Super Rugby Team of the Week - Round 4
As Eric Rush once said, “this is just one man’s opinion”. Please add your picks and your favourites in the feedback box below.
15 – Will Jordan (Crusaders)
The Crusaders used to be guilty of starting the season slowly but now there’s so much competition for places every week it’s a “prove yourself week” for anyone who gets selected. Jordan has shown he has converted the promise he has had in youth and provincial levels. A flowing Cullen-type runner in open play, and thanks to the sterling work done by his team, he has had plenty of chance to show his wares. Ups to Warwick Gelant (Bulls), who seems to have been around for yonks, but is still only 23. He has removed the mercurial, raw edge to his game and become a consistent, reliable custodian.
14 – Jack Maddocks (Rebels)
A bit like Will Jordan, the Rebel with a cause is so athletic and elusive. He is beginning to understand with Will Genia and Quade Cooper’s vision he will get a load of chances from skip passes, and was in great position to score his two tries against the Brumbies to continue the Rebels unbeaten run. Sevu Reece (Crusaders) was his energetic self in his first Super start for the defending champs.
13 – Jack Goodhue (Crusaders)
Second week in a row. If you get chance, take a look at some slo-mo footage of Goodhue’s footwork in contact. He is such a difficult person to contain, and is putting together an amazing showreel for his application for the starting All Blacks XV. Special mention of 2018 Boks under 20 star Wandisilie Simelane (Lions), who didn’t let an awful first pass in Super Rugby phase him. He is a play-maker and distributor extraordinaire. We’ll hear more about him as the season unfolds.
12 – Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes)
Second week in a row. There are a few Super rugby players waking up in a sweat having nightmares about their tangles with Laumape. Not only did he score two tries, but kept at least two defenders busy all game which created space elsewhere. Still a debate on whether he has the finesse and consistency to unseat the raft of veterans for the All Black role in World Cup year, but brutally stating his case.
11 – Rieko Ioane (Blues)
There’s a joke going round that Rieko has been so quiet in the first three games they might count as his rest period for the national selectors, but he certainly came alive as a finisher against the Sunwolves. The four tries were all catch, pass and score, but that is certainly his core role smashed.
10 – Handre Pollard (Bulls)
Inspirational guidance and leadership from the Bulls fly-half. Apart from Jonny Sexton, it’s hard to believe there is a more pivotal player to the chances of seeded teams leading into the World Cup. His kicking has been awesome and the decision to take a dropped goal with the Sharks 13 points behind but pressing hard was just what you want from a general. Quade Cooper (Rebels) is putting in some consistent performances and his journey is shaping as a great redemptive tale.
9 – Will Genia (Rebels)
Second week in a row. It’s quite common to see big physical leaders lead from front at the coalface, but after 30 mins in Melbourne Genia had become incandescent with rage at his forwards. From that moment on he probed, scrapped and led the Rebels with go-forward and he turned the match around. Jamie Booth (Sunwolves) has a field day around the Blues fringes and looked to be enjoying himself big time.
8 – Akira Ioane (Blues)
Would still love to see Akira stationed as second to last receiver or right on the wing from time to time, but there’s no doubt he is a colossus in the collision. Whetukamokamo Douglas (Crusaders) literally bled for the Crusaders cause as well.
7 – David Pocock (Brumbies)
The wind really went out of the Brumbies sails when their best player was subbed mid-way through the 2nd half. Some awesome pilfering and solid play from the number 8 position at set piece. Interesting to see the changing face of South African loose forward trios during the tounament. This weekend, we saw two players with 7 on the backs who were not the archetypal 6 foot 5, 120 kilo angry Afrikaaner farmer-types. Tim Agaba (Bulls) and Vincent Tshituka (Lions) wore 7 jerseys with aplomb this weekend. The 20-year-old Tshituka is only 93 kilos, and with some strength and conditioning, will be a great long-term prospect.
6 – Ned Hanigan (Waratahs)
There has been a suspicion that the Waratah lacks some physicality for tight-loose play and that’s why they play Jed Holloway at lock as a compromise between line out height and some smash and bash. Both did their jobs against the Reds though with powerful displays. Hanigan threw himself into the contact area and helped give the Waratahs the edge in this clash. Jordan Taufua (Crusaders) is a tireless warrior.
5 – Hanro Liebenberg (Bulls)
As part of the changing face of South Africans 7s we talked about, Liebenberg, who has played most of his rugby at 8 or flank, was moved to lock and looked impressive in their victory over the Sharks.
4 – Scott Barrett (Crusaders)
If the Crusaders-Chiefs game was a trial, then Barrett got one over the surprisingly quiet Brodie Retallick. We may have to question whether Retallick is comfortable with captaincy duties as he has looked distracted this season as his team goes to 0-4. On the other hand, Barrett has been stand out player of the season. He does everything with urgency and energy and sorts stuff out.
3 – Carlu Sadie (Lions)
Admittedly, having Malcolm Marx beside you at scrum time must help, but Sadie led the Lions in flogging the machismo out of the Jaguares. Looks good with the ball as well for a 125kg behemoth. Tyrel Lomax (Highlanders) is shaping well for the All Blacks world without Owen Franks.
2 – Dane Coles (Hurricanes)
Second week in a row. I joked last week that Codie Taylor would be itching to get some minutes on the clock and that would have been exacerbated with Dane Coles performance on Friday. Coles revelled in the tight scrappy victory, and Taylor was explosive against a resigned Chiefs line-up. Malcolm Marx is ramping up his form, and I was impressed with the spark of Gaspar Baldunciel (Jaguares). The 22-year-old came off the bench and got the tired Jagaures pack firing with some enthusiasm.
1 – Dylan Smith (Lions)
After such a powerful scrummaging effort against the Argentinians, we can’t leave Dylan Smith in for his second selection for the season. Smith and Sadie have similar effective roles in phase play to Franks and Moody from the Crusaders, and are influential players in their team.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments