No Yowie today fellow G&GRs. My understanding is the court case was brought forward, but I may have got that wrong. I must admit the feel of Super Rugby seems to have grown this year. I’m loving that so many games are being turned and the favourite teams are not necessarily winning. Personally loving MP’s growth and while Ardie is a huge part of it, the culture and game that Tana has brought into the squad seems to have lifted all of them. Another big week coming with the season on the line for some teams and their ability to keep going getting either a lift or a hammer depending on so many results. Time to let go of the joy and disappointment of last week and start building the anticipation for the coming week’s rugby. Will “our” team get up, or will we have to start finding our “second” team to support for the remainder of the season?
Finals countdown. Where could your team finish?
A great piece of analysis here on the shouty site has looked at where everyone might finish up. The makeup of the finals seems straight forward, unless one of the top three falters. So initially, the top six on the ladder are respectively seeded 1-6. Easy so far. In week one of the finals 1 plays 6 at home, 2 plays 5 at home and 3 plays 4 at home. So firstly try and be in the top three. Reds and Canes could get there, but they’d need two bonus points wins in their last two games AND the Crusaders and Chiefs to crash and burn in their last two. Probably not going to happen.
If the top three win then the 4th placed team gets a second chance and it will be 1 at home v 4 and 2 at home v 3. Makes being 1st or 2nd even more important. However, if an away team wins in the first week then they go through to the finals and the team that loses gets a point deducted from their seeding. Hence if 5 beats 2 in the qualifier, 5 goes into the semi-finals and 2 becomes a loser with a seeding of 3. The fourth semi-finalist is then chosen as the highest ranked loser, in this example that’s 2 now with a seeding of 3 which is higher than 4 and 6 the other two losers. Now it gets even more confusing interesting: two teams can’t have the same seeding, so seed 2 who lost now has a 3 seeding, and seed 3 now becomes seed 2 and gets a home semi-final. It gets even more confusing if more than one top seed loses and then another top seed loses in the semis. I’ll just let the officials work it out and continue to hope my Canes just keep winning. To be honest the easiest way to stay there is just to win your games. So how does each franchise stack up?
The Highlanders at the bottom of the table are only 9 points out of the six, so can mathematically still make it, but with games against two of the top three teams, in the shape of the Crusaders and the Chiefs, it isn’t likely. A win in one of those games would lift them clear of the bottom. (Could finish anywhere from 11th to 6th)
Fijian Drua on 20 points with only one game left have run their race as they are 6 points adrift of Moana and the Blues. Their battle is to avoid the wooden spoon, which with their current one more win than the Highlanders should see them stay in 10th, a win in Brisbane however may lift them to 8th. (Could finish anywhere from 11th to 8th)
The Western Force have one game to salvage some pride at home and jump the Tahs, it will also be the last chance for a lot of Wallabies hopefuls to impress so there should be some big plays. (Could finish anywhere from 8th to 11th).
The Waratahs are six points out of the top six and need to win both their games and have others lose all theirs to make it. This week’s game against the Force is a must-win and if they do they then need to beat Blues away. But most likely all they’re playing for is gold jerseys. (Could finish anywhere from 6th to 11th).
The Blues still have a bye week with no competition points on offer. So after losing to Moana across town they need to beat the Tahs at home to get back to 6th. (Could finish anywhere from 6th to 8th).
Moana Pasifika, fresh off a win over the Blues have made it into the six, 2 points behind the Hurricanes in fifth, level with the Blues who only have one game left. A win against the Chiefs is unlikely, so the round 16 game against the Hurricanes could shape up as their finals game. (Could finish anywhere from 5th to 7th).
The Hurricanes fly to Brisbane where they can slide into 4th position if when they win . Two losses and they could drop out of the six altogether. (Could finish anywhere from 4th to 7th).
The Reds have two home games and they need to win them to give themselves the best chance. They need to take the home advantage and beat both the Hurricanes and Drua or run the risk of dropping further. (Could finish anywhere from 4th to 7th).
The Crusaders should beat the Highlanders next week to set up a round 16 game away to the Brumbies that will shape up as the playoff for 2nd place or even lift them to the top if the Chiefs fall over. (Could finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd).
The Brumbies have a bye week and will fall to 3rd if both the Chiefs and Crusaders win. The final week matchup against the Crusaders is where they can show they belong in the final, or like in previous years are just making up the losing semi-finalists spots. (Could finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd).
The Chiefs certainly look the business, but it’s been a year of anyone can win so anything’s possible. After their bye last week they have Moana Pasifika and the Highlanders, two wins should see them with home advantage all through the finals. (Could finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd).
The author of the article proposes a top six of 1 Chiefs, 2 Brumbies, 3 Crusaders, 4 Reds, 5 Canes and 6 Blues. I’m not so sure and I think the top six will be 1 Chiefs, 2 Crusaders, 3 Brumbies, 4 Canes, 5 Reds and 6 Moana Pasifika. What are your picks?
‘I want it bad’: why O’Connor feels ready to tame Lions
Written here by Darren Walton in rugby.com.au, JOC has revealed his desire to play against the BILs. Thriving at the Crusaders, O’Connor says he’s had a “good conversation” with Schmidt about suddenly being in the frame for a shock return for the Lions’ blockbuster three-Test series. “I want it bad,” the 34-year-old said “I’m under no illusion that there’s other guys who are playing really well and there’re fresh young men and guys who are coming into their prime who are doing a great job for their clubs as well,” O’Connor added. “But I do feel like I could add something”. It had been assumed the Wallabies’ flyhalf role was a race in three between Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson but, with none of the trio making compelling claims, O’Connor is adamant he could do the job.
The veteran feels a far more complete chief playmaker 12 years on, having only first been handed the flyhalf job on a two-Test spring tour in 2011. “In 2013, I didn’t shy away from it but I had a chip on my shoulder, for sure, so I thought I was the greatest. I thought I could do the job. I had no idea about how to run a game or manage a game. That Lions series, it just showed me how much I didn’t know.” O’Connor confessed to being schooled in the 41-16 third-Test loss in Sydney by wily Lions like Jonathan Davies when the series was on the line. “I didn’t know what to do in that moment. I’d never been in it before and I wasn’t smart enough, didn’t have the game knowledge to be able to get that momentum back,” he said adding “I’m not the finished product but I’ve been learning for the past five years.” O’Connor reckons a Lions series doesn’t compare as equal to a global showpiece. “It’s bigger, man,” he said. “World Cups are incredible but the Lions, I was blown away. Every time we left the hotel, we were just bombarded and it’s not like the British are quiet. They’re on the piss at 10:00am, so you’re getting heckled just walking up the street.”
I must admit I’d love to see him in gold this year. That wonderful try he scored when he pinched the ball off the end of the Canes inept lineout demonstrated to me that he could easily start. However, I also get what he brings at the end of the games like he has done for the Crusaders this year. Good luck to him, and Joe, “Just pick him!”.
Signings are going the right way for some in Australia
Noted here in rugby.com.au and here in the shouty site both Daigunui and Tizzano have re-signed with Australia for the next couple of years. Both Daugunu and Tizzano have signed through to the end of 2027. This is a great outcome for Australia with both players having been hunted by Japanese clubs and unsure of how things would end up. Daugunu said: “I’m happy and blessed. It’s great to stay in Brisbane with the Reds for two more years. I always say it’s home for me because it’s where professional rugby started for me.” adding “The Lions is a tour that happens only once every 12 years so it’s a series you want to be involved in. It’s part of my focus. It would be special.” Queensland Reds Head Coach Les Kiss said: “Filipo is an outstanding person in our locker room. On top of the versatility and presence he has brought to the backline this year, his experience is highly valued.”
Tizzano’s retention comes more than a month after reports emerged that he was entertaining a huge seven-figure deal in Japan. Tizzano’s retention comes more than a month after reports emerged that he was entertaining a huge seven-figure deal in Japan. “I’m 100 per cent sure he wants to stay, and it’s just him working through it,” Cron told reporters last month. Tizzano’s incredible form in 2025 has led many to think he could start for gold this year. Not only does he lead the SR competition for tries (12), but he also tops the tackle count (180) and has been a constant threat over the ball. Just as telling is that the Force have been well off the pace in the past two games with Tizzano sidelined due to injury. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt gave nothing away last week when asked whether he was contemplating starting Tizzano and McReight, but he did throw up the possibility of having a specialist #7 on a forwards heavy bench. “One of the ways to have maybe two out-and-out #7s is to have a 6-2 split,” Schmidt said with Tizanno agreeing “I’d love that,” Tizzano said earlier this year. “I’m all for having two #7s on the field.”
This is a great outcome for Australian rugby. While I personally think both are not the top pick in either of their positions, they are the players you need when injuries come calling, or even just to pressure those at the top so they don’t get comfortable and have to also keep pushing themselves.
