Former Crusader crowns Blues star the best performance of round 10
Justin Marshall’s Crusaders may have secured a critical win in dominant fashion against the Rebels in Christchurch over the weekend, but when picking his most impressive performer of round 10 in Super Rugby Pacific, the Canterbury great bypassed his cherished club’s personnel in favour of another Kiwi star.
There were plenty of standout performances in round 10, including no shortage of standout players for the Crusaders as the defending champions clawed themselves off the bottom of the table thanks to the return of captain Scott Barrett among a host of other changes in the team’s lineup.
Elsewhere in Super Rugby Pacific, Quinn Tupaea was trying to run a marathon with the ball in hand for the Chiefs, Taniela Rakuro was scoring left and right for the Drua, and Reds young gun Tim Ryan shocked the Blues with a hat-trick within the space of 14 minutes.
Marshall however opted to select an All Black who made a game-changing impact off the bench for the Blues that helped finish off a comeback that overcame Ryan’s exploits.
“This is going to seem a little bizarre and I’m happy for challenges, we hopefully won’t have time for me to take those challenges on,” Marshall laughed when speaking to SENZ. “Because people will go what the hell? How have you chosen this guy?
“Caleb Clarke; I challenge anybody to challenge me because if you watch his introduction to that game last night, for the 25 or so minutes that he was in that game, the differences that he made, including the break that set up Sam Nock for the try that won the game, he was simply outstanding.
“When you are fighting to win a game, you need a game changer, that game changer can come off the bench and I thought the work Caleb Clarke did, not only defensively but on attack, the linebreak, setting up the last try, the pick and go’s, the energy that he showed, that’s what you want when you go to your bench for a player that’s capable of opening the game up, to change the game, and he did that.
“So, he’s my Player of the Round.”
Clarke’s form has certainly improved in 2024, having famously decided to drop eight kilograms for the campaign in search of a new edge.
Despite only appearing off the bench in the 50th minute, Clarke led his team in linebreaks and defenders beaten in addition to delivering the game-winning try assist.
The winger was involved in the All Blacks‘ 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign, operating as Blues teammate Mark Tele’a’s understudy on the left wing throughout the tournament.
Also nominated for the honour of Player of the Round was Crusaders No. 8 Christian Lio-Willie, who re-entered the starting XV in a reshuffled loose forward trio that saw Cullen Grace move to blindside flanker and Ethan Blackadder slot into the No. 7 jersey.
Lio-Willie was a leading figure in the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season in terms of carries, despite being utilised off the bench and only starting during the injury absence of Grace.
Returning from an injury himself in round nine’s loss to the Western Force, the 25-year-old impressed off the bench and was subsequently promoted. Lio-Willie led the game in line breaks (three), turnovers won (two), and tries (two) while appearing in the top five in numerous other statistical categories.
Comments on RugbyPass
1 week for two cynical and dirty plays? Absolutely pathetic punishment. He should’ve at least received 2 weeks - 1 week per trip. The guy is a cheating moron and liability. He should go back to league.
2 Go to commentsTest rugby is different level Some players are just big time players when the stakes are high they play better. The boks often lost to AUS on tour as they wanted to beat AB. Even at school level this is the case where some guys play better in tough games.
41 Go to commentsLet’s hope he misses more than just the Force game or the Reds won’t get very far in the finals.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick. I’m looking at the other 7 options in Australia and they don’t seem to be close behind Fraser at the moment? Even before reading this I thought he was well ahead. A random one - Slipper and Allalatoa seem to be getting well beaten in the scrum. I can’t remember this happening often before. Is it a technique/teamwork issue or are their bodies finally past it?
26 Go to commentsNZ is now entrenched in Div 2 of womens rugby. Canada would be thrashed by the likes of France or England. Europe are Div 1, with massive competitions, massive money…
2 Go to commentsBlackadder dies not deserve selection. He has not played enough games. Finau is just better. Kaino's replacement at Blindside On form TJ should be the starting 9 .
129 Go to commentsThe difference is Cotter..
6 Go to commentsThey can’t handle the level of comp in the NH. Pollard was a complete waste at Montpellier - and was the backup 12 when he left. Kitschoff was stealing his paycheque every week at Ulster,- getting absolutely rinsed by backup THs in the URC. There is a reason all the Boks go to Japan - they don’t have it in them to be able to compete. And yes, they won the RWC. Where Barnes and O'Keeffe were the direct reason for that tragedy occurring.
41 Go to commentsTrouble with Jones is he has so many impractical innovations. Kemeney wasn't good enough in any position for top level test rugby. I like how Vern has Papalii playing. He's always had the workrate when in form, although I'm not sure that he quite has Cane's mongrel.
26 Go to commentsPut those results on the old CV and send it in to the crusaders bro.
1 Go to commentsJust go with a top 6 system where the top 2 teams go straight to the semi-finals and the other 4 teams fight it out for the other 2 semi-final spots.
8 Go to commentsIt’s a shame that Baxter wasn’t nominated for DoR of the season. what he did is more impressive than McCall imo
1 Go to commentsSeveral boks said during World Cup they play so hard to give people back home hope. As an Englishman the Springboks Captain’s life story is an inspiration which should give us all hope and inspiration. Rather like that other great South African, Nelson Mandela
41 Go to commentsFox News, Tucker Carlson, Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan? Yikes.
1 Go to commentsThat is harsh though. Messi has/had a reputation for trying to keep his feet and keep dribbling for goal. Many of his brethren were the histrionic divers but not him.
2 Go to commentsMcReight is certainly one of the first picked. He’s going to be the glue, a Wallaby with some rugby IQ and the everywhere man for the Wallabies.
26 Go to commentsSophie De Goede is one of the best players we’ve ever produced. Kicked all the points, 2 try assists, line out takes, carries, tackles, charge downs… what a player
1 Go to commentsThe guy had just beasted himself in a scrum and the blood hadn't yet returned to his head when he was pushed into a team mate. He took his weight off his left foot precisely at the moment he was shoved and dropped to the floor when seemingly trying to avoid stepping on Hyron Andrews’ foot. I don't think he was trying to milk a penalty, I think he was knackered but still switched on enough to avoid planting 120kgs on the dorsum of his second row’s foot. To effectively “police” such incidents with a (noble) view to eradicating play acting in rugby, yet more video would need to be reviewed in real time, which is not in the interest of the game as a sporting spectacle. I would far rather see Farrell penalised for interfering with the refereeing of the game. Perhaps he was right to be frustrated, he was much closer to the action than the only camera angle I've seen, however his vocal objection to Rodd’s falling over doesn't legitimately fall into the captain's role as the mouthpiece of his team - he should have kept his frustration to himself, that's one of the pillars of rugby union. I appreciate that he was within his rights to communicate with the referee as captain but he didn't do this, he moaned and attempted to sway the decision by directing his complaint to the player rather than the ref. Rugby needs to look closely at the message it wants to send to young players and amateur grassroots rugby. The best way to do this would be to apply the laws as they are written and edit them where the written laws no longer apply. If this means deleting laws such as ‘the put in to the scrum must be straight”, so be it. Likewise, if it is no longer necessary to respect the referee’s decision without questioning it or pre-emptively attempting to sway it (including by diving or by shouting and gesticulating) then this behaviour should be embraced (and commercialised). Otherwise any reference to respecting the referee should be deleted from the laws. You have to start somewhere to maintain the values of rugby and the best place to start would be giving a penalty and a warning against the offending player, followed by a yellow card the next time. People like Farrell would rapidly learn to keep quiet and let their skills do the talking.
1 Go to commentsThe name “Kwagga” came to mind while I was reading this. And there’s another Sevens convert roaming the wide open kant at the Lions now - JC Pretorius. Keep an eye on him.
26 Go to comments2024 Rugby Championship: Sat, 10 Aug 2024 – Sat, 28 Sept 2024. Looking forward to watching the All Blacks coached by Scott Robertson, with or without the ‘dynamic’ qualities of Shannon Michael Frizell - see his display against South Africa at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium on July 15.
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