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We're halfway through the Super Rugby season – so what have we learned so far?
In the immortal words on Jon Bon Jovi: Whoa, we’re halfway there. Jamie Wall recaps what we’ve learned from the first half of the 2017 Super Rugby season.
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We’ve just crept over the halfway mark in the Super Rugby regular season – in terms of games played, at least. You might not have noticed because, in terms of actual weeks to go, we’re still not even close, since most of the competition will down tools for the month of June and watch the various test series like the rest of us.
So what have we learned so far?
Maybe the Brisbane Tens were a good form indicator after all: Contrary to Scotty Stevenson’s presumptions, it turns out the Brisbane Tens actually did offer a pretty good barometer of what was going to happen in Super Rugby (up to now, at least). The Chiefs (Tens champions), Crusaders (Tens finalists) and Hurricanes (Tens semifinalists) have all been the frontrunners in the big slog so far. Although to be fair that maybe be more coincidental than anything else.
South Africa is bouncing back: Good news for long-suffering South African fans, they don’t just have to rely on the Lions and their Sevens team for any degree of success. The Stormers have gone from horribly boring to brilliantly entertaining, going so far as to winning one of the games of the season so far against the Chiefs. The Sharks, despite being dragged down to the Rebels’ level last week, are fashioning a decent record together too.
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The Blues are an off-season soap opera waiting to happen: So much talent, so few wins. The unavoidable fact is that one team has to finish at the bottom of the New Zealand Conference, and right now it’s looking like it’ll be the same team as last year and the year before. BIt’s still pretty hard for fans of the three-time champions, who were promised big things over summer with the signing of Sonny Bill Williams, the excitement of the Ioane brothers and a new halfback in Gus Pulu. While the latter has been awesome, SBW has unfortunately been out injured for most of the comp, and only 50% of the Ioanes (Rieko) looks interested in playing.
The Jags are better than last season: Well, they couldn’t have been much worse. Los Jaguares are proving to have a fearsome home ground advantage against their South African opponents this time around, mainly because just getting there involves a long, boring plane trip over the South Atlantic ocean. Losing a few of their big name Pumas seems to have actually solidified the intent of the guys left over.
Australian rugby is in a diabolical state: If you missed it on Friday night, the 2014 Super Rugby champion Waratahs lost to the Kings. Badly. At home. This is a pretty telling sign for a team with the likes of Michael Hooper, Bernard Foley and Israel Folau in it – all key parts of the Wallabies. The other key parts can be found in the Brumbies, who looked quite good against the Hurricanes… until they gave up 42 unanswered points. Meanwhile, the Rebels, Reds and Force have all been about as bad as everyone predicted.
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The Barrett brothers are taking the piss: Beaudy and Jordie’s habit of freestyling their way through games has been highly effective, with cross-kick passes to each other and other teammates becoming something you can set your watch to. At this rate Jordie is more or less replicating Damian McKenzie’s human highlight reel 2016 season, and will be a shoe-in to join his brothers in a black jersey. So there’s something fun British & Irish Lions fans can look forward to.
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Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
80 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments