'It's huge': What the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final means to the Highlanders - and why the Blues are underdogs
Former Blues hooker James Parsons and ex-Highlanders lock Joe Wheeler have shut down concerns over the validity of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman title just days before the competition’s final.
The Blues will host the Highlanders at Eden Park on Saturday for the tournament’s inaugural, and potentially only, final after dispatching all five Australian teams without dropping a match.
By outscoring the also unbeaten Crusaders, both teams have qualified for the final, but questions have arisen about the credibility of the competition due to the stark contrast between the abilities of the New Zealand and Australian franchises.
The Kiwi sides romped to 23 wins from 25 matches, while the competition has also come under criticism as the New Zealand sides avoided having to play each other throughout the tournament’s five-week span.
Perhaps the biggest concern raised by sceptics is that neither the Blues nor Highlanders had to play the highly-regarded Crusaders, who have won the last five available Super Rugby titles, en route to this weekend’s final.
However, Wheeler told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod earlier this week that both teams need to be given credit for their efforts in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.
Speaking on the Highlanders’ campaign, Wheeler said his former side have come on in leaps and bounds after enduring an underwhelming Super Rugby Aotearoa season that provided no shortage of hurdles for the Dunedin-based outfit.
Multiple off-field controversies – such as excessive partying by six squad members, including star playmaker Josh Ioane, and Shannon Frizell’s alleged involvement in an assault on a woman – compounded the many season-ending injuries sustained by key players.
Add in the unexpected departure of head coach Tony Brown to Japan on the eve of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman and a disruptive travel schedule that saw Queenstown robbed of its first Super Rugby match in over a decade, and there was plenty that could have derailed the Highlanders’ season.
Nevertheless, the southerners have forged ahead and will now compete for their first piece of silverware since 2015, a feat of which Wheeler said shouldn’t be discredited.
“I think, from a Highlanders perspective, where we’ve come from this season from obviously finishing fourth in Super Rugby Aotearoa to then going five from five, but also face the adversity they’ve faced,” Wheeler told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“They’ve had 13 guys from their original squad out with season-ending injuries, some individuals have had off-field indiscretions that has really cost the team in a couple of games this year, and then to only have two current ABs [All Blacks] in the squad, it’s an unbelievable effort by this team to be in this situation.
Maori All Blacks head coach Clayton McMillan has named a 25-man squad ahead of next month’s two tests against Manu Samoa in New Zealand. #MaoriAllBlackshttps://t.co/05xTeaOH9s
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“I know people are going to say, ‘Well you haven’t played the Crusaders, how can you actually claim to be champions because you haven’t actually taken the five-time champions’, or whatever they are.
“But, I think to be in that position, everyone knew the rules, it was a points race. To be able to compile enough bonus points and enough points to be in this position, to be in a final, I think both these two teams should be really proud of their efforts.”
Parsons agreed that the two best teams in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman have deservedly qualified for the final by virtue of outscoring their competitors.
The former two-test All Black added that after years of mediocrity following the Blues’ last final appearance in 2003, the magnitude of being able to host this weekend’s final in Auckland won’t be lost on the franchise or its supporters.
“For the Blues, I think we all know what it means to this team and this city. We get ridiculed,” Parsons told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod as he referenced his former side’s lacklustre playoffs record which reads just one visit to the post-season in 18 years.
“It will mean a lot to the group, but also to the city, and I hope we get a packed house because there’s been a lot of grief, and rightly so.
“We haven’t made a final. We haven’t made finals for a long time, since 2011, but we’re here. Home final, finally, so get in behind it and celebrate it and no doubt the boys will be putting in a big shift to make sure we get the rewards.”
Caleb Clarke’s pursuit for Olympic glory has received a boost as he has been named in an extended All Blacks Sevens squad to play at the Oceania Sevens in Townsville next weekend. #AllBlacksSevens #OceaniaSevens #TokyoOlympics #Tokyo2020 https://t.co/hAqKeG5JGD
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While the second-seeded Highlanders are widely considered underdogs for the final, Parsons maintained that the Blues deserve underdog status given the similarities between the Dunedin side’s run to the final this year and in 2015.
“They’re doing this 2015 [playoffs run]. The same story was coming out of the camp in 2015, the old backs against the wall,” he said in reference to the challenges the Highlanders have had to overcome this season.
“The Blues are underdogs, mate, I’m telling you. The Highlanders have got the finals experience. Joey said it. They’re just galvanised.”
Wheeler laughed off those claims, though, as he said the Blues can’t be considered underdogs “with their nine All Blacks” in their ranks.
Both teams will name their match day sides for the final on Thursday, with kick-off for the final scheduled for 7:05pm local time.
Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:
Comments on RugbyPass
Beautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to comments