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2017 Super Rugby ladder predictions and potential XVs: 9th - 1st

13th January, 2017
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The Highlanders' Aaron Smith. (AAP Image/ SNPA, Ross Setford)
Roar Guru
13th January, 2017
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6182 Reads

Following on from my article regarding my predictions for the bottom nine of the ladder is this set of bold choices for the other title chasers.

There is plenty to fight through this season. It’s still too early to dismiss most teams, but, from the looks of the squads and a quick trace of recent history, this is the crop that I deem to be the frontrunners for this Super Rugby season.

Brumbies
The Brumbies elicit mixed feelings.

Off the back of losing David Pocock, Matt Toomua, Joe Tomane and Stephen Moore, it could be assumed that the Canberrans don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.

However the development of their forward pack, with the extended addition of Chris Alcock and Lolo Fakaosilea as well as the acquisition of Kyle Godwin in the backline, their team now look formidable on paper.

I’m sure I don’t stand alone when I say that my biggest wish for anything Brumbies related is that Christian Lealiifano gets better after his horror end to 2016 – my thoughts are with him and his family.

Predicted finish:
Ninth

Potential XV:
1. Scott Sio
2. Saia Fainga’a
3. Allan Alaalatoa
4. Rory Arnold
5. Tom Staniforth
6. Scott Fardy
7. Jarrad Butler
8. Lolo Fakaosilea
9. Tomas Cubelli
10. Nick Jooste
11. James Dargaville
12. Kyle Godwin
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Henry Speight
15. Aidan Toua
16. Robbie Abel
17. Nic Mayhew
18. Ben Alexander
19. Sam Carter
20. Chris Alcock
21. Joe Powell
22. Wharenui Hawera
23. Nigel Ah Wong

Blues
The New Zealand conference already gets touted for their impressive depth among the teams and with good reason – a few recent inclusions to the Blues pack has them fielding one of, if not the most, dangerous backline in the competition this year.

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Bringing in players like Sonny Bill Williams and Augustine Pulu strengthens key areas and the continued improvement and use of Akira and Rieko Ioane will undoubtedly pay dividends if they can get firing. I hope they’re a better side than that of yesteryear.

Predicted finish:
Eighth

Potential XV:
1. Charlie Faumuina
2. James Parsons
3. Ofa Tu’ungafasi
4. Patrick Tuipulotu
5. Steven Luatua
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Kara Pryor
8. Akira Ioane
9. Augustine Pulu
10. Ihaia West
11. Rieko Ioane
12. Sonny Bill Williams
13. George Moala
14. Rene Ranger
15. Melani Nanai
16. Matt Moulds
17. Sam Prattley
18. Pauliasi Manu
19. Jimmy Tupou
20. Blake Gibson
21. Billy Guyton
22. Piers Francis
23. Jordon Trainor

Sharks
The Sharks strike me as the most intriguing to watch out of any team in the South African conferences.

Not only is there a changing of the guard at coach with Robert du Preez stepping up from his role in the Currie Cup, but the backline will be all the more exciting.

With Pat Lambie set to enjoy a full season, Lukhanyo Am and Kobus van Wyk, two excitement machines coming in from rival teams and the French international Clement Poitrenaud hopefully cementing a spot at fullback – it’s sure to be a good watch.

That’s a lot to take in, but it’s a lot to get excited about too. It’s a fairly young team, so expecting a lot now might be a stretch, but they look to be a team on the rise.

Predicted finish: Seventh

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Potential XV:
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Franco Marais
3. Coenie Oosthuizen
4. Etienne Oosthuizen
5. Ruan Botha
6. Keegan Daniel
7. Jean-Luc du Preez
8. Dan du Preez
9. Cobus Reinach
10. Pat Lambie
11. Lwazi Mvovo
12. Andre Esterhuizen
13. Lukhanyo Am
14. Kobus van Wyk
15. Clement Poitrenaud
16. Stephan Coetzee
17. Lourens Adriaanse
18. Thomas du Toit
19. Jean Droste
20. Jean Deysel
21. Michael Claassens
22. Garth April
23. S’bura Sithole

Chiefs
The Chiefs will head into 2017 hurting after coming so close last year but positive and confident knowing they can improve on their performance.

Key figures Aaron Cruden, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown and James Lowe will spearhead a relentless backline who will be intent on scoring.

Meanwhile, the forward pack, if able to keep Dominic Bird and Nepo Laulala healthy, will have a solid platform in order to orchestrate and demonstrate the flair that has made them so fun to watch.

All considered, the squad as a whole doesn’t look quite as imposing as others, so a march to the finals would be an impressive effort.

Predicted finish: Sixth

Potential XV:
1. Mitchell Graham
2. Nathan Harris
3. Nepo Laulala
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Dominic Bird
6. Liam Messam
7. Sam Cane
8. Michael Leitch
9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow
10. Aaron Cruden
11. James Lowe
12. Charlie Ngatai
13. Anton Lienert-Brown
14. Tim Nanai-Williams
15. Damian McKenzie
16. Hika Elliot
17. Atu Moli
18. Kane Hames
19. Taleni Seu
20. Tom Sanders
21. Brad Weber
22. Johnny Fa’auli
23. Sam McNicol

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Hurricanes
The Hurricanes enter 2017 with a giant target on their back.

They’ve enjoyed a place in the finals for the last two years and even won the 2016 competition over an inspired Lions team, so the new year will have to bring lofty heights if they’re to repeat their efforts.

The loss of players like Victor Vito, Willis Halaholo and James Marshall is a sizeable chink in the armour, but the coming season should see the healthy return of Nehe Milner-Skudder and James Broadhurst as well as a host of star-studded speedsters across both the forwards and backs.

If a team were to push for consecutive championships, this could be the team to do it.

Predicted finish: Fifth

Potential XV:
1. Reggie Goodes
2. Dane Coles
3. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
4. James Broadhurst
5. Michael Fatialofa
6. Vaea Fifita,
7. Ardie Savea
8. Blade Thomson
9. TJ Perenara
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Julian Savea
12. Vince Aso
13. Matt Proctor
14. Ben Lam
15. Nehe Milner-Skudder
16. Leni Apisai
17. Chris Eves
18. Ben May
19. Sam Lousi.
20. Brad Shields
21. Te Toiroa Tahuiorangi
22. Otere Black
23. Jordie Barrett

Lions
The question on the lips of any Johannesburg local: can the Lions go one better in 2017?

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They’ve retained the bulk of their season-defining starting side and will be hellbent on proving that 2016 wasn’t just a fluke.

The two problems that come to mind are that now there is absolutely no surprise factor when facing this side and perhaps more devastating is that the few Lions players who earned Springbok selection could do next to nothing to help their nation’s team scrape together many wins.

Personnel like Elton Jantjies and Lionel Mapoe didn’t take their chances as well as they could have and Jaco Kriel and Ruan Combrinck didn’t get the game time they deserved.

This will be another big year for this team and I think they have the nerve to push again.

Predicted finish: Fourth

Potential XV:
1. Dylan Smith
2. Malcolm Marx
3. Julian Redelinghuys
4. Andries Ferreira
5. Franco Mostert
6. Jaco Kriel
7. Warwick Tecklenburg
8. Warren Whitely
9. Faf de Klerk
10. Elton Jantjies
11. Courtnall Skosan
12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg
13. Lionel Mapoe
14. Ruan Combrinck
15. Andries Coetzee
16. Akker van der Merwe
17. Corne Fourie
18. Jacques van Rooyen
19. Marvin Orie
20. Ruan Ackermann
21. Dillon Smit
22. Jaco van der Walt
23. Harold Vorster

Waratahs
A side desperately hoping to improve their fortunes in 2017 will be the Waratahs, who missed out on a finals berth and finished last year with more losses than wins.

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Thankfully, forward recruits like Damien Fitzpatrick and Michael Wells will bolster their squad, as will the backline depth be vastly improved by in-form NRC stars Jake Gordon and Irae Simone.

The ‘Tahs, however, will be relying on keeping their established players healthy and hoping that their young guns Jack Dempsey, Jed Holloway and Andrew Kellaway can continue their impressive rise to Super Rugby level and beyond.

Predicted finish:
Third

Potential XV:
1. Tom Robertson
2. Tolu Latu
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Dean Mumm
5. Will Skelton
6. Jack Dempsey
7. Michael Hooper
8. Jed Holloway
9. Nick Phipps
10. Bernard Foley
11. Taqele Naiyaravoro
12. David Horwitz
13. Israel Folau
14. Rob Horne
15. Andrew Kellaway
16. Hugh Roach
17. Paddy Ryan
18. Angus Ta’avao
19. Ned Hanigan
20. Brad Wilkin
21. Matt Lucas
22. Bryce Hegarty
23. Reece Robinson

Bulls
The Bulls have the world at their feet and if they can’t make the cogs turn this year, there will be serious questions getting asked.

The forward pack showed promise last year and they unearthed a great lock in RG Snyman, but have since bolstered their stocks with the best player from the Kings and Cheetahs respectively in 2016, Edgar Marutlulle and Lood de Jager.

The backs as well will be in far better condition with the return of superstar flyhalf Handre Pollard, who will be instrumental in the Bulls’ season.

New signing Johnny Kotze will spark the attack in an already solid set of centre and wing options that are young and on the rise.

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This is going to be a big year for the men from Pretoria.

Predicted finish:
Second

Potential XV:
1. Trevor Nyakane
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. Nqoba Mxoli
4. Lood de Jager
5. RG Snyman
6. Jannes Kirsten
7. Jacques Potgieter
8. Hanro Liebenberg
9. Rudy Paige
10. Handre Pollard
11. Travis Ismaiel
12. Jan Serfontein
13. Jesse Kriel
14. Jamba Ulengo
15. Warrick Gelant
16. Edgar Marutlulle
17. Pierre Schoeman
18. Jacobie Adriaanse
19. Jason Jenkins
20. Roelof Smit
21. Piet van Zyl
22. Tian Schoeman
23. Johnny Kotze

Highlanders
The Highlanders are a team that excites me across the park.

To see a team perform so strongly without the household names of other teams is immeasurably impressive, but now that their whole squad has had exposure to the finals campaign of Super Rugby I think they might have the personnel to push for a second championship in three years.

Covering the losses of Ross Geldenhuys, Brendon Edmonds and Fumiaka Tanaka isn’t a breeze, but they’ve retained the bulk of their squad as well as adding the jet Tevita Li, so they’ve definitely got the cattle to run riot.

Predicted finish: First

Potential XV:
1. Daniel Lienert-Brown
2. Liam Coltman
3. Siua Halanukonuka
4. Tom Franklin
5. Alex Ainley
6. Elliot Dixon
7. Shane Christie
8. Liam Squire
9. Aaron Smith
10. Lima Sopoaga
11. Waisake Naholo
12. Matt Faddes
13. Malakai Fekitoa
14. Tevita Li
15. Ben Smith
16. Ash Dixon
17. Craig Millar
18. Guy Millar
19. Joe Wheeler
20. Dan Pryor
21. Josh Renton
22. Richard Buckman
23. Patrick Osborne

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I’m well aware that not all, if any, options will be agreed with.

That’s not a problem, though. If I’ve done nothing more than spark a bit more discussion about the upcoming Super Rugby season and reminding some fans of the teams’ current squad of stars, then I’ll be content.

Good luck to your respective teams, Roarers!

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