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This is starting to look like a 3 horse race between Leinster, Glasgow and the Bulls.
The Leinster Lions match was disappointing. Lots of errors by both sides and the weather didn't help. Lions defended well but offered nothing in attack.
I think Lions had a series of favourable matches at the start of the season that's got them higher up the table than they normally would be but they are not a top 4 team. I think they should make top 8 comfortably though.
Sharks look very good when they have their Boks. But they probably won't have them again until a few weeks after the Autumn series and without them they look pretty ordinary. As a result I can see the dropping some more games and finishing top 8 but outside the top 4 and even with Boks winning away from home multiple times would be difficult.
Stormers are in trouble. They can still be contenders for top 8, but I don't see them as potential competition winners.
Leinster look even stronger than they normally do. Look like they have the bit between their teeth in the early part of the season. They really should be winning the URC with the team they have.
The other 3 Irish teams I'm not so sure about. Munster once again have an injury crisis, this is like the third year in a row. Ulster seem to blow hot and cold and Connacht while putting in good performances up till now where pretty poor in their bonus point win yesterday. All 3 potential top 8 contenders but nothing to indicate they are challengers for the title.
Welsh teams Scarlets and Cardiff have improved but I expect them to drop back. Still they could be top 8 challengers which isn't good news for the likes of the Stormers.
Benetton and Edinburgh are the two biggest under performers so far.
Dragon and Zebre are pretty much where they where expected to be. Spirited performances, a single win and some close defeats at the start of the season but I expect their morale to drop off over the remainder of the season the the margin of defeats to get wider.
Stav, if you want to see the best SA franchise side of the decade, maybe 20 years, see if you can watch some Super Rugby highlights of the Lions team captained by Warren Whitely.
The side was special. Better than anything since in SR or the URC. A bunch of no-namers coached to perfection and with what I still believe to be the best game-plan in modern rugby.
For a couple seasons they would score 50 points more often than not. Almost untouchable. 100% entertainment combined with 100% dominance.
And us Saffas were far too dumb to realise what happened there, or try and build on it. Only a few of the rugby "pundits" on this board actually were observant enough to notice what was nothing short of a phenomenon.
To be fair though, It was all built on the back on Julian Redlinghuys...who I don't think ever lost a scrum at tighthead. A real shame he was injured when he was.
Leinster are certainly the form team. Sharks look like the only team capable of matching them.
The Bok tour with leave the Sharks weaker, but that should also impact Leinster who will also lose their internationals.
The Lions were no match for Leinster who were cruising in third gear to win the match with ease. At no point did the Lions look like winning, and keeping the score low was the only possible option.
The side was special. Better than anything since in SR or the URC. A bunch of no-namers coached to perfection and with what I still believe to be the best game-plan in modern rugby.
For a couple seasons they would score 50 points more often than not. Almost untouchable. 100% entertainment combined with 100% dominance.
The Lions where not even making finals about 20 years ago and never won super rugby has that 100% dominance?
They made finals...even a home final...lost it for the same reason Ireland can't get past the RWC quarters...not really choking...just real bad luck....and they won the Super 10 in the 90s.
Leinster are certainly the form team. Sharks look like the only team capable of matching them.
The Bok tour with leave the Sharks weaker, but that should also impact Leinster who will also lose their internationals.
Leinster's second stringers are much stronger than the Sharks, no one can match Leinster for depth.
They made finals...even a home final...lost it for the same reason Ireland can't get past the RWC quarters...not really choking...just real bad luck
I think that was less than 10 years ago, and not 20 as Plum said. Ireland have both choked and been unlucky. Same with Leinster.
Same with Lions...they were very good for about the last 4 years we participated in Super Rugby, but just couldn't win it.
Stav,
Team A beats every single opposition team by 40 points. They don't lose a single game all the way to then lose in the final.
Team B lose a handful of games, and scrape through to a final and win it.
Who is the better team?
To me the answer is obvious.
"I think that was less than 10 years ago, and not 20 as Plum said. Ireland have both choked and been unlucky. Same with Leinster."
I was saying that the Lions side was the best SA franchise team of the last 10 years, possibly 20. In other words, there wasn't a better side than them...in the last 10 years...possibly 20. Which is different to saying that they have been dominant for 20 years.
If I say Sachin Tendulkar was the best batter in the last 100 years...please tell me you don't understand that to mean that he is 120 years old and still playing?
I was saying that the Lions side was the best SA franchise team of the last 10 years, possibly 20. In other words, there wasn't a better side than them...in the last 10 years...possibly 20. Which is different to saying that they have been dominant for 20 years.
If I say Sachin Tendulkar was the best batter in the last 100 years...please tell me you don't understand that to mean that he is 120 years old and still playing?
Sorry I just misunderstood you, I thought you where saying the Lions had a really dominate super rugby team around 20 years ago. I didn't follow super rugby, I just quickly looked up the wikipedia page of super rugby and look up the Champions section and couldn't even see the Lions making the semi final. Not saying they where not a good team though.
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