Super Rugby General Chat

[waiopehu oldboy]

To be fair to Ma'a, he was comparing Super Rugby to T14 not URC, but I do love the bit about SA "leaving Super Rugby because of SANZAAR".

 

[Ignoto]

“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

How did they go for the French though? It was the second most embarrassing thing to happen at last year's world cup (the first being Australia not making out of the pool stages).

Imagine bowing out at your home world cup in the quarters!! (I can see the egg on my face in a few years don't you worry).

 

[Dctarget]

Eh, maybe the Leinsters and Toulouses would go well but they're still dealing with a handful of ANZ players who were good here but suddenly globetrotters over there.

Kerr Barlow, Skelton, Meafou, Arnold, Ahki are now all world beaters but weren't lavished with praise here. Other middle order teams are centered around players like Maddocks, Reece Hewat, Alo-Emile, Newsome etc.

Every time a Kiwi leaves NZ they become the best player in the world in France.

 

[Marce]

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.

Even Tahs beat those Crusaders twice lol

 

[Strewthcobber]

How did they go for the French though? It was the second most embarrassing thing to happen at last year's world cup (the first being Australia not making out of the pool stages).

Imagine bowing out at your home world cup in the quarters!! (I can see the egg on my face in a few years don't you worry).

Perhaps many/most French Rugby Union fans would rather watch a competitive Top 14 league and Champions Cup every year, over one or two international games every 4 years

 

[Ignoto]

Perhaps many/most French Rugby Union fans would rather watch a competitive Top 14 league and Champions Cup every year, over one or two international games every 4 years

But the point Nonu was making is, the quality of the competition is higher than Super Rugby i.e. has the "best internationals" spread across the teams. But, it doesn't apear to have translated to any meaningful success outside of that competition as those same players especially at a French level don't really perform when required.

 

[Strewthcobber]

But the point Nonu was making is, the quality of the competition is higher than Super Rugby i.e. has the "best internationals" spread across the teams. But, it doesn't apear to have translated to any meaningful success outside of that competition as those same players especially at a French level don't really perform when required.

I understand that. But if your definition of success is only internationals, then I think you are missing his point

 

[Derpus]

Eh, maybe the Leinsters and Toulouses would go well but they're still dealing with a handful of ANZ players who were good here but suddenly globetrotters over there.

Kerr Barlow, Skelton, Meafou, Arnold, Ahki are now all world beaters but weren't lavished with praise here. Other middle order teams are centered around players like Maddocks, Reece Hewat, Alo-Emile, Newsome etc.

Every time a Kiwi leaves NZ they become the best player in the world in France.

Is that not just a function of more dispersed talent? 14 teams or whatever versus 5?

I prefer that model personally. A couple of test stars among a team of club level players in a competition with many clubs. It's how most competitions work.

 

[Dctarget]

Is that not just a function of more dispersed talent? 14 teams or whatever versus 5?

I prefer that model personally. A couple of test stars among a team of club level players in a competition with many clubs. It's how most competitions work.

Yeah for sure if they consolidated the top 14 into 5 teams they'd be incredible. But they're not, so I don't buy this bit about them being super competitive.

 

[Marce]

How did they go for the French though? It was the second most embarrassing thing to happen at last year's world cup (the first being Australia not making out of the pool stages).

Imagine bowing out at your home world cup in the quarters!! (I can see the egg on my face in a few years don't you worry).

Most of the Super Rugby players with European heritage end up playing for an European nations if they can't make the ABs or WBs 23 like Mosese Tuipulotu or Fergus Burke. So Super Rugby players play against future 6 Nations players lol

 

[Marce]

 

[Dan54]

Just wondering how the top of table will change between no and finals, or bottom.

Would be kind of good if Rebels and Clan swapped places (or Brumbies/Chiefs), would be good for to have a couple of Aus.NZ QFs? At this time you would get Rebels/Brumbies and Clan/Chiefs, though I would not be at all surprised if Brumbies sneak up a place before then.

 

[Bullrush]

It was right for them and us.

NZ stuck with the wrong horse. If only we could dump Australia and get SA back

 

[Adam84]

NZ stuck with the wrong horse. If only we could dump Australia and get SA back

Do us all a favour..

 

[Dctarget]

Glen Jackson... former super player and ref, will be the new Fijian Drua head coach. Didn't even realise he went into coaching.

 

[elementfreak]

Glen Jackson... former super player and ref, will be the new Fijian Drua head coach. Didn't even realise he went into coaching.

Yeah, his contract was coming to an end with NZRU right after RWC2019, and he'd had the coaching gig lined up then. He's been coaching them since their inception from memory.

 

[zer0]

I believe he's also the first person to be a pro rugby player, referee, and coach. So you can now wow the audience when that bit of useless trivia appears in a pub quiz.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

"The Blues are poised to make a controversial move to bring All Blacks star Beauden Barrett into their squad for the rest of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season."

Thought you had to be on the books by 31 March or thereabouts?

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Dan54]

"The Blues are poised to make a controversial move to bring All Blacks star Beauden Barrett into their squad for the rest of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season."

Thought you had to be on the books by 31 March or thereabouts?

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

So did I, think the Blues are trying to say he was contracted to NZR then? And similar to players coming in as replacements when not on books before then, Kianu Kereru-Symes being brought into Canes, Pone in Rebels etc haven't Tahs and Force brought in a few to cover injuries?
Not sure anyone will fall for it though.

 

[Slim 293]

So did I, think the Blues are trying to say he was contracted to NZR then? And similar to players coming in as replacements when not on books before then, Kianu Kereru-Symes being brought into Canes, Pone in Rebels etc haven't Tahs and Force brought in a few to cover injuries?
Not sure anyone will fall for it though.

Pone has been contracted with the Rebels all year...