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Watch round two of Super Rugby Aotearoa live on RugbyPass
Super Rugby Aotearoa returns to RugbyPass this weekend as the second round of action gets underway across New Zealand.
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Fans from 100 territories across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Asia and the Middle East can watch on as the Chiefs host the Highlanders in Hamilton on Friday before the Crusaders face the Hurricanes in Christchurch on Sunday [both NZT].
Fans within those territories who hold a tournament pass will be able to watch both matches live and 0n-demand as all four teams look to build on the opening weekend of the competition.
Friday’s match acts as the first competitive game of the season for the Chiefs, who are under the tutelage of interim head coach Clayton McMillan, the temporary replacement for British and Irish Lions boss Warren Gatland.
Equipped with star men such as Sam Cane, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown, Brad Weber and Luke Jacobson, there is plenty of room for optimism within the Chiefs faithful as they look to bounce back from their winless season last year. Gatland’s son, Bryn, will wear No 10 in his first match for the Chiefs.
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Standing in their way is a Highlanders side that fought valiantly, but ultimately unsuccessfully, against the Crusaders in last Friday’s season-opener, going down 26-13 to the reigning champions in Dunedin.
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Head coach Tony Brown has only made a few alterations to his starting side, though, with the biggest selection switch coming at halfback as co-captain Aaron Smith has been benched in favour of exciting young halfback Folau Fakatava.
The 21-year-old will pair up with one-test All Blacks pivot Josh Ioane, who also returns to the starting side, in what could be a glimpse of what the Highlanders’ future halves combination will look like over the coming years.
Other key players, like Ash Dixon, Shannon Frizell, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Jona Nareki and Mitch Hunt, will give the Chiefs a stern test in their first-up clash of the year.
In the weekend’s other encounter, the Crusaders will look to go two from two to start their campaign as they seek revenge for the defeat the Hurricanes inflicted on them in front of their home fans in 2020.
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The Wellington franchise’s 34-32 win at Orangetheory Stadium last July snapped the Crusaders’ undefeated streak at home that dated back to the beginning of the 2017 season.
While Scott Robertson’s men went on to clinch their fourth consecutive title, there is little doubt that loss left a sour taste in the mouths of all those involved, so expect the titleholders to come out swinging this weekend.
Far from their best against the Highlanders, the Crusaders still prevailed by a comfortable margin, with their strong defence constantly repelling their South Island neighbours time and time again.
The returns of Will Jordan and David Havili will only bolster their side, which last week consisted of the likes of Richie Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock, Codie Taylor, Scott Barrett, Jack Goodhue, Sevu Reece, Joe Moody and Cullen Grace.
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As for the Hurricanes, they head into this match as underdogs after having fallen 31-16 to the Blues at Sky Stadium last Saturday.
That isn’t to say they should be ruled out of contention entirely, though, as they still possess considerable firepower in the form of Ardie Savea, Jordie Barrett, Ngani Laumape and Asafo Aumua, all of whom played a big role in last week’s match.
Add in the likes of Du’Plessis Kirifi, Peter Umaga-Jensen and Julian Savea, and the Wellingtonians could spring a surprise in Christchurch for the second year running.
Kick-off for the Chiefs v Highlanders match is at 7:05pm on Friday [NZT] while the Crusaders and Hurricanes match will kick-off at 4:35pm on Sunday [NZT].
Weekly passes, featuring two live games every weekend, will be available at www.rugbypass.com/live-super-rugby/ for USD 9.99, EUR 7.99 or GBP 6.99, whilst fans can get a season-long pass for USD 49.99, EUR 39.99 or GBP 34.99.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks 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 🤐
13 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….
13 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 💪
13 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
12 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.
13 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.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments