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Waratahs Tom Carter is tackled by Crusaders. AAP Image/NZPA, Wayne Drought
The only thing that seems somewhat obvious about the new Super Rugby competition is that the nomadic Crusaders are fast becoming the out and out favourites for the title. It’s hard to imagine that even a historic, albeit whirlwind trip to London this week will slow them down.
The inaugural staging of a Super Rugby game outside the three member nations, to be played at Twickenham this Sunday (Monday morning in New Zealand and Australia), could well prove more difficult for the already well-travelled Sharks from the Republic.
Should the Crusaders win this significant match, the bookies might not be able to wind them in much more than they are.
However, behind the Crusaders, it’s difficult to establish a likely challenger after the first five weeks of the competition.
The race for second isn’t so much hotting up, but rather just slowly, steadily simmering away.
Over in New Zealand, the Highlanders have come back to earth with a thud, and may be hitting something of a slump. They’ve been a way off their form from the first three weeks of the season, and no doubt, the injury to Colin Slade is hurting them.
On that topic, actually, surely Tony Brown isn’t the solution to fill the play-making duties in Slade’s absence.
Why wouldn’t the Highlanders use this opportunity to blood young Robbie Robinson? Brown, former great player that he was for both the Highlanders and All Blacks, looked like just that; a former great player.
On the plus side for the Highlanders, Adam Thomson probably only trails Crusaders No.8 and acting-captain Kieran Read as the form player on that side of the ditch.
The Blues look like they may be starting to play the way they’ve always threatened to, at least on paper. In what is always a tough match, the Blues were clinical in their disposal of the Hurricanes on Saturday evening.
All Black front row stalwarts Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock have hit handy form, and the midfield pairing of Stephen Brett and Luke McAlister seem to be combining as well as they ever have. And Jared Payne looks like just another quality New Zealand outside centre, almost to rub in the embarrassment of riches the Kiwis have in that and most other positions.
Over in South Africa, what was already shaping as a tough conference to top has only got tougher, but mainly due to some indifferent form from the expected favourites.
The Stormers, despite now leading the overall Super Rugby standings, continue to get by off the boot of Peter Grant, and seem either unwilling and or unable to cross the stripe.
Bryan Habana’s fortuitous try did upset Grant’s unbelievable run of sole-scorer status, in their win over arch-rivals, the Bulls, but even still, you can essentially swap out ‘Stormers’ for ‘Peter Grant’ when looking at the table.
It’s little wonder the Western Force chased the superboot from Cape Town for two seasons.
The Sharks were the early pacesetters after the first few rounds, but they too were a long way from their best in the wet against the Chiefs.
Perhaps the long tour is starting to take its toll – they’re three games into a four week stretch away from Durban – but they will need to buck up for one last gasp in London, otherwise they could find themselves on the end of yet another Crusaders belting.
The title-holding Bulls look like a team lost, as if their championship sides of the past few years disappeared into the same vortex that swallowed the glory-filled Brumbies of days gone by.
It’s hard to work out what’s going wrong for them currently, and they certainly have some work ahead of them if they’re to repeat the cup-lifting deeds of 2010.
Closer to home, the Cheetahs’ mauling of the Waratahs in Sydney gave Wallaby supporters a stark reminder of everything that grinds our gears about Australian rugby.
The ‘Tahs were running hot at one stage, but a demolition at the hands of the Crusaders was followed up with a Heinrich Brussow-led masterclass in competing at the breakdown.
It was kind of fitting that they finished the night by dropping the ball, and Fox Sports’ Greg Martin rightly described them as “the 15 stooges” toward the end of the game.
It might have to be the loss they have to have to get their season back on track.
Worryingly, the Waratahs situation probably says more about the Australian conference, that they could be humbled either side of the bye and still sit up the pointy end of the table.
Thankfully, the Reds found their 2010 playbook, which had seemingly gone missing for the previous month.
The Rebels found out the hard way that the Reds can still turn it on when need be, and as scintillating as some of the Reds’ tries were, it was pleasing to see that he game was really won through breakdown and lineout domination.
One question though, who is this Michael Harris and in which pocket of Queensland has he been hiding? What an impact!
Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it’s all a little academic at this stage, because the mob in red from Christchurch are just in … well, red hot form.
Fourteen other teams, well, maybe not all fourteen, are at this point merely arguing about who will lob up to get beaten in the Final.
If I were the Super Rugby trophy engraver, I’d already have C-R-U- on the cup. And if they happen to win this celebrated game at Twickenham this coming weekend, I’d be pretty confident in finishing the job.