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Misstep and miss out. You always want high stakes at play and the strange two-division splintering of Super Rugby Pacific is just that.
Few seasons in Super Rugby since 1996 have had the canyon between the best and rest like this 2023 season.
There’s a top five and, well, Div B for teams who have no shot at winning the title but are in a fascinating battle of their own for positions No. 6-8 in the play-offs over the final few rounds.
The 10-0 Chiefs scored seven tries when slaughtering the Highlanders last round and there wasn’t a rolling maul try in sight. Treasure that thought.
The Queensland Reds also seem to have made a conscious decision to ditch overdoing the box kick. Treasure that too.
With four matches to play, the order at the top behind the Chiefs (45 points) has plenty of somersaults still to come.
Only three teams among the ACT Brumbies (36), Blues (34), Crusaders (33) and Hurricanes (32) will earn home ground rights for the quarter-finals.
That also means a home ground pay day. To misstep will be costly and that could be as soon as Saturday when the Blues and Crusaders both can’t win in Christchurch.
Back in Div B, the NSW Waratahs (21), Reds (19) and Fijian Drua (17) have nothing guaranteed in slots 6-8 with the Melbourne Rebels (15) and the Western Force (13) still pressing to leapfrog into the finals.
Again, Round 12 is crucial. A Rebels win over the Waratahs in Sydney and the Force toppling the Drua in Perth and the chairs change again. What are we talking about?
Wallabies great David Campese was in Townsville for the Reds-Waratahs game last weekend. He made the point pre-game that Eddie Jones’ wily ways are paying off again.
“Campo” straight out said that leaving Tate McDermott out of the first Wallabies’ training squad was calculated to see how the halfback would respond.
The result? Three of McDermott’s best games of the year.
“Eddie is the master of mind games. He wanted to see how Tate responded…and likewise Noah Lolesio,” Campese said.
We saw how much it meant to Lolesio to have a big opening against the Rebels last weekend. Hitting a flat Nic White pass for the opening try and commanding the game early on was exactly what every fan has been wanting to see more often from the young ACT Brumby.
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
His “Carter Gordon” shout at the TV cameras is what you want to see more of…players who care, players who respond, players who make it personal.
There was barely any personal niggle at all before the Reds-Waratahs game. We needed Queenslander Toutai Kefu baiting old mate Brendan Cannon with his fabled crack after a wonky lineout throw: “Do those pies come with sauce?”
Another “Campo” pointer. He’s delighted Jock Campbell is getting a shot at fullback against the Chiefs in New Plymouth on Friday night. He still regards Campbell as being Australia’s best and most natural fullback option.
Look a bit deeper to the call from the Reds for Friday night. The Reds aren’t going to beat the Chiefs in New Plymouth.
They have to sharpen some firepower with a rest before the match that could define whether they make the play-offs or not…the match against the Blues at Suncorp Stadium a week later.
No.8 Wilson is being given a lighter week after a heavy workload run of big 80-minute efforts.
You’d have to say Melbourne Rebel Carter Gordon outpointed Noah Lolesio last start although both had fine games.
Gordon has another big match-up at flyhalf on Saturday night against Waratah Ben Donaldson in Sydney.
Donaldson does some nice things. His straightening line to throw an inside pass is good, his goalkicking comes easily and he’s starting to establish himself.
Gordon is more physical, imposes himself more on games, is a better tackler and his confidence is way up on last year’s uncertain start.
It will be another instructive clash of young No.10s to start a month of higher stakes games for both. There’s just a bit more pressure on Donaldson too to be the answer. He’s yet to satisfy all those tests.
Waratahs coach Darren Coleman did a magnificent job of rousing the Waratahs in 2022 with the “battlers” theme. He’s got a big job over the next month to show he can shake some consistency into his side to reach the play-offs.
Nic White’s move to the Western Force next year will be a boon for the team in the west. The livewire halfback still has plenty to offer.
People need to see that it was a squeeze call. The Brumbies rate White too but want to give 2022 Australia A captain Ryan Lonergan a more prominent role at halfback. Fair enough.
There was a squeeze in the salary cap with so many Wallabies on the roster in Canberra. The Force are better equipped to pay a fair contract with way fewer Wallabies.
White will be full-throttle to achieve everything he can with the Brumbies to end his decorated 100-plus game career for them in style.
James O’Connor? He’s off-contract and wants to stay in Australia next season.
The Reds would be mad not to keep him for another season but, if they are touched by the Queensland sun, the Force would be a good home.
It seems the Wallabies have a bunch of wing contenders but perhaps not enough is mentioned about Lachie Anderson.
The Rebels finisher is in a rich vein of form. He barrels through tacklers, he positions himself well, he cover defends like a demon, he has size, he has a big workrate…what is there not to like?
A big one against the Waratahs is next. Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase would love his biggest game of 2023 as well.