Three takeaways from the 2026 Super Rugby AUS competiton

The Western Force have righted the wrongs of 2025 to claim the 2026 Super Rugby AUS trophy in style in a replay of last year’s final with the NSW Waratahs.

While the Force are the deserved winners, a lot has been gained by all four franchises from this albeit short competition.

While new talent has presented itself and showcased its wares to the broader Australian audience, some well-known talent has reminded the broader public as to why they are such decorated players.

Overall the competition serves an important and necessary purpose for the further development of the game at the elite level, but it is clear the format does not always get the best out of all its players.

Nevertheless, with rugby to watch, to discuss, and to enjoy, now we turn to what has been learned from this tournament, and who has impressed enough to possibly win over the Australian A coach ahead of their tour of the U.S.

Old dogs still got game

While this competition has allowed a plethora of young stars to showcase their talent at the next level, it’s clear that certain established players shone the brightest.

In a contact sport like rugby, many people often use the adage ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’ when speaking about young talent, but in Super Rugby AUS, you would have to be blind to not recognise the game by 37-year-old Kurtley Beale.

Super Rugby AUS may be a comp well short on meaningful length and an altogether greater meaning for players and fans, but what you can’t deny is that if you make the level look easy, you are a serious baller.

Beale had the competition on a string, finding space, putting his players through holes, and kicking his side into great field positions at will.

He also moved pretty damn well for a man of his age, and it will make the Australia A coach’s decision about who he takes on tour very difficult, but more on this later.

While Beale was carving up as chief playmaker for the Force in the Super Rugby AUS final between the Western Force and Waratahs, established winger Dylan Pietsch was having a field day, and we now see how badly he wants that gold jersey back after his foot injury.

Elsewhere, Ben Volavola did his bit to keep the Queensland Reds in games, and while there were plenty of young front rowers around the traps, experienced scrummagers really made their presence felt.

We now know the positions that have and lack depth

It’s clear as day that the back row is the single greatest position of strength in Aussie rugby.

You could pick any side selected across the 4 rounds and look at any team sheet and see that some of the highest quality players would be amongst the backrowers.

Whether it’s young blond-haired Tom Robinson at the Reds, headgear-wearing Eli Langi at the ACT Brumbies, or the bustling Marshal La Maitre at the NSW Waratahs, the No. 7 jersey will be well looked after for the next decade.

Likewise in the rest of the back row, whether it was young 18-year-old Justice Taumopeau who left a lasting legacy in the comp with just one game, or the consistent big tackles by Oscar Cleary at no.8 at the Brums, the back row stocks were very impressive.

At flyhalf and halfback, the quality is mostly there, with players now really beginning to understand their game-driving briefs.

On the wings, the talent is something else, with Tim Ryan doing his best with very little at the Reds, or Wallace Charlie emerging with a brace of tries in the final for the Force, and then there’s, of course, the uncovering of ever-elusive Latrell Smiler Ah-Kiong for the Waratahs, who burst onto the scene this year.

At fullback, the stable of cattle was impressive on paper, and they didn’t disappoint: Corey Toole, Mac Grealy, and Sid Harvey were all tremendous in their efforts for the Brumbies, Force, and Tahs, respectively; the only franchise that struggled at no.15 was the Reds.

Unfortunately, there have been some big gaps exposed as well; front rows were often too varied in quality, and second rows often felt underweight and cobbled together mostly.

The centres were also a mixed bag, with all sides struggling to find and field a consistent centre pairing, and despite certain players having their moments, it’s evident that very few of the stock that played decent minutes in the comp are ready to step up to Super Rugby Pacific.

This column asked where all the tall men had gone in its first iteration after round 1 of the competition, and that question remains, and it is a concern for the squads proper heading into Super Rugby Pacific 2027.

It’s also an issue that so many centre options are heading offshore and not being replaced by ready-made stand-ins.

Australian rugby needs to watch this pool of players very carefully, and may need to take the long game approach with how they contract and cultivate this talent for the generations to come. 

Competition has given Australia A coach a lot to work with

Now with the competition over, the attention turns to the Wallabies, but likewise to the Australia A tour of the USA.

Head coach Stephen Larkham, alongside Joe Schmidt, will head up the campaign of two games, which looks to build stronger depth for the Wallabies selection pool.

Australia A is a depth-building exercise, and so Larkham and Schmidt will only want to pick players who are of genuine national interest.

At loosehead prop there are clear candidates: Lington Ieli from the Brums, Tom Lambert from the Waratahs, and Tom Robertson from the Force.

At hooker, the likely options are: Nic Dolly from the Force, Ethan Dobbins from the Waratahs, and Matt Faessler from the Reds.

At tighthead prop, Larkham will likely turn to Rhys Van Nek from the Brumbies, Edwin Langi from the Waratahs, and it would be a toss-up between Nick Bloomfield and Misinale Epenisa.

In the second row, Miles Amatosero is the clear choice, with Nick Frost and Toby McPherson both currently in the Wallabies squad.

While young Waratahs captain Eamon Doyle has been impressive, and Zak Healy for the Force has too, and regular back-rower Will Harris has done a job, none of them are likely to step up as Test-level second rowers any time soon.

This just continues to highlight the dilemma Aussie rugby has in the second row.

In the back row, things are much more straightforward, with an established group of experienced players alongside the exciting young talent: Angus Scott-Young at no.6 from the Waratahs, Luke Reimer at the Waratahs at no.7, and then Joe Brial at the Reds at no.8.

Supporting guys like this, you could have young guns Robinson and Bryant in support, as well as shifting Harris back to the back row, should there be enough talent harnessed in the second row.

There’s probably a spot reserved for a young gun to join on this tour as well.

In the halves, things get hard, while Teddy Wilson, Nathan Hastie, and Klayton Thorne are the likely candidates at halfback, Beale has been the standout at no.10 alongside Max Burey at the Waratahs.

Harry McLaughlin-Phillips at the Force, and capped Wallabies Tane Edmed at the Brumbies and Tom Lynagh at the Reds all seem like the logical options, but are they the right choices right now?

In the centres, it may very well be Sappsford and Pritchard, supported by a Boston Fakafonua and a Jarrah McLeod, but it is not exactly a vintage crop of centres.

On the wings, Tim ‘junkyard dog’ Ryan seems to have one spot all but sewn up alongside the likes of Toole and Wallace Charlie.

The question will be whether a player like Dylan Pietsch will come into the frame or whether he will be needed for Wallabies duty.

Where Zac Lomax sits in all of this remains to be seen, but should he be fit, expect him to be in and around the side.

At fullback, Australia A will be well serviced by Sid Harvey and Mac Grealy, provided they are both fit and ready to go.

It will also be interesting to see which Aussies Larkham pulls out of NPC, as several Aussies have been tearing the competition up.

James Ramm, the giant fullback who has signed with the Western Force, has been carving up for Northland; Clem Halaholo has been solid at Southland, and Rory Scott at Tasman.

There are also a couple of youngsters like Marley Pearce, Darby Lancaster, and Dan Botha who are all at the right level to take the next step, with Lancaster already garnering a Wallabies cap.

Divad Palu may be one of the dark horses who has been with Wellington.