ROUND SIX: Five Talking Points

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NGANI LAUMAPE

Two words. Ngani Laumape. He was on absolute fire against the Blues on Saturday night in Wellington. Playing as if he was incredibly angry at someone or something, he played his best game of the competition by a country mile. He scored that remarkable try early in the match, exploding past Beauden Barrett and mowing down Otere Black to crash over the line. He was fired up and said in a post-match interview that he sees a lot of people disrespecting his name. He said, “there’s too much talking and I’m just going to be me.” We’re looking forward to seeing more of this from the Hurricanes midfielder.

‘THAT KICK’

Jordie Barrett loves a clutch kick. We’ve seen his heroics from 60 metres out and we’ve seen him break Chiefs hearts with a penalty kick in extra time earlier this year. But this clutch conversion in the 78th minute was immense. He was cool, calm, and collected and the kick never looked like missing. It was a high-pressure situation and he’d already been battling it out with his brother, Beauden, all evening. Jordie’s certainly sparked the Hurricanes over the last few weeks, helping his side to three-straight victories. Can they make it four against the Crusaders in Christchurch this weekend?

THE SENSATIONAL AARON SMITH

Has there been a better individual performance in Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa than Aaron Smith’s against the Chiefs? The All Blacks halfback was inspirational and influential, particularly in the second half as his side forged their comeback. He scored a brilliant try of his own, and then from nothing in the 82nd minute he put Patelesio Tomkinson into space to score what ended up being the match-winner. He had a great scuffle with Chiefs halfback Brad Weber in the first half, only to be seen laughing and joking with him post-match. Smith’s in sensational form and he’s only going to get better after a much deserved bye next week.

TWO POINT THRILLERS

Both games over the weekend came down to just two measly points. Great for the fans in New Zealand and across the globe, but possibly not that great for the coaches, who’s hearts may not be in the best nick after the close encounters. In fairness, there hasn’t actually been a blowout at all in Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa. The biggest margin being 20 points when the Crusaders beat the Highlanders, but that was hardly reflective of the entertaining game it was. It’s certainly been an enthralling first half of the competition, and with only four rounds left, we’re expecting more of the same, especially as the breakdown interpretations continue to become sharper.

GOLDIE SORTS OUT HIS HANDSHAKES

Last week, serial offender Jeff Wilson left Ardie Savea hanging after an interview on Sky Sport. He’s done it before to Matt Todd and after a video went viral, Wilson made a very conscious effort to sort it out after the Chiefs and Highlanders match. He was very determined to shake Ash Dixon and Aaron Smith’s hands after interviews yesterday, with Smith even joking he wouldn’t make a meme this week. Unfortunately, you still did Goldie. But it’s all positive this week!