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Thoughts on the English Premiership Rugby teams trying to kick Italy and South Africa out of the current United Rugby Championship & how it affects Super Rugby

by Sports Benches

Now we normally don’t look at the Northern Hemisphere side of Rugby, but there has been come chatter a few days ago about a British and Irish domestic competition featuring 10 teams from the English Premiership, 4 each across Ireland and Wales & 2 from Scotland that would leave two Italian and four South African teams out of the cold. 

As much as we’d liked to have South African teams coming back here & NZ in Super Rugby like it used to be, why kick them out from Europe when the current United Rugby Championship comp is working well for them that benefits a whole lot other European sides from a commercial and competition standpoint other than Wales  — despite the long travel of course to go back up & down between Europe and South Africa but still their European and African time zones are only 1-2 hours apart.

Speaking of Wales, yes, they barely had one team making the last 8 last season in the Ospreys & none at all the before that (2022-23). Don’t forget they’ve haven’t been good at all as seen a few months ago with still no win so far this year for the national team when they came down here for two Tests apart from the rare World Cups thanks to Head Coach Warren Gatland.

But would it be great if the Welsh teams be willing to try help out an ailing English comp like we see in English soccer when three of the comp’s recent teams unfortunately went bust last year? Maybe the lesser need of travel and the close build-up of rivalries to compete v the English teams may be work best for them while the URC can get a Georgian side & another SA side in the Cheetahs – even though it may end up being 14 teams instead of 16. That’s okay though as don’t see much changes for URC anytime soon when SA is playing at their No.1 best once again that won them 1 x URC title back in 21-22 for the Stormers from Cape Town while seeing at least one of their sides make the big dance every year and the Sharks from Durban recently won the European Challenge Cup title a few months ago v Gloucester; Plus, they won another World Cup triumph last year v All Blacks and now they get to beat the ABs twice on home turf with the cusp of winning the Rugby Championship.

Meanwhile going back home, there’s still some room of improvement when it comes to Super Rugby with the comp being more Trans-Tasman & across the Pacific rather than being the best of the Southern Hemisphere since its reboot three years ago. We’ve just lost a side a few months ago in the Melbourne Rebels (although we could continue to see some Melbourne games next season under the ACT Brumbies while always staying at traditional heartland in Canberra and Southern NSW) after 14 years due to financial problems as the 2025 season will now feature 11 teams (short-term) across 16 weeks, 2 byes and a new look three-week Finals featuring the Top 6. 

Since the European sides and countries benefitted SA competitively, why not we bring some Japanese players (I mean some best Top League and also Japanese aka Cherry blossoms Test players) coming over here with the help of Andrew Forrest by forming a partnership with Japan Rugby Football Union to revive the Sunwolves as the new Japanese/Western Australian side but have most of their home games in Perth with a few in Tokyo – doesn’t mean the Western Force should be disbanded since he’s the owner. He can continue to promote the Force differently like playing in a few post-season exhibition games that they’re doing right now over the next few weeks including a trip to South Africa, don’t forget a possible future National Club Comp is in the works & they can also enter in the Japanese Top League and even South Africa’s Currie Cup by having some home-grown talent in as a feeder team where all of this can be doable while retaining its junior presence (via U16/19 comps).

And to make up the 12th team, also like to see the Jaguares coming back and now this will be challenging with no direct flights now to Argentina since COVID at the start of this decade. But being based in Melbourne wouldn’t hurt for the most part with the regular season, although a few traditional long-haul trips would bring back some of the old days should they make the six-team Finals & they can truly play in Buenos Aires to bring the home crowd up and pumping on home turf.

At the end of the day, we all want Super Rugby to be competitive where things will take time without South Africa that will make New Zealand happy so they don’t really have to suffer on its own like we’ve seen in recent years, and also us Aussies happy too after barely winning any trophies other than some occasional winning matches to celebrate for a very long time.

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Rugby News: Springboks wrap up their Australian tour with an 2-0 clean sweep following a 18-point win over the Wallabies

by Sports Benches

Round 2 of tonight’s Rugby Championship game between the Wallabies v Springboks at Perth’s Optus Stadium was a huge physical battle under rainy weather. Both sides were neck and neck to begin with where Wallabies got away with a few penalty goals while Boks also scored a few but hold a one-point buffer by 11-12 at half-time. But at the end of the day, the winner belongs to the World Champion Boks team once again who continues to extend their winning share off the back of another few fresh faces off the bench despite fielding a B-team starting line-up by Head Coach Rassie Erasmus.

The final score was 12-30 as the Boks wrap up their two-game Australian tour with a 2-0 clean sweep by 18 points that includes retaining the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate once again. Boks will now head home as all four teams (All Blacks, Los Pumas, Springboks and Wallabies) will each get a week-long rest next week before they will be back on the road towards the end of this month. The Boks’ next two games will be v All Blacks at home while the Wallabies next two games will be in Argentina v the Pumas. 

Please note: you will need a Stan Sport subscription to watch the Wallabies away games including the next two games v Pumas as Nine/9Gem only covers the home games including one when they play in NZ v All Blacks.

One of the world’s best locks continued to shine tonight in Perth for the Boks with no introduction to Eben Etzebeth. He ticks off everything that the Boks need to get on the board that ranges from the experience, leadership and skillset as do understand the big changes Rassie Erasmus did for Game 2. But again, any opposition team will have to get through him first who is really, really tall & at the end of the day, that access has been denied while his Boks has been simply unstoppable with the win all night long.

Malcolm Marx also made a big difference when he came on in the 2nd half as the Boks reserve hooker that safeguarded his country’s two-match clean sweep Australian tour. Like Eben, he too brings a wealth of experience; Although he’s based in Japan though nowadays & can still play for them thanks to the Boks free selection policy. He’s simply outstanding with a mix of throwing and physical power after he scored back-to-back 2nd half tries, especially when playing in the rainy cold weather as Marx is well used to tackling the brave as being tested in the Top League & he’s done that again tonight.

For the Boks, it’s great seeing them play on our turf this year since it’s been a while from the last time they’ve played each other here two years ago. We wish them all the best of luck for the rest of this Rugby Championship tournament.

And how about we give the journeyman and WA local for the Western Force Carlo Tizzano who’s grown so much over these last few years & he’s never let anyone down in his 2nd Wallabies Test at the blindside No.6 position. Building a solid defensive structure is a good start where winning penalties and turnovers were there that led to an okay first half performance. It’s a shame the Wallabies were unable to grasp the way they attack v the World Champs – maybe our backs firepower aren’t as good as them to rattle the Boks at their own end unfortunately.

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Rugby News Australia, World Champions Springboks unstoppable with their brilliant start to the 2024 Rugby Championship following a 33-7 win over the Wallabies

by Sports Benches

The Summer Olympics may not be over just yet but we had a Rugby match just now over at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to kickstart the 2024 Rugby Championship season between the Wallabies and Springboks. The first half 100% belongs to the Boks with three early tries (21-0) before they kept on adding another 1-2 tries later on to safeguard their huge win & the Wallabies finally added the one and only TRY that late following a tough afternoon in the office with a few mins to go when the Boks had to play 13 men due to their yellow card punishments. The final score was Springboks 33-7 Wallabies.

Everyone in Rugby can’t get enough of the Springboks left winger Kurt-Lee Arendse following his two-try haul this afternoon v the Wallabies in Brisbane. He’s one of the Boks best players any team would want him any day of the week having won both United Rugby Championship and World Cup titles including last year. Not only he’s an outstanding team player as long as Arendse is supported via the passage of play, he’s also an unreal athlete when it comes to these 1 v 1 battles as well as team-supported tries through the gate.

Here’s another Bok who always have been there and done that before with lots of winning games and titles and is still doing it with no introduction to Pieter-Steph Du Toit on the second row at No.5. One word to describe his performance today – a beast in all areas every time the Boks go their way. Also, having lots of ball benefitted his game too including these winning penalties and ball carries on the counter-attack that led to so many tries including an early 1st half TRY for himself.

Gotta say the Bokke were simply too good to begin their 2024 Rugby Championship campaign & they’ve have another match to come v Wallabies also away from home (It’s going to be like this going forward every two years probably due to the long travel times since the 2022 edition) next Saturday night at Optus Stadium in Perth.

And the best Wallabies player to look out for today in spite of an underwhelming performance today v the World Champs is Hunter Paisami at second five-eighth No.12. He did his best all afternoon who has all the physical skillsets to smash and lock up any opposing team, especially when playing regularly at Suncorp Stadium every first-half season for the Reds. It’s so unfortunate the Wallabies have lost it for the most part when less ball and ill-discipline came back to bite them, not even a late TRY was even enough & it’s up to them to match the Boks attack for the 2nd Test in Perth.

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2023 Rugby World Cup Final Review from the weekend: Springboks hold out the All Blacks by just one point en route towards being the first four-time Webb Ellis Cup holders in Paris

by Sports Benches

Wow!! How dramatic and thrilling it was to close out the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final in the 47th & final match of the six-week tournament at Paris’s Stade De France where one of the two almighty nations will become the first 4 x Webb Ellis Cup winners – All Blacks & the Springboks. The first half has been full of penalty kicks where the Boks led the way from the beginning & while the ABs have caught them up at times, but then they lost skipper Sam Cane for the rest of this match due to a high jaw tackle on Jesse Kriel – which was initially seen as a yellow card before being upgraded to red by the referee Wayne Barnes. Half-time: 6-12. Although the ABs may have scored the one & only TRY by closing in on the Boks by just a single point later during the 2nd half. Unfortunately, not only they struggled to get away these kicks between the sticks from a difficult & long range, but they also couldn’t find a way to get past a scrambled Boks defense before it was too late. Despite no 2nd half score & seeing both skipper Siya Kolisi & Cheslin Kolbe sitting in the naughty chair, the Boks held on their one-point buffer really well en route towards their 4th World Championship title after full-time, 11-12.

Pieter-Steph Du Toit is one of the Boks’ most important players out there thanks to an all-round display in the Openside role at No.7. He’s extremely tall who did well to limit the All Blacks’s attacking play while he puts his body on the line through their wall every time the Boks have the ball on hand, which shows how much they need him so badly as the longer they hold on, the better it will be to see light at the end of the tunnel that saw the ABs struggle under pressure. Next up Handre Pollard ends up as the No.1 kicker and No.10 player for the World Championship winning Boks team. He’s an excellent team member who can give them everything as his kicking conversion accuracy was spot on as always thanks to these winning penalties, even though all the points his side has accrued has been three-point kicks. Both of them have been stronger as ever that reflects the Bokke’s rebuild from the top since 2018-19 whereas nearly all of their four original Super Rugby franchises now ply in Europe – congrats on being the first team to lift 4 x Webb Ellis Cup trophies now in Rugby World Cup history.

And Mark Telea rounds off the Top 3, having done the best he can to try and get the All Blacks over the line on the wide right at No.14. He’s an excellent communicator who backs up really well as being tested both in attack & defense before Mark was able to make good use of the ball such as the pace including these 1 v 1 battles against defenders that saw him found the quick ball assist to fellow Blues player Beauden Barrett with the team’s only big score. Sadly, ill-discipline has hit them very hard where the ABs were so behind before they couldn’t get it done under pressure in the end as runners-up.

After 47 games over the last six weeks, the 2023 Rugby World Cup has come to a close as we look forward to the next World Cup edition in four years time at our own backyard in Australia. It’s been great seeing the Southern Hemisphere teams dominate once again despite some early round defeats against 1-2 best Northern sides out there including some first-time moments from the Tier 2 nations, such as Portugal’s win v Fiji 23-24 in Pool C & Uruguay def. Namibia 36-26 in Pool A respectively. Now we’re going to swap the Gilbert rugby ball with a cricket bat and ball for the summer as always following a long season this year before we go back all again beginning with a brand new season of Super Rugby in February 2024 followed by the Wallabies & Club Rugby (Shute Shield & QLD Hospital Cup) campaigns during the 2nd half of the year.

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2023 Rugby World Cup, the best of two Southern Hemisphere teams all set for the Final after the All Blacks too good for Los Pumas while Springboks hold off England by one point off the winning penalty goal

by Sports Benches

The 2023 Rugby World Cup Final is all set through the best of the two Southern Hemisphere teams & also both 3 x champions, whom they’ve shared a lot of history together as rivals that happens every year via The Rugby Championship & also the Freedom Cup Series trophy. It’s the All Blacks v Springboks for the Webb Ellis Trophy next Sunday AM at 6am AEDT at Stade De France in Paris (You can watch that big final match-up live & free on 9Gem). Plus, Los Pumas will take on England the day beforehand (also 6am Saturday AM AEDT) when it comes to the best of 3rd place in the Bronze Medal Final.

Los Pumas might have opened the scoresheet first via the penalty goal (and also collected the 2nd three-pointer later during the first half), but the ABs were too good fair & square all along from 6-20 at half-time to 6-44 in the end off the back from the Will Jordan hat-trick brace on his wide right role. Meanwhile, the 2nd semi game was a close one where the first half was full of three-point kicks with England leading the way v the Boks 12-6. Later on the Boks responded to Owen Farell’s drop goal with the one & only big score of their own before a successful scrum penalty saw their own No.10 Handre Pollard kick that winning three-point conversion from such a long distance with four minutes left towards the end by a one-point win 15-16.

Not the day the Pumas was hoping for where the first points were there off the back of the winning penalties, even though it’s just through a penalty kick conversion. But their open play performances wasn’t the same where the Pumas unfortunately didn’t score any big points as the ABs were simply too good for them. Speaking of ABs, they were outstanding from start to finish. They’ve  been patient with the ball on hand that dominated easy possession v the Pumas, while the passage of play & execution with the safety of their numbers has been effective in order to get the job done.

Looking at England now, they weren’t bad for a start in the way they use their winning penalties towards a shot between the sticks. I don’t blame them for that strategy one bit but it would’ve been better if they took a bit more risk by dismantling a robust Boks defense when it comes to the big points where holding on such a small lead was sadly backfired towards the end there. And the Boks are on their way on what is going to be another World Cup final at the same place they’ve last won back in 2007 also against England. They did so well to keep up with the English initially with the winning penalties before the Boks finally found a way to split their territory while dominating the rest of the match in all areas with the match-winning penalty goal to savour as a fourth title awaits to whichever winning team comes out first alongside fellow 3 x World Champs the ABs.

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2023 Rugby World Cup, England hold off Fiji while Springboks def. France in front of their home supports where there will be a 2019 Final rematch now in the last 4 this weekend

by Sports Benches

The last two remaining Quarter-Final Rugby World Cup matches are now done & dusted where we’ve just witnessed something that was so extraordinary & unreal to watch. England saw off Fiji’s 2nd half comeback bid (30-24) while current champs Springboks just locked up the doors of the host nation France with a one-point win (28-29) – having came from a few points down at half-time (22-19) that sets up a 2019 Final rematch against England for semi-final 2 this Sunday AM.

Hats off to England with the win where they’re the one and only Northern Hemisphere team in the hunt for that Webb Ellis Cup after the eliminations of France, Wales & Ireland. They fired off really well to bring in the early big points as they can while their opponents were playing catch up. Yes, they may have been under threat at times, having scored no tries in the 2nd half. But England showed that were the better team thanks to holding off their small lead where another series of three-point goals was enough to see them move into the last four v Boks.

Also, how good was the Boks who absolutely broke the home nation’s hearts in front of their national stadium as the defending champs are still chasing World Cup title No.4. Gotta love their fight back and the way they controlled with the ball before the rewards were there to see every time when given the opportunity. Yes, they might have suffered some ill-discipline earlier on but they kept on scoring while showing excellent defense to stop the French in its tracks with the close win.

Meanwhile, as said with the host nation, it’s hard to see a loss at home when they came in this tournament as one of the few favourites to lift the trophy alongside Ireland & South Africa. The French opened the scoring account first as reflected with their first half display, having never been out of place to try and stop the Boks from going past their lane. But sadly the French’s 2nd half form just wasn’t the same; Yes, they’ve made some lost time as said where France were still alive all along but couldn’t escape them in the end.

And for Fiji, love their response to the opposition’s early start, especially when looking to close England down after half-time in the hope of a late win. But if the Flying Fijians scored the big points first that reflects a full 80 performance, then they would’ve knocked England out where they’ve made this deep into the last 8 thanks to some excellent growth via Fijian Drua in Super Rugby. Sadly, it’s too little, too late when they levelled the scorecard before England went on to rebound by extending their lead a bit further before their elimination was confirmed that would’ve seen Fiji round out an all Southern Hemisphere semis shootout.

All in all, here’s a few questions that we’re about to see ahead of the weekend’s semi-finals. Can the All Blacks put in another amazing show like they did the other day v World No.1 Ireland en route towards the main event final for the first time since 2015? If not, will it be Michael Cheika’s turn this time as the Los Pumas coach? Having lost to the ABs once in a World Cup match back in 2015 when the Wallabies had to settle as runners-up. Plus, will England go one better and make the Boks pay after their 2019 Final loss to the reigning champs in Japan under coach Steve Borthwick? Or can the Boks go all the way for their fourth possible big final & hopefully light up Paris once again like 2007 since they got the favourites cap on?

We shall find out by Sunday AM where two winners will go into the main event for the Webb Ellis Cup trophy while the losing two teams will play in the Bronze final for third place going into the last weekend of October.

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France vs Australia rugby: Result and final score as late Damian Penaud TRY won the game for France

by Admin

• Match ​ ​ : Australia vs France
• Series ​​ : Autumn International
• Venue​​ : Stade de France
• Time ​​ : Sunday, 6th Nov. 2022

The Wallabies led late after impressive tries from Lalakai Foketi and Jock Campbell, but Damian Penaud’s brilliance seized the win for the French at the death.

Points Summary

FranceAustralia
TriesTries
Penaud 75′Campbell 40′
Marchand 40′Foketi 17′
ConversionsConversions
Ramos 40′Foley 18′, 57′
Penalty GoalsPenalty Goals
Ramos 6′, 9′, 32′, 37′, 45′, 72′Foley 3′, 12′, 42′, 65′
Hodge 74′

• In a game that featured 33 points from penalty goals, the first of four tries saw Tom Wright fly down the left flank before putting Lalakai Foketi through to score as Australia raced into a 10-3 lead with a 100-metre effort. France rallied, though, and Thomas Ramos kicked two more penalties before Julien Marchand crashed over on the stroke of half-time.

• More penalties followed early in the second stanza before Jock Campbell found his way over in the corner to give the Aussies a 23-22 lead as Bernard Foley nailed the conversion. Ramos, Foley and Reece Hodge kicked further three-pointers and Australia led 29-25 with five to go when France threw the ball wide to the right.

• Penaud had played out a relatively quiet game, making half-breaks here and there aside from solid defence on the wing. But when he caught Matthieu Jalibert’s pass, he defied gravity, logic and the Wallabies’ cover defence to beat three before gliding over in the corner. Ramos couldn’t convert but France still had the lead, and they held it for three more tense minutes as the clock hit 80 to seal a one-point victory for Les Bleus.

Match Preview

  • The Australian team showed a good aggressive style of play in the first half. Then after the France team started scoring points, it was tight contest between the two sides.
  • At the end of the first half, the France team was leading by 16:19. After a tight contest in the second half Damian Penaud’s last minute goal won the match for France.

Wallabies will come back stronger

  • Any rustiness seen last week against Scotland was truly ironed out in this game as the Wallabies threw the ball around seamlessly and created many an opportunity to score with ball in hand.
  • Foketi’s opening try will go head-to-head with Penaud’s winner in the ‘try of the autumn’ stakes, and the more Australia play like that, the more likely they’ll be to finish on the right side of future contests.

France set standard ahead of South Africa visit

  • The tough tests don’t let up for France, with their match next weekend coming against the current Rugby World Cup holders, South Africa.
  • The Springboks are a tough test of physicality and skill for any side but if France want to be seen as true contenders to win their home World Cup in 2023, they’ll need to push the Boks as closely as they were pushed by the Wallabies here.
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Springboks wrap up their 2022 Australian tour with the win as visitors at the brand new Allianz Stadium in Sydney v Wallabies

by Admin

By Daniel Cullinane

Twitter: @dcullinane02

After an impressive performance against the South Africans in the first test, the Australians will have been confident going into the second match. The final score didn’t reflect the dominance of the Wallabies. The Springboks are all about getting the ‘W’. Their brand of rugby isn’t pretty, but it is physical and highly effective. Last week’s result will have hurt.

The game kicked off in a rainy Sydney at the Allianz Stadium. Right from the start, the Wallabies were looking to take the pace from the first test into this game. The South Africans looked sharp and were bringing their expected physicality. The Australians were struggling to handle the Bok’s powerful drives into their defensive line. This culminated in Damian De Allende crashing over the Aussie line in the eighth minute. The try was converted making it 0-7 to the Boks.

To add to the Wallabies’ pain, Matt Philip went to the bin for infringing in the build-up to the try. After a quiet game in Adelaide last week, South African captain Siya Kolisi, was putting in a much-improved performance. His steal at the breakdown stopped the Wallabies deep in the Boks half. Nic White was doing his best to get the ball away from the ruck with speed and was getting plenty of attention from the Boks and their fans. Possibly for his Oscar-winning performance in the previous test.

The Boks continued to go through their bullying tactics upfront but were creating little in the backs. They continually tested Reece Hodge in the first half under the high ball, but he dealt with everything that came his way. The Australians were building nicely in the Boks half and putting pressure on the South African’s defence. This eventually led to a penalty and three easy points for Wallaby fly half, Noah Lolesio.

As halftime approached the Australians would have been pleased with the 3-7 scoreline. The Boks had produced little in the way of creativity and were still there for the taking. Then, from a South African box kick, a moment of brilliance from their debut wing, Canan Moodie. He leapt high above Aussie wing Marika Koroibete, and raced away with the ball to score his first try for the Springboks. The half ended 3-12 to the South Africans.

After the break, both teams appeared nervy, and a kicking battle ensued. Two minutes into the half, and the Boks were starting to string together some passes leading to a try for lock Franco Mostert. A missed conversion by Boks fly-half Damian Williamse made the score 3-17.

The South Africans were taking control of the game. The Australians were desperate to get hold of the ball and keep it. Nic White made a timely intervention to intercept a pass to Mpimpi on the wing. Australia went on the attack and made their way up the field. They put the Boks under huge pressure forcing them to persistently infringe, however no cards were shown to any of the South African team. The Australians kicked to touch, but then let the Boks off by committing a penalty and allowing them to clear their lines.

It was clear to see that the Wallabies were starting to lose their shape and the Springboks were in full control. Wave after wave of Springbok attack lead to Damian De Allende being driven over the Australian line, but he was held up. Shortly after, a sweeping move by the South Africans saw Makazole Mapimpi score in the corner.

His celebration was not welcomed by Koroibete and sparked a huge brawl. Mapimpi was yellow carded, but expect more sanctions when the citing officer has reviewed the incident. A final flourish from the Wallabies saw Pete Samu score leaving the end result, 8-24. The Springboks were deserved winners of a niggly contest, and Siya Kolisi was immense.

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2022 Rugby Championship: Australia vs South Africa at Adelaide Oval Match Report

by Admin

Coming into the game, both sides were coming off a loss and desperately needed a win to keep their title hopes alive. Australia started quickly with Fraser McReight scoring in the opening minute, conversion slotted by Noah Lolesio.

Lolesio then kicked a penalty just a few minutes later to put the hosts 10-0 into the lead. In the 23rd minute, Handré Pollard kicked a penalty of his own to bring South Africa within 7 points.

In the 30th minute, South Africa looked dangerous attacking the Australian line as Ox Nché barrelled his way over from a short distance just to be held over the line by the Aussie defence.

Just before the half-time whistle blew, Springbok scrum-half Faf De Klerk was controversially yellow carded for striking fellow scrum-half Nic White in the head which reduced the away side to 14 men.

Australia started the second half strong as outside centre Len Ikitau made a darting run into the South African 22 before the ball was spun wide to Marika Koroibete who finishes the beautifully worked try.

In the 56th minute, Australia once again scored following a beautiful break from fly-half Noah Lolesio who popped it on to Fraser McReight who scored his second of the game.

The try was converted once more by Lolesio before slotting a penalty also to take the hosts 25-3 into the lead as we entered the final quarter of the match.

It took the Springboks 74 minutes to score their first try of the match as substitute Kwagga Smith ran one in for the visitors.

Aussie number 8 Rob Valetini was yellow carded in the final minute of the match which led to Kwagga Smith scoring his second try of the match, however, it was too little too late for the visitors who lost the match 25-17.

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2022 Super Rugby Pacific Preview

by Admin

2022 is a big shakeup for super rugby. The competition includes three new teams and is now exclusive to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Despite the changes, this season should still be incredibly exciting.

Australian Teams

The closest thing we have had to super rugby over the last three years was the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman series last year. It was a series in which the Australian teams struggled massively, only winning two games against the five New Zealand teams in the competition.

It looks likely to be another year where Aussie teams will struggle. The Brumbies once again look to be the pick of the Australian teams despite the Reds winning their first domestic title in Super Rugby Australia last season. The Queensland Reds will be looking to compete thanks to a variety of international players like Taniela Tupou and Tate McDermott.

The Waratahs, Force and Rebels will all be looking for spots in the knockout stages, but it will not be easy. The Waratahs do see captain Michael Hooper return for 2022, but they still look to be towards the bottom end of the table. Both the Force and Rebels have lost a lot of test experience over the last year and it will sadly hurt them this season.

New Zealand Teams

After dominating the Trans-Tasman series last year, it looks to be another Super Rugby season dominated by Kiwi teams.

Favourites for their fourth title, the Crusaders have a wealth of international talent led by two time reigning player of the year Richie Mo’unga. Their talent also includes Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, George Bridge as well as recent addition Pablo Matera. They may have some competition for their fourth title in a row.

The Blues are welcoming back Beauden Barrett, while still having internationals like Rieko Ioane, Nepo Laulala and Dalton Papalii. They come into 2022 off the back of winning the Trans-Tasman series. The Chiefs could be a surprise this season despite the losses of Damain Mckenzie and Lachlan Boshier. The Chiefs have one of the most talented set of forwards in Super Rugby which could dominate any team on any day.

The Highlanders and Hurricanes both have a huge amount of talent on the squads. But the Highlanders will struggle having lost a third of their starting XV from the Trans-Tasman final. They have a brilliant leader in Aaron Smith, but will struggle to progress in the tournament. Similar situation for the Hurricanes with some major losses coming into the season. But the Hurricanes add Dom Bird and TJ Perenara and could surprise a few people this season.

Two New Pacific Teams

This season features two new teams, both based in the Pacific Islands. After many years of lobbying, the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika will join Super Rugby. Starting with the Fijian Drua. They have had a difficult preparation for Super Rugby due to COVID issues, meaning the squad is based on the NSW North Coast as they could not prepare in Fiji. It looks like the team will need some time to adapt to Super Rugby’s intensity. Their squad contains Olympic champions Napolioni Bolaca, Kalione Nasoko and Meli Derenalagi. Don’t be surprised if Fijian Drua make a push for the knockout stages this season.

The second new team is Moana Pasifika, made up of players from New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Australia, including 18 former or current internationals. Much like Fijian Drua, it will be a season of getting used to Super Rugby for Moana Pasifika. 110 capped Australian Sekope Kepu is captain for the 2022 season, bringing a huge amount of experience to the new team. Moana Pasifika will be very exciting in the upcoming season, but don’t expect them to be near the top of the table come the end of the season.

The Loss of South African Teams

The reshaped 2022 Super Rugby does not include any South African teams, after their Super Rugby licenses expired after the 2020 season. It does seem odd going into a Super Rugby season without the Bulls, Sharks, Lions or Stormers. Their exclusion opens the floor up a lot for either the New Zealand teams to take over or opportunities for the new teams or the Australian teams to step up.

Super Rugby is going to look very different this season. Losing the South African teams is big for the competition. Despite not competing with them domestically, South Africa is still playing against New Zealand, Argentina and Australia in the Rugby Championship. It does show some disjointed thinking when it comes to Super Rugby’s thinking. But the 2022 changes bring plenty of opportunities for Pacific Island teams who have been trying to get into Super Rugby for years.

Predictions

In this new look Super Rugby, it looks as if it will be a few years until the new teams or the Australian teams can compete with the talent of the New Zealand teams. 2022 looks to be a similar story.

Working from the bottom up, I think the four teams that are likely to miss out on the knockout stages are most likely to be the Rebels, Force, Waratahs and Moana Pasifika. These teams just don’t have the talent to move any higher. In terms of the teams to get stuck at the quarterfinals, I could easily see these teams being the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Fijian Drua and the Brumbies. The Brumbies could be the surprise package this year, with the talent their squad possesses.

But this season will be dominated by the New Zealand teams. The Reds will be the exception to this, looking likely to at least reach the semi-finals. In an emotional season, the Chiefs will also be targeting a semi-final push, but it may be slightly too difficult for them to get past either of the two teams left.

These two aren’t exactly surprising to anyone who has followed Super Rugby over the last five years. The Blues welcome back Beauden Barrett after his time in Japan, the team has talent in all areas. But the Blues don’t quite have the two time reigning Super Rugby Player of the year.

I think at the end of the season, the Crusaders will lift their fourth title in a row. A team with Richie Mo’unga, Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Sam Whitelock and Joe Moody is too much talent for any team to compete with when you reach the knockouts. The Crusaders will win their fourth title in a row.

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