Super Rugby 2020

2020Vision

This year's Tournament starts next Friday (31st Jan) - a bit earlier than usual I think. The 15-team, three-Conference format remains the same.

Australia Conference: Brumbies, Rebels, Reds, Waratahs, Sunwolves [Japan]

New Zealand Conference: Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders, Hurricanes

South African Conference: Bulls, Lions, Sharks, Stormers, Jaguares [Argentina]

Full fixture list HERE

Gatland's Chiefs will host the Crusaders (tournament favourites) on 8th Feb which should be a cracker!

If any team can stop the Crusaders winning 4 in a row, it's probably the Chiefs!

sydthebeat

I'm expecting great things from the blues this year.

They have bolstered their team well with obviously BB, but marchand from quins could be a hit there too.

If they can sort out their defense I think they have a real shot.

I fear for my beloved Highlanders this year.
Any team would really suffer the loss of Ben smith, luke whitelock, liam squire and waisake naholo...... But put on top of that, younger top class players like tevita li, Jackson hemopo, tyrel lomax.... And long Standing club Main stays like bucky, elliot Dixon, Marty banks, matt faddes and Tom Franklin...

Its a real changing of the guard. Only five players left from the team that won the final five years ago.....

I fear we will struggle to make the play offs.

Locke_Lamora

Don't think the Crusaders can be considered favourites tbh, as they've lost Read, Whitelock, Todd, Franks, Crotty, Hunt, and Taufua, and haven't adequately replaced them. Their backline is still quality - could see Goodhue moving to 12 and Ennor to 13 as they've got Bridge, Havili, Jordan, Reece and Mataele competing for game time in the back three, but their pack has been gutted and won't provide the same platform for the backs to work off this year. The efficiency of their pack and how well drilled they were was made the team what it was, no matter how fun the backs were to watch and I can't really see them replicating it. Backup 10 a real concern as well. I think there's been some doubt over the quality of Scott Robertson's coaching ability considering the team he had at his disposal (I don't agree), and this year could really be the making of him.

Chiefs are a very interesting side for me this time round. There are some holes in the squad, but they have international experience in the front row and I'm a huge fan of a backrow with Jacobson and Cane in it (providing they've properly recovered from their injuries). Really looking forward to seeing what Gatland can do with the pack. Centre partnership of ALB and Tupea has the potential to be great, and I hope Damien Mackenzie can comeback a similar player from before his injury. A lot may depend on how Cruden goes at 10.

All eyes on the Blues as well with Barrett signing for them. They will still lose. A lot.

Squidgy Black

sydthebeat wrote: »

I'm expecting great things from the blues this year.

They have bolstered their team well with obviously BB, but marchand from quins could be a hit there too.

If they can sort out their defense I think they have a real shot.

I fear for my beloved Highlanders this year.
Any team would really suffer the loss of Ben smith, luke whitelock, liam squire and waisake naholo...... But put on top of that, younger top class players like tevita li, Jackson hemopo, tyrel lomax.... And long Standing club Main stays like bucky, elliot Dixon, Marty banks, matt faddes and Tom Franklin...

Its a real changing of the guard. Only five players left from the team that won the final five years ago.....

I fear we will struggle to make the play offs.

Stolen from Reddit but had to be posted....

I will be in Cape Town for 2 weekends Stormers are playing at home so reckon I'll go to at least 1. Can't remember who they're playing.

sydthebeat

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Stolen from Reddit but had to be posted....

LLOLLLL


Paging Yeah Right!!!

Yeah_Right

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Stolen from Reddit but had to be posted....

Hahaha. **** you!!! It is our year! This is the year that Akira Ioane will take the ABs no. 8 jersey.

In all honesty I think this year's SR tournament will be interesting for the kiwis. A lot of top players are gone. Not just ABs but the next tier down as well.

I have no idea how the Blues will go. No doubt they will be both brilliant and crap. Isn't Beauden on sabbatical?

sydthebeat

6 of the Sunwolves 23 are Japan qualified

Their team sheet reads like a place journeymens careers go to die

I fear this year is just going to be trouncing after trouncing for them.

sydthebeat

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inchwads

Squidgy Black

sydthebeat wrote: »

6 of the Sunwolves 23 are Japan qualified

Their team sheet reads like a place journeymens careers go to die

I fear this year is just going to be trouncing after trouncing for them.

I'm not really surprised to be honest, between it being the season after the world cup and their final season in super rugby

Clegg

Oli Jager starts for the Crusaders.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1222880335664422912?s=19

sydthebeat

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I'm not really surprised to be honest, between it being the season after the world cup and their final season in super rugby

the big change is the fact that the japanese top league is running pretty much concurrently with Super Rugby this year.

Round one started 12th january, and will run through to mid may.
Their league is generally finished by this time

so all their internationals wont appear in super rugby this year

Yeah_Right

Looking forward to Super Rugby. I will be avoiding this thread tomorrow because I'm recording the game. I'll watch the Blues crush the Chiefs after work with a cold beer or 2.

sydthebeat

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Looking forward to Super Rugby. I will be avoiding this thread tomorrow because I'm recording the game. I'll watch the Blues crush the Chiefs after work with a cold beer or 2.

I see dmacs return is on hold

I think the blues can cause an upset here

KevinK

Good start from the Blues, 12 : 0 after half an hour.

sydthebeat

Same old blues

Squidgy Black

I'd like to refer to my earlier meme.....

They really should've won that, they were definitely the more dominant team for the first half.

hahashake

Good start for Gatland and Cruden was surprisingly decent off the bench. Blues desperately need Barrett back from his sabbatical.

Locke_Lamora

hahashake wrote: »

Good start for Gatland and Cruden was surprisingly decent off the bench. Blues desperately need Barrett back from his sabbatical.

Thought Perofeta was very poor in the first half. Not just kicking from the tee, but place kicking and decision making were sub-par as well.

hahashake

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

Thought Perofeta was very poor in the first half. Not just kicking from the tee, but place kicking and decision making were sub-par as well.

He's not a bad player (not sure about his place kicking stats though) but he's been constantly sidelined with injury and is not the answer to the question of "when will the Blues have a world class 10?". Or 9 for that matter...

Still young so may one day be a world class player as he has shown glimpses.

Locke_Lamora

hahashake wrote: »

He's not a bad player (not sure about his place kicking stats though) but he's been constantly sidelined with injury and is not the answer to the question of "when will the Blues have a world class 10?". Or 9 for that matter...

Still young so may one day be a world class player as he has shown glimpses.

Absolutely. I think expectations were raised after he led the blues to a win over the British and Irish Lions and he looked a cut above at u20 level as well.

sydthebeat

Biggest disappointment for me was the blues handling and lack of control in the opposition 22.

id love to see stats as to how many games they have lost at Eden Park in the last say 5 years, after being leading at some stage during the second half.

chupacabra

The standard of rugby in the Bulls v Sharks game is shockingly bad.

razorblunt

Is it 3 tries for a BP? Crusaders scored three so far here, scoreboard shows BP.

sydthebeat

I've just seen the Sunwolves v rebels score

WTF??

sydthebeat

razorblunt wrote: »

Is it 3 tries for a BP? Crusaders scored three so far here, scoreboard shows BP.

Its 3 tries more than your opposition

Yeah_Right

FFFFFAAAAAAAARRRRRRKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!
Stupid ****ing Blues! For ****s sake!! Stupid bastard ****head Blues. 😡😡😡

Oh well. C'mon Liverpool!!

Jacovs

Stormers leading the hurricanes 19-0, still first half.

Locke_Lamora

Canes lost some good players this year. When your best players are as wild and inconsistent as Jordie Barrett and Perenara then you're going to struggle when your pack isn't on top. They've also been giving away personalities and knock-ons for fun.

Anybody know why Lincoln McClutchie wasn't picked up by a super rugby team? Has to be better than some of the options I've seen this weekend.

bilston

Matias Moroni for the Jaguares....what a player!

Yeah_Right

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

Canes lost some good players this year. When your best players are as wild and inconsistent as Jordie Barrett and Perenara then you're going to struggle when your pack isn't on top. They've also been giving away personalities and knock-ons for fun.

Anybody know why Lincoln McClutchie wasn't picked up by a super rugby team? Has to be better than some of the options I've seen this weekend.

I wouldn't call TJ wild and inconsistent. For the past couple of years I'd have rated him in the top 5 halfbacks in world rugby. Only watching the Canes game now so maybe he was crap in that.

McClutchie is playing in Japan for a season then back to Hawkes Bay. Needs to improve his kicking, from the tee and from hand but he's only 20 so plenty of time.

Locke_Lamora

Yeah_Right wrote: »

I wouldn't call TJ wild and inconsistent. For the past couple of years I'd have rated him in the top 5 halfbacks in world rugby. Only watching the Canes game now so maybe he was crap in that.

McClutchie is playing in Japan for a season then back to Hawkes Bay. Needs to improve his kicking, from the tee and from hand but he's only 20 so plenty of time.

I love TJ but he mixes the good with the bad. Sometimes his passing will fail him, then he'll follow it up with try-saving tackles and line breaks.

At least they're investing in McClutchie I suppose. He'd be great to watch in super rugby.

hahashake

I'm thinking Cruden may get a call up to the ABs this year. Even if he is 3rd choice and blocking a younger player, he has the kind of experience that you need with (95% win ratio).

sydthebeat

1. Ayden Johnstone
2. Liam Coltman
3. Siate Tokolahi
4. Paripari Parkinson
5. Josh Dickson
6. Dillon Hunt
7. James Lentjes (C)
8. Marino Mikaele Tu’u
9. Aaron Smith
10. Mitch Hunt
11. Jona Nareki
12. Josh Ioane
13. Rob Thompson
14. Tima Fainga’anuku
15. Josh McKay



RESERVES

16. Ash Dixon
17. Daniel Lienert-Brown
18. Josh Iosefa-Scott
19. Jesse Parete
20. Shannon Frizell
21. Kayne Hammington
22. Michael Collins
23. Teariki Ben-Nicholas



Highlanders team to face sharks on Friday morning.
Very green.
Not sure why frizell is on the bench, other than being a returning all black.
Happy enough to see jesse parate has come in from the chiefs, hes look pretty handy as s quad member anytime i saw him last season, though hes no liam squire.

Mitchell Hunt gets his debut straight in at 10, and Fainga'anuku and Nareki are both debutant wingers
6 debutants in total when you include the bench.

3 Backrows on the bench, as part of a 6 / 2 split, doesn't bode well for line out so hoping Dickson and PPP can stay on for s long as possible.

On the sharks side, they are coming in from a good scrappy win over the bulls.

I think if we can get at least parity up front, we should have enough in the back line to cause the sharks trouble, Any Tony Browne coached team will always have some tricks up their sleeves.

hahashake

Decent traditional tight 5 , mobile backrow (if undersized with 2 7s) and dual playmakers at 10/12 (also undersized). Then 3 big loose forwards on the bench, including Teariki Ben Nicholas at 23.

Fairly strong but some head-scratchers.

sydthebeat

hahashake wrote: »

Decent traditional tight 5 , mobile backrow (if undersized with 2 7s) and dual playmakers at 10/12 (also undersized). Then 3 big loose forwards on the bench, including Teariki Ben Nicholas at 23.

Fairly strong but some head-scratchers.

agreed on a few counts...

worried about the size across the back line apart from Thompson and Fainga’anuku..... there are some hefty sharks backs running down those channels.

and the 6 forwards on the bench, with no obvious lock replacement is a head scratcher... maybe mauger thinks hes playing rugby league

Burkie1203

Rugby Australia and Fox have failed to agree a new TV deal

RA even deeper in the poop now.

sydthebeat

What a disaster

Men against boys

sydthebeat

It's going to be a long season......

Not much positive to take from that. Nareki on the wing looks good.

Ioane lost at 12, worst game I've seen Rob Thompson play, hunt kicking it way too much and his charged down conversion was the icing on the cake for ineptitude.

Its hard to see us coming anywhere near challenging for play offs this year. Rebuild and progress will be the name of the game

hahashake

Only positives were Aaron Smith and the number 8. Bring back Ioane to 10, Gatland to bench. Not convinced by the FB but then Ben Smith is a hard act to follow.

Good to see the SA sides deservedly playing with their tails up.

Digifriendly

Sharks looked very impressive especially their back line. Full back was clinical.

sydthebeat

Gatland works his magic as chiefs beat crusaders 25 - 15

Digifriendly

Waratahs well beaten against Blues who open their account with ex Harlequin Joe Marchant scoring a try. Looks like dreadful attendance at South African derby.

sydthebeat

I think anyone questioning the merit of the super rugby and top14 TBP system should watch the Hurricanes v sharks game this morning.

Hurricanes up by 21 points, 5 tries to 2, with 12 mins left.

Sharks get one more try and batter the Canes line till the 83rd minute and lose by 16.

No TBP to either team, great game that's 100% competitive till the end.

If that was Pro14 the Canes would have given up and the sharks could easily have gotten a LBP from it

sydthebeat

OK maybe we're not so sh!t.

Digifriendly

Australian sides looking a bit flimsy again after 3 rounds. I thought Sharks would be closer to Hurricanes after their impressive win last week.

Leinstertomas

Didn't get catching it but surprised at Highlanders beating Brumbies away

sydthebeat

Leinstertomas wrote: »

Didn't get catching it but surprised at Highlanders beating Brumbies away

The brumbies had a maul and absolutely nothing else.

Delighted with the fight our younger lads had towards the end, when the likes of tokolahi Smith and coltman gone off

sydthebeat

Had to pull the trigger on the Highlanders alternative jersey from today.....it's delicious

Quintis

sydthebeat wrote: »

Had to pull the trigger on the Highlanders alternative jersey from today.....it's delicious

Where did you order from?

sydthebeat

Quintis wrote: »

Where did you order from?

Sports direct.

https://ie.sportsdirect.com/adidas-highlanders-parley-rugby-shirt-2020-381131?gclid=Cj0KCQiAyp7yBRCwARIsABfQsnQJem1C4Gn7yjLHYxB3t0NMsmjbg6SdY7S97K6E-0cyuFlKLcTl_ygaAoI1EALw_wcB#colcode=38113118