Super Rugby

[rowan]

Gotta be happy with a Canes win but when the Brumbies surged back to take a halftime lead I thought maybe the Aussies are back - which is great for the competition. But the second half was one way traffic and it finishes 56-21. So it's a kind of bittersweet victory in the end

[Lizard]

Jeezuz. What kind of cripple fight was Waratahs v Kings?

[rowan]

Yes, but makes me wonder again about the fairness of SA having to axe 2 teams...

[rowan]

Shame for the Jags, so close against last year's finalists. But they failed to come up with a win on their 3-game tour of SA, which will be disappointing.

Canes v Brumbies earlier :

[rowan]

Sunpoodles prove their pointlessness once again . . .

[rowan]

It just can't get any worse for the Aussies. Their teams just keep on losing. Even the traditional flag-bearers of Aussie state rugby go down to the touring Kings. Force put up a decent scrap, but it's another loss. Can the Rebels save their blushes in Durban? Unlikely, me thinks . . .

[rowan]

It just can't get any worse for the Aussies. Their teams just keep on losing. Even the traditional flag-bearers of Aussie state rugby go down to the touring Kings. Force put up a decent scrap, but it's another loss. Can the Rebels save their blushes in Durban? Unlikely, me thinks . . .

Just about had to eat my words there. Unelievable effort from the Rebels at the Sharks. Tryless draw it finishes. In fact, all four teams in the 'relegation' zone came out firing again this weekend - notably the Kings, of course

Meanwhile, looking at the Super Sport scoreboard, I see Namibia's Welwitschias lost 33-50 to last year's Currie Cup semi-finalists, the Valke Falcons of Eastern Gauteng, in SA provincial competition today.

[rowan]

Realistically:
NZ teams hold top 3 spots
NZ 14 Aus 0
All NZ teams above all Aussie teams
All NZ teams in top half of table
All Aussie teams in bottom half of table
Aussie teams hold 4/5 bottom spots
Sunpoodles bottom as per usual

[rowan]

A novel approach to the Kiwi domination: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/ar ... d=11843633

[Spy]

It really is remarkable how poorly the Australian teams are doing this year. I haven't watched them enough to comment on how they are actually playing, but those results are just dreadful.

[rowan]

Yep, looks like it's going to be an awfully weak conference when they add the Sunwolves next year, but at least the Japanese will be a little more competitive. Still think it's wrong SA has to give up 2 sides. Three of their teams (half) are in the top 7 right now - alongside 4 Kiwi teams - and the remaining 3 are at least above all the Aussie teams bar ACT.

[rowan]

Stormers strike first against Otago. These are the games I've been waiting for. Yes, the Kiwis look awesome, yes, the Aussies are woeful, but where exactly to the Saffas stand? I personally think they've been a little hard done by in the press - not to mention SANZAAR's decision to axe 2 of their teams - because their results have been fairly positive overall this season. They've won more games than they've lost against foreign opposition, in fact. But the Kiwis provide the acid test and today's encounter in Dunedin, along with 4 further SA v non-SA fixtures this weekend, will give us a much clearer indication. Home team hits back. 7-7. Hosts lead 12-7 midway 1st 1/2. 17-7 now. 3 unanswered tries from the Highlanders. 24-7 approach HT. At this rate it's going to be a hammering. 31-7 at the break. Looks like I picked the wrong game to make my case for SA rugby. Strong 3rd 1/4 for the visitors but the Otago defense thrwarts them at every turn and no change to the HT score. Home-team back on top in the final 1/4, cruising to a big win at 45-7 with 1/4 an hour to play. Half century up with 10 to play. 57-14 is the final humiliation Oh dear . . .

[rowan]

So this is just becoming ridiculous then. What's going on with South African rugby? Almost 3 times as many registered players as New Zealand but no depth, it appears.

[Lizard]

In 21 years of Pro Super Rugby, the jaapies have never mastered the travel.

[Lizard]

Also the ball handling skills of NZ tight forwards is, generally, off the planet.

[rowan]

Didn't see the game personally but apparently this was Otago back to its best. Jeez, what a competition the Kiwi teams could have just among themselves!! It'd have to be on a par with the 6 Nations minus Italy...

SA has always struggled with the travel, yes, but not to this extent. Even within the last few years we haven't witnessed a debacle quite like this. It's as though all the wheels have suddenly come flying off both Australia and SA all at once this year.

Anyway, let's see what the rest of the weekend brings...

[cashead]

Shit coaching and not enough emphasis on skills, with the focus being on size rather than ability.

Not enough coaching development, stupidity as the running theme in the set-up, and an endemic over-reliance on players past their use-by date that's seeing an entire generation of talented players getting trashed since around 2010.

[rowan]

Very depressing...

[rowan]

NZ Teams (vs non NZ): Played 23, won 22
Aus Teams (vs non Aus): Played 24, Won 3 (1 draw)
SA Teams (vs non SA/Jap/Arg): Played 18, won 7 (1 draw)

Gotta hand it to the Kiwis. Many doubted they would maintain their dominance in the pro era but, conversely, they've gone from strength to strength and have probably handled the transition from amateurism better than any other country.

[rowan]

Looks like a great effort from the Sunwolves there (I won't call them the Poodles today). Didn't see it, but I'm guessing that might have just about been their best performance in the comp to date. Am I right?

Lions with a 12-17 lead over the Force midway 2nd half. 15-24 it finishes.

[rowan]

Kings crushing the Rebels right now. Is this the death-knell for the Melbourne outfit?

Quite a show from Super Rugby's walking dead. Kings' 3rd win of the season and must be their biggest in Super Rugby to date by some distance - 44-3. Rebels can't sink any lower, meanwhile...

[rowan]

Disappointing loss for the Jaguares there. South Africans actually had a reasonable weekend, Stormers' humiliation notwithstanding, with the Kings romping home and the Sharks winning in Argentina.

[rowan]

NZ's bottom side wins on the road to Australia's top side and there's not a single Aussie team in the top 10 anymore. There are, however, 3 South African sides in the top half of the table, so my poorly timed comments during the Otago-Stormers debacle weren't actually so wide of the mark, especially when we consdider how surprisingly well the Kings have been doing:

[zer0]

Looks like the de facto Pumas are shaping up for another disappointing season.

[Lizard]

Looks like the de facto Pumas are shaping up for another disappointing season.

That's a pretty harsh assessment. When you compare them with other expansion teams (Rebels, Force, Cheetahs, Kings and Sunwolves) they are actually doing very well, considering the ridiculous travel demands on them.