Super Rugby has been suspended, likely for the year.
In the hypothetical that each team would make a pitch to SANZAAR as to why they should be given the title, here’s what they’d claim.
A couple of weeks back, there was a clear gap between the top nine sides and the remaining six. Since then, the Reds have bridged that gap to draw level with the Rebels on competition points.
Outside of this top ten, no-one could really lay claim to being most deserving. So let’s start.
Sharks
Fair point: On top of the table, overachieved on tour, four-game winning streak.
Counter point: Were smashed by the Hurricanes 38-22.
Brumbies
Fair point: Second on the ladder, despite having a game in hand.
Counter point: Lost to the Highlanders from a position where they shouldn’t have lost. Also, the schedule to date has been weak.
Crusaders
Fair point: Top of the toughest conference, currently chasing a four-peat, with no reason for them to fall short.
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Counter point: Lost by ten to the Chiefs, severely putting their status as best team in New Zealand in doubt.
Blues
Fair point: Four from four away from home, including going undefeated in South Africa. Currently in a position where they’d host a finals game. On a four-game winning streak as well.
Counter point: Lost to the superior (ladder-wise) NZ sides, the Crusaders and Chiefs at home. Can they match it with the big boys?
Chiefs
Fair point: While they’re third in their group, they’ve beaten both NZ teams above them, including the defending champion Crusaders.
Counter point: A weak home record, having lost to the Brumbies and Hurricanes in Waikato.
Hurricanes
Fair point: Edged out the Jaguares in Argentina, Chiefs in Waikato, and thrashed the table-topping Sharks.
Counter point: Were thrashed by the Stormers, and lost to the Blues in Wellington. Not as good as in past seasons.
Stormers
Fair point: Have the best defence in Super Rugby, even taking into account the bye. Defence wins championships.
Counter point: They’re historically strong against SA conference rivals, and their opening games reflected that. However they’ve lost two on the trot without picking up bonus points. And their scheduled tour is gruelling.
Jaguares
Fair point: While they’re a tough sell at this stage, a couple of winnable home games coming up could’ve seen them much higher on the ladder in three weeks.
Counter point: Extremely inconsistent, having alternated between winning and losing since season’s start. Still with a Trans-Tasman tour to come.
(Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)
Rebels
Fair point: Beat the Highlanders in New Zealand, and haven’t been blown out of the water by any team, unlike the Stormers, Hurricanes and Blues.
Counter point: The only properly good teams they’ve played so far are the Brumbies and Sharks. They lost both games by a margin.
Reds
Fair point: With a couple of big wins under their belt, the Reds have come close almost every time they didn’t get it done. They were edged out by the Brumbies and Lions, and put up a fight against the Sharks and Crusaders.
Counter point: They don’t seem to know how to win, and their flaws, such as goalkicking, are quickly becoming deal-breakers.
Wal
Roar Guru
+1 and it hurts as a Canterbury supporter but after a thoroughly dominant 2019 Tasman are a better team at present too. So maybe they are the Tasman Crusaders :)
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Can’t win a fight if the Ref throws the towel. Sensible decision. Make a commercial decision , declare RA bankruptcy and cut the loss. The franchise’s the same. What an opportunity for Andrew Forest and Fox Sport to buy the lot from the receiver.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It's not that hard. People like Sinclair have had it explained. He thinks he's being clever.
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
Yep, as a Crusaders and Tasman supporter, the Canterbury team are our enemy! NZ SR teams are made from many provinces, and to name a SR team as a province name, disregards all the other provinces who are connected to that SR side, who have a rivalry against the incorrectly province named SR side. Don't know why this is so hard to understand for some people, but I appreciate those, like yourself, that respect this difference from an already named and branded province team, and the SR team they play for.
Jonty Shonty
Roar Pro
Nice post. Crusaders are consistently the team to beat. Just so well coached but defo feeling the impacts of player departures (don't we all!).
Sylvester
Guest
The Crusaders usually play the first few rounds to test out the combos, rest a few ABs - then bring the heat when it counts. Based on that, I'm declaring four-peat...
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Canterbury, Waikato and Wellington don't play Super Rugby...
Sinclair Whitbourne
Roar Rookie
They looked really good on tour and the win over W.Province (Stormers if you prefer) has to be considered a statement. They also appeared to be building nicely - for example lineout tightened up on tour. Arguably, the best of the best to this point of the season. Tempting to see W. province as the next best but the caveat for me is that they haven't really been on the road yet. Traditionally they travel fairly well. I think Canterbury would have continued to be a strong threat but they have some rough edges compared to past years, particularly in the forwards, where they remained abrasive and competent but without quite the exceptional players of past seasons. As they tend to build into their season, it is frustrating that they were sawn off at this stage. The Brumbies looked to be developing well, especially once Neville moved into the starting side to give a bit more grunt to the locks. They surprised me with a bit more depth in their reserves (the 2nd choice hooker looked really good, for example) than I expected. Playing smarter than has been the case for many years. Of the rest, the Orcs really intrigue. They showed real toughness of character to survive the first half against Wellington, who played with frightening physical intensity, albeit missing a little finesse. They now have a pretty handy tight 5, something that has not been true of recent years (especially locks). Those fiendish Argentinians also have tended to build well into the season and they have become pretty effective tourists, so I think they would have been in the mix to make the final, depending on travel. Wellington looked powerful, even brutal but have had serious discipline issues and it is not surprising that BB's departure robbed them of finesse and options apart from various forms of smashing. Not enough to be a genuine contender for the final. Waikato looked a little brittle in the forwards - lineout issues and not quite enough in the loose from their locks. Dangerous but flawed. Qld and Melbourne both toiling away but too many weaknesses to be more than extras in the finals. The two top SA teams did look the best of the best to this stage.
Jonty Shonty
Roar Pro
But aren't we judging each team based on watching them through 7 rounds of rugby?? Then surely we can't say they're overachieving?
PeterK
Roar Guru
don't agree The overachieved means what was the expectation for the sharks when the season kicked off. Overachieve does not imply or infer that they were lucky in their wins, they dominated the games and very much deserved the wins. They were the better team in each win.
Jonty Shonty
Roar Pro
Morning. Agree with a lot of this but I'll go into bat for my team the Sharks. Slightly harsh to say they 'overachieved' on tour. Makes it sound like the scraped past each team but the reality is they earned it through dogged defense and enterprising, skillful rugby on attack. They then traveled back to Durban after four weeks on tour, beat a rampaging Jaguares, and then a physical Stormers. They haven't yet had a break. So I feel we should give them slightly more credit...
BT
Roar Rookie
Waratahs Fair Point: They’ve been turning up. Haven’t yet lost to a bye. Thrashed the Lions (for 30 minutes). Counter point: I don’t think they have another bye. They don’t play the Lions again. It seems there’ll be no more games to turn up to.
adam
Guest
Hard to argue with any of that Tom. Be bittersweet to see the competition’s perennial bridesmaids/underachievers be awarded the trophy based off of the shortened season. If for arguments sake the Sharks were awarded it, it would always have an asterisk next to it. I’m hoping the Aussie scientist who claims to be close to a vaccine/cure for the Corona is correct, & the Rugby can restart sooner rather then later...there’s only so much Frozen 2 I can handle :crying: