Making its return, we bring you Super charged, in which we preview the main talking points ahead of Round Two’s Super Rugby Aotearoa action.

Chiefs v Blues

Like most New Zealand derbies, there should be plenty of thrilling action in this encounter between two highly entertaining sides and although it’s still early days, there is plenty at stake between New Zealand’s North Island rivals.

The Chiefs are a team on a mission. After losing their tournament opener, against the Highlanders in dramatic fashion in Dunedin last weekend, they will be determined to get their campaign back on track against a Blues outfit, who hit the ground running with a excellent all-round display in their victory over the Hurricanes in Auckland.

Despite that defeat, Warren Gatland’s charges will be quietly confident of securing their maiden Super Rugby Aotearoa triumph as they claimed a 37-29 victory against the Blues when these teams got this year’s truncated Super Rugby tournament underway at Eden Park at the end of January.

Adding to that, the Chiefs have not lost to the Blues in Hamilton since 2011 and since that match – which the Blues won 16-13 – they have dominated this fixture, winning 15 out 17 matches with the Blues winning just once – 23-8 at Eden Park last year – and the teams drew 16-16 at Eden Park in 2017.

Despite those statistics, the Blues will be keen to continue where they left off against the Hurricanes last weekend. Under the guidance of head coach Leon MacDonald, they have become a competitive unit and apart from impressing in their opener, they also did well in Super Rugby this year and finished that campaign by winning five out of seven matches.

A victory this weekend, will be a momentous one for the Blues as it will be there fifth straight away win – after also beating the Waratahs, Bulls, Stormers and Hurricanes on the road – which will be a new club record for the Auckland-based side.

Hurricanes v Crusaders

The current Super Rugby champions get their Aotearoa campaign off and running after having a bye in Round One and they will fancy their chances of overturning the Wellington outfit. Following an inauspicious opening to their season before it was suspended, matters don’t seem to have improved for Jason Holland’s men, despite the enforced break.

A 30-20 defeat to the Blues at Eden Park last weekend displayed their deficiencies as they struggled for fluency and lacked the game control in the second period. Although they showed up well at the scrum, their lineout was a mess and a clinical Crusaders side will no doubt be ready to pounce.

Of course, the ‘Canes are slightly more battle-hardened having got that match under their belt, but that won’t bother the visitors. Scott Barrett’s absence is a blow but that is offset by the return of Sam Whitelock, who had signed a deal in Japan but has decided to play in this new competition following the issues created by the Covid-19 crisis.

While there isn’t too much difference in quality between the respective backlines, it is up front where the Christchurch team often take control. The likes of Owen Franks, Jordan Taufua and Kieran Read may have departed, but Cullen Grace and Michael Alaalatoa stepped up superbly in the early part of the year.

Interestingly, these two teams were set to go head-to-head on March 20, the week after Super Rugby was postponed, so it’s rather apt that the Crusaders’ first game back is against the Hurricanes. Following five victories in six, Scott Robertson’s charges would have been favourites there and it is difficult to see any other result on Sunday.

Holland may not have had the brilliant Ardie Savea at his disposal back then, who was still recovering from a serious injury, but the inspirational All Black will need to produce a huge performance if they are to upset the dominant force in the southern hemisphere this weekend.

Player to watch – Ardie Savea (Hurricanes)

Talking of the 44-times capped New Zealand international, it is a big game on a personal level for the back-rower. Having returned from injury in time for their Super Rugby Aotearoa opener against the Blues, Savea is handed his first start of the year versus the Crusaders.

He failed to alter their fortunes off the bench last weekend but the 26-year-old will be a focal point of their pack on Sunday. Named at number eight, instead of his favoured position at openside, the 2019 World Player of the Year nominee will have plenty of responsibility on the carrying front.

In a pack which has lacked out-and-out power and the type of dynamism required to get over the gain line, Savea can provide that providing he is match fit and on form. Alongside the similarly influential Vaea Fifita, those two will be crucial if they are to halt the Crusaders juggernaut and kick-start their Aotearoa campaign.

TEN OF THE BEST | Afternoon footy was back in 2019! So it would be rude if we didn’t include this beast of a try from Ardie Savea in our top 10 countdown! ? pic.twitter.com/k3L0DoTlcM

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) December 25, 2019

One-v-one battle to watch – Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) v Beauden Barrett (Blues)

As two of the game’s best attacking weapons, these All Blacks number 15s will be expected to give their respective sides much needed momentum from the back.

After missing last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan through injury, McKenzie has done well since returning to action and came to the fore with some sterling performances for the Chiefs in Super Rugby before that tournament was brought to a premature halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 25-year-old was at the forefront of his side’s attacking efforts in that 28-27 loss to the Highlanders in Round One and also caught the eye with a fine goal-kicking display. He eventually finished with a 17-point haul after succeeding with four penalties, a conversion and a drop-goal.

Adding to that, he also made his presence felt in the wide channels, finishing with 50 metres gained from nine runs which included an offload.

?‍Plenty of flair ?in the 1⃣5⃣ shirts ? in Round 2 of @SuperRugbyNZ as Damian McKenzie & @beaudenbarrett line-up at full-back on Saturday.

Build up to @ChiefsRugby v @BluesRugbyTeam is live on @SkySports Action & Main Event from 07.30 ???

Tale of the tape ? pic.twitter.com/vbJ1n5REDd

— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) June 18, 2020

Meanwhile, Barrett slotted in seamlessly at the Blues as he proved to be a real threat on attack in their home triumph over the Hurricanes.

The two-time World Player of the Year was a handful with ball in hand and he combined brilliantly with other attacking threats in the Blues back-line like Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clark and Mark Telea.

His attacking performance saw him gaining 62 metres from seven runs with one defender beaten against his former team and he will be determined to build on that effort this weekend.

Although he did not play in his preferred fly-half role, Barrett was in the first receiver position a few times in his debut and his playmaking ability came in handy in unlocking the Hurricanes defence. Blues fans will be hoping for a similar effort against the Chiefs.

Subplot to watch – The battle of the back-rows

As four brilliant New Zealand teams prepare to face-off, there will be plenty of players hoping to impress as they vie for international selection. While the aforementioned Damian McKenzie v Beauden Barrett contest is perhaps the most thrilling to watch in the Chiefs-Blues match, the most interesting comes in the pack, and specifically the back-row.

They are perhaps not household names to the wider rugby public but some of them could well be in a year’s time. There are prospective All Blacks aplenty as Luke Jacobson, Lachlan Boshier and Pita Gus Sowakula go head-to-head with Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu.

While Sowakula is Fijian-born, the 25-year-old qualifies for New Zealand and has impressed for the Waikato-based outfit, but goes directly against the outstanding youngster Sotutu. The Blues man has ousted Ioane from the number eight position and, with the national team looking for someone to replace Kieran Read, he may well be that person.

Alongside him is Papalii, who is on the fringes of the international squad, and of course the exceedingly talented Ioane. Brother of Rieko, he has not yet fulfilled his exceptional natural ability after bursting onto the scene in the 2015 World Rugby U20 Championship and you feel it is a matter of now or never for the powerful ball-carrier.

That duo will look to exert their influence over the Chiefs flankers, but they will have their hands full against Boshier and Jacobson. The former has been the big surprise this season, going from good player to All Blacks bolter, while the latter is looking to get back to his best after concussion issues curtailed the tail end of his 2019 campaign.

Two stacked teams! Which side looks better?#SuperRugbyAotearoa pic.twitter.com/BZ49ouBSOe

— Super Rugby (@SuperRugbyNZ) June 19, 2020

Making its return, we bring you Super charged, in which we preview the main talking points ahead of the Super Rugby Aotearoa action.

Highlanders v Chiefs

The tournament’s action gets underway in Dunedin on Saturday and, if previous matches between these sides are to be used as a yardstick, then this should be a thrilling affair.

Judging from the respective teams’ form in this year’s suspended Super Rugby tournament, the Chiefs head into this encounter as favourites as they won four out of six matches and occupied third position in that competition’s New Zealand Conference standings.

With British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland also at the helm for the Chiefs, there was lots of excitement in their ranks at the start of the season and they impressed in the early rounds with successive triumphs over the Blues, Crusaders and Sunwolves.

Their campaign hit a snag when they suffered a shock defeat at home against the Brumbies but they bounced back with a big away victory over the Waratahs. Their last match, before the tournament was brought to a grinding halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, was a tight affair and they eventually suffered a narrow 27-24 loss against the Hurricanes in Hamilton.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders found the going tough in Super Rugby as they were the bottom-placed team in their country’s conference with just one victory from five matches played. They lost their first match against the Sharks at home but notched a win against the Brumbies in Canberra the following week to put their campaign back on track.

The rest of the campaign was a forgetful one as defeats to the Crusaders, Rebels and Bulls followed before their Round Seven clash with the Jaguares in Buenos Aires was cancelled due to Covid-19.

Despite that poor form, head coach Aaron Mauger and his charges will be hoping for a fresh start in Super Rugby Aotearoa. They will head into this match with a semblance of confidence as they drew 31-31 when these teams met in Dunedin last year and also claimed an impressive 30-27 victory in 2019’s corresponding fixture in Hamilton.

? The most unbelievable 3 minutes of code you will ever watch in your life.

Expect scenes like this on Saturday night for the opening game of Investec #SuperRugbyAotearoa ? pic.twitter.com/o5wgz7SDcB

— Super Rugby (@SuperRugbyNZ) June 12, 2020

Blues v Hurricanes

After the suspension of the regular Super Rugby season, everyone starts from scratch as New Zealand’s revised domestic competition gets underway. For the Blues, that is an unfortunate side effect of the postponement in March having impressed in the early rounds.

Five victories in seven games saw them reside in fourth place before the enforced suspension, but it has given them some much-needed belief heading into this tournament. Previously, they had struggled in the intra-country derbies but a victory over Sunday’s opponents, the Hurricanes, back in March displayed a team finding their identity under head coach Leon MacDonald.

They are also boosted by the signing of two-time World Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett, who missed the opening rounds in Super Rugby after taking an extended break, and he lines up at full-back this weekend.

The Aucklanders will duly fancy their chances of opening Super Rugby Aotearoa with a win following their 24-15 success in Wellington earlier in the year. The Hurricanes were surprisingly flat in that encounter and they are certainly struggling to find the same amount of potency without Barrett.

Despite containing a devastating backline in the wider channels, with Ngani Laumape, Vince Aso, Ben Lam, Chase Tiatia, and Wes Goosen all top performers, fly-half Jackson Garden-Bachop has yet to truly settle into his role as the primary decision-maker.

In fairness to the pivot, he hasn’t been helped by a pack which has lacked the power to get regularly over the gain line and they will hope that Ardie Savea’s return from a knee injury will aid their chances over the next few weeks.

Super Rugby 2020 | Hurricanes v Blues – Rd 6 Highlights
In a game that had it all, the @BluesRugbyTeam end a nine-game losing streak against the @Hurricanesrugby with a 24-15 win in Wellington.#SuperRugby #SuperRugby25years #HURvBLU pic.twitter.com/5hZxlc7cPr

— Super Rugby/TRC (@SuperRugby) March 7, 2020

Player to watch – Beauden Barrett (Blues)

One of the best players of his generation Dan Carter has not made the match-day squad after recently joining the franchise, but we will at least get to see the current standard-bearer in world rugby in a Blues shirt for the first time.

Against his former team, Barrett interestingly takes his place at full-back after being shifted from the All Blacks fly-half position ahead of last year’s World Cup, meaning that Otere Black is named at pivot. There have been doubts over the 29-year-old’s control of the game at the top level, as well as his ability to place-kick, but there are no concerns over his playmaking skills.

The 83-times capped All Black is still the most complete attacking player in the sport, with Barrett’s creativity and threat from counter-attack a huge benefit for the Auckland-based side. Alongside fellow backline talents Mark Telea, Rieko Ioane, TJ Faiane and Caleb Clarke, it should be an entertaining watch on Sunday.

Y’all ready for Kick Off??#BluesAllDay #BluesTogether pic.twitter.com/yqLJo9Z6Ki

— The Blues (@BluesRugbyTeam) June 12, 2020

One-v-one battle to watch – Aaron Smith (Highlanders) v Brad Weber (Chiefs)

These two are amongst New Zealand’s leading number nines and both will be at the forefront of their respective teams’ charges in what promises to be an exciting encounter in Dunedin.

Smith has been his country’s number one scrum-half for several years now and is renowned for his bullet-like spiral pass and excellent playmaking abilities. The 31-year-old has played consistency well for his team over the years and has proven to be a superb link between his forwards and outside backs over the years. He has the ability to unlock the tightest defences with clever offloads while his box-kicking is also amongst the best in the business.

Smooth moves.

Tune into your usual Super Rugby channels to catch the @Highlanders
host the @ChiefsRugby tomorrow!#SuperRugby #superrugbyaotearoa pic.twitter.com/31Kt1zJN5I

— Super Rugby/TRC (@SuperRugby) June 11, 2020

In Weber, he goes up against a tough adversary whose game has come on in leaps and bounds, which has made him one of his country’s most improved players in recent years. The 29-year-old also provides a slick service from the base, although he poses more of a threat around the fringes of the rucks and mauls. When he spots a gap he usually takes it with devastating consequences for opponents.

Although Smith is still widely regarded as New Zealand’s first-choice scrum-half, Weber’s impressive recent form means he has closed the gap on his more experienced counterpart and whoever comes out on top in this duel should be on the winning side as well.

Brad Weber and his Chiefs are back in action this weekend.

Tune into your usual Super Rugby channels to catch the @Highlanders host the @ChiefsRugby on Saturday.#SuperRugby #superrugbyaotearoa pic.twitter.com/EepBYpeZbK

— Super Rugby/TRC (@SuperRugby) June 11, 2020

Subplot to watch – The excitement of ‘normality’

Okay, it’s not the ‘actual’ Super Rugby tournament but it is wonderful to see that things are starting to get back to normal in New Zealand. Rugby union is back and crowds are returning after their government announced that they have moved down to alert level 1.

The country has not had a new case of coronavirus for over three weeks and, as a result, supporters are allowed to attend matches this weekend. In particular, it should be a thriller at Eden Park with 40,000 people potentially set to watch the action in the stadium.

That is simply incredible and shows how the world has missed sport over the past three months. It will be the Blues’ largest following for at least a decade, while the Highlanders are also set for a large attendance. Around 18,000 tickets have currently been sold but more may pack into the Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.

Pssst. Almost 30,000 tickets gone. Pass it on. ?

– Free Kids tickets with $20 GA Adult (ONLINE PURCHASE ONLY)

Don’t miss out! https://t.co/IHOAQnHTgA#BLUvHUR #BluesAllDay #BluesTogether pic.twitter.com/4tQw5T25uL

— The Blues (@BluesRugbyTeam) June 10, 2020

The 49ers aren’t the only ones with the potential of ruining the Kansas City Chiefs’ first Super Bowl experience in 50 years next week in Miami.

When the horde of media descends upon South Florida for Super Bowl 54 there may be plenty of uncomfortable questions about the Chiefs’ dark past. (And we’re not talking about the near-catastrophic dislocated kneecap uber-talented quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered earlier this season).

With cameras, phones, recorders and notepads waiting to be filled with juicy content, there’s a sinister subject that’s been shoved into a corner for most of the Chiefs’ stellar season that could be brought out again: The organization’s ugly history with domestic violence.

They’ve had a litany of arrests and charges for mistreatment of women and even children over the past 20 years. Only the Broncos have had more arrests and charges than the Chiefs’ nine during that span, according to USA Today.

From star receiver Tyreek Hill to standout defensive end Frank Clark, there are still reminders on the roster of seven-year Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s willingness to bring in difference-making players even if they’ve had alarming off-field issues.

“As long as people go through the right process, they deserve a second chance,” Reid has been fond of saying over the years.

This is the same man who, while coaching the Eagles, gave Michael Vick a second chance in 2009 when no one else would after the quarterback killed multiple dogs while participating in an illegal dog fighting scheme.

Reid certainly is not the only coach in the NFL willing to bring in players with past allegations of off-field violence. Look no further than the 49ers, who led the league in arrests (not charges) from 2012 to at least 2018.

The team kept giving Reuben Foster chances after he was arrested and charged with attacking his girlfriend. San Francisco kept Ray McDonald, Ahmad Brooks, Bruce Miller and Aldon Smith on the team throughout their various legal troubles, much of which was violent in nature.

Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch came to Santa Clara in 2017 and vowed to clean up the 49ers — and aside from one last chance for Foster, they have.

In April Reid and the Chiefs nearly did the same, almost cutting ties with the speedy and talented Hill after a troubling revelation. Hill, whom the Chiefs stole in the fifth round of the 2016 draft after he pleaded guilty to punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend while at Oklahoma State, was barred from the team this spring. That came after an audio recording suggested he broke his 3-year-old’s arm while disciplining him. The recording included Hill warning his fiancee (the same woman he battered in college) to be “terrified” of him.

However, two months later the criminal investigation into Hill’s role was discontinued when the District Attorney of Jackson County in Kansas announced they weren’t able to prove how the Chiefs star’s son was injured.

The favorable outcome led a contrite Hill to publicly apologize for the trouble: “I can assure you that I will continue to work to be the person, player, and teammate that you envisioned me to be.”

Reid and the Chiefs also acquired Clark, who came to Kansas City via Seattle in the off-season as the replacement for edge rusher Dee Ford, who was dealt to the 49ers. To be fair, Clark has avoided trouble since joining the NFL four years ago. But while at the University of Michigan, Clark was kicked off the team after being arrested on first-degree domestic violence and assault after an incident with his girlfriend. Clark’s charges were later reduced to fourth-degree disorderly conduct.

Including Hill, the Chiefs over the past two years have had three players suspended for domestic violence, including:

• Star running back Kareem Hunt, who was released in November of 2018 after videotape surfaced of him kicking a woman who was on the ground in the hallway of a Cleveland hotel. The NFL suspended Hunt for eight games and he’s since resurfaced with the Cleveland Browns.
• Backup defensive tackle Roy Miller, who was arrested in November of 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. on a domestic violence charge. A police report said his wife had marks on her face and neck. Two days later, the Chiefs released Miller, who was later suspended by the NFL for six games. But no team has since signed him.

A further look at the Chiefs’ rap sheet over the years also shows comparatively safer gambles on players such as current wide receiver Mecole Hardman and ex-Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, both recipients of second chances.

The 21-year-old Hardman, a Pro Bowl return man in his rookie season, was labeled a troublemaker by some colleges and pro teams for a series of homophobic tweets he sent over a five-year period as a teenager. Hardman has caused no issues since apologizing for his insensitivity as a kid.

Peters, meanwhile, had been kicked out of school at the University of Washington for fighting with a coach. The Oakland-born standout became a star early with the Chiefs before his altercation with ex-defensive coordinator Bob Sutton prompted Kansas City to trade him two years ago.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, whose late father, Lamar, founded the Chiefs in 1963, earlier this year defended his team’s vetting process of players over the years.

“I think on every player that you bring into the organization that there is some element of risk,” Clark told reporters. “It could be his playing ability. It could be things that distract them off the field, as well as trouble they get into — that’s a risk you could take. It’s something that, as a franchise, we have to be willing to own when it doesn’t go the right way, and that’s something that I believe.”

Things went horribly wrong with one of Hunt’s players on Dec. 1, 2012 in one of the most haunting episodes in NFL history. Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who had been accused of beating the mother of his child, wound up shooting and killing the woman. Belcher then drove to Chiefs headquarters to apologize to team officials before killing himself in front of them.

“At some point, it’s going to be bad for the Kansas City Chiefs’ bottom line if they keep ignoring domestic violence and if they continue to select players with those kinds of histories,” Kim Gandy, president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, told USA Today.

Judging by their success these days, just maybe not right now.

March 15 (UPI) — A professional poker player was indicted for wire fraud Thursday, accused of bilking investors out of more than $6 million in a scheme involving Super Bowl and World Cup tickets.

Federal prosecutors in California’s central district say Seyed Reza Ali Fazeli, 49, ran a bogus Las Vegas-based ticket business called Summit Entertainment, which he used to solicit investors in California, Texas and Nevada, promising big returns on the resale of tickets to the 2017 Super Bowl and the upcoming 2018 World Cup.

After investors wired more than $6 million to Ali, he “falsely told the victims that the ticket sales did not go well because the NFL prohibited their resale and that he was working on a settlement with the NFL,” prosecutors said.

But court documents show that Ali never purchased the tickets.

“Instead, he used the money for gambling expenses at the Aria and Bellagio casinos in Las Vegas and for personal expenses,” prosecutors said.

Ali was charged with two counts of wire fraud an faces up to 40 years in prison.

He also faces several civil lawsuits related to the ticket scheme, the Orange County Register reported.

This isn’t the first time Ali was involved in a high-dollar ticket-flipping scheme.

In 2006, he sold World Cup tickets online through onlinetickets.com. But those tickets were never received, resulting in a lawsuit and a $1,176,500 settlement against Ali.

March 16 (UPI) — A professional poker player was indicted for wire fraud Thursday for allegedly bilking investors out of more than $6 million in a scheme involving Super Bowl and World Cup tickets.

Federal prosecutors in California’s central district say Seyed Reza Ali Fazeli, 49, ran a bogus Las Vegas-based ticket business called Summit Entertainment, which he used to solicit investors in California, Texas and Nevada, promising big returns on the resale of tickets to the 2017 Super Bowl and the upcoming 2018 World Cup.

After investors wired more than $6 million to Ali, he “falsely told the victims that the ticket sales did not go well because the NFL prohibited their resale and that he was working on a settlement with the NFL,” prosecutors said.

But court documents show that Ali never purchased the tickets.

“Instead, he used the money for gambling expenses at the Aria and Bellagio casinos in Las Vegas and for personal expenses,” prosecutors said.

Ali was charged with two counts of wire fraud and faces up to 40 years in prison.

He also faces several civil lawsuits related to the ticket scheme, the Orange County Register reported.

This isn’t the first time Ali was involved in a high-dollar ticket-flipping scheme.

In 2006, he sold World Cup tickets online through onlinetickets.com. But those tickets were never received, resulting in a lawsuit and a $1,176,500 settlement against Ali.

March 15 (UPI) — A professional poker player was indicted for wired fraud Thursday for allegedly bilking investors out of more than $6 million in a scheme involving Super Bowl and World Cup tickets.

Federal prosecutors in California’s central district say Seyed Reza Ali Fazeli, 49, ran a bogus Las Vegas-based ticket business called Summit Entertainment, which he used to solicit investors in California, Texas and Nevada, promising big returns on the resale of tickets to the 2017 Super Bowl and the upcoming 2018 World Cup.

After investors wired more than $6 million to Ali, he “falsely told the victims that the ticket sales did not go well because the NFL prohibited their resale and that he was working on a settlement with the NFL,” prosecutors said.

But court documents show that Ali never purchased the tickets.

“Instead, he used the money for gambling expenses at the Aria and Bellagio casinos in Las Vegas and for personal expenses,” prosecutors said.

Ali was charged with two counts of wire fraud an faces up to 40 years in prison.

He also faces several civil lawsuits related to the ticket scheme, the Orange County Register reported.

This isn’t the first time Ali was involved in a high-dollar ticket-flipping scheme.

In 2006, he sold World Cup tickets online through onlinetickets.com. But those tickets were never received, resulting in a lawsuit and a $1,176,500 settlement against Ali.