[2020 Super Rugby] Round 1 (31 January - 2 February)

[Al Bangor]

That Sunwolves game is what gave me the leg up on superbru

The way i see them, they actually did well last year, turned over the Tahs and Chiefs away from home...and these guys all need to find new contracts next years so all have something to prove, not saying they'll win it or anything, but they'll get some results

I'm not positive, but I think the Sunwolves will be members of that new Japanese league set to begin play next year. I'm sure most of their current roster will be playing elsewhere by then, but it will be nice to keep the Sunwolves name alive. I'll have to pick a new favorite SupeRugby team next season, but until then...Go Sunwolves!

 

[unrated]

Stormers look like the Stormers of the Alli Coetzee era. Difference this time round is we have some exciting halves although they are still very young. Its early days but going off of one result I think we can expect mostly wins at home and a few on the road and be in a pay off spot but I still don't expect we'll get to the home Semi or final we'd probably need to make a ***le tilt.

The good:
- Forwards were pretty much dominant.
- Our halves *seem* more able to capitalize on said dominance than earlier Stormers outfits.
- Our brand of rugby is effective in a knock-out scenario should we make it to the play-offs as expected.

The bad:
- Our brand of rugby is attritional and-
- we are not deep enough to ITO quality in depth to compensate for the above.
(already we've lost Kolisi and Mbonambi to injury though granted this was in large part due to the Hurricanes' reckless and at times straight out dirty and off-the-ball tactics)
- Two of our tries came from intercepts. Sure one can argue those intercept opportunities arrived due to our strangling defence and structures BUT I this Canes side lacked a number of their star players and just looked lethargic. Come a potential SR final against a class and motivated Crusaders outfit one shouldn't rely on opposition mistakes to garner a win.

*just felt the need to qualify my refering to the 'Canes as having played dirty- Those injuries to Kolisi and Mbonambi I felt was due to recklessness on the part of Canes players and ther were also two fully earned yellow cards for foul play and I wonder whether Kirifi will get cited for eye gouging PSdT.. Just too much off the ball.

Also, well done, Sunwolves. I know some people on here said to expect them to be competitive but I certainly wasn't one of them even if I don't rate the Rebels. Otherwise pretty much as expected. Jaguares and Crusaders business as usual against sides that will do good to keep of the bottom of their logs and in the Sha/Bul, Bru/Red and Chi/Blu ties it was all very competitive but with the more settled sides coming out on top early season.

The Stormers were magnificent, conference rivals are worrying right now especially the Bulls who have to go to Newlands now.

Give them more credit for the intercept tries. Yes you mentioned the defence as a factor but also exactly the fact they would still have won even without the intercepts is cause for celebration from Stormers fans.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The Stormers were magnificent, conference rivals are worrying right now especially the Bulls who have to go to Newlands now.

Give them more credit for the intercept tries. Yes you mentioned the defence as a factor but also exactly the fact they would still have won even without the intercepts is cause for celebration from Stormers fans.

Possibly. As a long time WP/Stormers supporter I've just learnt to manage my expectations

 

[Gena_ZA]

Pretty sour display from the Canes, can't take an honest beating and go for off the ball tactics
Hope the Jaguares play them off the park this Saturday

As summarized in a media report:

The Stormers' win came at a cost as they are set to lose Springbok captain Siya Kolisi for an extended period after he suffered a knee injury following a late hit from Hurricanes hooker Ricky Riccitelli.

The Stormers also lost Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi in the second half after he injured his hamstring at a fiercely contested breakdown.

It was disappointing to see the Hurricanes resort to several off the ball antics as it became more evident that they were being dominated.

Centre Billy Proctor saw yellow early in the second half for a hit on Stormers flyhalf Damian Willemse and 11 minutes later loose forward Vaea Fifita was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on replacement Stormers hooker Scarra Ntubeni.

Television cameras also caught flank Du'Plessis Kirifi applying fingers to Stormers counterpart Pieter-Steph du Toit's face during a 'tussle'.

Kirifi was named after former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis, who would not have been impressed by the young Kiwi's actions.

 

[Al Bangor]

The Stormers were magnificent, conference rivals are worrying right now especially the Bulls who have to go to Newlands now.

Give them more credit for the intercept tries. Yes you mentioned the defence as a factor but also exactly the fact they would still have won even without the intercepts is cause for celebration from Stormers fans.

27-0, Stormers rolled over the Hurricanes. The only shut out in week one.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=470319073625072

 

[TRF_heineken]

They deserved that IMO. No Super rugby team with a 35 year old Morne Steyn should have been expected to be winners against The Sharks team we saw last night. Why you ask? Because that would mean our youth system cant even produce players good|talented enough to beat a 35 year old who is at an exiting top 14 standard. I mean this with all the respect it deserves. The bulls are a legendary SA team but if a team brings back An old player who was never really that good in open play (apart from kicking) then you have to question the quality of our youth system and our ability to produce new talent in SR when the others gets poached by the EU.

Secondly it was our first victory against the Northen transvalers since 2015, they can take this on the chin. Our intensity outmatched them, they took their chances infront of goal but they wont be able to win Super rugby by aiming at the posts the whole time. Morne Steyn and his kicking can't dominate the bulls mindset for this year, they should play Libbok and let Steyn groom him. Steyn is a Great kicker and any fly halve can learn from him. This should just not be their go to strategy. Last night i saw their general take control. It became a Morne Steyn game for the Bulls.

I wouldn't say the Sharks deserved it, but they did manage to play the conditions better for the most part than the Bulls. I also can't agree with you on Morne Steyn, and I don't know why you would say such disdainful things about him, when he was one of the better players on the field. He looked sharp and energetic, and took the right decisions most of the time. It's a pity the ball was so slippery, as there were times it looked like we managed to break the defence, only for our outside backs to mess it up.

For me, Gelant was awful. And it's the second time he kicked the ball into one of his own players when we're 5m out from our own goal line. And he didn't look fit to me, or his head wasn't in the game.

I do however think that the SA teams, will be more defensive orientated because of the influence of the RWC and the feedback they are getting from the Springboks. It did seem like the SA teams (apart from the Lions) have adopted a lot of the strategies the Springboks implemented.

But I will give credit to the Sharks though, it must be very nice when nearly 70% of the Baby Boks from the previous U/20 WC are from that region and most of them part of the Sharks structure. It certainly gives the Sharks a good feeding pool for the season. Not only that, but the Sharks also bought aggressively and clever to boost their squad. I think the acquisition of Ox Nche, for one, was a masterstroke for the Sharks.

I'm not going to read too much into that first match, as it was after all in hot sweaty Durban.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Bulls/Sharks is tough on to judge, hot & humid with 17 handling errors just in the first half
Game could have go either way, refer Hendricks bad handling on a open try line as an example
Morne Steyn actually looked better that he did before leaving SA to play overseas, in my view
Sharks replacement no 9 looks like a nippy little bugger, great to see and with new openside in Venter they have what they need to play the fast game they want to

Forgot to add that Ox seems to be a very good buy, jeez does he look like a powerhouse, nice to have such a replacement tor beast

 

[petite]

Stormers look like the Stormers of the Alli Coetzee era. Difference this time round is we have some exciting halves although they are still very young. Its early days but going off of one result I think we can expect mostly wins at home and a few on the road and be in a pay off spot but I still don't expect we'll get to the home Semi or final we'd probably need to make a ***le tilt.

The good:
- Forwards were pretty much dominant.
- Our halves *seem* more able to capitalize on said dominance than earlier Stormers outfits.
- Our brand of rugby is effective in a knock-out scenario should we make it to the play-offs as expected.

The bad:
- Our brand of rugby is attritional and-
- we are not deep enough to ITO quality in depth to compensate for the above.
(already we've lost Kolisi and Mbonambi to injury though granted this was in large part due to the Hurricanes' reckless and at times straight out dirty and off-the-ball tactics)
- Two of our tries came from intercepts. Sure one can argue those intercept opportunities arrived due to our strangling defence and structures BUT I this Canes side lacked a number of their star players and just looked lethargic. Come a potential SR final against a class and motivated Crusaders outfit one shouldn't rely on opposition mistakes to garner a win.

*just felt the need to qualify my refering to the 'Canes as having played dirty- Those injuries to Kolisi and Mbonambi I felt was due to recklessness on the part of Canes players and ther were also two fully earned yellow cards for foul play and I wonder whether Kirifi will get cited for eye gouging PSdT.. Just too much off the ball.

Also, well done, Sunwolves. I know some people on here said to expect them to be competitive but I certainly wasn't one of them even if I don't rate the Rebels. Otherwise pretty much as expected. Jaguares and Crusaders business as usual against sides that will do good to keep of the bottom of their logs and in the Sha/Bul, Bru/Red and Chi/Blu ties it was all very competitive but with the more settled sides coming out on top early season.

well that sounds like Incredible and imposible just 2 years ago when we where still arguing about Wether or not the jags should be in the comp.
was a great game for us but still a long way to go. we gave away to many penalties. and got lucky cos Elton had an awful day. it looks like the lions gave up after the first try in the second half. miotti had an incredible game great kicking both to the posts and in the game. after changing our front row we started dominating the sCrum witch was a sourse of penalties during the first half.
our back 3 looked dangerous. my concern is the ball carriers with no lavanini and mattera is all up to Kramer. Bruni brought something in the second half. maybe Allemano next week. mallía looked good at 12. but this lions side looked like underperforming lots of new faces, new coach, and away game. I expected the win. not bp

 

[unrated]

I wouldn't say the Sharks deserved it, but they did manage to play the conditions better for the most part than the Bulls. I also can't agree with you on Morne Steyn, and I don't know why you would say such disdainful things about him, when he was one of the better players on the field. He looked sharp and energetic, and took the right decisions most of the time. It's a pity the ball was so slippery, as there were times it looked like we managed to break the defence, only for our outside backs to mess it up.

For me, Gelant was awful. And it's the second time he kicked the ball into one of his own players when we're 5m out from our own goal line. And he didn't look fit to me, or his head wasn't in the game.

I do however think that the SA teams, will be more defensive orientated because of the influence of the RWC and the feedback they are getting from the Springboks. It did seem like the SA teams (apart from the Lions) have adopted a lot of the strategies the Springboks implemented.

But I will give credit to the Sharks though, it must be very nice when nearly 70% of the Baby Boks from the previous U/20 WC are from that region and most of them part of the Sharks structure. It certainly gives the Sharks a good feeding pool for the season. Not only that, but the Sharks also bought aggressively and clever to boost their squad. I think the acquisition of Ox Nche, for one, was a masterstroke for the Sharks.

I'm not going to read too much into that first match, as it was after all in hot sweaty Durban.

We cant read too much into this as it was a humid Durban and then its also a historic early start for the Super rugby with Durban more slippery in Super rugby than ever before, thank the gods that we get to travel away from Durban for the first four weeks. Rugby here during this time is not meant to be played by players, its meant to be kicked away in a game of arial ping pong untill someone knocks. This is how to be smart in Durban if you want to win, if you are an opposing team, play your style to attract fans be flashy etc... but come to durban and kick, You absolutely need to kick. Sharks cant do this week in and week out because then they would have no fans left.

Now as i said, no disrespect to the Bulls or even Steyn for that matter but yes you are right Steyn was energetic, he looked good for a player coming back from France, his kicking was on point too! But this was exactly the conditions for a Steyn game, I fear the Bulls will be dominated by Steyn games when he is playing, their play would be centred around his kicks (I dont believe he is a good distrubutor) and honestly i think this would be a very bad move for the Bulls. In tight slugfests he will come to the fore and save games, but for future development of a young Bulls team, im not sure it will compliment their tactical evolution.

 

[unrated]

The TRF first round predicitons for Super rugby was a draw between Ken and Stormer. They share the victory point.

Super rugby leaderboard after round 1:
1. Ken (0.5)
1. Stormer (0.5)

 

[Kiwiwomble]

the new ones are nice
View attachment 8044

If you say so

 

[TRF_heineken]

We cant read too much into this as it was a humid Durban and then its also a historic early start for the Super rugby with Durban more slippery in Super rugby than ever before, thank the gods that we get to travel away from Durban for the first four weeks. Rugby here during this time is not meant to be played by players, its meant to be kicked away in a game of arial ping pong untill someone knocks. This is how to be smart in Durban if you want to win, if you are an opposing team, play your style to attract fans be flashy etc... but come to durban and kick, You absolutely need to kick. Sharks cant do this week in and week out because then they would have no fans left.

Now as i said, no disrespect to the Bulls or even Steyn for that matter but yes you are right Steyn was energetic, he looked good for a player coming back from France, his kicking was on point too! But this was exactly the conditions for a Steyn game, I fear the Bulls will be dominated by Steyn games when he is playing, their play would be centred around his kicks (I dont believe he is a good distrubutor) and honestly i think this would be a very bad move for the Bulls. In tight slugfests he will come to the fore and save games, but for future development of a young Bulls team, im not sure it will compliment their tactical evolution.

That was perhaps the better move. Although, Steyn did try a couple of cross-kicks for Specman and Hendricks to chase/catch, but they didn't work very well, and Mapimpi and Nkosi as well as Fassi were ready for it. For me, it would have been a better idea to use more of the forwards and have less passing which was usually where the knock-ons came.

We can try to dissect this, but that won't change the scoreline.

I think the Sharks and Bulls will have a good tournament.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The TRF first round predicitons for Super rugby was a draw between Ken and Stormer. They share the victory point.

Super rugby leaderboard after round 1:
1. Ken (0.5)
1. Stormer (0.5)

LOL, nice. I like it old school.

 

[mania]

i hope you joking...the saders jersey is....unpleasant...have you seen the away ones?

wow the saders away jerseys are horrible and look like the canes ones are the same.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

wow the saders away jerseys are horrible and look like the canes ones are the same.

all five are similar, promoting the "parley' range of products (and they are cool) out weighs anything else