Super Rugby Pacific (2023)

[Kiwiwomble]

Highlanders - Pretty hard to get excited about next year, little change from the team that struggled this year




Crusaders



Hurricanes



Chiefs



Blues

 

[Al Bangor]

I'm looking forward to the second season of Drua action in SRP. Seeing them play at home in Fiji is at the top of my rugby bucket list. Go Drua!

 

[Kiwiwomble]

also add, just another sign of how poorly run super rugby is, this could have been a big day where all teams announce their squads....but NZR just go and do their own thing just further enforcing the disjointed nature of the competition

 

[Umaga's Witness]

also add, just another sign of how poorly run super rugby is, this could have been a big day where all teams announce their squads....but NZR just go and do their own thing just further enforcing the disjointed nature of the competition

I would have thought silver lake might have started having an influence but nope.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

A few players missing out without explanation. Would be good if we got some explanation. Sione mafileo for one. Googled around and found out he's had some pretty scary neck issues but sounded like he was still hoping to play. Could have changed his mind, or might just not have been selected.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

A few players missing out without explanation. Would be good if we got some explanation. Sione mafileo for one. Googled around and found out he's had some pretty scary neck issues but sounded like he was still hoping to play. Could have changed his mind, or might just not have been selected.

jackson garden bachop had a good NPC i thought and am surprised hes missed out, im assuming hes actually got a gig overseas

 

[Umaga's Witness]

jackson garden bachop had a good NPC i thought and am surprised hes missed out, im assuming hes actually got a gig overseas

Apparently the hurricanes told him at the end of the super rugby season that he wasn't going to have his contract renewed. He managed to get a deal with a Japanese club halfway through the npc season. Probably could have been useful at the highlanders, who should have also picked PUJ and had two set of brothers

 

[Kiwiwomble]

agreed, i would be happier with JGB and hunt as first choice 10's and Millar as an apprentice, banks is past it (as much as i like him)

 

[Al Bangor]

Alright, it's finally time for Round One of 2023.
And I've got

over

.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Alright, it's finally time for Round One of 2023.
And I've got

over

.

Round one has already started buddy.

Had a think before the start of this comp about a few things.

The crusaders for a start, with no Jason Ryan, what impact that will have. Most importantly, his technical coaching is likely to remain in the players IP, and no doubt razor will want to retain what worked. But the refinements and constant feedback along with his interpersonal skills to get the buy in and appropriately focus the players will be missed. Is his ability to focu the players in what they need to execute an important factor in converting the strong motivation razor provides into results? All in all you'd have to say his influence will still be pretty big and the crusaders still have the strongest squad on paper. However, they are the slowest and most boring NZ super rugby side, so the faster paced game mightn't favour them. On the other hand they are well organised so will have reasonable defence even when fatigued and they certainly can identify space well on attack against poor defence - mounga and jordan could have a field day.

Phones about to die so will post this before I continue ...

 

[Umaga's Witness]

The chiefs. No more gatland hanging over them has got to be a good thing. And with dmac back they've got a pretty strong side. I will always be a hurricanes fan, and the highlanders will always have a place in my heart since Otago was the first team I supported when I started watching rugby, but without those biases the chiefs have been my favourite team since the rennie days and the spirit of that team still lives on. Will enjoy the higher paced game the new rules bring

 

[Umaga's Witness]

The hurricanes. So sad that TJ is injured. He was looking so very good, his clearance was quicker than anyone except smith, his command of his forwards exceptional. IF he had been playing I'd have the canes a good chance of winning the comp. Without him not so much. But the new officiating will help . A lot. Running threats right across the park, including in the forwards, with plenty of depth in the loose, some really strong bench options for attacking a tired defence.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

The blues. Very strong team, especially at full strength . Did well last year. Looking for rts to make more of an impact this year.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Highlanders. Have nareki and Parkinson back . That's big news. New coach I think will be a positive, just because they got ina but of a funk last year. Will depend on how Fakatava has recovered but the halfback pairing will suit the new rules.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

The Australian teams. Likely to continue to improve. The injury rate meant a lot have had time with the wallabies which will help a lot. Because Eddie will be looking for smart players, players will be looking to be smart. New rules and officiating could be a double edged sword. On the one hand they have shown good signs in attack in recent times, in the other hand their defence has been poor .

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Moana pacifika and fiji drua. A second season could help, but to be fair they came up to speed pretty quickly last season. So I don't necessarily see huge improvements coming out of these teams.

For the most part moana pacificka is made up if players that couldn't make other sides. A second season could actually make them worse in some ways, as they don't have the same passion as came with the first season.

The drua could make some improvements but they are no longer an unknown quantity and won't be taken lightly. Plus, they are without habosi.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Review first game : chiefs vs crusaders. @Bruce_ma gooshvili this is a more appropriate thread.

Can't really take a lot from it. It's hard to believe such a star studded team, who will be retaining ip passed on from Jason Ryan, will not be strong contenders for the ***le. The slowest and most boring of the NZ super rugby sides might in some senses not like the officiating which speeds the game up, but then if they hold possession, they have a backline adept at identifying and taking advantage of opportunities.

So let's put this game in context.

They lost the kicking game and so didn't have possession at the right end of the field, and so didn't attack as much as they might in the future. The likes of mounga and havili are good kickers and so you'd think they'll be better in this regard in by he future.

There were maybe four scrums in total. Had they had a few more, things could have been very different. Moody and bower dominated dyer and John Ryan, respectively, as expected. Their 80 minutes scrum ability is easily true best in comp. You'd imagine scrums will be more common with the new officiating, and more of a weapon given the new halfback defence rule, so this game was an odd exception to the rule in that regard.

As for the cheifs you've gotta love 'em. Here's hoping Dmac and stevenson remain fit throughout.

 

[Al Bangor]

Round one has already started buddy.

Had a think before the start of this comp about a few things.

The crusaders for a start, with no Jason Ryan, what impact that will have. Most importantly, his technical coaching is likely to remain in the players IP, and no doubt razor will want to retain what worked. But the refinements and constant feedback along with his interpersonal skills to get the buy in and appropriately focus the players will be missed. Is his ability to focu the players in what they need to execute an important factor in converting the strong motivation razor provides into results? All in all you'd have to say his influence will still be pretty big and the crusaders still have the strongest squad on paper. However, they are the slowest and most boring NZ super rugby side, so the faster paced game mightn't favour them. On the other hand they are well organised so will have reasonable defence even when fatigued and they certainly can identify space well on attack against poor defence - mounga and jordan could have a field day.

Phones about to die so will post this before I continue ...

Yes, it is Round One for the teams I mentioned in my previous post (Fijian Drua & Moana Pasifika), Friday 24th February 2023. Says so on the website (green tab near the top of the page). Here's a screen shot I just took.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Are you watching the moana v drua game @Al Bangor ? Pretty good game. Might need to take back my prior comments, although will be Interesting to see how their scrums go against other teams

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Ahh gutted for moana pacifika, showed that fatigue affects attack too. Drua defended well late in the game