“Brent,” the brave editor said only hours before the start of the first One-Day International of the summer, “I think it’s about time we started getting into rugby again.”
“Paddy, you’re drunk before midday again,” was my reply.
But he (probably) wasn’t drunk, and he wasn’t asking for my opinion. And the 2015 Super Rugby season was less than a month away. This was an argument that couldn’t be won, and would force your humble correspondent to start considering the Gilbert as much as the Kookaburra.
And while yes, it probably is time to start contemplating another rugby season, it’s difficult to come up with anything other than questions. I mean, everyone’s unbeaten in January, aren’t they?
So here are the questions that stick out at this time of year, with stumps still in the ground, and the goalposts still lying down among the long grass in the corner.
Australia
Can the Waratahs go back to back with no major recruitment and 100 per cent less Kane Douglases than in 2014? Have their persistent, but not terminal, set piece issues in 2014 been rectified? Is Dave Dennis serious about upgrading himself from a flanker/lock into a lock/flanker?
Has Bernard Foley increased his kicking range, and if so, by how many centimetres? Is Kurtley Beale prepared for the inevitable increase in defensive attention he’ll attract as the leading try-assister last season?
Has Israel Folau learned to run off anyone else? How long will Michael Cheika play wing lotto before settling on his preferred options?
Is Scott Fardy a flanker or a lock for the Brumbies in 2015? Who has taken up lineout calling, in the absence of Ben Mowen? Where does last year’s player of the year, Jarrod Butler fit into the grand scheme of things? Will David Pocock be still playing by Easter?
How will Stephen Larkham fare as a standalone coach, and without grey-locked bucket hat-wearing Laurie Fisher beside him? How will Fisher’s absence affect the Brumbies’ breakdown and set piece work? Will coach, captain, CEO, and chairman all still be there at Christmas time?
Is year ten the season the Western Force finally delivers on their potential? Is this the season Kyle Godwin goes from promising youngster to genuine match-winner? And will he be wearing 12 or 10? Is Nick Cummins the Mayor of Perth yet?
Did they learn the hard lessons of last year’s late-season fade out? How do you replace Kieran Longbottom? How many Super Rugby regulars did their cunning but bloated NRC squad unearth?
Whatever happened to Angus Cotteral? Has Michael Foley spent the last seven months stroking a cat while quietly plotting his Super Rugby domination? If not, what else has he been doing?
How long will it take before Karmichael Hunt has the NRL scribes calling for CEO Dave Smith’s head after yet another ‘salary cap oversight’? And how many minutes after that will said NRL scribes start labelling the Wallabies as ‘World Cup certainties’?
Will Liam Gill re-emerge as the Wallabies contender he can be? Who of Gill, Jake Schatz, and Ed Quirk will be most disappointed by the recruitment of former All Black Adam Thomson? Which young lock is next in line to succeed James Horwill? Will Greg Holmes finally be recognised as the best scrummaging tighthead in Australia?
Will James O’Connor have cameras trained on him wherever he goes in public? Will he live up to his redemptive tones on arrival at Ballymore? And just how far can the Reds go if everyone is fit and firing in 2015?
How will the Rebels fit Sean McMahon, Colby Fainga’a, Scott Fuglistaller, Jordy Reid, Scott Higginbotham, Radike Samo, Luke Jones, and Lopeti Timani into the backrow? And how old – seriously – is Radike Samo?
How will the Rebels fit Jack Debreczini, Bryce Hegarty, Tamati Ellison, Mike Harris, Mitch Inman, Tom English, and Sefa Naivalu into the midfield?
Is this the year the Rebels progress from ‘potentially’ to ‘actually’ being a decent team? And whatever happened to the Rebel Army?
New Zealand
Are Hurricanes celebrating the return of prodigal son, Ma’a Nonu, or still rocking themselves in the corner at the loss of Tim Bateman?
Does one Jimmy Cowan equal one Peri Weepu at the Blues?
Is pulling on the Chiefs no. 12 jersey like riding a bike for Sonny Bill Williams?
Is this the second or third coming of Robbie Freuen at the Crusaders?
And are slates wiped any cleaner playing stock-wise than they were at the Highlanders during the off-season?
South Africa
Was the Bulls recruitment policy in the off-season to distract the Cheetahs and pillage forwards while they weren’t looking?
Did the last player to leave the Cheetahs also turn out the lights?
Will the Lions expand on their 2014 gameplan of ‘let Marnitz kick drop goals’?
Is all happy again at Casa du Plessis in Durban?
And in what new way will the Stormers underwhelm in 2015?
Rugby in January. There’s no such thing as a silly question…
RobC
Roar Guru
Hi Luke, good prospects. As you're most prob aware, their scrum backpeddled / pinged vs Melbourne and Brisbane City though. I hope Ollie lifts at THP, with the bigger locks behind him. I think the prop stockpiling has been waged since EM became WB coach, except NSW. All teams except NSW will start to bear fruit on the prop dept. The one person Im really looking at is Aussie / half-Tongan Hobart-boy Adam Coleman at lock: - Will he be like Fardy and mature at a later stage? - Or will 2015 be the year he starts become our jumping / scrummaging WB power lock?
Luke Worthington
Roar Rookie
Here's one for you Brett. Kyle Godwin has reached match winner status. Kieran Longbottom has been replaced by Hoskins and Faulkner. Two people that an east coast fan won't have heard of, but will be hearing of quickly. Cottrell to make the 2015 world cup squad (32 man). And you're right about Foley. You heard it here first, they are going to come out and dominate
Bfc
Guest
hehe..'by how many centimetres..':)
Chronicle
Roar Rookie
in the Australian section does the increased defensive pressure also apply to Nic White who the NZ Herald stats credit with more try assists than Kurtley Beale.
Chronicle
Roar Rookie
in the Australian section does the increased defensive pressure also apply to Nic White who the NZ Herald stats credit with more try assists than Kurtley Beale or is it that Beale is a guaranteed starter in Gold this year
dsf
Guest
Tbf its not much to replace. I was rejoicing with this news and im hoping joe edwards has the goods otherwise its going to be a long misrable season for me.
Marty
Guest
After watching Pocock this afternoon in Perth at McGillivray with the Brumbies getting spanked by the Force 5 tries to 3, I think Poey was looking pretty chubby.
Yogi
Guest
Gunn - Not this year but yes. I wonder if gill will stay in aus post 2015? I hear $$$ is not a big factor for him.
Yogi
Guest
Twas were you watching his amazing lineout win which resulted directly in wallabies winning lions series game 2?
DJW
Guest
Whatever happened to Angus Cotteral? He badly broke his leg at the end of last season. He is tracking nicely though by all reports.
Suzy Poison
Guest
Brett and Biltong, here’s my take… The Lions will struggle, in the back half of the tournament once injuries take their toll. Just not enough depth. Contenders for the wooden spoon. Prediction 14th. Cheetahs are looking a little weak. But with a 9-10 combo of Sarel and Joe Pietersen (remember him, back from France) they are bound to entertain. They still have 4 Boks. Oupa, Willie, Coenie and Lood, but I don’t think they will challenge for a final spot. Prediction 10th. Stormers. They won the Currie cup. They have some speedsters like Kolbe and Senatla (who will alternate with 7’s duty) but no quality 9-10 combo. I think they will be a mid table team and finish around 8th. Sharkies will always be competitive. But the all Bok front row is over worked. Return of Pieter Steph Du Toit, will see if the young gun challenges Matfield for a place in the Bok team. Some good coaching IP with Gary Gold and Bredan Venter will see them finish in the upper half of the mid table, and possibly just miss out on the top six. Prediction 7th Bulls recruitment has worked for them. A strong looking lineup. Rumour is it the Bulls are going to completely change their game plan. We’ll see. They have a good draw. I would like to see how Pollard goes. Best chance of a Saffa team for a final spot. 3rd place or higher finish. Overall I see a whole lot of pain, for Saffa teams in this version of the Super 15. There are two quality sides in New Zealand. The Crusaders and the Chiefs. And I don’t know how to rate the other three of the Blues, Highlanders or Hurricanes. But one of them will no doubt fire. Then there three quality sides in Australian rugby, the Tahs and Brumbies (Pocock is back) and the Reds are going have a good year. (They have recruited well) I think we are going to see three Aussie teams in the top six again, two Kiwi teams and one Saffa team. My pick for top six is. Tahs, Brumbies, Reds, Crusaders, Chiefs and Bulls in no particular order.
Go the Wannabes
Guest
If u lose a homing pigeon....then its just a plain pigeon.
Never Again
Guest
Another question: Will the clowns at Fox dare to sanction another series of that godawful, Fanatics-wannabe "Call of the Wallaby" rubbish? Possibly the worst, most self-indulgent program on television anywhere in 2014.
Lenny
Guest
REDS will top aussie conferance easily...
Hertryk
Guest
MC is a very good coach..but in my very humble opinion he's human and not superhuman. To coach both and not be biased would take a very very superhuman .... He will choose who he knows.... of course he will..... Hodgo playing in the wrong shade of blue is a prime example... again in my very humble opinion but shared by many...
RobC
Roar Guru
thanks Jagman. I wished I could see more of guys like Stewart running around. Same for others like Jed Barry, Paulie Tuala, Phil Kite and Ben Adams. Guys like Fakaosilea, Tala Gray etc will run around in SR But I'd rather see Aussie guys bashing each other, as much as seeing if our guys can beat foreign teams. Maybe even more. I like the Roos, but I like Broncos and Maroons a million times more. I feel the Hospital Cup and Shute Shield is getting in the way of that.
Jagman
Guest
He's in the Waratahs training squad. Not signed.
RobC
Roar Guru
on the topic of Stars sign ups. Does anyone know latest news re centre Jimmy Stewart?
Jagman
Guest
Well not much recruiting/retention was left after Chieka became Wallabies coach but the only example I can think of is Dargaville. The Waratahs wanted him but the Brumbies got him, an example of a player not caring too much about playing under the Wallabies coach for one season.
Jagman
Guest
There is an upside. Deans and McKenzie have always had their plans for Wallabies line ups hindered by Super Rugby coach selections. Toomua playing fly half for the Brumbies but inside centre for the Wallabies. Cooper playing fullback for the Reds in defence (not saying it was a bad idea, he was their best fullback at the time but it wasn't what Deans wanted). Slipper playing tighthead for the Reds, Alexander playing loosehead for the Brumbies, Barnes playing flyhalf for the Waratahs. The point is for the first time the Wallaby coach has direct control over 1/3 of the (also McKenzie selected) Wallabies during soup season. Now lets imagine someone else was the Wallabies coach and they thought wouldn't it be nice if Skelton were a lot fitter, then he'd actually be useful in test matches but alas he's unable to do anything about it in season. But word is Skelton has been absolutely flogged by the Waratahs/Wallabies staff since returning early to preseason training and is beating his tight five contenders in hill runs although he weighs 10-20 kilos more than them. Now A few questions about the "downsides" Why would someone be more easily recruited/retained for 2016 when Chieka is leaving anyway, the Waratahs could all fall apart like the Reds after McKenzie left. And regarding 2015 recruitments they mostly were complete before he became the coach but even still the Waratahs wanted Dargaville from the Stars but the Brumbies snagged him. That doesn't suggest much benefit does it.