You could be forgiven for thinking it’s too early to be predicting Super Rugby 2019 when, really, Christmas is a fading memory and we’re only just into the new year.
You’d be wrong, though. This very month the Hamilton 7s kicks off, with the newly relocated Sydney 7s beginning six days later, meaning that we’re halfway through the off-season.
Super Rugby 2018 was fascinating. While the end result – a Crusaders grand final victory – was predicted by most in February, what happened during the 19 rounds was a far cry from what punters expected.
The change back to the 15-team format employed from 2011 to 2015 was a successful one, with SANZAAR removing three perennial strugglers in the Kings, Cheetahs and Force. Though the move alienated fans of the respective teams, it lifted the standards of the tournament overall and created a more equal outcome.
Though the inclusion of the Sunwolves and Jaguares came at the expense of the Cheetahs and Force, improvements were shown from the outsiders, as the Argentines qualified for their first finals series and the Japanese won more games and accumulated more points than ever before.
Super Rugby is a big competition, encompassing 15 teams and spanning multiple time zones, making it very difficult to pay full attention to every team, especially if new year resolutions say something about more family time, so let’s take a look at who you should focus on and who you should leave to a one-off late night.
Australian conference
Team to watch: Brumbies
Team to ignore: Sunwolves
Brumbies
Dan McKellar’s Brumbies mightn’t have reached the finals in 2018, pinned down by a 4-4 home record, but wins over the Hurricanes and Bulls on tour demonstrated what they’re capable of.
The Canberrans lost Ben Alexander, Robbie Abel, Richie Arnold, Isi Naisarani and James Dargaville in the off-season but gained the unwanted James Slipper from the Reds, Pete Samu and Toni Pulu.
McKellar’s ‘running rugby’ plan, a plan whereby their attack doesn’t rely on lineouts in good field position to score – it’s a plan so different to what we’ve come to expect from the ACT side – hasn’t come to fruition yet, but an increase in tries scored, from 43 in 2017 to 56 in 2018, will give him some confidence.
(Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
Sunwolves
If you’re looking for potential finals contenders to focus on this year, you will likely take every Sunwolves game as a chance to stretch the legs before more important games hit your TV screen.
The Japanese side finished 14th on the try-scoring sheet, with their tally of 48 just beating the defensive-minded Stormers with 46 but being slightly more than half of the Crusaders’ total of 90.
They don’t look like world-beaters just yet, but smashing the Reds, drop-kicking their way to victory against the Stormers and outlasting the Bulls will have teams on their toes – just ask the Blues.
While their XV has some serious power in it, especially in a talent-laden back row – think Michael Leitch at blindside or No.8, Sean McMahon as openside, Dan Pryor and Hendrik Tui in the mix as well – for three years their team has been less than the sum of its parts, so don’t get too excited yet.
So, Roarers, let me know what you think. Am I being too harsh on the Sunwolves? Too generous about the Brumbies?
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Hunt - Hegarty swap has not and probably will not happen. It appears to have been a media inspired rumour, or if it ever had legs I would hope the senior Tah players said No.
Bobby
Guest
Still seen no official press release saving whether Hunt will definitely be at the Tahs. Thought our rugby Journalists would be doing some digging, particularly since we are in a rugby desert for the next few weeks !
Tom English
Roar Guru
Not sure how mate – I only pointed out a small increase in form. From 0/26 to 4/16 is an increase of standards, by 25% is it not?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Exactly. It's speculation to think they could have improved too. It's all speculation. I'm not the one saying that speculation should have changed decision making.
Errol
Guest
That is speculation,without The Force players we will never know and the same could be said of The Force ,they finished on equal amount of wins as Brumbies in 2017 so they very well may had ended up in finals.
Errol
Guest
Improved because they were given The Force coach and their best players otherwise they would be languishing still.Was that fair to The Force and all their fans .I think not, but let’s look at the fact ,they went to 4 teams but where was the improvement?????
Bobby
Guest
McMahon has a foot injury (Liz Frank??). Tried to get it right without surgery, played 2 0r 3 games and boofo. Believe he had surgery but recovery time is 4 or 5 months. So he'll probably miss the first few games at least. He seems to be getting some serious injuries
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes its very good, alas, wouldnt be the best team theyve fielded since 2003 but perhaps thats s good thing?
Rugger
Guest
Sorry EFF but it is inaccurate to suggest the Force’s 2014 finish was in the top half - they came 8th out of 15 teams which is dead centre, not the ‘top half’. The Rebels were introduced 5 years after the Force so you can’t really compare the two sides for another 4 years. One indisputable fact is the style of rugby produced by the Rebels since their inception is far more attractive than 10 of the 12 seasons dished out by the Force. That was also one of the key reasons for their removal.
Ex force fan
Guest
I think you may have misunderstood TWAS. With GRR starting players that did not make the Superteams will not only move to the Force other GRR teams may use them as well. Where you had one team providing these players with an option to progress their career now you have several.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It doesn’t fail to consider that at all Andrew. Teams are stronger with the depth of those players.
Brian
Roar Rookie
Hard to imagine much difference to the last few years. The break leaves little room for major improvements to have occurred. The two X factors will be the schedule of who each team plays outside of their respective conferences and the rest certain players will get etc. leading up to the the World Cup. All things being equal the NZ dominance should easily prevail. I think The Rebels will be Aussie conference winners as Wessels has now had a whole season to get things in to place.
andrewM
Roar Rookie
Just as the Force were in 2017..equal number of wins as the Brumbies..
andrewM
Roar Rookie
That actually happened in 2018 as well TWAS, they just weren't playing super rugby. It wasn't one way traffic either - it could be argued that the loss of players from WA in the past had as significant impact to Rugby as those travelling west to the Force simply due to the numbers involved. Your argument also fails to consider the simple fact that many of those players who did move weren't getting any significant game time at home, hence their desire to relocate. Food for thought - when GRR takes off there may very well be a bigger demand for players from this pool of players than when the Force was in Super Rugby
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The Rebels were going to improve in 2018 no matter what. They had up to 10 starters missing most games in 2017.
Lano
Roar Guru
According to Dennning “without data you’re just a person with an opinion’’.....
andrewM
Roar Rookie
Sorry Tom, your article lost all credibility after this paragraph. If you think winning 3 games out of 20 to NZ teams is a lift in standards then your standards must be pretty low. Hardly worth losing a team over. “Though the move alienated fans of the respective teams, it lifted the standards of the tournament overall and created a more equal outcome.”
Errol
Guest
The Rebels did improve once they got the coach and the best players from the Force.So tell me why the Force were not kept as they proved in 2017 to be the better team and the Rebels axed especially as they cost RA twice as much as the Force.The money the ARU as it was called at the time saved was probably spent on their new Headquarters new name and new logo, certainly not on improving Rugby here as last years Super Rugby was a disaster for Australian teams and so carried over to the Wallabies.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And they could have fallen in a heap. We could have done worse by axing the Rebels too. That’s how hypotheticals work. We don’t know. I’m pointing out that plenty of teams on better trajectory than the 2017 Force have not kicked on.
CUW
Roar Rookie
Hendrick TUI is the no8 and Leitch is the 6 for japan. but is SM in the suqad? they have names of 41 - but not SM> initial 29 Forwards - Keita Inagaki, Asaeli Ai Valu, Koo Ji Won, Hencus van Wyk, Craig Millar, Atsushi Sakate, Jaba Bregvadze, Shota Horie, Grant Hattingh, Kazuki Himeno, Hendrik Tui, James Moore, Tom Rowe, Ed Quirk, Dan Pryor, Michael Leitch, Pieter "Lappies" Labuschagne. Backs - Kaito Shigeno, Fumiaki Tanaka, Yutaka Nagare, Hayden Parker, Rikiya Matsuda, Ryoto Nakamura, Phil Burleigh, Michael Little, Rene Ranger, Lomano Lava Lemeki, Jason Emery, Gerhard van den Heever. 12 late additions ■Pauliasi MANU ■Sam PRATTLEY■Hiroshi YAMASHITA■Yusuke NIWAI ■Kara PRYOR ■Mark ABBOTT ■Wimpie VANDERWALT ■Rahboni Warren ■Keisuke UCHIDA ■Jamie BOOTH ■Kenki FUKUOKA ■Jamie HENRY