LONG READ 'Super Round was brilliant, but spluttering Australian lineouts missed the mark'

In a season where it already feels like we’re on a long run into the same six teams playing the finals series again, the return of Super Round last weekend and the magnificent new Te Kaha One NZ Stadium in Christchurch gave Super Rugby Pacific the shot in the arm it needed.

Three sold-out days of rugby put on an outstanding event that really was for the fans. Across the three days, all the colours of the competition were on show as fans streamed out of the Christchurch CBD and into the brand new stadium, wearing jerseys and caps, waving flags and inflatable hands of every club.

This was a weekend when the results essentially didn’t matter. Yes, some teams picked up some crucial competition points on their run to the finals, but for anyone in Christchurch and plenty of fans watching on from home, the final scores won’t be what lingers in the memory.

From an Australian perspective, this is quite convenient because from a pure results angle, it obviously wasn’t a great weekend at all.

The NSW Waratahs were beaten by a greatly-improved Crusaders team that definitely didn’t want to be the first team to lose at their new home, the ACT Brumbies copped a touch-up from the Hurricanes that has probably been coming for a month or more, and the Queensland Reds narrowly lost a super point extra-time game that they never actually led at any point.

If there was a common thread for the three Australian performances, it was the trio of spluttering lineouts that has been a bit of an issue for much of this season, despite what the stats sheets have been saying.

Coming into the weekend, the Brumbies ranked second in the competition for lineout success, the Waratahs third and the Reds sixth.

Clearly, and with not a lot of effort, opposing teams are benefitting at lineout time simply by sticking up a jumper and putting pressure on the throw.

Four Australian players – Jeremy Williams, Charlie Cale, Joe Brial and Lachie Shaw – occupied the top four positions for total lineouts won (including steals), while Matt Philip ranked 10th. Williams led four other Australians in the top 11 players for the lineouts stolen.

The numbers would suggest the Australian teams’ lineouts have been fine but on the pitch, much of that lineout ball won has been messy, as teams compete far more than used to be the case.

That’s showing up for all teams, too, with 2026 lineout success rates 1.6% lower across the competition than the 2024 competition average. Clearly, and with not a lot of effort, opposing teams are benefitting at lineout time simply by sticking up a jumper and putting pressure on the throw.

The Waratahs lost four of their 13 lineouts on Friday, with the first coming in just the second minute as the Crusaders got up and stole the Waratahs’ throw after the first clearing kick of the game.

It could have been much more ominous from that point, but the other three losses all came within eight minutes of each other while replacement hooker Ioane Moananu was sat down with a yellow card from the 49^th minute.

Flanker Charlie Gamble was pinged for a crooked throw, back-row colleague Jamie Adamson threw straight but had it picked off, and then when Moananu was back for another lineout on the hour mark, his throw was picked off as well.

In that time, the Crusaders scored two converted tries to extend their one-point half-time lead out to 15 points. NSW won only 64% of their own lineout ball and couldn’t disrupt the Crusaders at all, who kept a clean sheet with their 14 throws.

Queensland’s lineout woes against the Blues came right when they didn’t need them, not that anyone ever needs them.

The Brumbies were only marginally better, in that they only lost three of their 12 throws, to finish the night with a 75% success rate. Not that it really helped in any way on the scoreboard.

Their first lineout loss came in the 14^th minute. Already trailing 7-0, they finally managed to put themselves in attacking range to hit back. They put a penalty kick into the corner five metres out, and then had it picked off, as the Hurricanes boldly decided to contest the first attacking lineout within touching distance of their line.

The second and third Brumbies’ lineout losses resulted in Hurricanes tries within the next two or three minutes, and two of their three losses overall were from penalty kicks to touch. By the second of those steals, the Brumbies had also missed touch with two other penalty kicks for the corner, so confidence was already low.

Japan lock Warner Dearns has been a key part of the Hurricanes surge up the standings this season, having well and truly got to grips with Super Rugby Pacific. He won six lineouts against the Brumbies, and only four of them were to him as the intended target.

Queensland’s lineout woes against the Blues came right when they didn’t need them, not that anyone ever needs them.

After roaring back into the contest in the final eight minutes of the first half to go to the sheds at 21-21, the Reds undid a lot of that good work by allowing Dalton Papali’i to crash over from short range following an attacking lineout soon after the break. That pushed the score out to 28-21 but certainly didn’t kill the contest.

That was all further exacerbated by what happened soon after over the course of eight minutes.

First, Sam Darry picked off a Matt Faessler throw in the 48^th minute. Then Patrick Tuipulotu did the same in the 51^st minute, seven metres from the Blues’ own line, when the Reds were best placed to hit back for the first time in the second half.

The Blues then stole a third lineout in the 56^th minute just inside the Queensland half and began building possession and momentum to attack, albeit it took until the 63^rd minute before they got their reward, when hooker Bradley Slater piloted a lineout drive all the way to the line.

That put the Blues into a 12-point lead and the Reds on the back foot. They did hit back with two late tries to eventually force extra-time, despite never holding the lead. It was a remarkable effort from Queensland to hit back at all, and though extra-time losses probably sting more than your regular garden variety, they will still take plenty of confidence into their derby clash with the Brumbies this Saturday.

With the Waratahs also hosting the Western Force in Sydney this Friday, all the Australian lineouts face the dual prospect of trying to improve success rates and efficiency on their own throws, while simultaneously trying to undermine and highlight all the issues on the opposition’s.

On that point, there can be no better time to get things right. But get it right they must.

As much as no Australian team wants to take a spluttering lineout into a finals series, Wallabies management certainly don’t want spluttering lineout components arriving in camp in late June.