4. Super quality?
One of the reasons fans of the Reds have cause for hope is the nature of the competition this season. A number of sides look below par, and there are only two clear contenders from outside the Aussie conference- the Sharks and Chiefs.
The Crusaders are looking very shaky, the Blues have their moments but struggle for consistency, the Stormers can’t attack (as usual), the Cheetahs look rubbish, the Lions are battlers, the Bulls are 50/50 and I don’t know what to make of the Highlanders. Obviously I am not writing any of these teams off, but from my angle their early season form doesn’t exactly intimidate.
The door is certainly open for us to get four teams in the top 10, and three teams competing for finals spots. I don’t quite agree with Bob Dwyer that we are the strongest conference (too early to tell), but I do agree that this is the best Aussie Super Rugby has looked since the introduction of the 5th team.
