By Christopher Reive, NZ Herald
In 2020, there will be plenty of opportunities for rising stars to make their mark on Super Rugby. Christopher Reive looks at the top candidates to do just that.
Quinten Strange – Crusaders lock
Strange has shown flashes of his ability at Super Rugby level since making his debut for the Crusaders in 2017. With Sam Whitelock away on sabbatical, the 23-year-old will likely get the first shot starting alongside Scott Barrett in the second row. A strong ball runner with decent passing skills, Strange has looked like a player for the future for the past few seasons. He’s a solid option at the lineout, while his strength and determination makes him a major threat from the pick and go game with the try line in sight. Despite the veteran presence of Luke Romano in the Crusaders squad, Strange shapes up as the obvious choice to fill Whitelock’s boots.
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Jordan Hyland – Blues wing
With Rieko Ioane moving into the centres, Hyland looks set up to come straight into the Blues starting ranks. Hyland made his Super Rugby in 2018 for the Blues, before heading South to link up with the Highlanders last year with whom he scored one try in four games. A local of the northern region and a stalwart for the Northland NPC side, Hyland won’t be one to waste an opportunity if it falls to him.
Pita Gus Sowakula – Chiefs loose forward
Having been in the Chiefs environment for a couple of years, Sowakula is a prime candidate to make the step up. A former winger, Sowakula has spent the last few years getting familiar with playing in the forwards at the top level and looks set to have extended opportunities this season. The Chiefs’ second and back row shapes up as a bit of a puzzle heading into the season, with plenty of work do be done in preseason by those hoping to claim a spot in the starting side – with plenty of starting-calibre players vying for the 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 jerseys. For Sowakula, his ability to cover any of those roles should give him an advantage and have him in line for plenty of time on the pitch.
https://twitter.com/alexmcleod891/status/1194508719221985280
Josh McKay – Highlanders outside back
Josh McKay is a player Highlanders fans should be very excited by. The early front-runner to lock down the No15 jersey, McKay is impressive when he gets the ball with some room to move, and he showed with Canterbury during the Mitre 10 Cup his defence is coming along. With the addition of first five-eighth Mitch Hunt to the squad this season, there’s every chance the Highlanders could move Josh Ioane back to fullback from time to time, but McKay appears to be the top contender for the role.
Isaia Walker-Leawere – Hurricanes lock
After making some strides at the top level in 2019, particularly toward the back end of the year, the Hurricanes are excited by what Walker-Leawere will bring to the table in 2020. Another team where the locking roles are far from confirmed, Walker-Leawere is every chance to start the year in the run on squad. He’s a hard worker in the physical areas of the game and has the ability to create turnovers, while his attacking game shows a lot of versatility for a forward.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments