The 2016 Super Rugby season saw new teams, fantastic rugby and no shortage of surprises.
With the 2017 season fast approaching, we all hope for more or the same. Here we take our first look at the conferences and how teams may fare this season – starting with African Conference 1.
Bulls
Last Season: Second in conference, didn’t qualify for finals.
Key Player: Handre Pollard
A disappointing campaign last season for the men from the Northern Transvaal.
Not making the knockout stages of the tournament is unacceptable to the rugby-mad fans who turn up at Loftus Versfeld. Losing Handre Pollard for the season before it had even kicked off was a huge blow for them and they will be looking to their Springbok to ensure they don’t repeat last year’s failures.
The acquisition of Lood De Jager from the Cheetahs is a great signing and one that will only strengthen a traditionally big pack.
With this being a team still in transition after the glory days of Habana, Du Preez and Matfield they may once again struggle away from home, but expect them to be formidable at home.
Prediction: Second in conference
Stormers
Last Season: Conference winners, lost in first knockout round.
Key Player: Eben Etzebeth
The Cape Town side were well and truly humbled in the first qualifying round by the Chiefs, conceding 60 points at Newlands. That result prompted coach Robbie Fleck to call the fixtures into question as they had not faced a Kiwi team previously that season.
A lot of responsibility will fall onto the shoulders of the gargantuan Eben Etzebeth and his 2nd-row partner Pieter-Steph Du Toit to take up the mantle left by Schalk Burger who has now departed for Saracens.
Sevens try scoring machine Seabelo Senatla has been drafted into the squad and it will be very interesting to see how he fares. If given a sniff, he has proven himself to be one of the best finishers in world rugby.
An exciting centre combination of Scottish International Huw Jones and Springboks Juan De Jongh and Damian De Allende will also provide firepower behind the scrum.
With a tour of New Zealand this year, they will certainly be tested before the finals this time around.
Prediction: Conference winners, knocked out in first qualifying round.
Cheetahs
Last Season:Third in conference,
Key Player:Sergeal Petersen
The Cheetahs only recorded four wins last season. Two of which came against the Sunwolves, including a 92 point thwacking they handed out in Bloemfontein.
The glory days of a few seasons ago, when they made the finals, seem a long time ago and the loss of Lood De Jager will be felt deeply by a team that is short of genuine top quality players.In saying that, no one saw the Lions coming with their squad, so stranger things have happened.
One bright spark last season was the emergence of winger Sergeal Petersen, who bagged nine tries. Quick and powerful with a low centre of gravity, Petersen will be the player expected to provide the spark.
The Cheetahs are lucky that they are in the same conference as the Sunwolves or bottom place would be calling.
Prediction:Third in conference
Sunwolves
Last Season:Fourth in conference (bottom of overall table)
Key Player:Shota Horie
What a pleasure it was having the Sunwolves in the competition last season. Taking the professional game to Japan was a great experience, with the stadium in Tokyo selling out at every game.
Unsurprisingly, with the teething problems the team had, they did struggle last season but did pick up a maiden victory against fellow newcomers Los Jaguares, prompting huge celebrations.
An arguably better result was their 17-17 draw against the Stormers, a result that the South African side must improve on if they are to challenge. They also ran the Cheetahs close in Singapore, only losing by a point and lost by three points to the Bulls.
They were also on the end of a 92-17 thumping at the hands of the Cheetahs, which was a low point of their season.
With Tusi Pisi now playing in Britain, a lot of the experience in their back line has now gone and they have dipped into the talent pool in Japanese domestic rugby which can only be a good thing for the overall game in Japan.
Initially, they will struggle again but this is the long game.
Prediction: Bottom of conference, bottom overall table.
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