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If someone told me at the beginning of the season that the Australian conference would have three teams in contention for the playoffs, I would have been a little taken aback.
Perhaps not the fact that three teams would have been there, but the fact that the Force would be one of them.
I declared my support for the Rebels at the beginning of the season, another minnow team that have sadly remained minnows.
I remember the manner in which they dismantled the Cheetahs early in the competition and hoped that would be the sign of things to come.
But, it was the Force that surprised many. If you had to sum up their season you might compare them more favourably with the manner in which the Brumbies play, rather than the manner in which the Waratahs have embraced the ‘Australian way’.
But on closer inspection the Waratahs’ coaching fraternity must have paid close attention to at least some of what the Bulls have been doing for the past 100 years, as a little bit of the ‘South Africa way’ has been evident in their season.
Step one, was to get a physical pack, import Jacques Potgieter and teach him a few things he had never seen or heard before. Run at the gap, and when you see a support runner in a better position than yourself, pass, but first draw your defender.
Your job is not done once you have competed in the line out, when you see a breakdown or clean the player. When you see the gain line breached, support, support, support, but above all enjoy your time in Australia.
The next step was that once the forwards dominated and put the opposition on the back foot, it was time to accelerate.
But the most important step was to work on their biggest weakness of last year – learn how and when to exit the 22. Learn how to play territory and not attack from anywhere. The Waratahs want to play the Australian way, but there are control issues that must be taken care of first.
The Brumbies and the Force have adopted a more conservative approach. The Brumbies, under Jake White, have learnt two things – start well, build a lead and defend your lead by any means necessary.
The Force bolstered their ranks with not only a handful of South African players, but also South African coaching staff.
The disappointing feature of the Australian conference has been the Reds, and the absolute disappearance of any physicality in their pack. Sure the Reds have lost Ewen McKenzie, but does a coach make that much of a difference to the individual physical ability of players?
News is that James O’Connor will be joining the Reds next year, but I suspect it is in the pack that the Reds need to bolster their squad. The injury of Quade Cooper has obviously been a big loss for the Reds, but then Ben Lucas has not been all that shabby, has he?
Will the Brumbies and the Force manage to qualify for the play offs?
The fact is that the Waratahs, Sharks and at least one of the New Zealand teams have qualified, and based on log position it seems the Crusaders are safe as they will be facing the Highlanders in the final round at home.
That leaves five teams fighting for three positions.
Considering that the Highlanders are two log points ahead of the Brumbies and the Force, a loss for either team would mean potential elimination, as the Highlanders and the winner between the Brumbies versus Force match would progress to the play offs.
The Chiefs are on the same log points (40) as the Brumbies and Force, but on less wins, so they must beat the Blues to progress, or at least gain enough bonus points out of the match to finish ahead of the Hurricanes.
Ultimately the Australian conference’s fortunes are reliant on two matches, Brumbies versus Force and Chiefs versus Blues.
The Force and Brumbies will know what needs to be done by the time they run onto the field, as the Blues are hosting the Chiefs immediately before their clash. A losing bonus point is absolutely vital for either the Brumbies or Force as they have a better win ratio than the Hurricanes, which would put the loser ahead of them based on season wins.
No matter how the season turns out for the Australian conference, whether two or three teams qualify for the play offs, the Aussies can rightfully be satisfied with their Super Rugby season and look forward to more of the same next year.
The Waratahs are odds on favourites to win the title. The team seems happy, they are playing for each other and without doubt they are the form team at the moment. If they continue the momentum they have shown in the past few weeks, it is doubtful that anyone will beat them at home.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.