Bomb squad hits old heights

The Garryowen is back in a big way, South Africa meet their moment, the course nearly wins, a Fifa folly and an SvG lolly.

Damian McKenzie makes an improbable try-saving tackle. Getty Images

It might be the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese calendar, but if you’re an adherent to the far more culturally relevant Rugby calendar, 2025 is the Year of the Up-and-Under.

Box kicks from the base are one thing, but it’s not just halfbacks pinging the ball indiscriminately in the air these days. Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie have brought the Garryowen¹ back into fashion from first receiver and they even reached deep into their bags of magic tricks to throw up spiral bombs during Super Rugby Pacific’s semifinal weekend.

If you’re not sure how you feel about the ball being launched to the heavens time and again you’re not alone, but there is at least something reassuringly old-school about it coming from the boot of the No 10. That sepia-toned feeling was only enhanced when, in the wake of the Chiefs’ 37-17 victory over the Brumbies, McKenzie explained the team’s tactics away by repeatedly using the phrase “the forwards like the ball in front of them”.

Next, the wings will be throwing into the lineouts.

McKenzie ended up on the winning side, Barrett didn’t as the Blues fell 14-21 to the Crusaders, but both have showed enough in recent weeks to suggest THAT debate has plenty of life left. According to Radio NZ, the omens are good for Damian.

For such an attacking bright spark, it might seem incongruous to note that the most spectacular single play of the weekend was McKenzie’s mindblowing slide tackle on Brumbies fullback Tom Wright during which he managed to get his arm under the ball to prevent a potential momentum-shifting seven-pointer.

As for the final, good luck picking a winner. I’m not in the business of spruiking odds, but I did see one major market player had both the Crusaders and Chiefs at the same price to win. My suspicion is the visiting Chiefs are a slightly better side, but the Crusaders might find a way to win their final match on that unsightly home ground of theirs they have come to love.

More on the final later this week.

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It was pleasing to note that The Bounce wasn’t the only place where confusion reigned over Super Rugby’s senseless playoff system that saw a loser from the onethirdfinal (Chiefs) host a semifinal.

Judging from the comments of SRP chief executive Jack Mesley, it seems like the only reason nobody realised that having the “lucky loser” host a semifinal was a crazy idea, was that nobody contemplated the idea that a No 1-seed would ever lose to a six-seed.

From the Sydney Morning Herald via Stuff:

The tournament rules were in place from the start of the year but given the highest-seed losing to the lowest seed in Super Rugby finals is so rare, fans – and even some officials – were still caught by surprise by the fine print…

Mesley said he was aware of the criticism, and it would be factored into a post-season review.

So get ready for yet another change to Super Rugby, which might be the most tinkered with entity since Dr Frankenstein built a home lab.

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Super Rugby is often maligned, and sometimes with good cause, but for all its quirks and warts, if you just look historically at the rugby played, it’s been at least the equal to, and probably better, than any other below-test-level comp. Don’t take my word for it, take Schalk Burger’s.

“The [URC] competition suits us and the current crop that we’ve got here. We can develop players that can compete and be comfortable playing at that level,” he said.

“With the old Super Rugby – especially Super 12 and Super 14 – you had to have your best players based in South Africa; to develop them, keep them together and try to compete against the Crusaders, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Waratahs, Brumbies and Reds.

“It was a brutal comp and the best provincial comp I’ve ever played in.”

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This will be the last time (until the next time) I highlight the folly of bonus points, but it is a beauty.

If the Taranaki men’s premier club competition was cut short tomorrow and they decided to move straight to the playoffs, the team with the best record would fail to make the semifinals.

Wait, what?! Impossible, you say.

Tukapa, the mighty Cast Iron Chickens, have the best record in the comp as it stands, but are fifth.

Behold…

Apart from the bonus points, it looks like a great comp this year.