Super Rugby 2016

Nothing to really say but shit this Highlanders-Reds game is frustrating.

Landers managed to butcher 3 tries

The sportsmanship by the Argentinean team v the Hurricanes was absolutely appalling. Especially the way they kept keeping the ball away after a turnover like a school-yard bully playing "keep-away".

Not to mention "suddenly realising" that their player had gone out after the Canes managed to intercept it. Disappointing that this is how they choose to enter the competition.

Another round and the great disparity continues.

So far,

New Zealand teams have racked up 11 wins against South African (including the Sunwolves/Jaguares in this) opponents with 1 loss.

They also have racked up 8 wins against Australian opponents with 2 losses and 1 draw.

Australian and South African sides haven't played each other too much. Australians winning 2 games and South Africa winning 3.

The whole conference thing is complete shit but the Australasian conference is seeing lots of high quality games which makes for good viewing, and helps the players improve.  

Ideally the best teams with the most points would get rewarded at the end of the season by getting to play in the playoffs, and have HGA. But last season this didn't happen either with the Highlanders having to play away in Sydney even though they had more points than the Waratahs, and the Crusaders had more points than the Stormers but they missed out while Stormers were bumped up from 7th to 3rd and given a home semi which they went on to lose.

Gotta say I'm loving the way NZ teams are playing at the moment, in particular the chiefs but even the blues are playing good rugby as well.

I agree with Sparky about the conference system. As it stands at the moment if we reverted back to the older format we would have the Chiefs, Crusaders and the Hurricanes topping the table, with the Highlanders in the top 6.

The Jaguares, Sunwolves and Kings have added some freshness to the comp, although the Sunwolves getting smashed on the weekend wasn't pretty - you can only think back to when the Waratahs got pumped by the Crusaders by the same margin they just need a little time.

Yeah, the Blues might be the worst NZ team but they're not half-bad really. They did beat the Highlanders and ran the Chiefs pretty bloody close. I'd expect them to get a few more upsets it (and also lose games that they should have won)

I miss the old days of the Super 12 with the simple round-robin of everyone playing each other once. Nice, fair, and easy to understand. Conference systems are always going to throw up weird results and give you vastly different schedule strengths between teams. Unfortunately, no way around it with teams from 5 different countries.

The current system is a compromise of a compromise. We're still getting some good rugby out of it though.

Bren, the "kiwi" way, with 12 teams, high-octane games had a serious flaw: South African franchises were not competitive.

Now, we have a very sophisticated system, with two heavily unbalanced conferences, with some teams playing some soft opposition twice while, for example, the Stormers don't play any kiwi franchise this year, a lot more games and some teams like the Sunwolves or the Kings that just make up the numbers. Needless to say, there's a quota of teams to be qualified for each country. A SA team will qualify, a kiwi team will qualify and an aussie team will qualify. Regardless of how poor their opposition could be.

Why would anyone prefer the kiwi way?

Making kiwi teams harder since 2016......

Yep, full credit to South Africa for this glorious system. I'm sure it's worked wonders for them too. I bet we've seen loads of South African champions since the conference system was introduced.



Right?

lol - bloody Saffas

Bren wrote:Yep, full credit to South Africa for this glorious system. I'm sure it's worked wonders for them too.

I agree 100% that even with this system we come on top, but at least they now are guaranteed a place in the playoffs and they have their own version of the Currie Cup in Super Rugby. See, Western Province playing twice the Lions, no kiwi fixtures... this must make them feel more comfortable. Or at least, they skip the reality check that playing against 5 kiwi franchises means.

Did you know only in 2010 a SA team defeated all the kiwi franchises? First and only SA team to do it in all Super Rugby editions.

I agree with you the present format is nonsense, but I have the feeling they are more comfortable with it.

Really looking forward to the Hurricanes vs Chiefs game tomorrow night, some good match ups and sure to be a classic as these games are All Black trials.

Biggest one for me is Cruden vs Barrett and also Ardie vs Cane, Vito and Leitch will be a goodie, Webber vs Perenara. Shame Lowe isn't playing his match up with CJ would of been a good watch.

Be interesting to see how McKenzie and Ngatai goes. Got chiefs by 7.

Yeah, I expect Hurricanes-Chiefs to be the game of the round. Hopefully I'll be able to check it out. Brumbies-Crusaders on Sunday should be good too.

I'm hoping that the Highlanders have put the horror of Queensland 2 weeks ago behind them when they play the Sharks tonight. Thankfully, Ben Smith is back tonight.

I expect them to come out firing after being refreshed from the bye and coming off that performance against the reds, as any champion side should do.

Highlanders by 20 points.

Canes v Chiefs I'm picking the Canes to collapse and Chiefs to steamroll them

I'd agree but interestingly the TAB has made the Hurricanes the favourite. $1.72 for the Hurricanes vs $2.10 for the Chiefs.

Focussing more on their recent wins while ignoring that they were against poor opposition and they did it hard

Yeah, if I gambled I'd think that was an easy dollar on the Chiefs.

Bizarre game.

Can't believe le Roux walked away from that.

Beast calls the ref a cheat to his face. Poor form If you don't want to get a yellow then don't ankle tap the oposition halfback 5m out from the tryline when you're lying on the ground.

ivelostmysparky wrote:Beast calls the ref a cheat to his face. Poor form If you don't want to get a yellow then don't ankle tap the oposition halfback 5m out from the tryline when you're lying on the ground.

If you ankle tap the opposition while you are on your feet you don't get a yellow?

These last 10 minutes are going to be murder for my nerves.

An ankle tap (as an tapping their ankle with your hand because they are out of reach to tackle) is perfectly legal, but the Sharks player was lying on the ground in a ruck so was "out of the game". It was not helped by the fact that the ref warned both teams for cynical penalties just one minute earlier.

ivelostmysparky wrote:An ankle tap (as an tapping their ankle with your hand because they are out of reach to tackle) is perfectly legal, but the Sharks player was lying on the ground in a ruck so was "out of the game". It was not helped by the fact that the ref warned both teams for cynical penalties just one minute earlier.

Oh my!!! I had somehow understood a trip instead of an ankle tap!!!! Now I see what you mean.