Super Rugby Team of the Week - Round 5
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 Damian MacKenzie (Chiefs)
D-Mac was like a fish being put back in the water with a run at 15 against the Hurricanes. Had a wonderful tussle in the backfield duel with Chase Tia tia and enjoyed the freedom. Hard for Cooper to slot him back at 10 after a performance like that and may affect the All Blacks selection policy post-Super rugby. 18 points with a try, 2 conversions, and three penalties.
14 Tyrone Green (Lions)
Made his Super debut starting at 15 but his move to the right wing at 50 mins coincided with the Lions resurgence to win after being down 33-5 just after halftime. Elusive and made the most of the Rebels not having too much tape on him.
13 Samu Kerevi (Reds)
Was a real powerhouse, leading from the front with 14 runs for 78 metres in their last gasp victory over the Sunwolves. Also seemed to handle the referee well as the Sunwolves, for the second week in a row, were hammered in the penalty count.
12 Anton Liernert-Brown (Chiefs)
Big matchup with Ngani Laumape and he edged the battle. Has power but good choices in defence, a load of subtlety and passing power. Billy Meakes (Rebels) impressed in Johannesburg until he was yellow carded and the Melbourne tide ebbed away.
11 Ataata Moeakiola (Chiefs)
The Tongan-Japanese star in the making is coming into his own in Super rugby. A breath-taking mix of physical size, power and speed he’ll be one to watch in the Rugby World Cup if Japan pick him in the squad.
10 Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes)
Barrett dripped quality with his smooth as silk performance in the draw vs the Chiefs. This weekend he looked calm and had that Carter-esque quality of seeming like he had much more time on his hands than anyone else on the paddock. Great to see his goal kicking looking solid as well.
9 Jamie Booth (Sunwolves)
Had Will Genia (Rebels) penciled in at halftime and even though individually he was all class he couldn’t repeat his match-saving heroics from last week. And even though the Sunwolves tanked at the death Booth could not be faulted; he had just been subbed when his replacement’s poor clearing kick added a nail in the Tokyo team’s coffin.
8 Lachlan McCaffrey (Brumbies)
The Canberra team knew they had to win the battle of the collisions after the Waratahs improved performance against the Reds in round 4 and McCaffrey stepped up in the absence of David Pocock. The number 8 always has a lot to say, with more sledging than the Baggy Green’s slips cordon but he backed it up with a gritty, abrasive game. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) got his fantastic form back on the tracks after being a little off against the Highlanders.
7 Liam Wright (Reds)
When you are competing for a Wallabies job against the likes of Pocock and Hooper you will have to be patient. Time is on the 21-year-old’s side and he is putting in some physical shifts for the Reds. At 192cm he is a lanky lad for an open side but he doesn’t lack power at tackle and maul time. Luke Jacobson (Chiefs) made a statement with some thundering defence after coming off the timber.
6 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers)
It’s hard to believe the Stormers have turned around a Bulls’ battering in round one with three straight, ugly victories. du Toit is a constant, with gigantic defence and determined running. He’d logged up 15 tackles with 20 minutes left in the game. It will be interesting to see how effective the Stormers style is on the road as they embark on a four-game tour of NZ and Aussie.
5 Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes)
Bold move by Plumtree and co after been given a bath in the tight 5 last week to bring a blindside flanker into lock but it seemed to work with the All Black prospect acquitting himself well in the tight and featuring in some loose sorties as well.
4 JD Schickerling (Stormers)
The plaudits are going to du Toit and Etzebeth but the 23-year-old is a great foil for the other two giants. Good source of line out ball and doesn’t shirk on the clean outs.
3 Frans Malherbe (Stormers)
The tighthead job seems to be reserved for whoever is playing the Jaguares. Boy, their scrum has been bullied this year. If Argentina wants to make the knockout stage at the Rugby World Cup they have to fix this issue asap.
2 Folau Fainga (Brumbies)
Two tries and robbed of a hat trick with the ref going early to the penalty try he was all business and is in a real race for the Wallaby hooking job. Anaru Rangi (Rebels) catches my eye. Apart from the locks, he reminds me of a young Sean Fitzpatrick, fearless and dynamic. Also, Brandon Paenga-Amosa got a brace as the Reds left it late to pip the Sunwolves. Ok, I didn’t forget Malcolm Marx (Lions) he was mighty too!
1 Scott Sio/James Slipper (Brumbies)
These two are becoming the new Moody/Crockett 1-2 punch at loosehead prop. It’s an easy push to see them doing the same job for the Wallabies this year. Steven Kitshoff (Stormers) put in a promising 50 minutes coming back from hamstring troubles.
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Comments on RugbyPass
This 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.
16 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.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
16 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
26 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 🤐
16 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….
26 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….
16 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….
84 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!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
16 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
14 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.
16 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.
16 Go to comments