Super Rugby Early Rounds

It is always difficult to assess the strength and outcomes of early matches in Super Rugby and this year it is no different and really a toss-up.   So lets look at the various games and results in Rounds 1 and 2. 

New Zealand Conference

The Highlanders beat the Chiefs with some difficulty in Round 1 and then played the Reds in Round 2.   In an error-prone game they beat the Reds narrowly and the jury is still out - how strong is this team in reality? 

The Hurricanes managed to beat the Waratahs narrowly in Round 1 and then lost the plot against the Crusaders.   Their line-outs were atrocious and the scrumming a joke in bad taste,   They could neither take scrums nor corner kicks after penalties for them.   The scrum they tried in one case went awry when the Crusaders got a turnover penalty,  Taking into account the poor show of the Waratahs against the Sunwolves this morning I would not put any money on this team going anywhere.

Crusaders

The Crusaders struggled to beat the Blues and then easily won the game against a very poor Hurricanes effort.   I do not think that the fact that the Sharks beat the Blue easily is not really an advertisement for the team at this early stage of the tournament.   Still the strongest team in   New Zealand.

Chiefs

The Chiefs was poor against the Highlanders and pathetic against the Brumbies.   They really were the pits and I am afraid it looks like a dead end road for them this year,   That is unless they get serious referee assistance this year.. 

Blues 

The team looks well against the Crusaders - but was not up to standard against the Sharks.  They did quite well at times during the game - but has a real weakness in their team -  SB Williams.  They had try scoring opportunities but messed it up badly.   Good Tight 5 though.   Probably the second best team in NZ, 

Australian Conference

This conference  teams are unpredictable since the Reds was on a bye in Round 1 nd the Rebels in Round 2.

Rebels

The Rebels were good against the Brumbies and the latter team beat the poor Chiefgs by a huge margin.   We will have to see how they shape up in future - but could do well in the Aussie conference log.

Waratahs

The Waratahs even in losing looked good against the Hurricanes - but it seems that after the game this morning that the Hurricanes is not up to standard thus far in the competition.  They beat the Sunwolves by only 1 point.   The latter "achievement"  must be seen in context - the Sharks beat the Sunwolves 45 -10  in Round 1.   Signs are not all that good in the present series.

Reds   

The Reds looked really good in their game against the Highlanders and there seems to be an improvement  in the team this year.   We will have to wait and see how they perform in subsequent games.

Brumbies 

The Brumbies was sub-standard in the game against the Rebels.  They had a runaway victory against the pathetic Chiefs this morning.   Lots to look forward to in the rest of the series.

Sunwolves

Was poor against the Sharks - but gave the Waratahs a real fright this morning.  They will win some matches this year - but is the Waratahs all that strong?

South Africa Conference 

Sharks

Very good away win against the Sunwolves and the show pout up by the  Sunwolvess against the Waratahs put that victory in perspective,   The Blues are always poor travelers - but they were totally outplayed in the first half - looking slightly better in the second half.   The Blues could only score one try against them 

Lions

The Lions had a very good game against the Jaguares and for the first time beat them in an away game.   Fact is the Lions went static - their backline was a total disaster in the game against the struggling Stormers.     I  still do not believe that the latter team deserve to in anything, 

Stormers

This is a pathetic team - they showed poor discipline. and the fact is there were only a few Stormers players deserving any mention of being anything near good enough,   I would think they may beat some poorer teams in the competition - but the team is really not up to standard,

Jaguares

The Jaguares are basically made up of the Argentine test team and I was somewhat surprised by their loss to the Li0ons in Round 1.   They showed their fangs in their game against the Bulls played in poor weather conditions,   They will beat a lot of teams at home and even away and is likely to be in the top 8 at the end of the season. 

Bulls

Had a brilliant game against the Stormers - but they struggled badly yesterday in et playing conditions,   They are never good travelers - but the teams playing them in SA is going to struggle against them.   

I will complete this item when the Jaguares and Bulls game is completed.     

Looking at the Stormers last week makes one wonder if they even belong in this competition ... and now we see the Chiefs struggling against the Brumbies.

There's no consistency.

Sure - there is no consistency - but in the case of the NZ teams I think both the Hurricanes and the Chiefs have been pathetic thus far this year,

The Blues and Crusaders I would deal with  after the Sharks game this afternoon.   I will finalize the summary on the Aussie teams after this coming game.

Thereafter I will deal with the SA Conference teams    

The hatter wee cc wonders if the Stormers belong in the competiton. Bwahahahahahahah the chump reaches new levels of stupidity. Far too early to make such comments cc . Take your meds cc and maybe we will get some sense out of you!

Frankly Beeno - despite the win the Stormers were pathetic.  

Depth, and brand of rugby. The SH infatuation with Wendyball coupled with a bloated and boring schedule makes for an inferior product. Being payed peanuts doesn't help. 

Horse manure. The Stormers weren't remotely great, but they were good enough to beat the Lions...even with all the big calls going against them. This was a verey satisfactory win for WP.

LEKKER!!!

I di not realize that what I wrote would suddenly open a debate on NH rugby on club level.   There is not a single NH club who will not lose against the top 8 Super Rugby teams on the log -  I watch the Club games regularly and despite their looting they really are not the top in the world. 

Maybe I was a bit harsh on the Stormers - but they deserve severe criticism - don't they?      

Leinster, Munster and Saracens would beat a top 8 SuperRugby side, Exeter might as well. 

Leinster or Sarries at home are different beasts altogether.

Top 8: 

1. Sharks
2. Crusaders
3. Highlanders
4. Brumbies
5. Bulls
6. Lions
7. Jaguares
8. Waratahs

Maaik, WP deserves severe criticism for how everything is run and the team was poor against the Bools, but I think they are doing well under present conditions.  Fleck is a stand in coach, but the union hasn't bothered to get a new coach in 3 years. It's a joke, but the players and the coaching staff managed to put all that behind them. ....and the humiliating defeat of last weekend. They went out and win a team they last beat in 2015. Yes there were a lot of errors and there is lotsa room for improvement, but they are not over and out. There are some potential still...damn hope , always keeping us fans coming back for another match.

wasps

Now suddenly the fact is that a wild claim is made by you - despite recent defeats of Saracens and Exeter by of all teams Gloucester.   The later team was bottom of the Heineken Cup pool they played in.   

Leinster have about half of the  Irish test team playing for them - but I refer to England in what I wrote and you refer to Irish teams.

So lets take the Heineken Cup quarterfinalists;-

Leinster -  Munster - Ulster 

Racing Metro  -  Toulouse

Saracens

Edinburg -  Glasgow

What aa flood of English teams we have here -  one to be exact.   

So dream on about Sarries and Exeter - no change of them beating any top Super Rugby teams.

Super rugby is the new Currie Cup. Looking back fifteen, twenty years ago at what the competition was is like looking at the childhood pictures of a meth addict. A stark reminder of what once was. Of the Super rugby sides, I'd only be confident of the Saders being equipped to handle the NH. 

Xavi

Not when they were playing in the Heineken Cup series - that is what I specifically refer to.   They were just plain average and the Heineken Cupo final is likely to be between  Leinster and Racing.

No I also refer in general to rugby in England and also the other club rugby teams.   I watch the games regularly on TV and has seen nothing to convince me that I am wrong.  

I remember the days when our players went north to play softer rugby in the twilight of their careers and pick up some loose change in the process. Now? We hear our players speak of learning to see the game in a more complete way, refining their technique and learning to control the game. This does not reflect well on the standards, dipping standards, of Super rugby. The aim was to diminish the set pieces, tacticality and speed up the game. Water down the game to draw in more casuals. It has backfired. As we see, the net result is the breaking up of the "big three". All this, but the NH is utter garbage, according to you. Life is easy when one only has to stick their head in the ground.