Super Rugby General Chat

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Just had a look at the ladder. I am really not a fan of the top 8 finals in a 12 team competition.

In theory, I think every team is still a chance of making finals, which means we could have a situation where teams are rewarded with a chance to win the championship when they've only won 4 games all year.

And being a straight knockout finals, anything can really happen.

It's terrible. I know they are desperate to keep late seasons games meaningful but we all know finishing from 4-8 means you're likely just get rolled in week one of the finals. But hey, then the coaches turn around and say we made finals so you keep them a few seasons too long and ignore the rot.

You shouldn't be able to make the finals in a sports with a losing record. It doesn't speak to the evenness of the comp when the top 2 will be miles ahead, especially at home. Super Rugby is just like the Super League in the UK.


Ratings are out for the Tahs v Brums since it was on ch9 FTA. 22nd spot for Saturday with 541k total. Someone else can probably understand the part watch, full watch etc.. Unfortunately we have been beaten out for 21st by Border Security...

 

[Strewthcobber]

Ratings are out for the Tahs v Brums since it was on ch9 FTA. 22nd spot for Saturday with 541k total. Someone else can probably understand the part watch, full watch etc.. Unfortunately we have been beaten out for 21st by Border Security...

541k Reach = how many watched any of it
136k Average = viewers (closer to how ratings used to be prior to this year)

A fair few people watched some of it, but not very many watched a lot of it

As per usual, a pretty good result for rugby, but a terrible result for nine. It was their second-lowest Saturday night share for the year, and they were down 5 points on last week.

 

[Ignoto]

Honestly, you could put every team into a cup-final and I wouldn't be phased. It is absolutely depressing when Super Rugby is done by May (if you don't make the finals) and there's still another 3+ months of NRL/AFL.

Hell, mirror what the football code does, after X amount of rounds, whoever is on top becomes the Super Rugby winner and then we go into a knock out Cup competition i.e. mirrors the FA / Carling Cup in England.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Don't hate it.

Until the top 2 sides are in a battle for the Premiership and then in the final of the Cup then I hate it. What's new. Problem may be the fact we couldn't afford to expand our squads beyond what they are now.

 

[PhilClinton]

Honestly, you could put every team into a cup-final and I wouldn't be phased. It is absolutely depressing when Super Rugby is done by May (if you don't make the finals) and there's still another 3+ months of NRL/AFL.

We do kick-off a full two weeks earlier than the other codes as well though (kinda, if you don't count the Vegas games).

The SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) season length is also impacted by the test matches in July.

It's terrible. I know they are desperate to keep late seasons games meaningful but we all know finishing from 4-8 means you're likely just get rolled in week one of the finals. But hey, then the coaches turn around and say we made finals so you keep them a few seasons too long and ignore the rot.

Honestly, I think it would be more embarrassing if you somehow had a team with 4 wins all season battle through the finals and win the competition. I think we are due for it to happen sooner than later, all it takes is a couple of badly timed yellow or red cards.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Honestly, you could put every team into a cup-final and I wouldn't be phased. It is absolutely depressing when Super Rugby is done by May (if you don't make the finals) and there's still another 3+ months of NRL/AFL.

Hell, mirror what the football code does, after X amount of rounds, whoever is on top becomes the Super Rugby winner and then we go into a knock out Cup competition i.e. mirrors the FA / Carling Cup in England.

Promising idea Ignito, but I think it'd even be better if the Cup started off during the last rounds of the SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) competition so that those teams at the top might run some early rounds with development type squads and maybe allow some boil-overs to keep the Cup more interesting.

 

[Dan54]

Honestly, you could put every team into a cup-final and I wouldn't be phased. It is absolutely depressing when Super Rugby is done by May (if you don't make the finals) and there's still another 3+ months of NRL/AFL.

Hell, mirror what the football code does, after X amount of rounds, whoever is on top becomes the Super Rugby winner and then we go into a knock out Cup competition i.e. mirrors the FA / Carling Cup in England.

Yep it can be, but aren't NRL and AFL all done and dosted by September, and probably depressed they got no Test season etc?
I take your point, but different highlights for their games?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Fun fact Wednesday:

Rob Penney's overall Super Rugby coaching record is now 7-0-23. Of coaches with 30+ matches in charge only former Force coach Tim Sampson has a worse record.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[zer0]

For a more complete picture, Stern Vern has a 175-91-9 Top 14 record over ten seasons and made the post-season each year. Add in the current Blues season and his pro HC record is 185-92-9.

To think there were plenty of smooth brain people online questioning Cotter's suitability preseason and talking about a lAcK oF nEw ZeAlAnD eXpErIeNcE as if it were still 2005 when that would've mattered.

 

[zer0]

Also have to go to page 4/9 to find Ian Foster and his 50% from 106 matches lmao.

 

[Dan54]

For a more complete picture, Stern Vern has a 175-91-9 Top 14 record over ten seasons and made the post-season each year. Add in the current Blues season and his pro HC record is 185-92-9.

To think there were plenty of smooth brain people online questioning Cotter's suitability preseason and talking about a lAcK oF nEw ZeAlAnD eXpErIeNcE as if it were still 2005 when that would've mattered.

Not sure why anyone ever questioned his NZ experience anyway, he was doing ok here before he headed overseas. There too many posters online sometimes that can remember back 2 weeks and base their opinions on that!

 

[Ignoto]

Fun fact Wednesday:

Rob Penney's overall Super Rugby coaching record is now 7-0-23. Of coaches with 30+ matches in charge only former Force coach Tim Sampson has a worse record.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Australian's have been saying this for a decade about Penney!

 

[Strewthcobber]

Richard Graham and Michael Foley stick out a bit there at the bottom of the table

 

[Derpus]

View attachment 18882

Australian's have been saying this for a decade about Penney!

I think of the many NZ coaches to come to our shores Penney is actually an outlier. Most of them are good to very good coaches.

Certainly better than anything we can produce with no fucking professional pathways for rugby football coaches anywhere in the entire fucking country.

 

[RugbyReg]

where are Super Rugby crowd numbers captured please? There's a website somewhere that tracks it but I can't recall it.

 

[Wilson]

where are Super Rugby crowd numbers captured please? There's a website somewhere that tracks it but I can't recall it.

Austadiums | Australian Stadiums & Sport

Austadiums is the home of Australian stadiums and sport, featuring details on every stadium and sports event, including news, seating maps, stats, crowds & tickets.

www.austadiums.com

For all Australian crowd numbers

 

[Marce]

Ma'a Nonu:

“I think the Top 14 edges Super Rugby by two notches,” said Nonu.

“You’ve got the best players in the world playing in that competition.

“I haven’t said the Premiership or the URC because I haven’t played there, but I would say they come second and third, or equal second.

“Super Rugby is still good footy. You’ve got the Australians and the Kiwis playing, but they haven’t got the exposure of playing against all the other players from other countries.

“South Africa have hit the jackpot. South Africa left because of SANZAAR, but their teams have actually gotten better and better.

“The Stormers won the [URC] competition in the first year.

“Super Rugby is maybe suffering and I don’t know how long it is going to be around. The level is still there, but the Top 14 is ahead.”

VIDEO: SA teams have 'hit the jackpot' says All Black legend

SPOTLIGHT: All Black legend Ma'a Nonu believes Super Rugby has fallen further behind the pack when it comes to the toughest leagues in the world.

rugby365.com

 

[PhilClinton]

How does the Stormers winning URC in the first year equate to SA getting stronger?

If anything it means that competition was quite weak and they came in first year and won.

I mean that weird comment aside, I do agree SA made the right decision to leave super rugby.

 

[Derpus]

It was right for them and us.

 

[Rob42]

And we probably thought Super Rugby and URC were pretty close when Munster (in-season) just got over the pre-season Crusaders this year...but that was the 2024 Crusaders.