Are we looking forward to Super 14, or further forward to Super 15?

Roar Rookie

By RickG, 25 Jan 2010 RickG is a Roar Rookie

Tagged:: Brumbies, Reds, Rugby Union, Super 15, Super Rugby, Waratahs, Western Force

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The one-day cricket series has only just begun, and as I write this article the temperature in Sydney hits 40 degrees, but as rugby fans are aware the 2010 Super 14 tournament is nearly upon us.

But how many of us rugby fans are really looking forward to this season? With the addition of the 15th Super Rugby franchise from 2011 and the creation of the Melbourne Rebels meaning more home games, and all-important local derbies to stoke the passions of rugby supporters across the three member nations, I wonder if this season is destined to be a bit of a non-event as we look with anticipation to next year.

As a Sydney-based Waratahs fan a quick glance at this years’ schedule doesn’t exactly have you champing at the bit in anticipation: a total of only six home games and none until round four, and only one local derby – at the much-derided ANZ stadium rather than the smaller and more intimate Sydney Football stadium.

The Melbourne Rebels have dominated the headlines recently with the high-profile signings of Brian Waldron from the Melbourne Storm and 1999 World Cup-winning coach Rod Macqueen.

Speculation continues around the new franchise’s intentions re player signings, with Rocky Elsom, Wycliff Palu, Berrick Barnes, Johnathan Thurston from the Cowboys and many others being mentioned.

There are if course a few interesting developments to look forward to. For starters, how will Berrick Barnes slot into the Waratahs’ under performing backline? And how will that backline take shape with the incumbents Halangahu and Beale, plus the addition of Drew Mitchell?

Up north the Reds will be looking to turn around years of disappointment with none other than former Waratahs coach and player Ewen McKenzie at the helm, and what kind of influence will Will Genia have on the team’s chances after a breakthrough 2009 to come from near-obscurity to being the first-choice Wallabies scrum-half?

Brumbies golden boy Matt Giteau returns to his former home, and questions will inevitably be asked about the Force’s chances of being one without him.

This is obviously just scratching the surface, but I’d be interested to know the feeling out there in Roar-land, from the South Africans and New Zealanders as well, about this season and whether you’re up for it, or perhaps you’re keeping your powder dry while looking ahead to next year.

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The Crowd Says (22) | Page 1 of Comments

Bay35Pablo said | January 25th 2010 @ 7:44am | Report comment

I’m looking forward to it, as I’m sure many Aussie rugby fans are. And Super 15 even more!!

We’ve got barnes and Mitchel at the tahs. The brumbies have a great line up. The Reds have a new coach, and the Force have picked up some hany veterans. Everyone has something to look at.

Plus by all accounts all teams realise they have to play positive rugby to get the fans back, and the laws are going to be applied to encourage more flowing rugby.

At least the tahs get the SAF trip out of the way early.

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rugbyfuture said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:03am | Report comment

im holding back registering for a tahs membership til i can attend more games in 2011

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- Bay35Pablo said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:55am | Report comment
  
  Do one offs and try for the front of bay 35 then. See you there!!
  
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Sam el Perro said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:16am | Report comment

I’ve taken out a Reds membership again for this year. It would be silly (for me, not casting aspersions here ) to pause my membership in order to hold off for a year when there is a single new team to watch. Hopefully we go well. I am a masochist, but a Queenslander, so you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

My concern with more games in the Super 15 is that the membership price passes to point at which I am willing to pay. A gold membership for this year has set me back close to $300 for seven home games. To put that into the Brisbane context, a similar amount would get you a dozen games at either the Lions or the Broncos. I think the current price point is good, but we can’t afford (from an attendance perspective) to increase it greatly.

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- rugbyfuture said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:35am | Report comment
  
  didn’t have a membership before (only just outta school in 2008) and am a stingy uni student
  
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  - Dogs Of War said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:41am | Report comment
    
    So, if you need a job, look at the catering companies that work the stadium. It’s what I did so I could watch all the matches when i was at Uni. And as you are private school educated, you could probably work the corporate boxes (which are the easiest by far).
    
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    - rugbyfuture said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:46am | Report comment
      
      hahaha would be a good idea dogs but alas, the stadium precinct is too far away from where i have uni and where i live to be viable (plus im earning a decent $/hr job now
      
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  - Sam el Perro said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:49am | Report comment
    
    “Stingy uni student”
    
    Is there any other kind? :-p
    
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    - Joh4Canberra said | January 25th 2010 @ 11:02pm | Report comment
      
      Drunk?
      
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- Bay35Pablo said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:57am | Report comment
  
  Sam, the number of home goes will change from 6-7 per year, to 8 every year. So any increasr in the price will be probably $30-50.
  
  You’ll have 4 games against every other Aussie side, plus 2 SAF and 2 Kiwi teams.
  
  Every team will play 16 games. 8 home & away against their conference (derbies) and 4 from each other conference (so 2 home and 2 away against each of the NZ and SAF conferences).
  
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- Sam el Perro said | January 30th 2010 @ 11:30pm | Report comment
  
  It was a pretty quiet night at Ballymore. Small crowd, unfortunately. On the plus side, I didn’t have much trouble getting to and from there. Any other Roarers there to see the Crusaders? Chambers looks like he still has a lot to learn about rugby (notwithstanding a recent comment that it was his primary sport). He was caught out of position a few times and looked like he was struggling. Can tackle, though. Hynes, however, was good.
  
  One niggle, what genius decided that a red team should play a grey and (wait for it) red team. Not good!
  
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  - Justin said | January 30th 2010 @ 11:37pm | Report comment
    
    I thought they got 6500 to the match.. If I am wrong then cool but otherwise a very heathy crowd.
    
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    - Sam el Perro said | January 31st 2010 @ 5:59am | Report comment
      
      It was pretty quiet, and didn’t look much more than 5000. Guess looks can be deceptive at the ground. Don’t know the official figure. Was hoping for a few more given that it was at Ballymore for a change, but I guess it’s just a trial.
      
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sheek said | January 25th 2010 @ 10:36am | Report comment

Yeah, 2010 can only be an improvement on 2009….. hopefully.

Then comes 2011, which is going to give us Aussies the closest thing to a true national domestic comp we’re ever going to experience….. or hope for.

Tahs, Reds, Brumbies, Force, Rebels….. 20 SR matches in Australia….. 8 matches each, 4 home matches each. Not to mention the other matches (home & away) against Saffies & Kiwis sides. Wow, only now can we sample what the Saffies experience in Currie Cup & Kiwis in ANZ Cup….. sort of. Kinda sad, isnt it?

Ah well, we have to start somewhere. The talent will be spread thinner, initially. But the hope is that the 5 Aussies professional franchises will inspire more young players to join rugby union. This is the career path opportunity our game desperately needs.

From modest beginnings great things will come….. hopefully!

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ballboy said | January 25th 2010 @ 11:06am | Report comment

As a Brumbies supporter I’m very pumped for a big year. However, having Force, Bulls, Stormers first three on the trot worries me. Not the Force – I think they’re going to struggle this year. But Bulls are always tough anywhere and Syormers have recruited very well. To get the two tougest SAFers on their home turf is bad – on the other hand it does make you think that you should be able to win your home games against the other 3.
Let’s hope all the Aussie teams do well.
My top 4:
Top 4
Brumbies,
Bulls
Stormers
Crusaders

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- Lee said | January 25th 2010 @ 11:10am | Report comment
  
  As a Sharks supporter I might disagree with you in the top 2 SA teams but thinks it will be pretty tough for the brumbies with that start to the season.
  
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RickG said | January 25th 2010 @ 11:19am | Report comment

Ha! when I saw my article had been published it was right next to Spiro arguing this season will be a cracker.
Well, I hope it is and it’s good to see Spiro and others enthused about the upcoming season – in Australia at least we could really do with a good year. As Sheek says I think 2011 will get us closer to the exposure and penetration the game deserves in Australia.

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ballboy said | January 25th 2010 @ 11:43am | Report comment

Lee – how are the Sharks looking. What’s the feel in SA?

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Lee said | January 25th 2010 @ 11:53am | Report comment

Not in SA at the moment so not sure what the feeling is like there, but from keeping up the news theres a fair bit of injury concern around fly-halfs. Hernandez(Argentina) was supposed to be there for this year but injured his back.

From talking to family in Durbs, there is a bit of caution floating around, last year there was a fair amount of cockiness about winning the Super 14 and I think not making the semis was a shock to some, so everyone is a little less noisy this year.

Stormers fans seem to think that this is their year, but thats not much different from every other year.

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- Rusty said | January 27th 2010 @ 10:13am | Report comment
  
  touche! Its our year every year…to dissapoint mostly. Given the signings, the Newlands faithful are going to be expecting big things this season. Overall I like the look of the team, we finally have a tight 5 that seems able to man up properly. Star players across the park, lightning in the back three and a bit of depth this year which should help on the attrition front. Be very interesting to see how the midfield axis shakes up with either Grant or de Jongh partnering Fourie. I suppose the key for us will be just like the Sharks in what happens at fly half. I dont mind de Waal as he can control a game but you have to back him up with a good pack. With Grant you get less of a territory based player as he lacks that sort of kicking game but you gain more in the attacking stakes. So providing de Waal stays uninjured I reckon we will see the Grant/Fourie mix but it will be interesting to see if Juan lives up to the hype. My biggest concern out of 10 is the Fijian, I would prefer Aplon but Rassie rates him but he seriously needs to pull his head out of his backside and up his workrate this season.
  
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allblackfan said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:35pm | Report comment

Based on last year, I’m actually looking forward to this year’s Air NZ Cup then I am S14.
But hey, I’m willing to give the S14 the benefit of the doubt.
Definitely, this year’s S14 will be crucial. This is make or break time; there is no point trying to press your WC credentials six months before the event!

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westy said | January 30th 2010 @ 11:46pm | Report comment

Sam el perro I think Chambers was still awork in progress even in rugby league. I watched the NRL grand final and it was on his side that two significant busts were made , one in particular by Fui Fui Moi Moi where he was beaten on the inside when he should have committed..
He has potential but was covered a few times by Turner on the wing and Slater in the other two Melbourne games I saw.
Bellamy regretted his loss saying he was ” developing ” and had a good season . I do not think he was being nasty. Chambers should not be rushed .
I finally saw tahu play a couple of consistenly good games for thw Waratahs in SA ( he was better than his SA counterparts too) and then he left?
If the Reds contracted Chambers it is because he has the potential not because he is an existing premier super 14 centre.

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