Super Rugby Preview: New Zealand (Part 3 of 3)

Wellington Hurricanes

Coach: Mark Hammett

Previous Wins: Never Won.

Last Season: 9th

Last season the Hurricanes got off to a bad start and never really recovered. They narrowly lost their first game to the Highlanders, their next game against the Crusaders was cancelled due to the terrible Christchurch earthquake, they then had their bye week. They seemed to have their season back on track after beating the Chiefs in week 4, but then went on a 4 game winless streak. There was almost a mini revival in the middle of the season but an appalling away record cost them, winning just 1 game out of their 7 games away from the Cake-tin.

It’s been a rough few months for the Wellington men, after a mass exodus of quality All Black stars. No less than 5 All Blacks have left in the off-season, Ma’a Nonu and Piri Weepu left for the Blues, Andrew Hore and Hosea Gear went to the Highlanders and young outside Aaron Cruden went to the Chiefs. This is something that any of the Super 15 teams would find difficult to deal with, but the Hurricanes have been attempting to put a positive twist on this predicament they find themselves in, with chairman Paul Collins saying: “If you go through and look at the players the Hurricanes have contracted, we will have a competitive team going forward. It's not about one year, it's about two, three, four and five years.”

My problem with this statement is that if they are building for they future, they should have done everything they could to keep a promising young fly half in Aaron Cruden; however I do appreciate that it’s difficult for a new coach and chief executive to come to a club and convince the big players that they should stay.

So what have the Canes’ done about all these players walking out? Midfielders Tusi Pisi and Tim Bateman are returning to NZ from Japan and have chosen the Hurricanes as their franchise. They are not going to be short of young talent next season either after selecting 3 of the 2011 Junior World Championship winning squad in the shape of Beauden Barrett, exciting outside half TJ Perenara and Brad Shields.

I do bring some good news for Hurricanes fans; it was revealed in September that they have All Black try machine Cory Jane for another season. There was much speculation that he would follow fellow All Blacks through the exit door in Wellington, but this is not the case.

It’s difficult to be optimistic about the season ahead for the Hurricanes but here’s the bright side. All of their outside backs have at least a season’s worth of appearances in Super rugby, so at least the young newcomers in the backline will have experience around them. The return of Tim Bateman - who has 35 Super Rugby appearances – along with Conrad Smith means they will have a very experienced midfield partnership. So I’d expect to see them solid in midfield, which could provide some sort of a platform from which to work. Also the retention of Cory Jane was big for them because they still have a prolific, experienced try scorer.

Victor Vito is going to be a big player for these boys next year. He is the third and final All Black in the team and is going to need to front up and really lead by example in the forwards in 2012. He is surrounded by experience in the back row, but no real quality, so it’s important he performs big to give the Hurricanes a chance.

I think it’s pretty obvious why the Hurricanes might struggle next year. They have only 3 All Blacks in their team; far less than any of the other NZ teams in Super Rugby. They don’t have any noteworthy quality in the front five, but I suppose other than Hore, they didn’t have any last year. But this year I cant see anybody to carry the front five, I think they are going to struggle to provide any sort of platform for the rest of the team to build on. Whilst I think it’s great that they have signed a few talented youngsters, they clearly lack experience. It just seems like the Hurricanes have taken a few steps backwards from last year – however I would gladly be proved wrong.

The big player next year for the Hurricanes will definitely be Conrad Smith. The All Black has massed 66 appearances in Super Rugby and even though he’s only scored 9 tries, that isn’t what counts in 2012. Just by simply being there for the team Smith is going to be massive, surrounded by relative inexperience and youngsters he needs to shine – the 2012 captain quite simply has to step up. What is more impressive is that he has scored 21 tries in 55 caps for the AB’s, proving that he can perform under pressure.

The Hurricanes have two away fixtures against the Blues and the Chiefs respectively, with a home game against the Crusaders wedged in between. I wouldn’t expect to see too much of Cory Jane; I think we’ll see leaders Conrad Smith and Victor Vito because they form part of the spine of the team. Also I think it’s important that new arrival Tim Bateman forms a solid partnership with Smith because if they are to have much chance in 2012 the midfield needs to be solid.

In their first Super Rugby game of 2012 they face a very tricky encounter with last seasons beaten semi-finalists the Stormers in Cape Town. The Stormers possess international quality in abundance. I really don’t expect the Canes’ to get anything out of their game in South Africa and unfortunately I expect this to set the tone for the rest of the year.

So that’s the New Zealand teams covered, I’ll be working on the Australian teams next, expect them to start appearing in about a weeks time.

Super Rugby Preview: New Zealand (Part 2 of 3)

Canterbury Crusaders

Coach: Todd Blackadder

Previous Wins: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008

Last Season: 4^th

Last year the tragic earthquake in Christchurch shaped the Crusaders season. The Crusaders were in inspired form and were playing for much more than the game itself, particularly at home where they won 8 of their 9 games. I believe that they would have won the tournament hands down had they not come up against a Reds team that were playing some of the greatest rugby seen since the tournament began.

A lot has been going on at the Crusaders in the off-season, not a lot of it positive. The biggest news in my opinion is the loss of All Black sensation Sonny Bill Williams. SBW has moved to the Chiefs after he claimed that the earthquakes had unsettled him, and he revealed that he wanted to move closer to his mother in Auckland. It’s not all bad for the Crusaders though as they have plenty of quality cover for SBW in the shape of powerhouse Robbie Fruean, Ryan Crotty, Tom Marshall and Adam Whitelock; so they wont feel the hit as much as they might have.

However they will feel the pinch during the early rounds of the competition with All Black trio Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Zac Guildford all missing out through injury. Carter’s famous torn groin muscle will keep him out of training until January with Blackadder saying Carter will have extra recovery time (due to his importance) don’t expect to see Carter until mid March. Crusaders and All Black captain Richie McCaw is expected to be out of training until February after undergoing surgery on the foot that nearly jeopardized his chances of leading NZ to world cup glory. And if that wasn’t enough, Guildford will miss the Crusaders opening Super Rugby fixture against the Blues due to suspension. The 22-year-old was handed a 4 week suspension by the NZRU meaning he will miss the Crusaders’ 3 warm-up fixtures and their opening game. These are massive losses for the franchise and it will be interesting to see how they go in the opening stages of the tournament.

After it was confirmed that the Crusaders would go another season without playing at AMI Stadium it has been announced that their temporary home – Rugby League Park – will be ready and worthy of hosting such top class sports by their second home game of the season against the Cheetahs on March 24^th.

Even though this side will be without three key All Blacks, underestimate them at your peril. Without those players they still have no less than 9 AB’s in their squad and have the likes of Robbie Fruean and Sean Maitland in their ranks. I do still expect the Crusaders to look strong out wide next season, with the likes of Israel Dagg, Sean Maitland and (when he returns) Zac Guildford they have plenty of finishers; and with the likes of Fruean battering his way through opposition midfields they will be a tricky team to stop when they get behind the first line.

However I think the injuries to Dan Carter and Richie McCaw are going to massively effect their form in the early parts of the season. Carter will especially be missed as there is no obvious replacement for him, and definitely nobody with his quality who can put on the 10 shirt. In the back row there is cover for McCaw with the likes of Kieran Reid, so he perhaps wont be as sorely missed.

Robbie Freuan is definitely my player to watch from Canterbury next season. He impressed me massively with his performances for them in the ITM Cup last season. In 2010 he was joint top try scorer in the cup and was named Player of the tournament in the same year. The battering ram had a tremendous Super Rugby campaign last season and now with SBW out of the picture he has a real opportunity to stake a claim for an All Blacks cap, it’s only a matter of time.

The Crusaders have 3 warm up matches prior to the beginning of the 2012 season against the Highlanders, Hurricanes and Rebels. During these games expect to see them looking for cover for Carter and McCaw. Also look for big performances from Israel Dagg who will be looking to build on a fantastic 2011, and look to see the Franks brothers looking to sure up their set piece, particularly in the scrum. Their first game of the 2012 Super 15 tournament is away at Eden Park to the Blues. I think the Blues will have too much for the Crusaders, this is the kind of game where you need all your big guns firing, the Crusaders won’t even have 3 of their big guns. They’ll be up against it.

Otago Highlanders

Coach: Jamie Joseph

Previous Wins: Never won.

Last Season: 8^th

Last season the Highlanders took me by surprise with 8 wins and 8 losses. After they took advantage of a Ma’a Nonu’s red card and dogged out a surprise win against the Hurricanes in the first game of the season they then went on to beat the Chiefs and the Bulls to get off to a flyer. In the middle of the season they put another good string of results together, winning 4 in a row. But ultimately a disappointing end to the season meant they missed out on a place in the play-offs with the Blues and Crusaders playing so well.

The off-season has been relatively quiet at the Highlanders in comparison to some of the other clubs in the Super 15 but there has been some activity. They have secured the vastly experienced All Black Andrew Hore, who was told that his services were no longer required by the Hurricanes so he has returned to his native Otago and signed a one-year contract with the Highlanders.

Just a month after the signing of Hore, the Southerners secured another All Black in the shape of wing Hosea Gear. When Gear missed out on a spot in the All Blacks World Cup squad it was widely suggested that he was going to leave New Zealand and look to play his rugby elsewhere but instead he has signed a one-year contract with the team based in Dunedin. It seems that Gear is looking to regain a spot in the All Black squad, with Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph saying about Gear: “he is committed to wanting to get back into the All Blacks and is excited about bringing his family down here and playing for the team." So I think we can expect to see a big effort from him in 2012 and some big performances.

But the big news in Otago is the shock arrival of James Haskell, after Highlanders Chief Executive Roger Clark claimed the move was pretty much dead in the water. Haskell has expressed a desire to play Super Rugby and claimed that it came as a complete surprise. The back rower has won 39 caps for England but you have to feel that this move to New Zealand will severely hinder his chances of gaining many more. The 6’4” dynamo is no stranger to life in Dunedin because it is where England were based during the Rugby World cup and says: “The World Cup was a great introduction to life in Dunedin for me and the quiet professional atmosphere is perfect to help me develop my game.”

The 26 year old will join the Highlanders after he has finished a period at Japanese club Ricoh Black Rams; and once he has completed a season at the Highlanders he will return to his original club London Wasps.

On the topic of the back row, this is where I expect the highlanders to be strong in 2012. They have included 7 back rowers in their 30-man squad, so even if there isn’t much strength in depth, at least there’s depth. I can’t decide if Joseph is going to throw Haskell straight into the squad, but if he does they will have a very experienced back row. Adam Thomson and Nasi Manu have a combined 85 Super Rugby appearances and a combined 63 international caps between Haskell and Thomson. This would be a very dynamic back row and one that most teams in the league would be more than happy to have.

The Highlanders midfield concerns me. It is very inexperienced, plenty of potential, but very inexperienced. I expect them to start with the most experienced centre in their squad Tamati Ellison who was capped for the All Blacks and then mysteriously left for Japan in order to secure his families financial future. He has plenty of talent but it worries me that he hasn’t played against quality opposition since he left NZ in 2010. Alongside him I expect to see the talented Siale Piutau, who has played a seasons worth of Super Rugby. I just feel that when they come up against quality midfields’ such as the one that the Chiefs now possess it will just be too much for them, and they will simply be outclassed.

Keep an eye out for All Black winger Hosea Gear in 2012. He has great potential and is a classy finisher. He is looking to make his way back into the All Blacks and after missing out on the RWC I think he feels he has a point to prove next season. There will be a massive effort from Gear next season and look for him to get involved at every opportunity and be as clinical as possible.

The Highlanders have 2 away warm up matches against the Crusaders and the Blues, with a home warm up against the Hurricanes in the middle. These games will be important for the likes of Tamati Ellison in order to allow him to get used to the better quality of rugby played in the tournament. Also James Haskell will be learning a lot from these games, as it is a completely different game to any type of game he’s played before. Their opening game of the Super 15 is against the Chiefs. I’ll be backing the Chiefs on this one because I think they will dominate in the backs. But it will be interesting to see if they can outmuscle the Chiefs upfront, if they can then an upset may be on the horizon.

Super Rugby Preview: New Zealand (Part 1 of 3)

In the run up to the start of the Super Rugby season I'll be looking at all the teams involved, what's been going on in the off-season, assessing how I think they'll perform and looking at their opening fixtures of the season.

Auckland Blues

Coach: Pat Lam

Previous Wins: 2003

Last Season: 2011 – 4^th (Best Since 03’)

Last season it was always an exciting game when the Blues were involved. The men from Auckland never had a problem scoring tries, their problem was preventing the opposition from crossing the whitewash; most highlighted perhaps by their 42 – 31 win over the Lions in round 3, where the showed how dangerous they can be particularly in broken play but also how vulnerable they can be at times. The Blues showed they can score tries by scoring over 30 points 6 times in their 16 games.

Piri Weepu and Ma’a Nonu have arrived in Auckland from the Hurricanes. Alby Mathewson might feels slightly aggrieved because he left the Hurricanes to escape the shadow of Weepu and get more game time. But there is no doubting the impact that Nonu will bring to the centre, everybody knows about his dynamism and sheer physical strength but it will be interesting to see if teams have figured out a way to stop the man from Wellington. Also youngster Gareth Anscombe has come into the main squad this season after spending a year in the Blues wider training group. And the 2009 Blues player of the year – Rudi Wulf – has returned from a season at French club Toulon.

But this season they will have to do without the services of former All Blacks Luke McCallister and Joe Rokocoko; and playmaker Stephen Brett is Japan bound.

However Coach Pat Lam believes that the squad he has selected for this seasons Super 15 is more than capable of doing the job, going as far as saying; “This is definitely the strongest squad I’ve named in my time with the Blues.” I am inclined to agree that the Blues do have a very good squad.

The Blues have also expressed their interest in Graham Henry. They’ve made it public that they want the former All Black coach to join them but haven’t revealed what role they wish to give him. After Henry’s position with Wales ended in 2003 he joined the Blues as a technical advisor. It’s also worth noting the Henry has a close relationship with Blues coach Pat Lam.

I expect the Blues to be strong in the pack as they always are; when you combine stalwarts such as Tony Woodcock, Ali Williams and Kevin Mealamu with the likes of Jerome Kaino, Luke Braid and Anthony Boric it’s difficult to find a weakness up front. And there is no rest bite behind the scrums either; I think Ma’a Nonu will compliment the creative Benson Stanley really well in the centre and with the return of dangerman Rudi Wulf combined with the prolific Rene Ranger there seems to be potential tries coming from everywhere.

It’s difficult to find any conceivable weaknesses with this squad. If I was forced to find something I would be slightly concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the signing of Piri Weepu. Pat Lam has been open in revealing that the are unsure about what position to play Weepu, at Fly Half or Scrum Half.  Also as I stated Alby Matthewson left the Hurricanes to escape Weepu so his confidence may be knocked before the season even begins. And finally it’s worth noting that if Weepu sustains an injury then the season will fall on to the young shoulders of Gareth Anscombe and then things may unravel for the team from Auckland.

Rene Ranger is my Blues player to watch for the 2012 season. Last year he displayed outstanding finishing qualities scoring 8 tries in 15 appearances. It is testament to the form of the All Blacks that he hasn’t had more caps for the national squad, but nonetheless is a very dangerous player. Keep an eye out for him next year I’m sure he’ll be a regular in the highlight reels.

The blues have two warm up games in February 2012 against the Hurricanes and the Highlanders. During these games I’d expect them to rotate the halfbacks and give Gareth Anscombe a run out to help the coaching staff make their decisions. The Blues first game of the campaign is against rivals, the Crusaders at Eden Park, a very difficult one to call.

Waikato Chiefs

Coach: Dave Rennie

Previous Wins: Never won.

Last season: 10^th

The Chiefs finished disappointingly last season; with a decent backline and a dangerous back three they failed to really put the better sides under any real pressure. With the combination of poor home form – losing 3 out of 7 - and even worse away form – winning only 2 out of 8 – it was never likely that the men from Waikato were ever going to challenge for the playoffs.

The Chiefs have been pretty busy in the off-season, but all the talk has been surrounding the arrival of All Black pin-up boy Sonny Bill Williams. It became apparent that SBW was unsettled at the Crusaders and a move for him looked imminent. Chiefs CEO Gary Dawson said: "This is outstanding news for Chiefs fans. He is a world-class athlete who brings with him a unique set of skills and qualities.” And as neutral I’m excited to see how he goes with fellow All Black Richard Kahui in the Chiefs midfield.

The Chiefs have also landed another All Black in the shape of the promising Aaron Cruden. It’s difficult to believe that Cruden is still only 22 when he has achieved so much already. He captained the All Blacks under 20’s team to Junior World Championship success in 2009 and was named IRB Junior Player of the year in the same season. Cruden made his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in January 2010 and was capped by the All Blacks in June that same year. This is definitely a signing for Chiefs fans to get excited about, he has a bright future ahead of him and having the experience and skill of Kahui and SBW outside him will only help him along.

It’s also worth noting that second row Romana Graham will miss the first 6 weeks of the Super Rugby season after being found guilty of head-butting Sean Maitland during the final of the ITM Cup last season. Graham will miss the Chiefs 3 warm up matches and the first 3 Super Rugby matches.

Coach Dave Rennie has been brought in to replace Ian Foster after Rennie coached the New Zealand under 20’s to three consecutive Junior World Championships. His links with the Under 20’s may explain the signing of baby All Black duo Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick. Coach Rennie speaks very highly of the two: “Sam and Brodie were two of the best performers at the U20 World Cup and we are rapt they have committed to the Chiefs. They both have big tickers, a fantastic work ethic and will hopefully wear the Chiefs jersey for many years to come.”

The Chiefs are going to have a very dangerous backline next season. SBW is often the key to unlock any defence and when they get in behind opposition they have flyers in the shape of Tim Nanai-Williams, Lelia Masaga and sevens international Declan O’donnell who are more than capable of finishing off opportunities. I expect to see Kahui running lots of support lines and to be the linkman between SBW and the wide men when the gain line is breached. I’m excited to see if Aaron Cruden is going to be able to prove himself this season as I expect him to start most of the games. Also keep an eye out for young Maritino Nemani. He’s a 20-year-old Fijian speedster who has been snapped up after just 3 provincial games for Hawkes Bay.

The thing that worries me about this team is that they lack strength in depth in the forwards. Even though they have so much quality in the backline, it doesn’t count for anything if they don’t get the ball. They lack international quality with only Liam Messam standing out as a genuine All Black. With 1 out of 3 of the props uncapped in Super Rugby, 2 out of the 4 second rows uncapped and 1 out of the 2 number 8’s uncapped you have to worry about what happens when the injuries strike, which they inevitably will. A lot of pressure will fall on young inexperienced shoulders, which could be the downfall of the Chiefs this year. But nonetheless I expect a good season from the Chiefs but can’t really see them threatening the playoffs with the forwards they have.

My player to watch this year for the Chiefs has to be Sonny Bill Williams. He scored 5 tries in 15 appearances for the Crusaders last season, but his game isn’t about scoring tries. SBW attracts defenders because he is such a dangerous player, which in turn creates space for the players around him, and his ability to offload the ball out of almost any tackle makes him the key to most defensive structures. However I think we’ll see him used as a decoy runner a fair bit in 2012 because of the fact that he attracts so much attention of would-be tacklers. Expect him to set up a lot of tries for the players outside him and to bag a few of his own.

The Chiefs warm up matches are away to the Rebels and the Highlanders before returning home to face the Hurricanes. During these expect them to be giving everyone a run out, and a lot of the younger players plenty of game time. I’d also look out for an interesting battle for the number 9 jersey between the experienced Brendon Leonard and young Tawera Kerr-Barlow who made 11 appearances for the Chiefs last season and will be looking to establish himself as a regular starter in 2012.

The Chiefs face the Highlanders in their first Super Rugby clash of 2012 at home in Hamilton. This is going to be a tricky opener for the Waikato team, particularly in the forwards against some experienced and quality players. If the backline does get some good ball they should score some tries, but the forwards will need to step up.


My next blog "Super Rugby Preview: New Zealand (Part 2 of 3)" will be posted in the next day or two.