Super Rugby Power Rankings: We're Sorry, Andy Ellis
The Crusaders legend’s 150th game celebrations have been cut short by a controversial power ranking decision by Scotty Stevenson.
1. Highlanders
Rd 13: BYE
Last week: 1 (N/C)
I thought long and hard about this ranking for the Highlanders and then came to this conclusion: they spent their fortnight before the bye beating up on the Chiefs and the Crusaders and, while both of those teams enjoyed adequate victories in the rain over the weekend, neither win was nearly as convincing as the Highlanders’ last two. Also, Highlanders fans have become very touchy. I do not want to poke the bear.
2. Crusaders
Rd 13: 29-10 v Waratahs
Last week: 2 (N/C)
The Crusaders just love handing it to the Waratahs in Christchurch and it was another serving of see you later on Friday night, in conditions that genuinely sucked. The Crusaders brought a whole lot of anger to this match courtesy of their loss to the Landers, and a bit of extra motivation, too, courtesy of Andy Ellis reaching 150 games for the franchise. The Crusaders’ set piece was an absolute weapon in the wet – they stole six lineouts off the Waratahs and won every scrum they fed. They were also quite happy to dish possession up for the visitors, kicking a season-high 48 times and forcing the opposition to run it back at them. The Crusaders still seem to me to be a team that is quite happy to hold a gun to the head of the opposition, but refuses pull the trigger.
3. Chiefs
Rd 13: 36-15 v Rebels
Last week: 3 (N/C)
The Chiefs came out of the blocks like a boy racer on Te Rapa Straight, and scored three excellent first half tries on a slick and greasy Waikato Stadium field, effectively ending the contest before the break. There were moments of sensational Chiefs creativity in this match, Aaron Cruden reviving his role as master puppeteer, Damian McKenzie doing outrageous shit, and the two big men of the team, Brodie Rettalick and Dominic Bird, directing the attack in midfield. There was some sloppiness, but you could forgive them that considering the conditions. Crucially, this was one of the Chiefs’ best defensive efforts of the season, missing just 11 tackles. Losing Michael Leitch for two months is the worst news for Hamilton since the Hillcrest Tavern burned down.
4. Lions
Rd 13: 52-24 v Jaguares
Last week: 4 (N/C)
Are you not entertained? The Lions have now beaten more defenders than any other team, made the third most metres with ball in hand, scored the second most tries (and Lionel Mapoe leads the individual try scorer table) and are second on the overall table behind the Chiefs. I’ll give you a chance to re-read that last sentence, before digesting this one: if they beat the Bulls this week, they will almost guarantee themselves a home quarterfinal.
5. Sharks
Rd 13: 53-0 v Kings
Last week: 5 (N/C)
Okay, they were playing the Kings, but… actually, no, that’s about it really. The Sharks don’t play again until July 3, which is ludicrous. They are hoping the Lions lose to the Bulls this weekend.
6. Hurricanes
Rd 13: BYE
Last week: 6 (N/C)
I know what you are thinking: who would schedule byes for both the Hurricanes and the Highlanders the week before they were due to play each other in a repeat of the 2015 Grand Final at Westpac Stadium? A God Damn Genius, that’s who. The Hurricanes won’t be favourites, but my goodness they’ll be coming in hot.
7. Brumbies
Rd 13: BYE
Last week: 7 (N/C)
The Brumbies sat back, turned on the television, cracked a beer and watched the Waratahs hand them a key to the conference. Not a bad week, all things considered.
8. Bulls
Rd 13: 17-13 v Stormers
Last week: 12 (up 4)
What a difference a week makes for the Bulls. Last week they were getting their ass handed to them for the second straight week in Australia, and this week they are grinding out a four-point win in Pretoria to go top of the conference. Say what you will about the Bulls attack, as long as it includes the phrase, “The Crusaders run more metres between their changing room and the field than the Bulls ran in this match.” You have to love a team whose 10, 12 and 13 combine for three (3) running metres.
9. Waratahs
Rd 13: 10-29 v Crusaders
Last week: 8 (down 1)
The Waratahs played like the Sydney Council had introduced lock-in laws on their attack. There was no lack of effort but you can’t have Bernard Foley top running for your team and expect to beat the Crusaders. So limited were the Tahs that Reece Robinson, the right wing, carried for exactly zero metres. The Crusaders out-thought them, out-jumped them, and out-kicked them. And now they have the Chiefs this Friday to look forward to. Oh no.
10. Blues
Rd 13: 17-13 v Force
Last week: 13 (up 3)
You know when you watch certain games and you look at the two fly halves and you think to yourself, well, this will be interesting, but then you get to the end of the game and you realise they never ran. Not once. Not one single time. Why? What the hell is going on? Also, the Blues just went to South Africa and Perth, won two games out of three, and everyone hates them. The Blues are the most picked on team in the history of Super Rugby. Stop the bullying.
11. Stormers
Rd 13: 13-17 v Bulls
Last week: 9 (down 2)
The Stormers are the yo-yo team of this year’s power rankings. I don’t know what to do with the Stormers. The June break can’t come fast enough for them. Only problem is, their best players will be slugging it out all month with the Springboks. So much quality in this team. So little intent.
12. Rebels
Rd 13: 15-36 v Chiefs
Last week: 10 (down 2)
The Rebels looked a little deflated on Saturday night, either because they were in Hamilton, or because they knew they had probably blown it the week before against the Brumbies. Whatever the reason, they showed glimpses of the kind of form that has seen them in the hunt for the conference this season, but only glimpses. Why Jack Debrezceni didn’t take on the line more is beyond me. That man is about 8 foot tall. He literally could have stepped over Brad Weber. Colby Fainga’a made a game high 16 tackles, but gets points deducted for chanelling early season Liam Gill and twice putting in shite grubber kicks.
13. Reds
Rd 13: 35-25 v Sunwolves
Last week: 17 (up 4)
19,000 people turned up at Suncorp Stadium to watch the Reds v Sunwolves, and there is still an argument against expansion into Japan? Please. Also, the Reds won the game, which just goes to reinforce the Power Rankings theory that they only win in Brisbane humidity. In fairness, this was an entertaining game. There, I said it.
14. Sunwolves
Rd 13: 25-35 v Reds
Last week: 11 (down 3)
You have to hand it to the Moondogs, they really are the plucky little scrappers of this competition, and with a little more composure they could well have been celebrating their second win of the season against the Reds. I’m so on the Sunwolves bandwagon that I feel I am actually driving the thing. Imagine what this team could do with more than a week’s notice that they’re about to play Super Rugby.
15. Cheetahs
Rd 13: BYE
Last week: 14 (down 1)
If I were the Cheetahs I would be thinking the Stormers are absolutely fair game this coming week. But I am not the Cheetahs, so I have no idea what they are thinking. No one knows what they are thinking. Not even they know what they are thinking.
16. Force
Rd 13: 14-17 v Blues
Last week: 16 (N/C)
The Blues had to make 170 tackles against the Force. If you force 170 tackles on a team, and you are any other team but the Force, you probably win the game.
17. Jaguares
Rd 13: 24-52 v Lions
Last week: 15 (down 2)
Seriously, do these guys actually care anymore?
18. Kings
Rd 13: 0-53 v Sharks
Last week: 18 (N/C)
Seriously, does anyone actually care anymore?
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
8 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
8 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
8 Go to comments