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According to various Snapchat accounts, right now the Crusaders are still partying after taking out the Super Rugby title for this year. The rest of us spent our Mondays in a much less mad state – so while the champs enjoy a well-earned beer, let’s look back at the highs and lows of the season just gone.
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Best game
Either of the two Crusaders/Highlanders regular season matches. Both were highly anticipated, both delivered rugby of eye-popping quality, and both had stunning finishes. Unfortunately for Highlanders fans, they didn’t go the way they would’ve wanted. The two faced off a third time in the playoffs, however Christchurch’s shocking weather meant that game was a forgettable event.
Worst game
No tries, no winner. The Rebels and Sharks drew 9-9 in Durban back in round nine, in a game that would’ve been a perfect cure for anyone out there suffering from insomnia. Just to put a coat of polish on this turd, two players were sent from the field as well.
The drought breakers
2016 saw the Canes win the title for the first time in their history, but Crusaders fans probably felt like it had been a lifetime since their last Super Rugby triumph. Their win now means four out of the last five years have been won by a different NZ team.
The Horror-tahs
The only thing uglier than their on field performances were the NSW uniforms, oddly supplemented with red despite their biggest rival team literally being called ‘The Reds’.
Barrett-mania
Last year everything Beauden did seemed to turn to gold, so the Hurricanes doubles down and brought in his younger brother Jordie. The two combined for some of the best plays of the season, however it’s their other brother Scott who gets bragging rights at home – he plays for the champion Crusaders.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ0zCGUyXC0
The Never-Ending Story
Australian rugby is a shambles right now, but the ongoing saga around which team or teams might be cut from next year’s competition is probably the pinnacle of their problems. Especially since the South Africans resolved their situation pretty efficiently, announcing the Kings and Cheetahs would be out and then playing in the Pro 12 within a matter of weeks.
Ngani Laumape
Pity every poor midfielder tasked with marking the former rugby league player this season, with the Canes’ use of him centred mainly around having Laumape run as hard as possible at them at every given opportunity. He was deservedly rewarded with an All Black call up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-iluseQRHU&t=184s
The intermission
While the Lions tour was great, and Scotland definitely would’ve enjoyed their trip to Australia in June, the mid season Super Rugby break once again did the competition no favours at all. It seemed like a lot of fans needed to be reminded about what was going on, and for many teams the season was basically over anyway.
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This offload
Take a bow, Dillyn Leyds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeKx_5N19kk
The one bright spot for the Aussies
Joe Powell scored a try for the Brumbies that would be in serious contention for try of the year in any competition. Probably worth mentioning they lost 56-21 though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gw5T30s9ro
Empty seats
While the final was played in front of a packed Ellis Park, empty seats have been pretty noticeable around the stadiums in 2017. While there have been a couple of mitigating factors – Christchurch suffered flood-level rainfall in the week leading up to their playoff match – it clearly shows that the competition needs to do more to attract casual fans to the game day experience.
Angus Gardner got schooled by another cheeky halfback
Last year it was Aaron Smith, this year TJ Perenara managed to get the Australian whistleblower to reverse a decision simply by explaining the rules. While it was amusing, rumours are that it was this sort of joviality with the players that cost the Australian control of the Super Rugby final.
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
10 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis 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.
24 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.
9 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.
24 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?
10 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.
10 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.
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