili, Penalties: Mo’unga (2), Conversions: Mo’unga (4)

Super Rugby Aotearoa Results Round One 2020

The results for the first round of Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020 from 13-14 June are as follows.

Highlanders v Chiefs, Dunedin, Saturday 13 June.

The Highlanders have defeated the Chiefs 28-27 after a late 78th minute dropped goal from Bryn Gatland, son of Chiefs coach Warren.
The Highlanders had scored three tries to the Chiefs two, and led 22-16 at half time after tries to second five Patelesio Tomkinson and hooker Ash Dixon. Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie had kicked two early penalties to keep them in contact, while winger Sean Wainui scored a try to narrow the gap. The sin-binning of Highlander fullback Vilimoni Koroi in the 32nd minute saw McKenzie add another penalty before a late first half try to number eight Marino Mikaele Tu’u pushed the Highlanders to a six point half time lead.
The second half saw first five Mitch Hunt extend the lead for the Highlanders with a penalty, but they lost another to the sin-bin with Jona Nareki taking out McKenzie in the air.
A try to centre Anton Lienert-Brown brought the Chiefs to within a point of the Highlanders, but McKenzie missed the conversion. In the 77th minute McKenzie put the Chiefs in front with a dropped goal, but it was Gatland with the winner when the Highlanders worked there way to the Chiefs 22 from the restart.

Highlanders: 
Tries: A. Dixon, Tomkinson, Mikaele Tu’u, Penalties:  Hunt (2), Conversion: Hunt (2), Drop: Gatland
Cards: Koroi (Yellow, 32′), Nareki (Yellow, 61′)

Chiefs:
Tries: Wainui, Lienert-Brown, Penalties: McKenzie (4), Conversion: McKenzie, Drop: McKenzie

Blues v Hurricanes, Auckland, Sunday 14 June.

The Blues have beaten the Hurricanes 30-20 at Auckland's Eden Park in front of a crowd of 43,000 after holding a narrow 14-13 lead at half time.
Both teams scored three tries each, but it was the boot of first five Otere Black who proved to be the decider with his 15 points.
The Blues struggled with the new offside laws for Super Rugby, and conceded ten penalties to the Hurricanes four in the first half.
The Hurricanes opened the scoring with a penalty to first five Jackson Garden-Bachop, but the Blues hit back with a try to wing Caleb Clarke. Hurricanes hooker Dane Coles was next to score with a try in the corner, but the Blues hit back again with one of their own to second five TJ Faiane.
The Hurricanes then scored a late try to wing Ben Lam, but Garden-Bachop was unable to convert.
The second half saw the Hurricanes concede multiple penalties, with Black kicking three for the Blues in ten minutes. Both sides scored late tries to replacements Dalton Papalii and Jamie Booth to leave the final score 30-20.

Blues 
Tries: Clarke, Faiane, Papalii, Penalties: Black (3), Conversions: Black (3)

Hurricanes
Tries: Coles, Lam, Booth, Penalty: Garden-Bachop, Conversion: Perenara

Ian Foster Named New All Blacks Coach

New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey has announced the appointment of Ian Foster as new coach of the All Blacks for the next two years.
He will be joined by a further four coaching staff who will be announced in the near future.

As well as being an assistant coach of the All Blacks for the last eight years, Foster has also coached the Junior All Blacks from 2005-07, and the Chiefs Super Rugby team from 2004-11

The appointment panel for the Head Coach position was made up of Impey,  new NZR CEO Mark Robinson, NZR Head of High Performance Mike Anthony, former All Blacks Head Coach and NZR Life Member Sir Graham Henry, and former Silver Ferns Coach and High Performance Sport New Zealand director Waimarama Taumaunu.