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The new season is upon us, and among the 18 teams sits a whole swag of players with plenty to prove in Super Rugby and beyond.
Here’s a selection of five players from across the five SANZAAR countries of origin, who will all be worth watching in 2016, albeit for very different reasons.
Pure potential: Santiago Cordero (Jaguares)
He was one of the stars of the Rugby World Cup, and now Santiago Cordero is set to tear it up in Super Rugby.
It was a phenomenal tournament for the Pumas flyer, in which he averaged nearly 90 metres a game, busted tackles fairly regularly, crossed the gain line often, and found at least one turnover per game. He beat more than five defenders in every game, and averaged more than two clean breaks as well.
Perhaps the only surprise in all this is that he only scored three tries for the tournament, and more so, that that actually doubled his total Test tries tally. He’s started 15 of his 18 Tests, but only has six tries to his name – and those six came in just three games.
He’s a much better player than that record indicates, and if Los Jaguares can fire and put him in space, we’ll see that for ourselves.
Cordero has been named to start on the right wing, alongside 12 other Pumas teammates from the World Cup squad. And knowing how feeble the Cheetahs’ edge defence can be at times, it’ll be worth the early rise on Saturday morning to watch the carnage.
Timely return: Rene Ranger (Blues)
Just as the migration of former All Blacks midfielders seemed one-way, Rene Ranger returns to Super Rugby and the Blues after a stint with Montpellier in France.
There’s no shortage of centre options for Steve Hansen in 2016, there never is, but if Ranger can find the same kind of storming form that he displayed prior to his departure – James O’Connor still has Rene’s handprint on his chest – then the words ‘All Black regular’ might suddenly apply.
There’s no doubt that the return of Ranger is one of the reasons for renewed optimism around the Blues this season. If Tana Umaga can sprinkle the right amount of pixie dust over his Blues squad, the talent is certainly there.
And on that regard, how much of a luxury is it for Umaga to bring Ranger – and Akira Ioane, for that matter – off the bench against the Highlanders in the season opener tonight? George Moala and Male Sa’u are decent players in their own right, but what Ranger can bring to the table is something worth tuning in for. Bring the popcorn.
Out of the shadow: Jake McIntyre (Reds)
If Richard Graham is the man in the hot seat in Queensland, then Jake McIntyre’s chair would have to be on the warm side, too.
Following Quade Cooper in the Reds No.10 jersey is going to be only marginally less difficult than being the guy given the Crusaders’ No.7 or No.10. It won’t matter how good a season McIntyre has in 2016, he’ll be judged against Cooper whether he likes it or not, and whether it’s fair or not.
(It won’t be fair, for what it’s worth. Cooper played more than a hundred Super Rugby games; McIntyre’s played three.)
But McIntyre is a very promising young player whose game management has come along pretty well at NRC level, and just as Cooper had the familiar sight of Will Genia providing the service, McIntyre will have a similarly well-developed combination with Nick Frisby.
The arguments about the future of Graham are all pretty fair. But there should be no doubt about McIntyre being the guy to build the Reds’ team of the future around. He’ll be worth the investment.
Credibility: Shota Horie (Sunwolves)
When the Sunwolves were first confirmed as one of the new teams in the expanded Super Rugby, I hoped above hope that they would be able to sign hooker Shota Horie and cult hero scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka.
They weren’t able to extract Tanaka away from Dunedin – unsurprisingly, very few players left the Championship-winning Highlanders in 2015 – but they were able to sign Horie, who will also captain the Sunwolves in their maiden season, which is a good call.
“An almighty hooker who has fantastic handling and running skill,” as the Sunwolves website brilliantly proclaims, Horie’s experience in Super Rugby with the Highlanders and Melbourne Rebels will be invaluable, and brings some solid credibility to the fledgling side.
A Top League-winning captain this season with Robbie Deans’ Panasonic side, Horie also has more than 40 Tests to his name, and will lead the pack from the front in both set pieces.
Opportunity: Cobus Reinach (Sharks)
I’ve got more than a little concern about the Sharks’ ability to start the season well with so many injuries currently, but I do like the opportunity that situation provides for a number of young players.
Among them is Cobus Reinach, who in the absence of Patrick Lambie for the time being has a really good chance to be the spark in the Sharks’ attack. They’ll have plenty of firepower out wider, headlined by their copious back three options (Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, S’bura Sithole, Willie ‘Spiders’ le Roux, among others), but Reinach can be the man in the middle who knows when to let the ball sing.
Finally rewarded with a Springboks debut last year, and with the curtain surely drawing on the international careers of Fourie du Preez and Ruan Pienaar, the opportunity for Reinach to play his way into the Test No.9 may not be clearer.
And there you have them. Undoubtedly, there are players everywhere to watch – who have you got your eye on and why?