Super 15 Rugby

It is nothing new for New Zealand to have a handful of the top teams in Super Rugby. Even since the conference system came into play in 2011, multiple New Zealand teams have been at the top or in the vicinity come playoff time, despite having a tougher draw.

This year's crop is looking especially strong, with four teams emerging as genuine playoff contenders. Indeed, you could argue the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs and Crusaders are all capable of winning the whole thing.

Only the lowly Blues are easy beats for those four teams. Given that you play every team in your conference twice, that is bad news for the New Zealand franchises—although they seem to be doing well enough as it is.

After nine rounds of the competition, only three times have Australian or South African teams beaten any of the top four New Zealand teams; two were in South Africa, and one was against a rusty Crusaders team in Round 1. Meanwhile, New Zealand's top four teams have beaten teams from those conferences 14 times.

That does not bode well for those two conferences. The Waratahs and Stormers were both on top of their respective conferences when they played the Highlanders, yet both were beaten. In Pretoria the highly rated Bulls went down to the Hurricanes, while the Sharks received a walloping from a clinical Crusaders team last weekend in Durban.

In many ways it highlights the disparity of the competition. That those four top teams have to play one another twice and the best in the other conferences get their extra games against teams of a lower level makes for an unfair advantage.

For many years it has been a problem in the Australian conference, as both the Force and Rebels have been among the lowest-ranked teams in the competition. This year you can lump the Reds in there with them. Even the Waratahs have yet to prove themselves against top opposition from other conferences, while the Brumbies, top of the Australian conference, achieved a new low of losing to the lowly Blues, who have struggled all season.

Perhaps the Brumbies' standing as the top Australian team is misleading. Thus far their only wins have come exclusively against teams in the bottom five of the competition, while they have had the fortune to play the bottom-of-the-table Reds twice.

In contrast, the South African conference is normally closer to that of the New Zealand one. It normally has three strong teams, a weak one and then another which varies in strength from season to season. This year the South Africans have not posed the same threat.

The Bulls have been the best in that conference so far, holding the distinction of having beaten the Crusaders and pushing the Hurricanes close, albeit at home. They are yet to travel, though, and will face the Chiefs and Brumbies on the road.

Aside from them, there has been little to write home about. Largely, the South African teams have been beating each other and the weak teams from the other conferences but have struggled against the top four New Zealand sides.

The Stormers have gone 0-3 in their games against those top four teams, succumbing to the Chiefs at home and being blown off the park by the Highlanders in Dunedin. They were unlucky against the Hurricanes, but they too have struggled with the pace and skill level of the best teams.

Meanwhile, the Lions are playing the best rugby they have played in years, although they are more of a spoiler team than a genuine contender, while the Sharks are below their normal standard and fill a similar role.

As it is, the Hurricanes are on top of the table, with the Chiefs in fourth and the Highlanders in fifth. If it were not for the conference system protecting the top team from each country, the Chiefs would be second. Keep in mind that the Hurricanes and Highlanders have both played less games than the others in the top half of the competition.

The speed these teams play at is a level above the others, but it is their ability to combine this with steely defence and physicality in the tight that makes them so tough to beat.

The Hurricanes in particular have flourished in these areas. No one has ever doubted their ability to create something from nothing, but this year they have added a tough edge to their defence and have become relentless close-in.

Likewise, the Highlanders have retained their status as battlers in the tight but have taken great strides in the backs, with attacking threats and fast hands all over the park. They are usually slow starters, but their forwards fight hard and hang in there for the first 20 minutes, allowing the backs to then cash in when the game loosens up. So far that has been the template for nearly all of their wins.

The Chiefs have not deviated from their successful tactics of the past three seasons, while the Crusaders have shown how devastating they can be after their traditional slow start. Of the four losses the Crusaders have had, two were against the Chiefs and Highlanders, with one coming away against South Africa's top team. 

All of those teams are packed with talent and play the game in a way that other teams struggle to contain with their mix of speed, flair and physicality.

Yet it is hard to see all four qualifying for the playoffs by virtue of the fact that they will have to play one another more than anyone else, which means they will be taking points off each other. Both South Africa and Australia are guaranteed a spot, but they will probably get one more in between them as well, given they do not the disadvantage of having to play six matches against three of the competition's top teams.

It is a flaw in the competition. You can talk about expansion all you want, but there is almost no doubt that Super Rugby has not been the same since the last year of Super 12 in 2005. Since then, the competition has become diluted, the talent is spread too thin, and the draw is not equal. Come playoff time, the top teams will not necessarily be competing for the title.

Chiefs prop and one-time All Black Ben Afeaki has announced his retirement from rugby after suffering multiple concussions in recent years, as was reported by the New Zealand Herald.

At just 27 years old, Afeaki's decision is not insignificant, as he had plenty of rugby left in him. It comes just weeks after NFL player Chris Borland retired for similar reasons after his rookie season.

Afeaki played his last game of Super Rugby in February 2014, a game in which he left the field with concussion. After returning to practice he sustained another one and has not made his way back to the field.

Today he stated that he will not return, feeling that this was the best decision for his "long-term health."

Just as Borland's retirement acted as a wake-up call for the NFL, this will be an eye-opener for the world rugby community. Of course, concussion has been an issue for a long time in rugby, but while measures have been put in place to limit its impact, there is still the feeling it is not being taken as seriously as it could be.

Afeaki's retirement should sent out a message: Talented players are leaving the game early because they see it as a risk to their health. If teams are not going to start taking the concussion protocol seriously, there needs to be stricter procedures put in place. Players should not be returning to the field after an obvious head knock. Otherwise more players like Afeaki will decide to opt out of the game.

There was a time when Afeaki was being touted as a potential All Black regular. A big, mobile prop, Afeaki was a dynamic player capable of making big impact plays. He was strong at set-piece time, too, and had a reasonable work rate in the open.

After some impressive form in 2011, many were expecting big things from him in 2012. A broken arm in the first game of the season saw him miss a long period and by the time he returned, Sona Taumalolo and Ben Tameifuna had impressed so much he could not regain his spot in the starting lineup.

He had some good performances off the bench over the ensuing two seasons, providing impact which was important in the Chiefs' championship wins of 2012 and 2013.

In 2013 he won his only All Black cap, but he never quite fulfilled the promise he showed as a youngster. He potentially had his best years ahead of him, too; props often do not peak until around the age of 30. 

You cannot fault him for his decision, though. At the end of the day, we all have to put our health first.

The Crusaders are well-known for their slow starts. Every year, they sputter along for the first month of Super Rugby, before igniting and embarking on a run that ends in making the playoffs. Yet it seems that every year, we all still question them after some ordinary performances in the first few weeks.

Indeed, even with all the doubters out in full force, the Crusaders have a record of four wins and three losses. This week, they sneaked into the last wild-card playoff spot.

It was on the back of a commanding display against the Sharks in Durban that the Crusaders announced to the competition that they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Sharks, who going into the weekend were on top of the South African Conference, lost 52-10 to a Crusaders team that looked threatening every time they had the ball.

Admittedly, the Sharks played half the game with only 14 men. But even with their opponents at their full complement, the Crusaders were too good and at one stage were the dominant team despite having three men in the bin at one time. New Zealand teams are normally happy if they can get a win in South Africa—such is the challenge of touring. That the Crusaders beat such a quality team so comprehensively in the Republic is ominous.

A few weeks ago, such a result seemed unlikely. The first three weeks saw the Crusaders go down to the Rebels, take a thrashing from the Chiefs and claim a sketchy win over the Highlanders.

Only after their bye week in Round 4 have they really looked anything like a playoff team. Even then, it was hard to read too much into their wins at home against the Cheetahs and Lions—the two bottom South African teams, both of whom never travel well.

Their win over the Sharks was the first indication that this team is the real deal.

They have their top players back and are playing a more direct, confident game. When Crusaders teams combine those two attributes, they are tough to beat.

In the forwards, they have plenty of grunt and mobility, something they missed in the early round with the absence of Kieran Read and Sam Whitelock. Both men are the best in the world in their positions and have been highly influential since their return.

Jordan Taufua has been in good form, providing go-forward with ball in hand and hitting hard, while Matt Todd and Richie McCaw have been highly involved.

The backs were just as good in the weekend, with Colin Slade going from strength to strength and showing that he must be an All Black in 2015. He is playing as he did prior to his horrific injury run, taking the ball to the line, distributing well and retaining a cool head to direct play. In Andy Ellis, he has one of the best scrum-halves in the world—another player who must surely be in the All Blacks this year despite somehow being overlooked for the past three years.

There is plenty of firepower out wide too. Israel Dagg had one of his best games in a Crusaders jersey, running dangerously and coming into the line well. That is good news for Crusaders fans, as Dagg has seldom found top form at Super Rugby level since heading to the franchise in 2011.

As a team, the Crusaders are looking more polished. They have their patterns sorted out and have discarded the lateral game that saw them struggle to gain any penetration in the first few rounds.

This week the Crusaders return home for a rematch with their southern rivals, the Highlanders. The Highlanders have been enjoying a run of good form, and you can bet they will look to take the game to the Crusaders and play an attacking brand of rugby against them.

Despite their apparent poor start, the Crusaders have a winning record and are once again hitting form. It would take a brave person to suggest they will not be there come season's end.

Meetings between Australia's two most successful Super Rugby franchises, the Brumbies and New South Wales Waratahs, are always big events. 

When the official Twitter accounts trade banter, it just adds to the hype. 

The return of David Pocock is an interesting angle to this highly anticipated clash. The former Wallabies captain was named as a substitute, much to the surprise of fans that expected him to slot straight into the starting lineup.

How good is @ButlerJarrad for @BrumbiesRugby? Good enough to keep world-class @pocockdavid on bench. By @BlockaDutton http://t.co/HceHeRViUz

— CT Sport (@CanbTimesSport) March 20, 2015

The Brumbies account kicked off the banter by suggesting they should field Pocock as an extra man against the Tahs:

@CanbTimesSport @ButlerJarrad @pocockdavid @BlockaDutton Would @NSWWaratahs mind if we just started 16 this week?

— Brumbies (@BrumbiesRugby) March 21, 2015

The reigning Super 15 champions responded by directing them to coach Michael Cheika:

@BrumbiesRugby @CanbTimesSport @ButlerJarrad @pocockdavid @BlockaDutton its a *little* unconventional... You'd best ask Cheika

— NSW Waratahs (@NSWWaratahs) March 21, 2015

The Brumbies then turned philosophical:  

@NSWWaratahs @CanbTimesSport @ButlerJarrad @pocockdavid @BlockaDutton Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission, or something

— Brumbies (@BrumbiesRugby) March 21, 2015

Before the Waratahs ended things with a classic Kanye West GIF:

@BrumbiesRugby @CanbTimesSport @ButlerJarrad @pocockdavid @BlockaDutton pic.twitter.com/vmJniBpym9

— NSW Waratahs (@NSWWaratahs) March 21, 2015

If this amusing exchange is anything to go by, Sunday's match can't come soon enough. 

Is 2015 going to be the year of the Hurricanes? It seems as though we ask that same question every year and while they always hold promise, they never fully deliver.

So is this year going to be any different?

They are 4-0 to open the season. They have been to South Africa, winning games against the Bulls and Lions on the high veldt. They did not slip on the banana skin that is the Force in their stopover game in Perth on the way home, while beating the 0-5 Blues on their return to New Zealand.

The signs are good. Along with their fast start they boast a squad littered with All Blacks. Their back line has fire power and attacking threats from nine through to 15, while the forward pack contains physical, skilled players, all of whom have a steely streak to them.

But we have seen it all before. Perhaps no Hurricanes team has had quite such a good start, but it is nothing new for the Hurricanes to promise so much.

Remember the Hurricanes teams of Super Rugby's early years? They were teams stacked with superstars. Christian Cullen, Jonah Lomu, Tana Umaga and Alama Ieremia all called the Wellington-based franchise home, while the forward pack had All Blacks in the likes of Jerry Collins, Filo Tiatia and Gordon Slater.

Yet only in 1997 did they make a play-off appearance in their first seven seasons. They were a team that did not just want to win, they wanted to entertain. "Expect the unexpected" became the Hurricanes mantra, as they became known as a team just as capable of doing something brilliant as doing something awful.

Things have looked up since then, for periods at least. Their teams of the mid to late-2000's were, on paper, not as talented as those of years earlier. Yet they found themselves as a play-off team in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

Since then it has been slim-pickings for the Hurricanes. Their clean-out after their disastrous 2011 campaign has seen them overlooked with a young squad of underrated talent.

It seems that talent has matured though and the 2015 edition is quite possibly the Hurricanes' most imposing team for quite some time.

TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett form one of the best nine-ten combinations in the competition. Both players have matured quickly and looking more and more comfortable controlling the game at this level.

Perenara's strength and kicking game make him a threat, while Barrett possesses speed which allow him to take gaps, which he is very good at spotting.

The threat these two pose in close means that the defence cannot fan out too wide, which opens up space for the deadly back line outside them.

Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith are one of the best midfield combinations we have ever seen, a brick wall on defence and both hard runners with outstanding distribution games. Outside them Julian Savea is devastating with ball in hand, capable of beating you with strength, speed, footwork and skill, while Cory Jane brings a high skill level, strong fend and reliable finishing ability on the other wing.

To stop those six is a frightening task for any opponent.

The only weakness in the backs may be seen at fullback, where Jason Woodward and Nehe Milner-Skudder have both been used and have both looked as threatening as ever. If that is a weakness having either of those players in the team, then this is a back line in good shape.

It is not in the backs that the game is won though, as countless other Hurricanes teams have found out. You need the forwards to get you quality on the ball so you can make use of your fire power out wide.

That is where this Hurricanes team, unlike some others, looks to have an edge. 

They have a hard-working and mobile front row who are solid enough at set-piece time too. In Dane Coles they have a player equally capable of running effectively in the loose or defending strongly in the tight. Ben Franks adds physicality, while Reg Goodes has impressed with his work rate thus far.

Their locks are fairly tight players and with the physical and busy All Black Jeremy Thrush back from injury, they will only be bolstered here. In the loose they have a bunch of physical players who are all capable of playing the loose running game, but can also tighten up and add grunt in close.

It is this versatility that has made them such a steely them on defence. The only obvious weaknesses is in Barrett at first five-eighth and the inexperience at fullback. Yet they can cover for that.

There is always a flipside to everything though. On their return to New Zealand they were far from convincing in beating the Blues, making too many errors as a consequence of taking a loose approach which made for a messy game.

They may have gotten away with this against the likes of the Blues, Force and Lions, but whether they will get away with it against the top teams is another thing.

Just in the New Zealand Conference you can expect the Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs to pounce on these mistakes. Chances become fewer and further in between, meaning the team that wins is usually the one which makes the least mistakes and makes the most of their opportunities.

If the Hurricanes can do these two things, on both attack and defence, they will be right up there come season's end. Are they the real deal? We will just have to wait and see. 

Super Rugby makes a triumphant return to the slate this weekend, with the Waratahs looking to get their title defence up and running against Australian foes Western Force on Sunday.

It's been a long wait for the southern hemisphere to welcome back its club competition and after a lengthy period of international rugby taking the spotlight, franchise play is set to fill our calendars once again.

A lengthy 2015 season lies ahead, with stars from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa all hoping to impress in time for the World Cup, but Round 1 is the first chance to soar.

Read on for discussion of this weekend's key storylines and a breakdown of all the vital viewing information.

All matches broadcast on Sky Sports will be available to stream on the Sky Go app for viewers in the United Kingdom. SuperSport provides a streaming service for select viewers in the southern hemisphere.

Key Headlines

Waratahs Going Against the Force

Michael Cheika will officially begin his juggling act as head coach of reigning Super Rugby champions the Waratahs and the Australian national team this year, with few tacticians shouldering more responsibility than him.

Making his way to Sydney's ANZ Stadium this Sunday is a familiar face, with former Tahs coach and current Western Force helmsman Michael Foley quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald's Rupert Guinness on his return to New South Wales:

You'd love to win the first game of the season. We've never done that. That would be a novel thing," Foley said of a first-up win against the Super Rugby champions. But at the same time, if you don't, you have to accept that it is one game. If you don't win it there are 15 more games and we put that in perspective last year.

We certainly didn't play well [in last season's 43-21 defeat]. The Waratahs went on to be champions. We didn't realise that at the time, but [we] faced a very good side first up, didn't play very good, then lost our first game at home and then came out and put five games together.

Every team that goes to Sydney this year knows they are playing the champions and the Waratahs have been explicit in their understanding of that [challenge to them]. So it just gives a chance to go there and have a good crack and that's what we will do.

Foley brought this Western Force team within inches of a playoff place last year and there would be no better signal of his intentions to improve once more than to beat the defending champions in Week 1.

So faithful is the franchise in the effect Foley has had on this team that he was recently rewarded with a new two-year deal in Perth, per ESPN Scrum:

However, if the Waratahs have gone about their off-season preparations in the right manner, they promise to be contenders once again, with their back line possessing some monstrous potency.

The connection between Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale in particular will be one the Western Force need to limit, but it's a task in which few teams managed to succeed in 2014.

Sonny Bill Williams is Back

It's a tad indulgent to glorify one player in particular when so many superstars of the sport will announce their Super Rugby comebacks this weekend, but then Sonny Bill Williams courts more excitement than most.

The New Zealand international has racked up international minutes since making his return from the National Rugby League and Saturday's trip to face the Blues in Auckland will mark his official return.

The Chiefs behemoth recently featured in a 38-36 trial defeat to the Waratahs where he came up against fellow league convert Israel Folau as part of the losing party.

However, in the build-up to the fixture, Wallabies ace Folau spoke highly of Williams as influencing his own decision to trade codes, per Jamie Pandaram of The Daily Telegraph (h/t Fox Sports):

One thing I can take out of that situation, looking at Sonny when he first left, he was doing what was best for him and he didn’t really worry about the public opinion was. That’s what I went through as well. I am sure he has come out as a stronger, better person.

It has definitely helped me, the years that I spent at the [GWS] Giants, it was a great experience both on and off the field. At that stage when Sonny first switched over it was exciting not just for the fans but other professional athletes who wanted to see how his progress was going; I was one of them.

Williams has set a new tone for what can be achieved by players wishing to peruse their interests in other trades, but the Chiefs now have him firmly back under their command, much to the Blues' dismay.

Last month, the Chiefs beat the Blues 41-20 in their first pre-season trial, but Williams will be present this time as the 2012 and 2013 Super Rugby champions hope for a bright start in Auckland.

The Blues finished last season at the base of the New Zealand conference while Dave Rennie led the Chiefs to a playoff appearance, since extending his contract by another two years, per the official Super Rugby Twitter account:

Having a weapon of Williams' quality once more is a terrific boost for the team, and with a World Cup looming, one can guarantee the former Toulon maestro will be at his most motivated to impress.

The Blues will hope their work in recent months has been enough to improve their prospects ahead of the new season, but Williams should lead the Chiefs to victory in what looks a mismatched meeting of New Zealand's giants.

The defining moment from the 2014 Super Rugby final came when Richie McCaw was penalised in the dying stages. It was this penalty that enabled the Waratahs to sneak in front of the Crusaders and claim a one-point win (33-32) after an epic match.

There are few more controversial figures in world rugby than McCaw. It is not that he is a dirty player, but his work at the breakdown has always been the subject of debate. Some view him as a genius—others see him as a cheat.

Indeed, there is a fine line between the two. 

Likewise, when he succeeds he is a hero, and when he fails he is so often made a scapegoat.

The decision which saw him penalised has been heavily discussed over the past few days. Scour the comments sections of rugby websites, and you will find all sorts of opinions being put forth. Ditto if you have been listening to New Zealand talk-back radio over the past weekend.

McCaw himself admitted he "should have known better," per The Courier Mail. Perhaps he is right. He did open the situation up for interpretation.

But does he really deserve to be criticised for the penalty? 

Sure it was the incident that opened the door for the Waratahs to kick the winning goal. It was also an incident typical of the type that fans the world over have pointed to as being evidence that McCaw indeed is a cheat.

Did he actually infringe in this situation? Does he really deserve to cop any blame or feel that he should have done better?

The infringement he was penalised for was entering the ruck incorrectly. However, as is so often the case, one must question if there was ever a ruck for McCaw to incorrectly enter into.

Waratahs substitute hooker, Tolu Latu, went right from the pick-and-go and went voluntarily to the ground at McCaw's feet. There was never a tackle.

McCaw had all rights to the ball, standing over it, as Latu took his time laying it back for his team. As Law 16 of the International Rugby Board states:

A ruck is a phase of play where one or more players from each team, who are on their feet, in physical contact, close around the ball on the ground. Open play has ended. Players are rucking when they are in a ruck and using their feet to try to win or keep possession of the ball, without being guilty of foul play.

From here, players entering the ruck may not use their hands. They must also come through a "gate" which is the width of the tackled player's body on the ground from directly behind.

In other words, you must join the ruck from the back, not from the side. The exception to this is the tackler, who has rights to get up and play the ball immediately, as long as a ruck has not formed over the top of him.

This is what Richie McCaw was penalised for. Using his hands and entering the ruck incorrectly, while not being the tackler.

Clearly he was not the tackler. There was never a tackle.

But one must question if there was ever a ruck either. When Latu went to ground and McCaw first had his hands on the ball, there were no Waratahs players on their feet present. This would suggest that there was no ruck, meaning there was no gate he had to go through.

It was general play, and the appropriate law to apply would have been Law 14. By this law, a player who goes to ground with the ball must make the ball playable immediately. Latu did not. McCaw was on his feet and attempting to play the ball. He did little wrong; the law does not say anything about entry or a gate.

Does this mean the Crusaders were robbed—that the referee cheated them of a win?

No, of course not.

Craig Joubert simply called it as he saw it. Rugby is a game played at such a fast pace, and so much of what happens at the breakdown comes down to interpretation. 

The referee does not have the benefit of replays as the rest of us do. They get one look at an incident and have a matter of seconds to decide how to act.

In this case, by Joubert's interpretation, a ruck had formed. Indeed, a split-second later one had formed. Therefore, he implemented Law 16, seeing McCaw having entered through the side.

He saw a penalty, so he awarded it. You cannot argue with that. In the heat of the moment, he acted upon what he saw. Anyone who has refereed a game of sports will relate to this.

It was a timing issue. In reality, there was no ruck when McCaw contested the ball. By Joubert's interpretation, there was. It is such a fine line, and there are plenty of incidents in every rugby game exactly the same. 

Sometimes the player will get away with an infringement. Sometimes he will not. Others he will be penalised when he perhaps should not have been.

It is a stretch to say the penalty, or McCaw, cost the Crusaders the championship. Why isolate just one decision within an 80-minute game? There were plenty of other instances that were up for debate, just as there is in any rugby match. With each of these, the tie would have turned out differently, so to pin the game on one incident is far too reductive.

Of course, many will point to the debatable Nemani Nadolo try early in the second half as being the key incident which went the Crusaders' way.

It is irrelevant in this circumstance, really.

The key issue is whether McCaw deserves to be blamed for the penalty. When you break it down, it is hard to pin too much on him. He thought he had rights to the ball, and he probably did. Joubert saw the situation differently and rightly acted upon what he saw. 

It was just one of those things—the grey area in the game as it is known. You cannot dub McCaw a cheat for it. It was not his fault, but neither was it Joubert's.