After Round 1 of Super Rugby we know for certain the Waratahs cannot possibly win the championship and the Wallabies should be stacked with Force and Rebels players.
In fact I will go one further and say that the Rebels’ win over the Crusaders means the All Blacks are now on a downward spiral to mediocrity.
It is also obvious that we should just hand the trophy over to the Brumbies.
If my sarcasm isn’t obvious than let me say of course none of the above is true.
Last season the Waratahs proved that the ball-in-hand style is a double-edged sword. A few too many drop balls and the style becomes entirely flawed. As I wrote many times last year, we need to take the good results with the bad. They will win many games with their style of play, and often it will look like they are unbeatable. However there will be times when things do not click.
If you look at the possession, territory and run metre stats, the Waratahs were easily the superior side on Sunday. For instance the Waratahs made just about double the amount of run metres as their opposition. This is was what they consistently achieved last year.
So we should not be worried at all. We should insist that they keep playing with the intention that they had because it is now a proven way of winning a championship. It will help that they played with a bit more aggression. I’m almost certain the loss is a blessing in disguise on that front.
In terms of the performances of the Force and the Rebels, they were very pleasing displays. If their form continues some more of their players will no doubt start to put pressure on the Wallaby starting XV. However I can not see the Rebels or the Force maintaining the ability to beat the better sides because they lack the quality other sides have.
There are some up and comers no doubt but let’s not romanticise their deeds too much without paying due attention to their flaws. For example Angus Cottrell is a genuine good player. I’ve been saying that for years. But does he have the physicality for the next level? Lopeti Timani is a good ball carrier but can he have a season without giving away ridiculous penalties? Time will tell.
As for the Crusaders losing to the Rebels, we all know what happens when we start writing off the Crusaders and for that matter their obvious extension the mighty All Blacks. It’s best not to even say a word about them. Let’s just go about our business and try and stay under the radar.
Last but not least is the fact that the Brumbies looked fantastic. Time will tell whether their performance was a result of their weak opposition or their own doing.
It is just too early to tell.
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