With a World Cup year in the rearview mirror, plenty of All Blacks moving on and a high-profile player move, the New Zealand conference will again make for compelling viewing this Super Rugby season.
At The Roar, we’ll be posting a series of previews in the lead-up to the 2020 Super Rugby season, which begins on Friday, January 31. We’ll look at the New Zealand conference today and the South African conference tomorrow, before doing individual team previews for the Australian conference teams next week.
View the full 2020 Super Rugby fixture here.
The teams
Blues
View the full squad here.
Ins: Aaron Carroll, Beauden Barrett, Finlay Christie, Kurt Eklund, Jack Heighton, Jordan Hyland, Tony Lamborn, Joe Marchant, Emoni Narawa, Jared Page, Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa, Ray Niuia, Mark Telea, James Tucker
Outs: Leni Apisai, Levi Aumua, Jed Brown, Michael Collins, Lua Li, Matt Matich, Matt Moulds, Melani Nanai, Ma’a Nonu, Augustine Pulu, Hisa Sasagi, Scott Scrafton, Jordan Trainor, Jimmy Tupou, Sonny Bill Williams
Perennially the cellar-dwellers of the Kiwi conference, the Blues made the biggest splash of any Super Rugby side in the offseason by poaching Beauden Barrett from the Hurricanes. He provides an immediate and enormous update at the flyhalf position – or at least he will when he comes into the side mid-season – but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows on the transfer front with centres Sonny Bill Williams and Ma’a Nonu both heading off to North America.
Joe Marchant – on loan from Harlequins – goes some way to plugging the hole, but they’ll be relying heavily on Rieko Ioane to rediscover his All Black-calibre form in his new position.
Are they good enough to not get routinely pummelled by their neighbours? This year, the answer might actually be yes. It’s hard to see them topping a conference that still houses the Crusaders and Chiefs, but with the Highlanders and Hurricanes looking considerably weaker than a season ago, they might just have what it takes to finally gain liftoff from last.
Chiefs
View the full squad here.
Ins: Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Leroy Carter, Robb Cobb, Aaron Cruden, Ross Geldenhuys, Donald Maka, Sam McNicol, Lisati Milo-Harris, Kini Naholo, Dylan Nel, Ollie Norris, James Thompson, Adam Thomson, Kaleb Trask, Quinn Tupaea, Tupou Vaa’i
Outs: Jack Debreczeni, Stephen Donald, Kane Hames, Fin Hoeata, Mitch Jacobson, Sefo Kautai, Daymon Leasuasu, Tevita Mafileo, Marty McKenzie, Ataata Moeakiola, Jesse Parete, Liam Polwart, Brodie Retallick, Taleni Seu, Jonathan Taumateine
Following a disappointing quarter-finals exit, the Chiefs made a decent upgrade at the coaching level, replacing Colin Cooper with former Wales international coach Warren Gatland.
Sam Cane could genuinely press a claim for being the best Kiwi forward in Super Rugby this season, while the return of Damian McKenzie from an ACL injury gives the side a huge boost in the halves. Aaron Cruden’s return from France could also be a game-changer, although his age may prevent him from having quite the same impact he did in the championship years.
The big loss, however, is All Blacks superstar Brodie Retallick. There’s no way the Chiefs were going to be able to adequately replace him in one go, but they do look somewhat weak in the lock position.
After years of alleged underachieving, Gatland will be looking to get the most out of a side that still boasts plenty of talent. With some rival teams vulnerable, could he take them from finals flops to Super Rugby champions?
Aaron Cruden returns to Super Rugby in 2020. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Crusaders
View the full squad here.
Ins: Fergus Burke, Tom Christie, Inga Finau, Cullen Grace, Siona Havili, Dallas McLeod, Fetuli Paea, Ethan Roots
Outs: Tim Bateman, Ryan Crotty, Israel Dagg, Owen Franks, Ben Funnell, Mitchell Hunt, Tim Perry, Ngane Punivai, Kieran Read, Jordan Taufua, Matt Todd, Sam Whitelock
Ooft. There are some incredibly hefty names on that list of outs. Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock, Matt Todd, Ryan Crotty and (to a lesser extent) Owen Franks were all All Blacks regulars throughout 2019, so to see five players of that calibre out the door is a crushing blow for the Crusaders.
Still, you need more than five A-graders to win a championship, and you certainly need a lot more to win three on the trot.
Richie Mo’unga is still there, if you’d forgotten, as are Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, George Bridge, Joe Moody and Codie Taylor. Scarcely believable depth has been the key to success for New Zeland on the international stage for some time, so it’s no surprise that’s also the case with the nation’s best Super Rugby side.
If you had your fingers crossed for a Crusaders collapse in 2020, you’ll need to be engaging several more superstitious behaviours for that to take place.
A lot of faces from this picture are gone. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Highlanders
View the full squad here.
Ins: Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Michael Collins, Ethan de Groot, Tima Fainga’anuku, Scott Gregory, Mitchell Hunt, Zane Kapeli, Chris Kuridrani, Sione Misiloi, Jona Nareki, Jesse Parete, Ngani Punivai, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Jeff Thwaites, Nathan Vella
Outs: Marty Banks, Richard Buckman, Elliot Dixon, Sef Fa’agase, Matt Faddes, Tom Franklin, Jackson Hemopo, Dan Hollinshead, Jordan Hyland, Ricky Jackson, Tevita Li, Tyrel Lomax, Waisake Naholo, Ray Niuia, Ben Smith, Liam Squire, Luke Whitelock
There are departures, then there are exoduses and then there’s whatever the heck the Highlanders have gone through since the World Cup.
For a team that lost more than they won in 2019 and only scraped into the finals by one point, losing players like Ben Smith, Liam Squire, Waisake Naholo and even promising youngster Tyrel Lomax looks like a recipe for disaster.
Rising up the ladder is almost out of the question immediately, with a return to the finals looking dubious at best.
A massive injection of youth into the squad will no doubt do wonders in the years to come, but it’s hard to see 2020 being anything but a year of pain for the Highlanders.
Aaron Mauger and the Highlanders have their work cut out for them this year. (Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)
Hurricanes
View the full squad here.
Ins: Jamie Booth, Devan Flanders, Tyrel Lomax, Pouri Rakete-Sones, Scott Scrafton, Murphy Taramai, Jonathan Taumateine, Kobus van Wyk
Outs: Beauden Barrett, Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Finlay Christie, Geoff Cridge, Chris Eves, Andries Ferreira, Ross Geldenhuys, Sam Henwood, Richard Judd, Sam Lousi, Nehe Milner-Skudder, James O’Reilly, Matt Proctor, Salesi Rayasi, Toby Smith, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
Circumstances look to have conspired against the Hurricanes in a big way coming into this season. For every winner in sports, there is always a loser and, as much as the Blues have been celebrated for poaching Beauden Barrett, the ‘Canes have been left without their star playmaker for 2020.
While they largely avoided a massive exodus of All Blacks talent, they did lose coach John Plumtree to the national side at very short notice. Not to disrespect replacement Jason Holland by any means, but the circumstances really made him the only choice – not necessarily the best one.
Couple that misfortune with the fact Ardie Savea will miss the majority of the season through injury and it looks very unlikely that the Wellington team will be able to pick up a league-leading 12 wins again this season.
Jordie Barrett is now THE man for the Hurricanes. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Players to watch
Beauden Barrett (Blues)
It’s the easiest of answers, but Beauden Barrett is easily the most high-profile player swap we’ve seen in Super Rugby for some time. The fact he’s being tasked with turning the fortunes of New Zealand’s problem franchise around makes for an even juicier storyline.
After 34 tries in 125 appearances for the Hurricanes, all eyes will be on the two-time World Rugby Player of the Year as he looks to lead the Blues into the promised land.
Unfortunately for Auckland fans, Barrett won’t be available for selection until mid-April as he takes an extended break from rugby following the World Cup. Still, all eyes will be pointed his way when he’s wearing blue.
Beauden Barrett poses during a Blues portraits session. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)
Keeping in the family, youngest brother of the Barrett clan – Jordie – has a huge opportunity to take the helm at the Hurricanes and really make a name for himself.
Having played as a fullback for most of his career – with some appearances on the wings or at centre – Beauden’s departure could see the 22-year-old slot in at flyhalf and form a formidable partnership with TJ Perenara.
He’s still got plenty of time to prove himself to the rugby world but, with the conference in flux right now, this would be a great year to do it.
Aaron Cruden (Chiefs)
Following some time away in France, Cruden returns to the team he won back-to-back championships with in the hope of pulling them over the hill once more.
Can the 31-year-old be expected to put the team on his back? Probably not. But, if he can stay healthy, he may just prove to be the difference-maker the Chiefs have lacked in their more recent disappointing finals appearances.
Prediction
While some New Zealand sides look to have been hit hard by All Black retirements and other player movements, the New Zealand conference should still be strong enough to lap up the lion’s share of finals appearances.
The Crusaders and Chiefs look odds-on to sit atop the group when all is said and done. The Blues look like they’ll finally turn things around, but we’re not yet sold that they’ll be able to keep pace.
Still, the Auckland-based side should rise to the lofty heights of third place, while the Hurricanes and Highlanders may find themselves in a real scrap to make the finals.
1. Crusaders
2. Chiefs
3. Blues
4. Hurricanes
5. Highlanders
Fairly Rucked
Roar Rookie
He just needs to be careful with dropping his shoulder.
Carlin
Roar Rookie
I think the Chiefs this year. Have a good squad bar being light on the lock stocks. The pressure on Beauden Barrett will be immense especially if we see a slow start to the season. The Blues can be competitive but their forward pack needs to knuckle down and be more clinical. The Hurricanes still have a handy squad despite missing Beauden Barrett and Savea (for a good chunk of the season). They still have Coles, Fifita, Perenara, Jordie Barrett, Lam, Goosen and Laumape. The key will be having a settled 10 and I am interested to see if J. Barrett has a run there. Crusaders and the Highlanders (especially) have lost a huge amount of experience. Crusaders still have all their starting backline from last years final which is quite formidable. Highlanders have some good youngsters but think its a big rebuilding year. They do have the card of Tony Brown as an attack coach.
Carlin
Roar Rookie
This is a big year for Scott Barrett. Captaining the Crusaders and likely to be the All Black lock that plays the most minutes this year with no Retalick and an aging Whitelock coming back from Japan. Scott Barrett is a class footballer with a huge workrate and some pretty good skills.
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
I see from a quick research, that Tony Brown is coming back from Japan to come in as assistant coach in charge of attack, which is good news. The last time he was coaching the Highlanders was 2017, as he has been with Japan in 2018-2019, so your correction is misleading that he is "still" coaching the Highlanders. When you correct someone, can you please at least give a reply that does not add extra ambiguity to the situation to confuse. Cheers.
robert
Guest
tony brown is still coaching the landers
Tooly
Roar Rookie
No dropping in standard here.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
There’s very little change at the Reds, so I don’t see a big change in results. We just in the past haven’t see many cases where after a few years teams suddenly click. The changes to success have all been pretty immediate. That may not mean cellar dwellers to champs, but the change from bottom to contenders moving towards a title has happened quickly.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
There’s no real change there though. Same assistants. Speight is basically an equal swap for Naivalu. Petaia likely to miss games, and only add what they lose with Kerevi. But a big thing is I don’t think Petaia can be as potent without Kerevi I side. No slight on Petaia, just Kerevi’s size and agility forces defenders to fix longer.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I reckon the Reds might surprise us, if Thorn empowers the assistants and lets the players take risks. McDermott, Lucas, JOC, Petaia, Daugunu, Speight. They’re all dangerous players, and Hegarty is a talented guy too.
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
I will keep on eye out and look forward to the match report, Highlander. You can't take too much out of pre season games, but only scoring 7 points to the Crusaders 41 in a game where teams are trialing tactics, does not bode well for the attack or defence of the Clan... Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown have been huge losses for the Highlanders, as the team is so inexperienced, and their skills on rebuilding teams is desperately needed now. I am far from sold on Aaron Mauger as coach as well...Come home Jamie!
Highlander
Guest
Pinetree, I have watched the Highlanders 2 preseason games - we are in all sorts of bother this year. A tangible example of the hollowing out of nz rugby. Your boys look real good however. Look out for article/match report from the Wanaka game early next week.
TragicallySupportive
Roar Rookie
On the “ones to watch” front - they’re be some pressure on Scott Barrett this season too. They’ve lost somewhere around 400 tests + super rugby games off forward IP during the off season. I think it’ll be really interesting to see how they’ll deal with it.
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
One big positive. Jimmy, is that the Blues actually have a genuine top class 10. I reckon you would have to go back as far as Carlos Spencer to find the previous class 10 for the Blues. The continued lack of experience in coaching is still a major concern for me. I can't think of a winning, or even finalist side that didn't have a top class experienced coach (Graham Henry for the Blues, Wayne Smith/Robbie Deans for the Crusaders. Rod MacQueen Brumbies, Heyneke Meyer Bulls, Ewen Mckenzie Reds, Jamie Joseph Highlanders, Scott Robertson Crusaders). You can see a consistent pattern that coaching matters. Look how the Blues drop in form after Henry left, just to reclain a title when Henry came back as Assistant technical coach. I really believe that the Blues will continue to struggle without hiring a proven top class coach, like the Chiefs have done with Gatland. That sort of quality is what the Blues fans should demand for on next coach appointment. A major problem for the Blues is the game plan and execution of the forwards to assert dominance in set piece play, and without the high elite coaching in the forwards, a 10 is always going to struggle more in a team such as this.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
And I predict that Brad Thorn will be best man at Quade's wedding!
Jimmy Little
Roar Rookie
As a struggling Blues fan for what seems like an eternity, I would love to disagree with you. But my battle worn brain, as per, tells me that you’re probably right Pinetree. . Regardless though I’m going to drench my poor teams coming season in positivity because that’s all we have left here ????????. We’ve managed to snag BBBB to run the show post April, but it’s not (only) that I’m excited about. Stephen Perofeta is finally fit again and looks like he’s ready to fill the big boots he’s been thrown for a minute now, Finlay Christie is probably the most decent 9 we’ve had in awhile . Surely a better decision maker than Pulu, Ruru and Nock. Our backline has always been dangerous and this year looks to be the goods again , but above all else we have a quality set of forwards that should provide Enough ascendancy to put those backs into proper space. . Bold prediction. But I say blues second, if not , top of the conference.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
All participating countries in Superugby should go down on their hands and knees and say thank you to New Zealand…. Thank you for maintaining not just high standards but World leading standards. New Zealand franchises literally force particularly South Africa and Australia to continue to strive to compete.. There is very little doubt in my mind that the driving force of excellence in SH Rugby has been that small country and that’s for many years now.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
This is an interesting article. Gives hope that we will see some progressive thinking from NZR. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/119017080/new-zealand-rugby-launches-extensive-review-into-under-pressure-sport Gotta get involved with Japan (and have an open eye for the rest of Asia). Hopefully, get the Islanders onboard too (with all the extra money coming from the world's third-largest economy it is possible). I see huge potential. If NZR plays their cards right, they could be a key part of wrestling back the financial power in the game from the NH.
MitchO
Guest
There's a lot of good youngsters around the world and NZ and SA have always had more depth than us. Australia can usually put 23 to 30 top players out there. The kiwis and saffers many more. There has to be some awesome French kids out there. I think Ntmack is very young still too. We have somehow missed a generation of 9s and 10s though. Powell and Gordon are the 25ish year olds who are supposed to take over from Genia, Phipps and White and at least there are there or thereabouts - but all our 10s are about 30 (Cooper, Foley, Barnes, Lance, CLL) and the mid age range guys never really arrived (Mason, Stewart, Hegarty, Deegan).
Jimbo81
Roar Rookie
I predict the Blues come good this season sweeping the chiefs and sanders aside (personnel’s loss). I predict kiwi players will be treated harshly in the republic but not as harshly as the Reds by home town referees. I predict NZ players receiving yellow or red cards will receive 1/3 to 1/2 as much ban as Aussie players. I predict the Bledisloe will come home this year to Australia.
Jockstar
Guest
Chiefs or Crusaders ? No one else will get close.