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Grading every Australian Super Rugby team's 2026 season
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At the end of Super Rugby Pacific 2026, the results, the way the season ended for the Aussie sides, and the lack of Aussie sides progressing deep into the finals feel all too familiar.
In some metrics, sides have gone backwards; however, elsewhere, there have been real improvements made.
Nevertheless, if you were a supporter of any of the Aussie teams, you most likely ended the season frustrated and looking forward to a Test season full of Wallabies hope.
So, now that all Aussie sides are out of the Super Rugby finals race, let’s see how they fared this season.
Western Force
Finished 7th, regular season exit
Grade: B
The Force truly grew into the season, winning four of their last five games and managing to claw back an even win/loss ratio, something they have struggled to do for several years now.
While the results point to improvement, the rugby being played on the field is where the real proof is.
Optically, they were more confident, more comfortable in the tough matches, and more cohesive in a better applied structure.
The combinations built in the halves, as well as the centres, with former All Black George Bridge particularly having a massive influence, defined how the side grew in 2026.
There is no question that the forward pack set the tone for the Force, but the backs showed up, especially in defence, to be able to complement their forwards’ incredible work ethic.
Flyhalf Ben Donaldson thrived in his combination with Henry Robertson at halfback; it was a flourishing partnership cut short by a season-ending ACL injury to Robertson.
Out-of-favour Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa has had his best season in Super Rugby for some time, and it set the tone at the breakdown and in terms of work ethic.
There were standouts in the backs as well, with the inclusion of Zac Lomax and the return of Dylan Pietsch, who gave an ever-improving and cohesion-building side some real X-factor and punch.
While end-to-end tries and razzle-dazzle made all the highlight reels, the part of the game that saw the Force improve out of sight was their defence.
A season points differential of -25 is an incredible effort for a side that had an even win/loss ratio, especially considering their PD was -114 in 2025, with only four wins in that season.
This is even more impressive considering they conceded the fewest points of any Aussie side against the Hurricanes at their home ground in Wellington.
In RD5, the Force conceded 31 points, the Tahs conceded 59 points in RD4, the Reds conceded 52 points in RD7, and the Brums conceded 45 and 66 points in their round and finals game, respectively, only scoring 12 points on each occasion.
The Force also scored the most points at 23, of any Aussie side, with the Tahs scoring 19, and the Reds scoring 14.
Pair these sorts of litmus tests with the strength of their lineout, which was the second best in the competition, the fourth best scrum, and the fewest turnovers conceded, and the Force have a lot to be proud of in 2026.
But, and there is a big but, no finals again stings the organisation and the coaching cohort, that must be the only acceptable bar in 2027, and recruitment in the off-season will be paramount if they are to build off this base.
The Force is one of the few sides that would’ve enjoyed a longer season, as they were only just starting to discover their rhythm in the final third of the season.
Super Rugby Pacific
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Hurricanes
14
11
3
0
55
2
Chiefs
14
11
3
0
51
3
Crusaders
14
8
6
0
41
4
Blues
14
8
6
0
38
5
Reds
14
8
6
0
37
6
Brumbies
14
7
7
0
34
7
Force
14
7
7
0
30
8
Waratahs
14
5
9
0
28
9
Highlanders
14
5
9
0
24
10
Fijian Drua
14
5
9
0
21
11
Moana Pasifika
14
2
12
0
9
NSW Waratahs
8th, regular season exit
Grade C
While there were some absolutely magical moments produced by Dan McKellar’s men, others were simply too hard to watch.
Inexplicable drop balls, uncharacteristically poor passes from seasoned veterans, and players being held up who appear to be too big and powerful to be thwarted at the line.
All these mistakes reek of a side that has really high top-down expectations and massive pressure on them.
This pressure and expectation have seemingly been the kryptonite to any Waratahs side since 2014, when Michael Hooper, Bernard Foley, and Adam Ashley-Cooper’s side hoisted the trophy.
The Waratahs scored the fewest points and the fewest tries of any of the Australian sides, and their issues were twofold: the poor execution when points-scoring opportunities arose, and at times, a clunky and predictable attack structure.
This latter issue of attack structure appears to have been solved for 2027, with Waratahs attack coach and former England International, Mike Catt, having left with immediate effect this week.
The overuse of the boxkick, now in hindsight, was such a waste of the incredibly talented roster the Tahs possess, as well as playing away from their strengths.
The announcement of Catt’s departure read: “[Catt] has left the club by mutual consent…. and the process to appoint his successor is underway.”
This reads as an organisation that has finally acknowledged that the attack style of the former Test star was not suited to their squad and realised it all too late.
An attack coach who promotes strong running lines, ball-in-hand confidence, and a desire to manipulate defences instead of trying to get around them will suit this NSW team.
While the Waratahs’ attack suffered for parts of 2026, their defence was easier to rely on, but it was not an aspect of their game that could be relied on alone.
Their true strength, based on their squad, was power play matched with eyes-up footy.
The likes of Clem Halaholo, Angus Scott-Young, Matt Philip, Ione Moananu, and Miles Amatosero were the demolition crew who needed to generate gainline ball for the backline’s many X-factor weapons.
The issue with the Tahs in 2026 was that they didn’t play enough footy and relied on an inconsistent set piece that wasn’t yet at the level they needed it to be.
Their scrum had the second-worst success rate, and their lineout was in the middle of the table in fifth.
Combine that with the fact that the tighthead prop Dan Botha was one of the most penalised players this regular season, and Siosifa Amone conceded some of the highest penalty rates per minute, and it is clear to see where the stress was being put through the scrum.
The issues at the set piece were only exacerbated by the instability at flyhalf, and the absence of their biggest centre, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, due to injury, once again.
McKellar has got a better team than he did in 2025, and in 2027, he too, like the Force, must recruit heavily to fill the gaps at prop, flyhalf, hooker, and centre.
The most disappointing thing about the Tahs in 2026 was that for much of the season, they didn’t even feel close to threatening the competition.
History will show that in 2026 the Tahs finished with a better points differential, scoring more points and more tries, and winning many more bonus points, but conceding more tries and points than in their 2025 season.
So, although the improvement is negligible, some credit is due for these subtle improvements.
Queensland Reds
5th, qualifying final exit
Grade: C
Les Kiss, the incoming coach of the Wallabies, has bid farewell to his beloved Queensland Reds after bowing out in another qualifying final.
It was a year that had so much promise before and during the season, but the same deficiencies persisted, and it ultimately cost the Reds their bid at playing in the final.
The Reds were the most powerful side in Australia all year, and they have the highest concentration of Wallabies of any side. This allowed them to paper over some obvious shortcomings at the set piece and, at times, lulled them into a false sense of form.
Their scrum finished the regular season as the best in the comp, whereas their lineout was the third worst, averaging just 69 per cent success.
However, their biggest issue was their inability to hold a consistent standard throughout an entire game. They would have bursts of brilliance and physical dominance, only to follow it up with passive defence and poor discipline.
The form of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Fraser McReight, and Harry Wilson was crucial for the second wind in the Reds’ season. Likewise, the barnstorming form of winger Filipo Daugunu, centre Josh Flook, and fullback Jock Campbell all made for enough good to outweigh the bad.
The Reds also looked like a different side with flyhalf Carter Gordon at the helm; however, there were times when his wide-to-wide game style landed the Reds in a bit of hot water.
Their thrashing at the hands of the Hurricanes, the two losses to the Western Force, and the narrow loss to the Chiefs at Suncorp all now appear to be sliding-door moments for Kiss and his men.
A side with a large contingent of Test stars often takes some time to get into gear, and the Reds proved they were no different after a sloppy and unconvincing start to their Super campaign.
Unfortunately for Kiss and his men, the brevity of Super Rugby doesn’t allow for the peaks and troughs that the Queenslanders put out on the field throughout 2026.
The Hurricanes have proved that ruthless consistency is required to be at the top and to dominate.
Ultimately, it is a disappointing result for the incoming Wallabies coach, after bowing out in the same fashion as all the years gone by.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but not recruiting more Super-level locks after letting Ryan Smith and Angus Blyth go, now appears to be a real catalyst for the avoidable losses throughout the season.
ACT Brumbies
6th, qualifying finals exit
Grade: C
The Brumbies’ depth was always going to be the focal point of the 2026 season after farewelling three of their best players in Noah Lolesio, Tom Hooper, and Len Ikitau.
It left a huge dent in the identity they built in recent years, but it also killed them when they needed big-time players to step up and save them from the mediocrity that crept into their game at times.
Coach Stephen Larkham was confident his structures would hold and would mitigate chunks of the impact of losing Hooper, Lolesio, and Ikitau, but as the season has dragged on, it was clear that the replacements were unable to do so.
The Brumbies were the side that averaged the second-fewest metres per carry of the Australian sides; they lacked the punch, bulk, and abilities of Hooper and Ikitau.
It also became clear that although flyhalf Declan Meredith is a rising talent, his bag of tricks to get his side out of a pinch is still developing.
Having Lolesio there as an option alongside his long-term partner, Ryan Lonergan, would’ve been very handy for Larkham to have as the winter months closed in.
Losing Ikitau also meant that young-gun Kadin Pritchard had to step up and was selected to play the bulk of the minutes, starting in the No.13 jersey.
Although Pritchard is an exciting talent, it was clear that his form waned as the training weeks drew on and weekly games began to take their toll.
Despite all this, Lonergan has had his best year yet in the No.9 jersey, and he was electric when he decided to dart, influential with his pass, and staunch as the side’s interim leader whilst Alan Alaalatoa recovered from injury.
Nevertheless, the Brumbies’ fail-safe system was entirely derailed due to the lack of go-forward generated from their relatively small pack.
Rob Valetini was the sole source of go-forward after Charlie Cale went down for a lengthy injury for the second consecutive year, and even the two-time John Eales medalist’s form was far below his own incredibly high norm.
The year started so incredibly high for the men from the bush capital.
Heading into their first bye week, they had won 4-out-of-five games against New Zealand opposition, and they’d put 50-points on the Crusaders in Christchurch.
It was an amazing way to start the season, but that relentless form could not be sustained.
No matter how Lonergan tried, his newfound love for snipes around the ruck, his long, accurate passes and quick-recycle ball were not enough to get his side back to their regularly high standards.
It was evident that after their bye week, they were never truly the same, making uncharacteristically poor decisions at times and turning over too much ball at their ever-reliable ruck.
Throughout their entire season, the Brumbies had a tendency to start slow and finish fast, and as the season drew on, they failed to claw back more and more results, and this began at their RD7 defeat to the Waratahs in Canberra.
Larkham did not recruit enough external names in 2026 to be able to sustain his game plan.
They needed a bigger, more abrasive centre, a genuine ball runner apart from Valetini in the backrow and second row, and they needed a genuine second option at flyhalf, because it was clear that Wallaby incumbent, Tane Edmed, was never fully trusted.
All of this points to a side that was conservative in their selections, and limited by their squad, who were either unable or unwilling to change.
Coach Larkham surmised things pretty well after their thrashing in Wellington.
“It’s embarrassing,” Larkham said.
“We’re chasing the game, and we’re making it worse by turning the ball over in our end, and they capitalise on that and go and score. It seemed like the harder we tried, the worse things got out there.
“It’s far too inconsistent at the moment. And so for us, it’s just a good lesson.”
The camp knows they have stung their supporter base with the form displayed throughout the back half of the season, and they must acknowledge this, because the Brumbies did, in fact, go backwards in almost every competition metric measured.
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