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          Super -- Not So Super -- Rd10: D-Mac on fire, Tahs still searching for 80-minute game

          • Brittany Mitchell, ESPN Assistant EditorMay 1, 2023, 12:11 AM
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              Brittany Mitchell has been a sports fan from an early age, with a keen interest in netball, cricket and rugby. Brittany interned at Rugby Magazine and the Australian Rugby Union before joining ESPN.
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          Things are starting to heat up as the battle for the top 8 hits fever pitch in Round 10 with six teams attempting to fit into three spots.

          Returning to a full complement of matches following three weeks of bye rounds, Super Rugby Pacific's Culture Round certainly impressed with a duel of the fly-halfs in Waikato, the Waratahs just keeping their season alive in Sydney and the Blues overcoming the heat in Fiji.

          Read on as we review some of the Super -- and Not So Super -- action from the weekend.

          Super

          MCKENZIE WINS BATTLE OF THE FLY-HALFS

          Playing out a superb season to date, Chiefs fly-half Damian McKenzie has continued his sublime form out-duelling Crusaders' Richie Mo'unga and continuing his case for All Blacks selection.

          While Mo'unga showed flashes of what makes him such an x-factor player, it was McKenzie who stole the show and outshone him as he led his side to a ninth straight victory and their second against the Crusaders this year.

          Contributing in every area of the field whether it be attack, defence or with the boot, the 28-year-old was masterful with an impressive offload to set up Brodie Retallick's score, while it was his slick dart through the defence and pin-point pass at speed for Shaun Stevenson that demonstrated his own x-factor abilities.

          Scoring a 19-point haul of his own courtesy of five penalties and two conversions, his boot continues to be a telling part of his game, while his kicks in play had the Chiefs playing in the right ends of the field. His tackle tally was also impressive, making eight, including a try-saving tackle in the corner on Braydon Ennor early in the second half.

          Signing a new two-year deal with New Zealand Rugby on Sunday, McKenzie has signalled his intent to make himself the All Blacks first choice playmaker, with Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett both leaving for Japan at the end of the year.

          No doubt plenty of discussions are being held behind closed doors of exactly where McKenzie fits in the All Blacks World Cup frame. He's been the form player throughout the Super Rugby season, barely having a blemish on his game all year, as he continues to set his team up for a big run through the finals, while his ability to slot in at fullback also gives him an edge, but does he override Barrett or Mo'unga who are proven international talent?

          WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

          It was billed as the match of the weekend, and it certainly lived up to all the hype.

          A packed-out crowd filled in at FMG stadium, more with cowbells than without, and they watched on as the two form teams of the competition battled it out in what could be the grand final preview.

          As mentioned above, McKenzie was sublime in his performance while Mo'unga also showed his impressive playmaking abilities, while both forward packs went hammer and tongs in a high-intensity battle.

          The Crusaders will be lamenting they didn't come away with any points after they dominated possession and had plenty of opportunity to build a strong lead in the first half, if it wasn't for two disallowed tries, both for handling errors in the lead up.

          But it was the Chiefs out-Crusadering the Crusaders, who came away with a brilliant win and solidified their place at the top of the table.

          Digging in brilliantly in defence, the Chiefs made 176 tackles to just 79 and withstood a barrage of attacking raids from the Crusaders. Captain Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick and Luke Jacobson were outstanding in their defensive shifts, while Shaun Stevenson and Emoni Narawa typically stood up in attack.

          The Crusaders offered just as much with Leicester Fainga'anuku making the big carries, Scott Barrett got through plenty of work while Cullen Grace was also big for his side. But it was the Chiefs who held their nerve and managed to withstand everything the Crusaders threw at them.

          With Ian Foster in the stands, the All Blacks audition was everything anyone could have hoped for and was a real treat for any rugby fan.

          CULTURE ROUND MAKES ITS MARK

          No where else in world sport could you be treated to such an amazing spectacle as the battle between the Maori Haka and Fiji's Bole.

          Preparing for their on-field battle, the Blues and Fijian Drua lined-up for a different pre-game challenge with the team from Auckland laying down the gauntlet with a fierce haka before the Drua responded partway through with their own war cry.

          In the heat and humidity, the challenge had the crowd cheering and blowing their horns as both sides continued to lay down their mark while the Drua advanced further and further on the halfway line.

          It had the blood pumping and goosebumps rising and was a reminder just how special the Super Rugby Pacific competition is now with the inclusion of the Pacific Island teams Drua and Moana Pasifika.

          Ahead of every match this weekend fans were treated with either a haka, Fiji's Bole or Moana Pasifika's Le Fa'avae, while traditional drums and dancers were spotted outside stadiums and the welcome to country was acknowledged at Australian stadiums alongside the sounds of digeridoos.

          Embracing all the different nationalities and cultures that make up the competition, the Culture Round was a celebration of what makes the rugby community unique and is something that needs to remain as part of the competition.

          NOT SO LUMBERING NICK FROST SHOWS HIS PACE

          There are not many better sights on a rugby field than a lock in open space and the Brumbies' Nick Frost showed exactly why on Friday night when he put his skills on display for an impressive 80-metre runaway try in his side's loss to the Hurricanes.

          Sticking his boot out to stop Aiden Morgan's attempted grubber through the Brumbies defensive line, a fortuitous bounce saw the lock reclaim the ball and fly down the field at pace not often seen from a second-rower.

          Cam Roigard desperately tried to real him in, but there was just too much speed for the halfback to overcome and Frost dove over for his second try of the night.

          It put an exclamation point on an already impressive game from the lock, with the 23-year-old finishing off a superb break from Corey Toole to score the side's opening try of the night. Receiving the ball 15-metres from an almost open line, he still had plenty to do as he dragged two defenders over the line with him.

          Although the Brumbies went down in their second clash over the ditch, they did prove they're the real deal this year and with a full roster they can go toe-to-toe with their New Zealand counterparts.

          Not so super

          WARATAHS NEED TO FIND 80-MINUTE GAME

          They may have come home with a one-point win over the Highlanders on Friday night, but the Waratahs are yet to produce a solid 80-minute performance and make a real mark on the competition despite being 10 rounds in and eying a fourth place finish at the start of the year.

          Firing out of the blocks, the Waratahs were on the front foot early. A Langi Gleeson line break and Izaia Perese try in the early minutes examples of how potent an attacking Tahs side can be. But poor discipline, a struggling playmaker in Ben Donaldson and crumbling set piece late in the match made them look messy and had them scrambling in the dying minutes.

          Pitching themselves inside the Highlanders 22 for the final 15-minutes of the match, the Waratahs had opportunity after opportunity to ice the match, instead they constantly gave the ball away, numerous times through late cleanouts that saw them lose the ball metres from the line.

          Conceding just two tries, the Tahs defence continues to stand up, but it's their attack that's yet to find its rhythm and unfortunately, it's Donaldson who faces the firing line.

          With five Wallabies spread across the backline, as well as try scoring machine Dylan Pietsch and rising star Max Jorgensen there can be no excuses for their misfiring attack and time is running out for Donaldson to find his confidence and get them moving.

          WINLESS MOANA FACE SECOND STRAIGHT WOODEN SPOON

          Their second season in Super Rugby Pacific Moana Pasifika are staring down the barrel of finishing the 2023 season without a single win.

          Hindered by their usual mix of poor errors and ill-discipline, Pasifika saw three players handed a yellow card, including one to Ezekiel Lindenmuth who'd only taken the field 20 seconds earlier. While their defence remained absent, missing 25 tackles through the match (some how the Rebels managed to outdo them, missing 37), and their set-piece was barely running winning just 53 percent of their lineouts.

          Like so often this year, they left their run too late, scoring several late tries to close the gap, but unless they clean up their game they have little chance of avoiding the wooden spoon.

          To rise just one place on the ladder they need to win at least three of their last five, but with the opponents ahead of them -- Blues, Hurricanes, Crusaders, Fijian Drua and Waratahs -- a win will be almost impossible to come by.