2015 Super Rugby Season

First topic message reminder :

The place for all things Super Rugby.  

Here we can discuss the latest team news, results, upcoming fixtures, referees performances, crowd behaviour, the cheerleaders....

George & Canelion: I've converted your Round 3 and Round 6 threads into the "super" Super Rugby Thread. A few others included in there too.

Check the links below for fixtures, results and the table.

2014 Table

2014 Results
 

   

Was it not for Aplon and the forwards the score line would have been much larger, as it is it is embarrassing from the supposed best defence in the competition.

Stormers need a new coach, for most of the match they looked clueless, then starts to play helter skelter in the last 10 minutes, conceding more points in that period than they managed to score in the whole half.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.

Sorry to say, mate, but I agree. The defence was very poor. I think Stormers were lucky they only conceded 17 points in the first half.

Whoa! Rebels v. Crusaders score is 12-15 after 50 minutes? This will make interesting breakfast tv........

Stop jinxing it doc, shesh

I think I jinxed both matches today. Maybe I can go for a clean sweep and screw everything up............

Nice presentation for Conrad Smith at the end of the Hurricanes-Cheetahs match.
And nice humble speech by Smith.

doctor_grey wrote:I think I jinxed both matches today.  Maybe I can go for a clean sweep and screw everything up............

Can you please predict a Reds win against the Sharks....

Don't worry Mr FP, the Sharks will take out the S15 this year, eh doc?

Chiefs look super solid and the rest of the NZ conference look vulnerable. Crusaders are rubbish on attack at the moment. Hurricanes finally pick up a win but their defence is still worrying. Blues are still a big learning curve and Highlanders fail to grab a win over a 13 man Force team.

Early days yet but it looks a lot like last year in how the NZ conference will pan out.

On a lighter note, this page is quite amusing. I especially like the Waratahs game plan if you scroll quite a bit down and the Hurricanes supporters coming back is a good call. https://www.facebook.com/TheRugbyBanterPage

ebop wrote:Don't worry Mr FP, the Sharks will take out the S15 this year, eh doc?

Shhhhhh!

We beat the Blues! Three wins out of five, what a bunch of lads

yes the Blues will keep giving away 20 point starts.JKs emphasis on attack is exactly that. Thankfully its not as embarrassing as if theyd lost to former Lions sides as this years cut has already shown itself to be a handy side.

Mr Fishpaste wrote:

ebop wrote:Don't worry Mr FP, the Sharks will take out the S15 this year, eh doc?

Shhhhhh!

  

The Sharks are looking good and I'm sure you'll be there at the pointy end as usual.

Our NZ teams are off the pace. Early days, but it's not looking flash.

Here's that Tom Marshall heel flick (total fluke).

Middle table Taylorman, dizzying heights at the moment! Might actually make a trip to Ellis Park, if I can find a sucker willing to risk his car by parking in Doornfontein.

The battle of the slackest defences was entertaining. Just how much pace does Barrett have. My try of the match though was Conrad Smith. He made it look so easy.   

Barrett and Le Roux I think are similar in terms of playing style, stature, timing and pace. They both hit above their weight and seem to keep crossing paths.

That barrett try was ridiculous

IronMike wrote:That barrett try was ridiculous

Thats what I thought when I saw it- 'he shouldn't have been able to get through there' kind of thing. Thing is, I don't think there's a player quite like him in terms of making things look ridiculously easy so often. Last year for the AB's and prior to that with the Canes he was just finding gaps where they shouldn't have been. That's why I mentioned Le Roux- he's the same, just probably not quite as deceptive as Barrett.

Thanks for starting this week's thread, Doc.

Some stunning tries already - the Chiefs are looking ominously good. They seem to have kept the kernel of the past couple of years and that will be key. Then they have Sonny Bill coming back next year. Where did it all go wrong?

Should point out that the canes are still frustrating as ..... 18-9 down at 1/2 time and I'm thinking something about the Hammett mix just isn't working. Have studiously ignored/rejected the debate until now. Starting to believe the doubters may have a point.

The other point was 9 penalty goals in the first half....... and no tries....

Hurricanes just looked completely clueless in that game. Showed some of the worst of SuperRugby with just so many headless chicken moments. Highlanders though had some real class, those two Smiths are brilliant. Not sure about the 9's passing, very wayward for most of the match, boy can he can run though.

Watching the Tahs v Rebels match. Ominously for everyone else Beale and Falou are both looking sensational, working well together with Beale creating stuff with every touch.

deja-vu as Beale cuts them up and feeds Falou again

Tah's are looking good at the moment...let's just hope Beale can keep it together off the field, 'cause he's so good on it right now.

Wowzers! Force beat the Chiefs. This year's certainly seeing a shake up of the traditional pecking order!

That's four wins now!!! Could we be looking at playoffs? No, but go LIONS...

special mention to an especially poor ref

I can tell you now, Lyndon Bray is going to have another temper tantrum, Stuart Berry won't be reffereeing Super Rugby again.

yeah there does seem to be a problem. Theres too much going on with referees and the calls they are making and the job they have to do to put it down to bias so I dont buy that. I mean refs have a hard enough time of it that they don't have the time to be biased!

Bray can't just keep knocking his men around every week. Rugby refereeing must be the most difficult in all of sport and that has to be factored in to the performance they are being asked to give each week. With the ball ripping issue- one that hasnt reared his head in al the decades I've been playing and watching the game suggests the margins are so much tighter these days. Brain surgeons have it easier in terms of accuracy.

Taylor: He didn't looked biased, he just looked out of his depth, flustered. Perhaps he needs a couple more seasons of Currie Cup...

yes thats what I mean, its a tough job and one that can never be done with 100% accuracy. Waynes Barnes was the same- white as a ghost. FRankly, you can't pay these guys enough because unlike players, who on bad days are 'off form' refs are never off form- theyre biased.

Everyone has good and bad days- why not refs.

Got to say i'm loving the SuperRugby this season.

Watching the AP this weekend has shown just how negative some of the coaches tactics are up here in the North compared to your tournament.

Good work Blackcanelion - have updated the OP with scores and highlights links.

Will look at these later but the Force have been in storming form.

Loving the super rugby, it's always great fun from the off! Hard really to compare to AP, especially as the AP is great fun in the first few rounds each year too!

For all the talk of poor defence blah blah blah the hard grounds are a big difference!

Further to the issues pertaining to Lyndon Bray and his men, Blues coach JK after winning by ten points was still very critical of the refereeing. its not to just attack referees but to just highlight the damage these guys are doing to the game.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11224937

aucklandlaurie wrote:
Further to the issues pertaining to Lyndon Bray and his men, Blues coach JK after winning by ten points was still very critical of the refereeing. its not to just attack referees but to just highlight the damage these guys are doing to the game.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11224937

"Scrums now have become so contested it is almost a disadvantage to be awarded one. Even allowing for the referee's silent command, the opposition pack has an automatic one-man advantage because their hooker is not striking for the ball."

In addition to refs, I think the above is a problem. I don't care what Brian Moore says about how easy it is to hook, and how you can win your own scrums if hooking is done properly. Every time a team wins a scrum they're effectively penalised.

We arent too far from coaches who will see the benefits of throwing a forward pass, executing a knock on, let the opposition pick up a loosehead feed to the scrum, you pick up the ensuing penalty and carry on play....simples.

Here's one for those familiar with SA Super Rugby Conference:

Does the team finishing last still stand to be relegated? And if so, would SARU still impose relegation on the Stormers (given their recent performances), , given that they are one the SA's high profile teams?

Before the game, the Hurricanes' bus broke down. Judging by the Hurricanes' indifferent season, it probably ran out of hot air.

Fair play to the Bulls though. That's the rugby spirit. Not sure what the rules are in such a case. I remember seeing a bus from Valencia with a police motorcade as I was driving to the match myself with less than half an hour to kick off time. The kick off started on schedule.

Anyway, it seemed the Hurricanes' gratitude extended into letting the Bulls back into the game. They started well and then fell asleep as has been their wont this season. Good character to come back though and no doubt many posters might have a word to say about Walsh's scrum rulings: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/9905980/Hurricanes-tame-Bulls-in-Napier

A final note to the Mods, is it possible to have a Super Sticky in the Club section as there has been in previous years? I know most people are interested in the NH club game but there's been very little love or attention paid to the games on the club board and I know many NH posters watch the games. Perhaps if there were a regular place to contribute to the matches, it would gain a little more posting momentum.   

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:...I know many NH posters watch the games....

I'm watching more this season than I have for a long time. They aren't all good games but there's been a lot to like.

I wouldn't mind a Super Rugby sticky post, the main reason I don't watch many games is because they're on at silly o clock in the morning, I do watch the highlights when theyre up, which is usually pretty quick

I love watching super rugby so unpredictable and great quality

Chiefs cheetahs game was excellent I don't know how they do it. 43-43 with a try in the 83rd minute to mess up my bet   they have gained vital points in the last minute of games, they have got to be favourites during the big games

Amazing finish. The Chiefs are the one side I can say are never out of it. Any other side vs any other side at 34-10 I would have said they're gone... Not once did I think that the Chiefs were out of it. That side used to be the Crusaders and is currently the AB's. These finishes will help the side believe they can do the three-peat this year.

Re the Canes isnt Barrett a model of consistency? Surely the latest version of the postman- just always delivers.

He's a great player to have Tman. He's the type of player who can make something happen.

I am surprised at the Cheifs' scrum being dismantled. What has happened there? It was the backs keeping them in the game against the Cheetahs. Nanai-Williams' steal on the touchline was breathtaking. Was TK out injured. That 9 looked like a more nuggety version of Weepu.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:

A final note to the Mods, is it possible to have a Super Sticky in the Club section as there has been in previous years? I know most people are interested in the NH club game but there's been very little love or attention paid to the games on the club board and I know many NH posters watch the games. Perhaps if there were a regular place to contribute to the matches, it would gain a little more posting momentum.   

We had a few weekly Super Rugby threads up until about Round 6, kia. I suggested (back then) we make a rolling sticky thread too.

How about we use this one below? We can change the title and make it a sticky?

https://www.606v2.com/t52764-super-rugby-round-6

I can merge this thread (and any others I see floating about) into a Super Rugby Thread. Let me know if you think that's OK.

Sounds good mate. Bit late, but I wholly support your suggestion and propose that we make a permanent Sticky entitled Super Rugby and it doesn't matter what round it is, as people will post on the recent games. If you call a sticky round 6, for example, then it has a limited lifespan. Call it Super Rugby sticky and it sticks. Like booing for Quade Cooper; it just becomes part of the culture or lack thereof.   

Ha ha... yeah, give us a few minutes... I call it "2014 Super Rugby Season"

Good on you, mate. We need doers not sheep. And certainly not doers of sheep, even though you have more to do than us. But as Eric Rush pointed out, the kangaroo is the only animal in the animal kingdom that boxes and that has to be for a very good reason.   

LB for IRB president!   

To make this thread topical, anyone else hate the Chiefs for rucking up their Super picks two weeks in a row?    

Thanks mate.

I'll grab a few super rugby related threads - including your latest one - and amalgamate them into here.

Give us about 10 minutes....   

You've got 5. No excuses or you're fired.   

The Crusaders deserve a separate thread, such was the sadly singular nature of their win as in it feels like it was the only match they've won this season. From a selfish point of view, fewer games for Read and McCaw are not so bad from an AB point of view.