Aussie Super takes: Waratahs crash out, Crusaders the target

Super Rugby Pacific continues to deliver and it’s only a couple weeks out from finals! 

Although this is an Aussie column, one must pay respect to Ardie Savea’s winning of the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year award, he truly and unreservedly deserves it for what he has achieved with Moana Pasifika this season. 

Across the Tasman things are looker a great deal bleaker. The Waratahs capitulated against a very good Crusaders side, the Western Force folded to the Fiji Drua in Lautoka, and the ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds battled it out for Aussie supremacy in the capital. 

The weekend’s game showed the Brumbies do truly hold the reins in Australia, and in the coming weeks, it may show to be those of the entire competition. 

The Reds are finally starting an upswing in form after a temporary lull but they need their key men back for finals if they hope to cause an upset and challenge for the trophy. 

Waratahs crash out but key Wallabies soar 

It was the Waratahs fourth loss in a row, and it has all but sealed their fate of missing out on a finals berth. 

It would’ve been miraculous if first year coach Dan McKellar made the almost entirely new roster into a serious finals contending side, but at times it was nonetheless hard to believe so many Wallabies were in their ranks, when things started to go awry. 

Despite the loss against the Crusaders at the weekend, key Wallabies for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series are now stringing together some good games and finally finding some great form. 

Angus Bell, Dave Porecki, and Taniela Tupou led from the front, with Tupou’s scrummaging really aiding the side in their fight back against the Crusaders. 

Meanwhile in the backrow, Langi Gleeson continued his epic form, busting through the Crusaders’ defence and consistently getting his side over the gainline, but he was often let down by his teammates who were too slow to the breakdown to capitalise on his good work. 

Jake Gordon had an industrious night, but it was a night to forget for others in the Tahs’ backs, Wallabies Andrew Kellaway and Darby Lancaster were the worst of the bunch. 

Lancaster will now have serious questions being asked about his Wallabies credentials after being regularly caught out of position in defence, his misreads often resulted in 5-points for the Crusaders. 

Defence continues to be the Force’s Achilles heel 

A 38-7 hiding at the Drua’s fortress in Lautoka is the latest in 30-point plus conceded by the men from Perth, and the trend is clear. 

The last four games since their round ten 17-all draw have seen the Force concede 56, 40, 33, and then 38-points this weekend against the Drua, resulting in the worst points differential of any Aussie side at -109. 

However, the raw data are given important context with other stats like the fact they are second for tackles made at an average of 202 per game but have the third worst tackle success percentage and have missed the most tackles of any side. 

This is having a knock-on effect on their discipline, being the most penalised side in the competition, conceding an average of almost 11 penalties per game. 

Putting these numbers together with their faltering scrum has meant the Perth based side have been unable to exert any territorial pressure on their opponents and the number of tackles show they are not holding the ball enough. 

No side can defend for forever, and the repeated high tackle counts along with the massive travel is now showing to be taking its toll on the side. 

The Force have shown they can score from anywhere from anything, but it’s their inability to slow opposition ball and in turn win it, and shutdown counterattacks which has continued to hurt them this year. 

Simon Cron’s men have improved but they must play to their strengths while finding a way to pressure attacks when they don’t have the pill. 

Reds need reinforcements immediately 

The Queenslanders got the jump on the Brumbies in the capital on Saturday night, bringing a classic Queenslander toughness and aggression. 

Despite this early edge, they were unable to capitalise on this pressure and it’s something Les Kiss lamented in the post-match commentary. 

“We started well didn’t we, showed good intent,” said Kiss talking to Stan Sports’ Tim Horan. 

“They [the Brumbies] capitalised on errors better than we did tonight.” 

This little passage could be a metaphor for how the Reds’ season has been to date, as it feels almost every week, they are just that little bit off the pace or just missing the polish to turn the close losses into wins. 

These small margins is what keeps them well and truly out of the top three team cohort, where the Chiefs, Crusaders and Brumbies have been ruthless and accurate, the Reds have been a inaccurate and disorganised. 

These small margins can also be true for their decisions at penalty time, consistently opting against taking a shot at goal, when the three-points are on offer. 

The Reds’ casualty ward is full of Wallabies, which impacts their depth and polish, if players like Harry Wilson, Matt Faessler, Josh Flook, Tom Lynagh, Liam Wright, Alex Hodgman, and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto return, then the polish would quickly reappear. 

If the Reds can get just 50 per cent of these players back in time for finals, their opposition would receive a rude shock at the business end of the season. 

Brumbies have all eyes on the Crusaders 

The Brumbies head into their final bye-week of the competition with their heads held high after staving off a good quality Reds side. 

While it was a good statement win against the second-best side in Australia, their ‘ain’t no rest for the wicked,’ because their next game will be a most likely top two decider game against the Crusaders in round 16. 

The Brumbies currently sit on 43 points atop the ladder but that will not keep them safe, as the Chiefs and Crusaders are both on 41 points with a game in hand.  

Should the Crusaders get a win of any kind against the Highlanders in Christchurch this week, which is more than likely, then Stephen Larkham and his men will have to win outright to claim one of the two top spots. 

This is crucial for the Brumbies to secure a home semi-final as well as their already guaranteed home quarter-final.  

This is a crucial element as only the Highlanders have won without finishing in the top two on the ladder, and as we have seen in this year’s competition playing at home matters, especially for Aussie sides. 

The Brumbies head on a well-earned break after a substantially better second half to their season but it will be intriguing to see if the break is moment of respite or a momentum killer heading into finals.