Guinness PRO14 power rankings: From top of the class to the disaffected
The start of January is traditionally a time to take stock, make resolutions, and look to the future. That’s as true for professional rugby sides as it is for us mere mortals. So who in the Guinness PRO14 is starting the new year feeling good and who might be looking over their shoulder?
RugbyPass presents the PRO14 power rankings for January 2020.
Cream of the crop: Leinster, Ulster
Leinster are ten wins from ten, eleven points clear in their conference, and have already qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup knockout stage. The records keep tumbling and they continue to look effortless as they knock them down. They might not go unbeaten this season but it will take some team to stop them in full flow and they are definitely top of the power rankings.
That said, Ulster must also be feeling pretty good. A 38-17 victory over a strong Munster side and the form of John Cooney will do that for you and, while they might be eleven points behind Leinster, they are also twelve points clear of their nearest challenger in Conference A. Their loss away to Leinster will keep them on their toes but they definitely have more to be positive about than most.
Feelin’ good: Edinburgh, Scarlets
Conference B is looking considerably more competitive than Conference A this time around – there are only four points between first and third and only two between fourth and sixth – but Edinburgh will be more than happy to top the table as the new year starts, especially on the back of such a comprehensive win.
Scarlets have had to contend with the imminent loss of their new – and already very popular – coach, Brad Mooar so you’d forgive them for feeling a touch of January Blues. So far, however, the team seem galvanised to see out the season under Mooar, and they sit second in Conference B. They hammered their bitter rivals, Ospreys, overcame Cardiff Blues away, and, while they will not be happy about that last minute loss to Dragons, Liam Williams is coming home (perhaps sooner than later).
Work to do: Glasgow Warriors, Munster
Both sides have high expectations and neither will be satisfied with being third place in their respective conferences. Glasgow had a slightly better festive season, finishing up with an enjoyable win away to Benetton, but both teams will feel frustrated at losing to Leinster at home, although it will undoubtedly hurt more for Munster, and losing a game each to Edinburgh will worry fans looking to the business end of the season.
More injuries to key players will worsen the mood at Munster and an improvement will be needed by both sides if they are to meet their expectations: the chasing pack are awfully close in both conferences. The return of the Heineken Champions Cup, for which they are both in the running, and the Six Nations will test their squad depth considerably. There’s as much to be nervous about as optimistic for fans of these two teams.
Plenty to play for: Benetton, Cardiff Blues, Connacht, Toyota Cheetahs
It says a lot for the increased competitiveness of the PRO14 that there are four sides in this category and that, while all four experienced a chastening loss in the last round, they can feel reasonably positive about their chances of a play-off spot. Cheetahs have the most room for optimism, with two games in hand (both against local rivals Southern Kings) and may be able to put last season’s disappointment behind them, especially as the weather improves.
Connacht will be understandably shell-shocked after their comprehensive defeat at Leinster but their injury list is arguably the worst in the league and they are still the best of the rest in Conference B despite losing all their festive derbies. If they can get enough players back fit, they may find the Six Nations period allows them to catch up with their rivals.
Both Benetton and Blues have slightly less cause to feel cheerful about the playoffs but they won’t be giving up on domestic aspirations just yet and a Heineken Champions Cup spot is well within their respective reach. Both sides have effective game plans when executed and would benefit from a little more consistency.
Making progress: Dragons, Zebre
For so long the worst two sides in the league, both teams have cause to feel better than usual at this stage, although they benefit somewhat from the lopsided nature of Conference A. Dragons picked up two wins out of three in the festive derbies and have plenty of talent to come back into the ranks. They can expect to lose more players than ever to the national side in the Six Nations but it should be a cause for pride – as their fellow regions have learned in the past, they can win without those players and, in some areas, may have the depth to cover the loss.
Zebre have had a less convincing campaign but they are still five points clear of bottom spot in their conference and a convincing 41-13 win over a team with Cheetahs attacking options would be enough to cheer anyone up. They are very much a work in progress but one seemingly on the right track.
Disappointed and disaffected: Ospreys, Isuzu Southern Kings
Performance-wise, Kings appear to be improving on their disappointing first two seasons but their discipline continues to ruin their chances of converting that improvement into points. The end of the season, as the weather gets warmer and some teams are distracted by European obligations, may hold some promise for their determined coach but they need to fix the disciplinary issue first. Them ending the game with 12 men on the field against Edinburgh was not the surprise it should have been.
Of all the teams at the lower end of the conferences, Ospreys must feel the worst. They were once one of the dominant sides in the league, with a team of genuine stars. Even last season, they could claim to be the best region in Wales. Now they seem rooted to the bottom of the division, having lost all three festive derbies, are bereft of ideas on the pitch and beset by issues off it, as Alun-Wyn Jones noted in his very honest press conference. Their injury list is a difficult one but it is not the root of their issues. Only the return of Rhys Webb provides much current cheer and, as talented as he is, he can’t solve their problems.
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Comments on RugbyPass
To 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.
26 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
26 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 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
26 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.
26 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.
26 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.
26 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.
26 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 commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments