Join The Roar
Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors.
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
By joining The Roar you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Login and get Roaring
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
Expert
Joined September 2008
3.8m
Views
1.2k
Published
25k
Comments
Brett McKay is one of The Roar's good news stories and has been a rugby and cricket expert for the site since July 2009. Brett is an international and Super Rugby commentator for ABC Grandstand radio, is the voice of ACT club rugby, has commentated on Under-20s Championships, Women's Uni Sevens and National Rugby Championship coverage, and has written for magazines and websites in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. He tweets from @BMcSport.
Published
Comments
Though the two-way travel bubble is now officially open between Australia and New Zealand, we’re still a few weeks away from Super Rugby Trans-Tasman beginning in earnest, and to some extent this competition remains firmly in the ‘I’ll believe it when I see them running out” category.
It might not have the history of New South Wales and Queensland, and it might not even have the ‘little brother v big brother’ element that fuels the Hume Highway derby between the Brumbies and the Waratahs.
How often to you hear teams toward the top of a competition table, and often after a lengthy run of wins – or very few losses at least – admit that they still haven’t played the perfect game yet?
We’re at the part of the season, with four rounds to play, where wins are more important than ever and the Super Rugby AU table confirms the race we all suspected to be true at the start of the year.
As Matt To’omua ran in one of the best individual tries of Super Rugby AU and of Australian rugby more broadly over the last few seasons on Friday night, it occurred to me that in 2021 there is a lot more to the Melbourne Rebels than first appeared in their opening game of the year.
I reckon it says something about the outcome of a game when teams on either side of the result were supremely happy with their performance, about the way the game was played by both sides and even how the game was refereed.
Well, I thought it would take longer than it has.
Sometimes you hear something said in a post-match press-conference and its true meaning isn’t immediately clear.
The first weekend of Super Rugby AU is already behind us, and we’re now well and truly into the swing of the season, with every match over the remaining nine rounds likely to have some impact on the final standings.
There’s no doubt that coming into the last week of October without a broadcast rights deal in place for 2021 is less than ideal for Rugby Australia. But developments over the last week or so suggest that whatever deal is done from here is going to be a whole lot better than expected.
Here we go then, Super Rugby Aotearoa has been run and won, and now Super Rugby AU takes centre stage for the next five weekends.
I didn’t get to see the Reds-Rebels game live on Saturday night, but was getting regular score updates. And when those score updates didn’t change for more than half an hour in the second half, you naturally start asking the subconscious questions.
At the time of asking the guys for their tips and even at the time of writing these intro paragraphs the two matches scheduled for the final round to complete Super Rugby Aotearoa were and are still going ahead.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote of Round 3 being the weekend that made Super Rugby AU, the round in which Queensland and the Western Force played out a belter on the Friday night, and New South Wales and the Brumbies followed up with a one-point thriller on the Saturday night.
You’re going to hear a lot of talk about ultimate pens this weekend, being the second-last week of competition in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Every now and then, something is said in a press conference that immediately breaks free of the standard cliché and routine.
Three rounds to go in New Zealand, the halfway point about to be reached in Australia. Have we learnt anything yet that we didn’t already know?
Once upon a time, not that long ago in fact, it was sites like this one and others that were the domain of theoretical new rugby competition formats.
Last week was bound to be disappointing and it mostly was for those of not answering to the name ‘Digger’. But this week looks a bit more clear-cut and that is every bit as nerve-wracking.
After all the sky-is-falling discussion after the Rebels and Reds played out ‘The Draw We’d Rather Forget’ in Round 2, it was great – nay, bloody fantastic – to see Super Rugby AU dish up two really, really enjoyable games across the weekend for Round 3.
Yeah, thanks Fiwi, I actually meant to write ‘NOW that all the Sky shows pop up’!!
Stupid fingers!! 😂
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Well, that’s Eddie done for then…
Eddie Jones receives "full support" of the England rugby board
Most recently Hairy Man, League backrowers tend to have started in the centres in rugby – Ben Te’o (though he went League to Rugby and back), Angus Crichton being examples.
Karmichael Hunt was a five-eighth when he finished league before heading to AFL, and played his rugby at 12, pretty much like-for-like…
But then, someone like Jared Warea-Hargreaves was a rugby backrower who ended up in the league front row.
Sam Burgess attempted to play 6 for Bath, but Eddie Jones used him in the centres..
TJ Perenara: Why he will make it in the NRL - and why he won't
Have heard there was good discussion on The Breakdown, Carlin. I’m going to try and get to it this week, not that all the Sky shows pop up on Stan Sport as well..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
MP I can’t really speak of, R101, and your concern is a common one.
Re the Drua, even when they were playing in the NRC, a large chunk of them had already been capped, so that really won’t be much of an issue..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Now should certainly have been the time that a global calendar was sorted BF, yet that remains as far away as ever.
I hope you’re right about all the points you make, but I’m not confident..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Yes, Don, that’s right. My point was that 66 + finals is more than will be the case in 2021.
Obviously, more teams will allow for more games..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
I’ll have to take your word for it, Piru…
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Yeah, with the TV deals in Aus and NZ for the next few years already done, it’s more going to be around what can be fit into the available timeframe..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Round 3 of the trans-Tasman comp was originally slated to be played in one city, Micko, a la the NRL Magic Round (which they pinched the idea from the English Super League).
The games are in the fixture, but a venue was never announced, because it has only become clear in recent weeks that the TT will now likely go ahead.
As an aside, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane was actually available for the weekend of May 28 and 29, but we may never know what venues were in the frame..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
I’m quite sure we won’t see the RSA teams, Scott. They’re about to start their PRO14 involvement this weekend, and that will ramp up further with the new PRO season later in the year..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
But given the current domestic comps + TT will only deliver 47/48 games in the same timeframe as a single round robin, CPM, 66 games + finals is still of far more commercial value and benefit…
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
No, because the obvious working assumption for the 2022 plans is that the Aus-NZ travel bubble remains open..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Ah yes, I do take your point.
It’s a bit of a crystal ball thing then, isn’t it, but I do understand your concerns..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
OK, I’m going to leave it here.
If you really want to try and share a different opinion of what was meant, based on my relaying of explanations passed onto me, and can’t see the obvious ridiculousnes of that, you can go nuts…
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Yeah, I get that.
I’ve been having conversations of late about how much the young players that just come through have already missed in terms of touring. Some still haven’t really experienced it – which is a weird consideration until you start thinking about it..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Andy, I get that sentiment, but I think the fallback positions of separate AU and NZ comps make it all pretty achieveable.
And, to be fair, they could yet still decide to go for a mix of conference and ‘all-in’ games – all of that is yet to be determined.
But it’s fair to say that the last twelve months will ensure that contingencies will be both well thought of, and necessarily fluid and flexible!
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
No, that’s right, they’re not available in regions where broadcast deals already exist – which is the case in RSA and South America..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
That’s not really the same, though.
I’m not expressing an opinion that conversations between Australia and Fiji may have happened; I’m sharing my understanding of events that did take place..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
I don’t think it will happen in true home-and-away form for a few years, Muzzo, but I think the four teams will still play in hub scenarios. I think last year showed that it can be done reasonably well..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
It’s not an opinion Jacko, it’s my understanding of events that took place based on explanations I’ve received..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Because Jacko, as I wrote, I wanted to know why SANZAAR hadn’t said a thing.
And then I found out why, and then I wrote about it.
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
What could they actually promote, Jacko? That they’re making phone calls and having conversations about ideas for the future? Get that on a media release!!
Instead, they’re focussing on promoting actual rugby being played currently, rather than thought bubbles that may or may not eventuate next year.
Seems a very strange thing for you to be getting hung up on..
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
Jacko, you can’t show anything very clearly, becuase nothing has been agreed to, confirmed, or announced.
Again, don’t pretend reporting is telling you everything, it’s clearly not.
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?
😔 hurrumph, no…
Why have SANZAAR remained silent on 2022 Super Rugby plans?