What do we want from Super Rugby in 2018?

The new and improved Super Rugby competition is under way. Just how improved it will be remains to be seen, but there can be little argument that streamlining the competition was a step in the right direction.

All we need now is to keep chopping down until it eventually looks a lot like the old Super 12 competition, a comp which was never broken in the first place.

Anyway, it is what it is for 2018. A total of 15 teams is manageable, the conference system is still in use which is not everyone’s cup of tea – but it does give everyone who isn’t a New Zealand side a reason to keep turning up each week.

So what do we (as Australian viewers) want out of Super Rugby 2018?

Well, more wins, obviously. And the usuals about standards of play and entertainment being higher. But assuming the Australian sides aren’t magically going to start beating their Kiwi counterparts, what can we expect from each franchise?

The axing of the Force was depressing for everyone involved. But it’s done now so we won’t dwell on it for this article. The positive of their demise is that all of a sudden you have to be sort of good at rugby to get a game for one of the Australian teams, which was not always a prerequisite when we operated with five franchises.

(AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Look at the Rebels, the side where most of the Force squad have been re-housed. Last season if you owned a pair of boots and lived in the Melbourne area you were half a chance of sitting on the bench for them.

This season you’d make a strong case to say that they’ve got one of the best rosters in the competition on paper. Whether they’ll gel together in time for this season we will find out in due time, but if the forwards (now featuring Adam Coleman) can build a solid platform there’s a lot to like about a backline containing Reece Hodge, Sefanaia Naivalu, Dane Haylett-Petty and Marika Koroibete. The Rebels should do well this season – emphasis on the ‘should’, there.

They were humbled in a trial against the Waratahs last weekend who are no world-beaters themselves.

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The ‘Tahs are in an unenviable position. They’ve used up all their credits with two seasons of absolute dross. The only time the Waratahs actually showed any fight last season was when they were defending their own failing methods.

All of the Australian teams need to be better in 2018, but Daryl Gibson’s men really, really need to be better this time around. They’ve got a rough draw to start the season and I fear that if performances aren’t good early on that fans won’t hang around.

Quite a few experts are tipping the Waratahs to top the Australian conference this season, but for the life of me I can’t see where that optimism is coming from. Nothing from 2017 or 2016 would lead anyone to believe that success is just around the corner for this group – especially in a condensed competition this season. But hey, everyone thought the Reds would be decent last year and look how that turned out.

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Speaking of, the Reds go into 2018 with a whole new vibe. Enough has been written about the Quade Cooper debacle (here, by me, actually) so let’s focus on who is there.

Jono Lance is an under rated player and has been for some time. Being out west with the Force has kept him out of the spotlight to a degree, but he’ll feel it more in the Reds jersey and the east coast prime-time slot.

Brad Thorn has assembled a squad of unfancied journeymen for 2018. He’s made no secret of his desire to play hard, defence-first rugby. That’s fine, if they win games. If they don’t, then it’ll be interesting to see how many times the Fox Sports cameramen find Quade’s face in the crowd.

The Reds not winning games wouldn’t be anything new, they’ve not-won games pretty consistently since 2012. But if you’re going to remove the entertainers from the arena and go boring in search of results, those results had better come.

Ironically the last Australian team most people are focusing on for 2018 are the best Australian team from 2017 – the Brumbies. For our only play-off representative last season the expectations are incredibly low around the ACT, especially when you consider that David Pocock returns from his sabbatical and Christian Lealiifano comes in hot on the back of a stint starring for Ulster in the Pro 14.

Lealiifano’s return is not only a heart-warming tale but now Bernard Foley has genuine competition for the Wallabies 10 jersey for the first time in several years.

(AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

There’s a little bit of a fresh dawn feeling about Super Rugby this year. For the first time in a few years there’s genuine intrigue about how each franchise’s season will play out and even – whisper it quietly – a hint of optimism that the Australian teams might go alright and who knows, maybe even notch a solitary win against a New Zealand side.

Reach for the stars, kids.