Super Rugby tipping panel Week 1: Let us be more Pacific

Oh yes, we’re back.

Super Rugby Pacific is ready to kick off for 2022 and we will be right here alongside the competition as it works it way through a maiden campaign with a welcome Pacific flavour.

I’ve said this week that my gut feel is this is going to be a really tight competition, particularly around the fight for the 5-8 places on the table, which will naturally see teams taking points off each other every week.

And while that lends itself to a potentially wonderful year of rugby from a viewing perspective, it will make it awfully difficult to tip winners.

SUPER RUGBY WEEK 1 TEAMS

But that just makes the weekly Thursday staple all the more entertaining, as we cut the ribbon on the start of another year of Super Rugby tipping here on The Roar. How good!

LAST SEASON: Harry 56, Geoff 51, Digger 49, Brett 45, and The Crowd 31.

As the carryover champ, the Hairy Man has the honour.

Harry
Drua, Chiefs, Crusaders, Reds, Brumbies

Once upon a time, rugby was played without pods on attack. Forwards stayed in a group. Backs moved diagonally, dropping the pill. The mud won. Nobody knew a ref’s name. And as I said, no pods.

Now, attack schemes have props in pods making decisions for backs who play flat to the line and can catch one-handed while dying.

Similarly, writers used to just write. Now they cast pods. Podcasts. About pods. Casting aspersions.

Okay, so without much information on sequestered teams, but the reigning, and still undefeated champ, I will tip the following winners.

The Waratahs have adopted and adapted Flower of Scotland to sing about having a club in Sydney again. Drua by a heap.

Vinaya Habosi of Fijian Drua (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

The ruthless Chiefs will have too much for the canny Highlanders.

The Crusaders will, in theory, turn the Hurricanes orange. ‘Saders by more than plenty.

The Reds will run riot over the Rebels. The big Brumbies by ten over the plucky Force.

Sure thing
Everyone wants to be the next Mack Hanson.

Geoff
Waratahs, Highlanders, Crusaders, Reds, Force

It’s been an off-season like no other.

A severe dose of COVID, the ‘Tahs winning two trials, the Fijian Drua absolutely nailing it with their own beer, and everyone getting a good laugh out of watching the England rugby team scratching their heads wondering how Justin Langer could win the Ashes and get the arse from the players for being too intense, but they can’t do the same to Eddie?

Moana Pasifika will get pumped by the Blues, just not tomorrow as originally planned. And no joy either for the other newbies, with the ‘Tahs to get the job done against the Drua, who at least now have plenty of supplies on hand to drown their sorrows.

Assuming the NZ Herald’s Gregor Paul is on hand to help clean up the dog shit and beer cans from the ground, I’ll take a stab at the Highlanders edging the Chiefs. Meanwhile, at the Highlander’s real home ground, it will be the Crusaders, who can sometimes be slow starters, but not this year. They’ve listed an impressive 23, and will be too strong for the Wellington ‘Wee Winds’.

Later, in Brisbane, the Rebels unveil their secret weapon, letting local boy Sam Wallis loose against his own breed, but it’s too early for ‘Hail Mary’ bets against last year’s AU champions.

To Sunday, and there has to be one upset, so, built entirely on the premise that Izack Rodda is rabidly determined to show that he was right and Brad was wrong, I’m picking a triumphant return for the young ex-Brumbies to Canberra, this time decked out in Force blue.

Sure thing
After The Roar Rugby Podcast launched this week in pre-season trial mode, complete with a fringe squad player as a guest, I’m tipping now that they’re playing for points, the lads will go nuclear from here.

Digger
Waratahs, Highlanders, Crusaders, Reds, Brumbies

Well, there is a fair bit of negativity floating around about this new comp for one reason or another which is disappointing, but I have to say, bugger all that noise. I am excited and very much looking forward to it all.

Unfortunate that we have had to see the opening match postponed (Blues should take it, comfortably, when it does transpire) but I guess that is likely to be something we will have to get used to this season.

I am very excited about seeing the Drua in action. If they play with the same flair and style we saw in the NRC, they will be one to follow, however I suspect a resurgent and motivated Tahs will have a bit too much first up.

(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Not really sure about the Chiefs, certainly a great looking pack but I suspect they will take some time to adjust without Damian Mackenzie to fall back on. I think the Highlanders will get up here and while I am excited about the Hurricanes and a number of the younger prospects, I just don’t think there is enough ‘smarts’ in the side, particularly in pivotal positions, and even more so with TJ injured.

A sneaky last-minute win in pre-season suggests there are no surprises to be had for the Crusaders just a week later and, sigh, a comfortable win seems likely for the red and blacks.

Back across the ditch, Reds look too strong for the Rebels with their injury concerns and playing at home while backing against the Brumbies in Canberra seems a tad silly, though it should be real tough encounter. Last year’s finalists to both start off with a bang.

Sure thing
Trevor Mallard will interrupt his James Blunt playlist to stream radio coverage of this weekend’s matches for the protestors to show he is not such a bad chap after all.

Brett
Waratahs, Chiefs, Crusaders, Reds, Brumbies

Well, I’m happy to provide an update for you all, having admitted in last week’s debut column for the year that I felt completely bloody unprepared for the rapidly approaching season.

Our experts Brett McKay and Geoff Parkes are off to a cracking start on The Roar Rugby Podcast as they tackle the state of play in the Six Nations and look ahead to the launch of Super Rugby Pacific. Click below to play or follow on Spotify.

And that update is that with a couple of columns now under my belt, a podcast teased and then launched to critical acclaim and much fanfare, and even a radio preview show for the ABC airing across the weekend, I can now confirm that I now feel somewhat better prepared.

For the first week of the season, I looked up and down the draw for the week trying to find an upset, and well… I just don’t think there’s one there this week.

I said on Tuesday that I do think the Drua will win in the first month, but I don’t think it’s this week and nor can I guarantee I’ll pick it anyway.

The NZ games look a bit obvious, which is obviously worrying, but I’m not sure the Highlanders and Hurricanes are quite yet good enough to beat more fancied rivals.

The Reds look too strong for the Rebels on paper, and I expect that to carry through on grass, and while I think the Brumbies-Force shapes as a really fascinating contest, I do think home ground advantage is at its strongest in Round 1.

On the topic of The Roar Rugby Podcast, a sincere thanks for all the feedback so far. It’s really cool to know so many of you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed putting it together. And if you’ve not tuned in yet, give it go!

Sure thing
This is going to my year, okay? And by ‘my year’, I don’t necessarily mean winning outright per se, just that I’m determined to see my tipping not become the aforementioned object of Gregor Paul’s affection this week. Call it a sure thing, call it a New Year’s resolution, all I know is I’m off to a good start.

Because the Blues will not disappoint me this week.

Get your tips in now – The Crowd’s tips will be revealed Friday afternoon AEDT.

var request = new XMLHttpRequest();

request.open('POST', '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', true); request.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded;'); request.onload = function () { if (this.status >= 200 && this.status