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Monday Musings: Super Rugby Surprises (or not), Rieko The Villain, WTC boilover
Alex Chapman • June 16th, 2025 2:00 pm
Photo: Photosport
Are we really surprised that this is Super Rugby Pacific's decider? Maybe, if anything, that it’s in Christchurch rather than Hamilton?
But if you’d asked, let’s say 100 people before the first week of the playoffs, to take off their variously coloured eyepatches, whether they be black and yellow, blue, and red and black, to put down their cow bells, and pop over the Tasman, how many would’ve said a combination of “Crusaders Chiefs” ? 70? 75? 80?
That’s not to say this playoff format is broken, merely proof that once again the cream, whatever island the cow comes from, always rises to the top.
As much as the Blues dared to dream, in the end, the Crusaders capitalised on their poor discipline, with the visitors pinged 16 times, before a desperate last 10 minutes where the hosts survived with on just four percent possession.
But in classic Crusaders fashion, as it has been for the last 29 years, it was a matter of “Not on our home turf.”
Ethan Blackadder’s stats out of the game saying it all: 29 tackles, six stitches, one eyebrow.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, will potentially still be ruing losing to the Blues and giving up home advantage for the first time these playoffs. They looked back to their best for much of that straightforward win over the Brumbies, with their scrum once again flexing its muscle, before Damian McKenzie maestro’d the backline through spectacular and set piece, before pulling off an determined and desperate try-saving tackle.
Defence tends to win comps.
So, who wins? Well, it’s hard to argue against a team that’s never lost a home playoff game.
Hopefully the crowd turns up this week.
Emoni Narawa outshines rivals during Super Rugby semi-finals in claim for All Blacks wing spot | The Bunnings Trade Rugby Run
Rieko Rivalry
Apparently, rugby is dying. Or at least the engagement with it is. Whether you believe that or not, who knows.
What has definitely been dying though, is the lack of personality in the game. Don’t get me wrong, not everyone has to be a larrikin or a lad, extroverted, jovial, comfortable having a deep conversation, or voicing their opinions.
But as sports fans, we encourage entertainment and crave characters, whatever form they may take - hero, villain, or otherwise.
And like him or not, Rieko Ioane has been that character in the latest tale of Super Rugby Pacific.
Those within the Blues have indicated that the All Black doesn’t mind being the villain, the one other teams’ fans dislike. His teammates and coaches in a way encourage it, and let him be him.
He thrives on it.
On proving people wrong.
On winding people up.
On having a chip on his shoulder, even though there may not always be a logical reason to have one.
But has anyone helped hype games more than Rieko Ioane? First with the Irish (Leinster is going to simply be funny), and now it seems with Super Rugby.
He’s ruffled fan feathers, while opposition teams, the Crusaders in particular last week, seemed to celebrate it.
You don’t have to like him as a player. You don’t have to agree with him loitering in the midfield rather than luxuriating on the wing. And you don’t have to like that he’ll probably get named in the All Blacks again.
This isn’t an attempt to try and proselytise people one way or another. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But who is?
Brazen? Maybe. Brash? Perhaps. But the big bad wolf? That seems to be all huff and puff.
However, in this case, the little red riding hood Crusaders have, well, they’ve ridden their way into another final. Perhaps it’ll be them looking to ruin the fairytale this week.
The Proteas celebrate victory | Photo: AAP
Spectacular Spaun
Speaking of fairytales, how about J.J. Spaun? As the rain fell and a lot of big names fell away, as had been encouraged in the lead up to the US Open, the American accepted adversity.
Bogeying five of his first six holes of the day, before birdieing four of his last seven, a reminder that sometimes it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
His 64-foot putt on 18 the longest made by anyone this week even had the bloke holding the trophy high-fiving.
As Viktor Hovland said as they shook hands “that was impressive, dude".
In the end, he was the only player to finish the four ferocious days at Oakmont under par, but having his daughters getting to touch to trophy, is a far greater Father’s Day trophy than the lifting itself.
World Test Championship
Even after the Aussies were bowled out for 212, let alone after they asserted a 78-run first innings lead, few would’ve picked South Africa to lift the mace.
But poor batting in their second innings cost them before the pitch flattened out and the Aiden Markram’s magnificence and Temba Bavuma‘s backbone dominated, both of which the Aussies lacked.
I’ll admit though, even on Friday morning with the Aussies leading by 218 runs, I thought that another 20 runs would be enough.
Australia will now undergo an examination of how they went from such heavy favourites, to being heavily scrutinised over decisions on and off the field. The experimentations clearly didn’t work, with theories to now be scrunched up and biffed to the bin alongside the South African chokers tag.
As for the Proteas, well, yes, the calendar favoured them, and there’ll be questions over that too, as well as how they prioritised their own T20 competition over test cricket.
But they still caused one of the larger upsets we’ve seen in an ICC final. Though recent history would suggest they’re becoming more frequent.
The lollipop-shaped trophy is surely the sweetest win of them all.
Test cricket eh? Still got it.
What's the Crusaders' biggest weakness heading into Super Rugby final? | The Bunnings Trade Rugby Run
Men's Health Week Is Every Week
A slight. albeit important, tack. Last week was Men’s Health Week. An important, crucial, vital, necessary, all of those words, week.
The mahi that gets done around it is fantastic. But it doesn’t end there. Some damning, often confronting stats come out during weeks like that, and they’re worth remembering for the other 51 weeks of the year.
Per menshealthweek.co.nz:
- “A boy born today will live nearly four years less than a girl born in the room next door. He will be over 20% more likely to die of a heart attack than the girl, and almost 30% more likely to get diabetes.
- Worse, he is three times more likely to die by suicide or in a motor car crash.
- 8 Kiwi families every day lose a loved partner, father or tupuna to a preventable illness, one they didn’t need to die from.
- Māori and Pasifika men live significantly shorter lives on average than other races in NZ. That’s so wrong.
- Almost one Kiwi man in four will die before they reach retirement age. One in four of us won’t live to retire!
To the men out there - check in on yourself, check in on your mates.
