You better be, the Blues time is NOW.
Rugby.com did a break down based on win %s, which ends up mostly being in line with last years table (the worse you did the harder your draw looks):
That would be great to see! Sione's brothers are talented, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they followed in his footsteps and earned a cap for Scotland. Having that family connection in international rugby would be a great story, and it seems like the Tuipulotu name could become even more prominent in Scottish rugby.
Good point! You're absolutely right—Joe Powell is Canberra-born and has spent most of his career at the Brumbies. My mistake in including him among Victorian players. Thanks for pointing that out!
That’s a really sharp breakdown of the season’s dynamics! The Crusaders definitely seem to have a brutal schedule, especially with those double matchups against the Chiefs, Blues, and Hurricanes. That mid-season stretch with the Fiji trip and back-to-back matches against tough Kiwi teams could be a real test. As you said, if they start slow, it could make the rest of the season an uphill battle for them.Rugby.com did a break down based on win %s, which ends up mostly being in line with last years table (the worse you did the harder your draw looks):
Looking at the games and where they are, Crusaders as the hardest does look to hold up - doubles against the Chiefs, Blues and Canes, a trip to Fiji with an away game against the Hurricanes immediately after then home to face the Blues. Just after the middle of the season this could break them if they have started poorly again.
Moana having all their doubles against kiwi sides is really going to hurt them too, I'm surprised they didn't get the Drua twice.
The tahs is a bit each way but might also come unstuck in the second half of the season - after an easier start the back half of the comp is tough away trips (Fiji, Perth, Canberra, Eden Park) and top teams from this year (Brumbies, Reds, Canes, Blues and Chiefs). If they're outside the 6 after the first half of the comp the pressure to chase may see them fall right away. They do get the best possible bye though - the week after the trip to Fiji, where most teams have struggled.
Is this bloke real?
Other than the NPC - all of those competitions follow the northern calendar so understandable that they are on. They also factor in weeks to play challenge and european cup games - easy to do when you have 70% of the globes rugby playing population living within a 4 hour flight of each other.
I disagree, Super Rugby was at its best when it was a short, intense competition - the Super 12 was 11 rounds, if i remember correctly, with just two semi-finals and a final. It created intensity in every game, teams could hardly afford to drop a game. Super Rugby was at its worst when it became bloated and ran after the June internationals, because it felt like there was a long stretch in the middle where the games didn't mean much - they could lose a few and still challenge for the finals.
