Super Rugby 2015: Winners and Losers from Play-off Qualifiers

The Highlanders and Brumbies progressed to the Super Rugby semi-finals with victories over the Chiefs and Stormers, respectively.

The Highlanders’ 28-14 victory over the Chiefs means they have won their first play-off game since 1999.

They did so with a high-tempo display that proved too hot to handle for the Chiefs, and they will face the Waratahs in the semi-final.

The Brumbies blew the Stormers away in Cape Town with a six-try 39-19 demolition job of the South Africans.

They will hit the road again to take on the table-topping Hurricanes in Wellington to decide who will reach the final.

Here are the winners and losers from two scintillating play-offs.

Aaron Smith’s blindside dart midway through the first half was a wonderful example of a plan well executed.

Smith knew he would have the legs on the Chiefs back row cover and had a wing in Waisake Naholo fast enough to keep up—who he could swap passes with to give the Highlanders a stunning first try.

It was classic No. 9 play by one of the game’s finest. He repeated the trick from much closer range, sniping on the short side with enough speed to get around the first defender and having the composure to dump a pass into Naholo’s bread basket for the Fijian-born man’s second try. That could seal him a place in the All Blacks squad.

Having already praised Aaron Smith’s contribution to the Highlanders’ victory, the performance of another diminutive player should not be ignored.

Chiefs full-back Damian McKenzie was the most creative spark in their back line, countering with menace and largely kicking intelligently when he had to. The New Zealand Herald’s Patrick McKendry described the pair as:

Two guys breaking the mould of professional rugby's bigger-is-better trend, and striking a blow for not only the smaller blokes running around the nation's fields but also those who play with a sense of excitement and ability to play what's in front of them rather than to a pre-determined strategy.

The Waikato men enjoyed long periods of pressure in the second half that eventually resulted in a try for Brodie Retallick.

But with that much possession and territory, it wasn’t enough reward.

They were turned over 18 times during the match, per ESPN.co.uk, many of those coming during key attacking series of play that prevented them from building a score to get back into the lead.

A first half hat-trick from the Brumbies’ big left wing all but ended the contest in Cape Town.

The Brumbies smashed into rucks and moved the ball quickly to get Tomane the space he needed to run riot down the Stormers’ right-hand side for his second try after Nic White’s chip had set up his first.

But his third was most remarkable.

Tomane scooped up the ball from a messy scrum, rammed a hand off into his opposite number’s chest and swatted him away to open up a channel down his wing to romp home for the treble.

Just before the break, the Stormers carelessly got turned over high up the field, and a hack down the pitch resulted in their lineout deep in their 22-metre area.

A second error compounded that turnover when the throw-in sailed over the forwards and was gobbled up by Brumbies No. 9 Nic White, who set in chain a passage of play that ended with a fourth try for the Australians, and another nail in the Stormers’ coffin.

It became a horrible problem for the home side. Losing seven lineouts on your own throw at home is not good enough at the top level.

David Pocock is one of the wiliest No. 7s on the circuit and had a field day at ruck time.

He was the smartest breakdown forward on the park, and his quality perhaps exposed the fact the Stormers were missing Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger.

Brumbies wing Henry Speight could miss one of the biggest games of his career after being shown a red card in Cape Town.

Speight tipped Juan de Jongh onto his head in an attempt to clear him away from the tackle area. After review by the TV official, it was deemed serious foul play, and he was given his marching orders.

And now, per Russell Jackson in the Canberra Times, Speight could be banned for the showdown with the Hurricanes: "Speight is in doubt for the clash in Wellington on Saturday after appearing to tip Stormers centre Juan de Jongh onto his head with around six minutes remaining in the match."