As every year these days, in 2015 many players will leave Super Rugby. Here’s my 2015 best departure lounge Super Rugby XV.
I know I’m treading on shaky ground, making a best XV team is asking for it; I’ll forget some excellent players, I’ll put in the starting line-up someone’s best mate. So will it be.
This RWC year will mark one of the biggest exoduses in Super Rugby history, hundreds and hundreds of caps will move to the rich French shores, to the green fields of Britain, to exotic Japan…
Like parents watching their grown ups kids leaving home, we will soon see the business lounges of our airports fill up with our beloved players saying au revoir, cobber!
The departing – New Zealand
New Zealand will lose a big chunk of their best players, starting with Dan Carter, one of the greatest number 10 of all times, record holder for points scored in Super Rugby: 1705. With him two other Crusaders’ first/second five eights, Colin Slade and Tom Taylor will create a deep hole in the midfield for the seven times champions.
Also on the move the most capped centres combination of all time Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu, as well as prop Ben Franks and lock Jeremy Thrush from the Hurricanes, the first three world champions in 2011. Michael Fitzgerald, Matt Symons, Liam Messam, Ben Tameifuna will depart from the Chiefs as well as a score of backs: Hosea Gear, Bryce Heem, Tom Marshall and Tim Nanai-Williams, even the almost never ending depth of kiwi rugby will be tested by this .
Waisake Naholo will move from the Highlanders to Clermont and Nasi Manu will move to real highlanders in Scotland. Finally Francis Saili, Frank Halai, Charles Piutau, Luke Braid and Brendon O’Connor will leave the Blues as well as retiring living legend Keven Mealamu.
Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu – the most capped centres’ combination in the world
The departing – Australia
Australia will lose many players as well, with an unconfirmed transfer of Quade Cooper, it is clear that the Reds will lose Will Genia and James Horwill – the first to newly crowned Top14 champions Stade Français, the second to English Premiership contender Harlequins. Another former Red, Scott Higginbotham, will leave the Rebels as well as Paul Alo-Emile and Luke Burgess.
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Sekope Kepu, Wycliff Palu, Brendan McKibbin and Peter Betham will depart from the Waratahs to seek new adventures. The Brumbies will lose fullback Jesse Mogg, scrum half Nic White and back rower Jordan Smiler . Lastly, the Western Force will say good bye to Sam Wykes who will move to Japan to join Nick Cummins’ team, the Coca Cola Red Sparks.
Will Genia and James Horwill will leave the Reds at the end of the season
The departing – South Africa
While their rules will allow them to play for the Springboks, the 2016 Super Rugby season will not see many great Saffers. Notably the du Plessis brothers have announced their transfer out of the Republic, but many others will move, like backrowers Willem Alberts, Heinrich Brüssow and Pierre Spies.
On the move also are Cheetah’ Sarel Pretorius, Francois Hougaard, Jacques du Plessis, Wiaan Liebenberg and Flip van der Merwe from the Bulls, Lions’ Schalk van der Merwe and Cameron Wright.
Demetri Catrakilis, Manuel Carizza, Steven Kitshoff and Patrick Howard will no more be seen in the blue and white of the Stormers.
The du Plessis brothers – on the move as well
The destinations
While the losers of this exodus are the Southern Hemisfere fans, especially the ones in Australia and New Zealand, the winners are again the Top14 clubs, especially Montpellier, which has already snatched Ben Mowen last year and that will add Nic White, Demetri Catrakilis, Jacques du Plessis, Schalk van der Merwe, Jesse Mogg, Wiaan Liebenberg, Cameron Wright and Pierre Spies to their already impressive légion étrangère.
Jake White will be joined by plenty of known faces to Montpellier
Recruitment into international rugby will also lift up Union Bordeaux Bègles, who has secured the services of Tahs’ Adam Ashley-Cooper and Sekope Kepu, Blues’ Luke Braid and Stormers’ Steven Kitshoff.
Repeat offender Toulon will “only” profit from the services of Ma’a Nonu (and most likely Quade Cooper), champions Stade Français will be the new club of Will Genia and Paul Alo-Emile, when their city rivals Racing Métro will enjoy the service of Dan Carter, Ben Tameifuna and Manuel Carizza.
Top14 newcomers Pau will have in Conrad Smith and Colin Slade two excellent kiwi imports.
Normally less prone to offer expensive contracts to Southern Hemisphere players, there are some important movements also towards England after a drought in European top trophies the mood has changed. Notably former Wallaby captain James Horwill to Harlequins, as well as the good recruiting of the cherry and white’s Gloucester with three kiwis: Tom Marshall, Jeremy Thrush and Willi Heinz.
Finally Japanese Top League clubs have secured many new players, starting from Scott Higginbotham and Heinrich Brüssow to Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies and Liam Messam. There is always the possibility for players contracted in Japan to play both Top League and Super Rugby, but the never ending season may be too hard on their bodies as Nick Cummins and, for the first half of the season, Nemani Nadolo showed.
My Departure Lounge XV
Disclaimer: two greats are not part of this XV, Victor Matfield and Keven Mealamu, they are not going north to top up their super, they are hanging the boots after two of the most distinguished careers of Super Rugby. The first is doing this for his second time, so he has some practice in handling the farewell speeches, the latter was visibly shaken after his last (174th) game:
Keven Mealamu’s emotional farewell at the end of his last rugby game
Another player is not part of my team, Richie McCaw. At the moment it is unclear what the greatest flanker of all times will do, in case he will announce a stint outside of New Zealand, he will for sure enter (from the side) into the list:
15 Jesse Mogg
14 Waisake Naholo
13 Conrad Smith
12 Ma’a Nonu
11 Adam Ashley-Cooper
10 Dan Carter
9 Will Genia
8 Scott Higginbotham (C)
7 Willem Alberts
6 Liam Messam
5 James Horwill
4 Jeremy Thrush
3 Jannie du Plessis
2 Bismark du Plessis
1 Ben Franks
Reserves: 16 Sekope Kepu*, 17 Ben Tameifuna, 18 Sam Wykes, 19 Heinrich Brüssow, 20 Pierre Spies, 21 Nic White, 22 Colin Slade, 23 Frank Halai
Head Coach: Allister Coetzee
* as far as I know there is only one hooker moving out of Super Rugby, hence Kepu has been added as reserve hooker.
