The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup : Review – Round 2

Last weekend, one of the best rugby union competitions ever created came back : The Mitre 10 Cup. On this weekend, the Round 2 was highly contested between the 14 New Zealand provinces split in two conferences : The Premiership and The Championship.

In Round 1, there were some great games for the early lead in the two conferences. There is room for promotion for next season in the Championship while the other provinces will fight for the Mitre 10 Cup in Premiership thanks to a play-offs system like Super Rugby.

Following the first games, Canterbury, Tasman and Taranaki had the early lead in the Premiership. In the Championship conference, Otago, Wellington and Manawatu were the first contenders for a place in the play-offs at the end of the season to hope for promotion.

That was a tough start to the season for the provinces which lost their first game. Counties Manukau, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland wanted to be back in contention while North Harbour, Northland, Bay Of Plenty and Southland were still targeting promotion.

Before the start of Round 2, Waikato were still the Ranfurly Shield holders. They lost against Tasman in Round 1 but the game was played away. The Trophy is contested when the team which holds it plays at home and during the regular season (no play-offs games).

North Harbour had an opportunity to take the Ranfurly Shield on this weekend as they were facing Waikato in Hamilton. They were coming into that game with a huge motivation after their first win of the season at home, beating the Counties Manukau.

The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup – Round 2 – Review

Game 8 : Otago vs. Wellington (Forsyth Barr, Dunedin, New Zealand)

Played under the roof of the Forsyth Barr Stadium, in Dunedin, the conditions were perfect for some running rugby. Otago and Wellington were unbeaten after Round 1 and the difference in this game was made in the first-half with Otago scoring 4 converted tries.

The Highlanders centre Matt Fades scored the first try after a wonderful assist from Teihorangi Walden. Tom Franklin and Jack Wilson also crossed thanks to set-piece control and great movements with playmaker Fletcher Smith directing well the attacking game.

Scoreboard did not really reflect the game as Wellington were not ridiculous. The Hurricanes players were in fine form with winger Wes Goosen and centre Matt Proctor scoring a try each.Vaea Fifita was at his best and made some great offloads (FT : 44-21).

Game 9 : Manawatu vs. Southland (Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North, New Zealand)

That game was an absolute thriller between these two provinces at Palmerston North. Once again, the Hurricanes players made the job for Manawatu. Flanker Callum Gibbins scored the first try of the game thanks to a good run with Southland struggling in defence.

Maintaining a high tempo with an ambitious game, Manawatu kept their passion with the Hurricanes centre Ngani Laumape scoring a treble. They were comfortable but Southland launched the fightback thanks to their number 8 Mika Mafi with a try from a driving maul.

Wharenui Hawera was inspiring with winger Leon Fukofuka scoring a try on the right wing to draw the game (31-31). In last play, Southland conceded a penalty in his own half, for taking the scrum-half, that Otere Black kicked to win the game for Manawatu (FT : 34-31).

Game 10 : Auckland vs. Northland (Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand)

It was a contest between two provinces which had lost in Round 1. The game was staged at Eden Park but the weather conditions were difficult in Auckland. The hosts were first on the scoreboard with Pryor Collier crossing the line after Melani Nanai’s sublime offload.

Auckland wanted to make amends after the heavy loss to Canterbury. Back-rower Steven Luatua used the lineout and the scrum to bring physicality. He scored two tries in an inspiring performance with Simon Hickey adapting to the very tough weather conditions.

Despite these conditions, Northland played their game with Peter Breen trying to bring some pace. The team managed to score two tries including one from the Crusaders winger Joni Macilai-Tori. However, it was not enough to come back into this game (FT : 37-15).

Game 11 : Waikato vs. North Harbour (FMG Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand)

Waikato was defending the Ranfurly Shield in their first home game of the season against North Harbour, undefeated after the Counties Manukau win. The province from Hamilton made a brillant start with a try scored from the start by former Ireland player Isaac Boss.

The Hurricanes prop Loni Uhila was in fine form as well with the second try for Waikato. North Harbour was under pressure during the first-half but came back in second-half with a great counter-attacking try from their midfield player Michael Little after a good break.

North Harbour scrum-half Bryn Hall launched the fightback and Matt Vaega was denied a try after a great Waikato defensive comeback. Jordan Trainor added 6 points for Waikato in a hard-fought win. The Ranfurly Shield will remain in the same hands (FT : 26-15).

Game 12 : Taranaki vs. Hawke’s Bay (Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, New Zealand)

First game at Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth in this Mitre 10 Cup, Taranaki was looking for consistency but it was Hawke’s Bay who found the momentum, first. Couple of tries including a score from the Highlanders hooker Ash Dixon earned them a decent lead, then.

Making great improvements after half-time, Taranaki played with width and speed. Flanker Iopu Iopu-Aso showed the way with Marty McKenzie who played at his brillant best from the fullback position with a try, an assist and a good kicking record in this game.

The Auckland Blues playmaker Ihaia West performed well too with a good individual try after a little chip over the top. Though, it was not enough to handle the pressure as Taranaki found his best game with Te Toira Tahuriorangi organising the lines (FT : 55-28).

Game 13 : Canterbury vs. Tasman (AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand)

Following an impressive game last weekend against Auckland, Canterbury was hosting Tasman at Christchurch for the Crusaders bragging rights. The home side started very well with an early try in the right corner thanks to Beauden Barrett’s brother, Jordie Barrett.

Tasman built their score thanks to penalties from the 2015 Super Rugby winner with the Highlanders, Marty Banks. The 53rd try from their winger Tima Faingaanuku allowed them to come back into the game but Canterbury side unleashed their powerful forwards pack.

Flanker Matt Todd took the gap in the Tasman defence and made an offload to All Blacks Dominic Bird who scored on the right wing. Jordie Barrett finished the game with 25 points scored with Canterbury players scoring enough tries to take the bonus point try (FT : 45-14).

Game 14 : Counties Manukau vs. Bay Of Plenty (ECOLight Stadium, Pukekohe, New Zealand)

These two provinces had to bounce back following an opening defeat last weekend. That contest was a thriller. Bay Of Plenty had the first say with former Glasgow Warriors flanker Hugh Blake scoring a try thanks to a good carry. Counties Manukau came back quickly.

Jordan Taufua helped his team find his way back with a brillant score. The turning point of the game came at the 50th minute when Bay Of Plenty winger Monty Ioane was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on. Referee Paul Williams awarded penalty try to home side.

Counties Manukau took a big lead with their back players Sione Molia and Sherwin Stowers on the scoreboard. Bay Of Plenty did not adapt with 14 players but almost made the comeback. Regan Ware and Monty Ioane grabbed late tries but it was too late (FT : 39-34).

The Talking Points :

Premiership Division : Auckland, Waikato and Counties Manukau recovered from defeat in Round 1. Canterbury and Taranaki remain unbeaten but Tasman and Hawke’s Bay could battle for relegation with a very tough schedule though there is still a lot of games to play.

Championship Division : Otago and Manawatu have been impressive so far this season. Wellington and North Harbour have got 1 win each while Bay Of Plenty, Northland and Southland are still looking for a first win but they are quality sides as they narrowly lost.

Ranfurly Shield : Waikato, the Ranfurly Shield holders, were defending the Trophy in Round 2 against North Harbour and they defended it successfully. Next weekend, in Round 3, Waikato will have to defend it again with Manawatu coming in Hamilton for a big game.

Conclusion :

Round 2 has been very good with some quality rugby played. There were a lot of high scoring games with all the provinces taking their respective opportunities. Even the provinces which are still looking for their first win of the season remain in the contest.

There will be a big battle for play-offs inclusion in the Premiership Division with more than four provinces battling for the four places. About the Championship Division, games on this weekend showed that starting the game well is absolutely key to get the big wins.

Waikato will be under pressure next weekend in Round 3 as they will host Manawatu and defend the Ranfurly Shield. Manawatu is unbeaten after two games and plenty of stars will be on the pitch : Loni Uhila (Waikato) and Otere Black (Manawatu), both Hurricanes stars.

Great rugby on Round 2 ! Bring on Round 3 !

Max.

The Barrett Review : Rugby Championship 2016 (New Zealand vs. Australia – Game 2)

The Round 2 for the 2016 Rugby Championship was played on the weekend with two back-to-back games after last weekend’s fixtures. First, New Zealand was hosting Australia at Westpac Stadium, Wellington while South Africa made the trip to Argentina to face them.

New Zealand were confident before that second game against the Wallabies following their impressive disaplay last weekend (8-42 win in Sydney). During the week, the All Blacks coach Steve Hansen backed his players to deliver at home against Michael Cheika’s team.

In a tough situation just before this contest, it was all about making amends for Australia after what happened on their home turf last weekend. Michael Cheika made some changes to his starting XV and gambled a lot, showing that he is struggling to improve his group.

After a very close encounter between the two nations, South Africa and Argentina were also facing each other in a second game. The Springboks won the first game in the last moments thanks to a late try on left wing thanks to the Lions skipper Warren Whiteley.

South Africa was targeting a second straight win to keep their Rugby Championship Title hopes alive. However, it was not going to be easy with Argentina practising an expansive game. All the points were going to be very important to top standings and put pressure.

Going into that Round 2, New Zealand were still the favourites to retain the top position in the standings. Australia were looking for a better performance. South Africa and Argentina are also decent contenders for a win in this competition as they show threat on the field.

Team News : Fair-play from the All Blacks towards the Wallabies

In the build-up of that game, during the weekend, the New Zealand coaching staff did not want to talk about controversies which happened before the opening game. Listening device had been found on the All Blacks’ hotel room with Australia denying involvement.

Later in the week, five players were called in the training camp as injury covers : Hookers James Parsons and Liam Coltman, centre Seta Tamanivalu along back-three players Rieko Ioane and Damian McKenzie. Only James Parsons and Seta Tamanivalu are capped players.

These announcements were made after that concerns were raised over some All Blacks players. Nathan Harris injured his knee, Codie Taylor is concussed, Ryan Crotty had to be replaced last weekend with a leg injury and Waisake Naholo injured his hamstring, as well.

Finally, Steve Hansen named quite a strong team with Joe Moody coming back at prop after missing the first Test match. Dane Coles won his battle against a rib injury and will be partnered in the front-row with Crusaders prop Owen Franks, rewarding by the staff.

With the second-row, Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock retained their respective jersey with the back-row, a classic one. Following a magnificient performance last weekend, Jerome Kaino was named at flanker with Sam Cane and Kieran Read, captaining the team.

In the half-backs, the All Blacks coaches trusted Aaron Smith at scrum-half with Beauden Barrett being given another run at first-five eighth. The biggest surprise came at second-five eighth with the uncapped player from the Chiefs, Anton Lienert-Brown, starting.

Having played at inside centre during the first Wallabies game, Malakai Fekitoa was handed the number 13 jersey. There was some re-shuffle in the back-three with, first of all, Ben Smith taking his fullback position back and so switching from that wing position.

Then, in the wings, Israel Dagg and Julian Savea will have some opportunities. With Waisake Naholo unavailable, Israel Dagg takes his wing position with Julian Savea rewarded after a good impact off the bench in the first Test match when he scored a try.

First-half of the game : Forwards battle and Foul play

Staged at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, the second Test in the Rugby Championship was referred by the Frenchman official Romain Poite with Jaco Peyper running on sidelines. South-african official Shaun Veldsman was named as the TMO (Television Match Official).

New Zealand won the coin toss and skipper Kieran Read chose to kick-off and retain the left side of the field in the first-half. First-five eighth Beauden Barrett kicked off and the Wallabies secured the ball in their 22-metre zone and a first clearance from Quade Cooper.

Taking the lineout on the Australia’s own half, hooker Dane Coles connected with Brodie Retallick in the second-row. Referee Romain Poite awarded a first penalty after that Scott Fardy infringed the breakdown. Beauden Barrett found a lineout in the 22-metre zone.

Forwards were working a lot in these opening minutes with prop Owen Franks and flanker Jerome Kaino already making carries. However, Australia were expecting that and the defence managed to get a good turnover thanks to the Wallabies captain Stephen Moore.

Getting the counter-attacking ball, the Wallabies playmaker Bernard Foley, playing 12, threw the ball to Samu Kerevi but the outside centre kicked the ball directly into touch. Weather conditions were difficult with rain falling on the Wesptac Stadium in Wellington.

Some tension was there at the breakdown with both sides showing pride. The All Blacks executed the gameplan and retained possession in the Wallabies’ 22-metre zone. Dane Coles threw the ball at the lineout with Sam Cane securing it before moving wide to right.

Highlanders scrum-half Aaron Smith combined with Beauden Barrett and all the backline. New capped player Anton Lienert-Brown got the ball and made the great assist to winger Israel Dagg who touched down for the first try on the right wing after only 8 minutes (5-0).

From a difficult angle, on the right touchline, Beauden Barrett converted the try to extend the lead (7-0). Australia immediately came back into this game thanks to huge physicality brought by Scott Sio and their flankers Michael Hooper with David Pocock, a true leader.

Under pressure, the All Blacks were penalised for coming to the side in a ruck. Bernard Foley took the kick and managed to put his team on the scoreboard only two minutes after New Zealand’s first try (7-3). Beauden Barrett made the re-start near the 22-metre zone.

Looking to secure the ball at the breakdown, the Wallabies conceded a penalty as Romain Poite stated that prop Sekope Kepu made a side entry. On the 22-metre line, that was okay for Beauden Barrett with the All Blacks back to a 7-point lead after a quarter played (10-3).

Michael Cheika was a bit nervous in the coaching box with the Australia’s set-piece not up to the standards. The Wallabies lost two consecutive lineouts with Kane Douglas and Adam Coleman struggling to find the good combinations with their hooker Stephen Moore.

More misery was on the Australia players when winger Adam Ashley-Cooper, who was having a quiet game, had to come off the field for an HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocol. Michael Cheika decided to bring the uncapped player Reece Hodge on the field.

It was a bit better from Michael Cheika’s men with scrum-half Will Genia playing with speed. Quade Cooper looked to throw the combos in midfield with Samu Kerevi trying to find space. Winger Dane Haylett-Petty was waiting patiently on his wing for the good ball.

Referee Romain Poite rewarded Australia for their efforts. The All Blacks second-rower Sam Whitelock did not manage to steal the ball with his Crusaders teammate Joe Moody. Centre Malakai Fekitoa took informations with Ben Smith helping the defence.

Stephen Moore opted for the kick on the left touchline with Bernard Foley taking the penalty. The Waratahs player was successful and Australia was hanging on despite not a lot of possession. The Wallabies were back in this game with 21 minutes played (10-6).

Australia took the ball from a long re-start and calmed things down. Flanker Scott Fardy made it sure to protect the ball with Will Genia throwing the ball to Quade Cooper. This time, the clearing kick was not good enough with New Zealand having possession back.

In their opponents’ 22-metre zone, Dane Coles found his jumper Brodie Retallick and some All Blacks deacoy runners appeared when the ball was unleashed in the midfield. Misdjudging, Samu Kerevi gave too many space for the Hurricanes man Beauden Barrett.

Taking the space, the New Zealand first-five eighth made a great run and threw the assist to Israel Dagg for his second try on the night on the right wing again in the 23rd minute (15-6). Beauden Barrett tried to convert the try but it was wide to the right (15-6).

Having failed his HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocol, Adam Ashley-Cooper was not going to come back on the field. The Wallabies Israel Folau provided a couple of good runs for his team but the All Blacks defence with Kieran Read leading it was just unbreakable.

New Zealand came back near the Wallabies try line with good carries from the forwards and Joe Moody in particular. Scrum-half Aaron Smith played short-side but the ball was intercepted by Will Genia but the TMO (Television Match Official) was called by referee.

Review showed than New Zealand hooker Dane Coles cleaned the breakdown illegally with a swinging arm on Scott Fardy. Romain Poite reversed a penalty which had been given first to the All Blacks. Kane Douglas looked to call the good combination on resulting lineout.

Steve Hansen’s men managed to steal it first and then earned a penalty with Julian Savea and Ben Smith looking for space in the midfield. Beauden Barrett lined up for the penalty on the 10-metre line but the ball fell to the left of the posts with 10 minutes to go (15-6).

Scrum time was a major issue in that game as the two front-rows never managed to go into a fair contest. On halfway line, Romain Poite awarded a penalty to the Wallabies with the All Blacks prop Owen Franks penalised for angling in and Scott Sio winning his duel.

Melbourne Rebels versatile player Reece Hodge took the kick and there was plenty on it. Australia was remaining in the game with the 35th minute coming (15-9). Two minutes later, fullback Israel Folau made a territory kick with New Zealand on the counter-attack.

Throwing the ball to his left, winger Ben Smith was tackled without the ball which had reached Malakai Fekitoa. Referee Romain Poite did not hesitate and quickly branded the yellow card to the Wallabies lock Adam Coleman for that very dangerous shoulder charge.

Second-rower Dean Mumm was immediately brought on the park with Scott Fardy temporarily making his way. Stephen Moore received treatment while Jerome Kaino gained valuable metres on the lineout which resulted from the sin-bin and the penalty.

Following a last phase of play, Bernard Foley said that it was enough and kicked the ball into touch. It was half-time at Wesptac Stadium, Wellington with tough weather conditions and a brutal first-half with a physical contest and too much foul play (15-9).

Second-half of the game : The All Blacks finding their game

Going back on the field for this second-half, the All Blacks players knew that the job was not done yet with the Wallabies still in contention to get the win. That first-half was a brutal contest between the two sides and not much attacking phases of play were made.

New Zealand came back on the Wesptac Stadium pitch with much more intent. Aaron Smith played with a higher tempo and Anton Lienert-Brown made good yards on the midfield. Winger Julian Savea was getting the ball more and his impact was really obvious.

Flanker Sam Cane brought the linespeed both in attack and in defence. Finding the balance between forwards and backs, Beauden Barrett made a crossed-field kick for Julian Savea on the left wing. The Hurricanes winger collapsed with Quade Cooper in the air.

It was a turnover with Australia getting the ball back as it was a fair turnover. Thanks to this new momentum, Will Genia found a gap in the midfield with Ben Smith and Israel Dagg not closing the door. Nevertheless, the All Blacks defence recovered very quickly.

Skipper Kieran Read made a huge contribution at the breakdown with Joe Moody in support. Taking the ball and making progress, lock Brodie Retallick made some offloads. On the right on the field, Aaron Smith decided to play with his backs on the left open side.

Beauden Barrett received the ball and put fullback Ben Smith into space. Dane Haylett-Petty was too late and numbers were found on the left wing. The ball reached Julian Savea who showed physicality to score his 41st Test try on his home turf after 47 minutes (22-9).

In an extremely difficult position, on the left touchline, Beauden Barrett made an outstanding kick and converted the 3rd New Zealand try (24-9). Couple of minutes later, Australia had the opportunity to come back into this game with a big 48-metre penalty.

The Melbourne Rebels and new capped player Reece Hodge took the kick following the decision of Stephen Moore. However, that was a tough kick and the New Zealand players had the 22-metre drop-out with Beauden Barrett making a little chip for Jerome Kaino.

Cleverly played from the All Blacks first-five eighth, New Zealand was on the run with another good build-up and strong phases of play. Australia did not quit in this game and had the turnovers but Samu Kerevi made an handling error with 54 minutes played, there.

With 25 minutes still to be played in that contest, both sides started a kicking battle for territory. It was not a high tempo as there were many scrums ordered by the referee Romain Poite. Handling mistakes cost the two teams which wanted to play their game.

The All Blacks back-three tried to go for the counter-attack after the ball was kicked away by the Wallabies. David Pocock had managed to clear it from the scrum before throwing it to the playmakers Will Genia and Quade Cooper who made the clearance for his team.

In the back-three, Beauden Barrett, in a fullback position, tried to find space in the midfield with Ben Smith in support. Michael Hooper managed to steal it in a first time but the Wallabies were penalised for losing their feet at the breakdown to protect the ball.

On the Australia’s 10-metre line, New Zealand first-five eighth Beauden Barrett lined up for the kick but it was pushed just to the right of the posts (22-9). Australia had the 22-metre drop-out with Bernard Foley kicking with Israel Folau and Reece Hodge chasing.

Playing the 60th minute, both sides were still trying to find their rhythm in attack. There were too many infringements at the breakdown, discipline concerns and the two coaches re-shuffled their backline early, adding to the struggles in all the attacking movements.

Australia decided to play Israel Folau at wing with Reece Hodge at fullback but Dane Haylett-Petty was not enough accurate in defence. Kane Douglas did not have the required impact though Scott Sio and Sekope Kepu made huge efforts at scrum time to earn pride.

However, the strength of this All Blacks team is this ability to score from everywhere when they have a good build-up. That is what happened at the 60th-minute mark with Dane Coles providing good runs and Brodie Retallick making the link with the backline.

Centres Anton Lienert-Brown and Malakai Fekitoa showed pace and New Zealand was centimetres from the Wallabies try line. Aaron Smith recycled quickly and passed the ball to Sam Cane who dove over the try line for the 4th try of the night in Wellington (27-9).

From the right of the posts, from 30 metre out, playmaker Beauden Barrett stepped up and made a good kick for the conversion (29-9). With a quarter to go, Steve Hansen and his players had a 20-point lead with Australia unable to threaten the All Blacks on home turf.

The Wallabies did not find momentum in this game though Michael Hooper and David Pocock worked very well in tandem at the breakdown. Earning a penalty, Bernard Foley went for the lineout but the ball was caught by an All Blacks player for the counter-attack.

Winger Israel Dagg showed his skills and made some good attacking moves with all the players committed to the cause. It became a bit scrappy with Steve Hansen deciding to give some game time to the bench. Prop Wyatt Crockett came on to play his 50th Test match.

The Chiefs first-five eighth Aaron Cruden got some game time with Julian Savea being replaced. There was a re-shuffle in the backline with Ben Smith switching to the wing and Beauden Barrett taking the fullback. Seta Tamanivalu got some time on the pitch, as well.

Australia tried to salvage something from this game and they went for the try. Nick Phipps and Tevita Kuridrani came off the bench to bring more power to the backline. Nevertheless, that was not enough as both teams were less accurate with their basics.

It was a huge battle at scrum and at the breakdown with Australia conceding another penalty at the 72nd minute. The All Blacks skipper Kieran Read said to the French official Romain Poite that he really wanted the scrum on the 22-metre line, in the Wallabies half.

New Zealand was building a score with Kieran Read picking the ball at the back of the scrum and offloading to Aaron Smith. The ball reached Aaron Cruden who attempted a grubber kick but he knocked it on with Quade Cooper turning the ball over on his try line.

Few minutes later, the Wallabies playmaker linked with his fullback Israel Folau who found a gap in the defence. Australia pushed for the try at the very end and scrum-half Nick Phipps scored a try after ambitious phases of play from Michael Cheika’s players.

Referee Romain Poite called for another TMO review with Shaun Veldsman confirming that the Australia scrum-half had knocked the ball on just before scoring. The try was ruled out with New Zealand team having the 5-metre scrum on their 5-metre line, then.

On that last scrum, Ardie Savea made a huge effort and TJ Perenara tried to build something. Finally, the ball was lose and he kicked it over the line. New Zealand have retained the Bledisloe Cup for the 14th consecutive year since 2003 with great win (29-9).

The Barrett Review : Cementing the number 10 jersey

Kicks : 4/7 – The kicking conditions are always tough in Wesptac Stadium with rain and wind. That was a good performance from Beauden Barrett with one penalty and three conversions scored including one from the left touchline. That will give him confidence.

General play : Beauden Barrett managed the game well with good territory kicks and an assist on Israel Dagg’s second try. He was invloved in 3 of the 4 New Zealand tries and also made a good crossed-field kick with a good attacking threat thanks to great linespeed.

Conclusion : Beauden Barrett has cemented the All Blacks number 10 jersey. He backed his performance from last weekend and guided New Zealand to another convincing win. His versatility is key in the last 20 minutes with his ability to play in the All Blacks back-three.

Congratulations Beaudy ! Another Bledisloe Cup !

Max.

The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup : Review – Round 1

The Mitre 10 Cup competition for the year 2016 has been launched on this weekend while Rugby Championship was also coming back on the Test level at the same time. Previously known as ITM Cup, the Mitre 10 Cup is a provincial competition, split in two conferences.

According to the format of the competition, there is the Premiership Division and the Championship Division with 7 provinces in each of these conferences. Playing in the Premiership Division allows all the provinces to compete for the big Mitre 10 Cup Trophy.

In the Championship Division, there is also a Trophy which will reward the winning province in the play-offs. That province will earn promotion in the Premiership Division for the next season while the last province in the Premiership Division will be relegated.

Through the years, the Mitre 10 Cup has been a wonderful opportunity and a great platform for all the youngsters. The Mitre 10 Cup is regarded as the last step before finding a Super Rugby franchise and then putting yourself in contention for the All Blacks call.

Obviously, a so competitive league at provincial level is one of the explanations which are making New Zealand so strong. There is a great poll of players waiting for the international call. South Africa and Australia have some similar provincial competitions.

More information on the Mitre 10 Cup can be found here : The Mitre 10 Cup : The future legends of the game

Informations about the Mitre 10 Cup format :

Following the 2015 ITM Cup season, Manawatu was relegated from the Premiership Division and will play in the Championship Division in 2016. Hawke’s Bay earned promotion in Premiership after a hard-fought win against Wellington Lions in the final.

It means that the 7 provinces which will play in the Premiership Division will be : Auckland, Canterbury, Counties Manukau, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Tasman and Waikato. Only the Highlanders franchise is not represented in this Premiership Division for 2016.

For the Championship Division, the 7 provinces fighting for promotion will be : Bay Of Plenty, Manawatu, North Harbour, Northland, Otago, Southland and also Wellington. The Hurricanes,the Highlanders and the Blues are represented by two provinces each, then.

Starting the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup season, the Ranfurly Shield holders are Waikato. They will fight to keep the Trophy during their home games but it will not be contested during the play-offs and away games. All the provinces compete and no matter their current division.

Finally, that provincial competition has got 9 Rounds and provinces across the two conferences will face each other. Unfortunately, like in Super Rugby, all the provinces are not meeting each other and fans could argue that some provinces have easier schedules.

The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup – Round 1 – Review

Game 1 : North Harbour vs. Counties Manukau (QBE Stadium, Albany, New Zealand)

The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup started with a Northern Island derby with North Harbour hosting the Counties Manukau. Many players from the Auckland Blues in Super Rugby were on the field : Matt Vaega (North Harbour) and the playmaker Piers Francis (Counties Manukau).

North Harbour managed to get the win in a tough contest. The Counties Manukau tried their best and almost came back into this game thanks to a powerful try from the Crusaders flanker Jordan Taufua. The province pushed hard until the very end of that good contest.

However, the Counties Manukau were penalised for going off feet in the last stages of the game. The province, which was coached by Tana Umaga in 2015, will be contenders for the title but North Harbour showed that they were competitive and built the win on defence (FT : 20-17).

Game 2 : Northland vs. Manawatu (Toll Stadium, Whangarei, New Zealand)

It was an exciting game between the Northern province Northland and Manawatu, one of the two franchises representing the Hurricanes with Wellington. That was a high-scoring game with a lack of discipline. Manawatu got a yellow card at the end of the first-half.

Plenty of stars highlighted the game like the Northland flanker Dan Pryor playing with the Highlanders in Super Rugby. Manawatu scored 4 tries in this game with the Hurricanes centre Ngani Laumape scoring the first try and Otere Black kicking several conversions.

Northland missed some opportunities in that game and were unable to find answers to Manawatu’s quick phases of play. The Hurricanes province played with a high tempo and they made the difference in the last quarter of the game when they scored two tries (FT : 27-34).

Game 3 : Bay Of Plenty vs. Taranaki (Tauranga Domain, Tauranga, New Zealand)

Taranaki switched allegiances from the Hurricanes to the Chiefs a few seasons ago. They started that game really well and had a big lead quickly thanks to a try from the exciting prospect playing scrum-half : Te Toira Tahuriorangi, who has 1 cap for the Hurricanes.

Nevertheless, Bay Of Plenty showed character to come back in the game. The Italy fly-half Kelly Haimona, who was born in New Zealand, leaded his team in attack and they came back into this game with a quarter to be played there in the Tauranga Domain, Tauranga.

Finally, the goalkicking accuracy of the Crusaders playmaker Marty McKenzie, Damian McKenzie’s brother, gave Taranaki the win. Taranaki kept the control in this game but they will have to target consistency if they want to win a second Mitre 10 Cup (FT : 22-30).

Game 4 : Hawke’s Bay vs. Wellington (McLean Park, Napier, New Zealand)

Remake of the last year’s Championship Division final, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington were up for the bragging rights once again. In 2015 ITM Cup, Hawke’s Bay had won against the Hurricanes province and earned the promotion in the Premiership Division for 2016 year.

Wellington Lions made a big statement away as Hawke’s Bay started the game really well thanks to good skills from their playmakers Brad Weber and Ihaia West. Played with a lot of intensity, Wellington managed to come back into this game following great build-up.

First-five eighth Jackson Garden-Bashop was world-class and at the top of his game . Late in the game, Jason Woodward was brought to the party and the Hurricanes centre Matt Proctor set up a lovely try on the right wing for a defining win in McLean Park, Napier (FT : 26-36).

Game 5 : Canterbury vs. Auckland (AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand)

Another remake of the last year’s Premiership Division final, Canterbury were hosting Auckland at the same venue : AMI Stadium in Christchurch, home of the Crusaders in Super Rugby. In 2015, Canterbury won the ITM Cup but Auckland remained in the contest.

For the first game of the season, Auckland was outplayed by the Canterbury province. The Auckland province did not play to their usual standards and never managed to play their game as Canterbury was too strong in defence an took all their opportunities in the attack.

Winning with a big margin at the end, Canterbury is a barometer for the Crusaders. All their players performed : Richie Mo’unga drove very well the backline, Ben Funnell was the leader at scrum and lineout with Johnny McNicholl scoring two tries (FT : 43-3).

Game 6 : Southland vs. Otago (Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill, New Zealand)

Following the Northern Island derby between North Harbour and Counties Manukau, there was another big derby. This time, the derby was located in the Southern Island with Otago coming to Southland. The big game was staged in Invercagill, at the Rugby Park Stadium.

Southland did not start the game badly but Otago began to find breaches in the defence just after the beginning of the second-half. That game was a bit like a Highlanders trial for the players trying to get a place in the Super Rugby franchise training squad for 2017 year.

In the end, the Otago province prevailed with a treble from the Highlanders centre Teihorangi Walden. The promising player scored a try in the opening 2016 Super Rugby game against the Blues but was unable to play more game with the Highlanders in 2016 (FT : 17-40).

Game 7 : Tasman vs. Waikato (Lansdowne Park, Blenheim, New Zealand)

The final game of the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup Round 1 was played between Tasman and Waikato at Blenheim. It was an exciting contest between two provinces in the Premiership Division fighting for the Trophy. Tasman, another Crusaders province, was hosting the contest.

Few tries were scored in this game with Alex Ainley, the Highlanders prop, contributing to the Tasman performance with one try. Waikato, the Ranfurly Shield holders, tried to find the balance between their attacking combinations and their composed defence.

Damian McKenzie, left out of the All Blacks squad for the Rugby Championship despite a call for the June Tests, had an encouraging game. He scored 14 points (4 penalties and 1 conversion) but could not prevent his team from losing a very close contest (FT : 24-19).

The Talking Points :

Premiership Division : Canterbury, Taranaki and Tasman take the early lead in the Premiership Division standings. Counties Manukau, Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Waikato had a tough start of the season but they should all bounce back very quickly in Round 2.

Championship Division : Championship provinces set high standards with Wellington and North Harbour beating the Premiership provinces. Early indications say that Wellington, Manawatu and Otago will compete for that promotion in Premiership Division in 2017.

Ranfurly Shield : Waikato lost to Tasman in this Round 1 but they keep the Ranfurly Shield because the game was not played in Waikato. However, it shows that all the provinces involved can win it. North Harbour will try to take the win and the Trophy next weekend.

Conclusion :

The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup season has started very well with the same passion and the same desire to play running rugby. Canterbury will target consistency to win back-to-back Titles in Premiership. They started their season in fashion but all the opponents are just quality.

In the Championship, the Wellington Lions seem to be highly motivated by the loss in the final to Hawke’s Bay which prevented them to play in Premiership this season. Otago have been impressive along with Manawatu and North Harbour so it is going to be very exciting.

For the Round 2, North Harbour will play Waikato at home and winning the Ranfurly Shield in Hamilton would be a statement. Big games are expected with bragging rights in Premiership (Canterbury vs. Tasman) and in the Championship (Otago vs. Wellington).

That was a great weekend ! Keep this level !

Max.

The Barrett Review : Rugby Championship 2016 (Australia vs. New Zealand – Game 1)

The 2016 Rugby Championship started on this weekend with New Zealand playing Australia in the opening game. The game was staged in the wonderful ANZ Stadium, in Sydney, home of New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby, in front of 65,000+ people.

Coming in this game, that was the start of a new competition for the two nations. Their form was very different as New Zealand won their three June Tests against Wales whereas Australia struggled against England and did not manage to win a single game this summer.

In fact, that opening contest was not only an opposition between two different playing styles but that was also an opposition between two rugby union models. The All Blacks are keeping conservative system but Australia agreed with re-calling veterans from overseas.

Nevertheless, the two squads which were named for the Rugby Championship were very strong. There were some huge experienced players called by the New Zealand coach Steve Hansen and the Wallabies manager Michael Cheika to try and win that first big encounter.

With South Africa and Argentina also in the contest, New Zealand and Australia had to start this Rugby Championship in fashion, showing that they were contenders for the Title. In that game, another Trophy was contested between the two : The Bledisloe Cup.

Team News : Training Camp Confusion and even more drama

The build-up into this opening Rugby Championship game was quite special to be honest. New Zealand were not helped by the injuries before this game. In the beginning of the week, the All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster held  press conference from training camp.

He confirmed that the Blues centre George Moala had been ruled out of the game with a knee injury sustained in training. The Auckland Blues player was probably in the contest to start the game and the coaching staff also said that no cover would be called in the squad.

Besides, on Friday, during the Captain’s Run, the Chiefs hooker Nathan Harris was also ruled out of the game with a knee injury as well. Codie Taylor took his place and started the game while Dane Coles, still recovering from a rib injury, would start on the bench.

Moreover, on game day, on Saturday, the Australia media revealed that an enquiry had been launched following that a listening device was found in the All Blacks meeting room at their hotel. The ARU (Australia Rugby Union) quickly denied any sort of involvement.

Finally, the New Zealand players who were involved in that game focused on the task. Codie Taylor started at hooker with Wyatt Crockett and Owen Franks retaining a starting position at prop after Joe Moody failed to recover from a long season with the Crusaders.

In the second-row, that was a classic partnership with Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock. Skipper Kieran Read returned at number 8 with the two flankers Jerome Kaino and Sam Cane getting the nod after a very tough competition for that big number 7 jersey.

The half-backs combination was exciting with Aaron Smith partnering Beauden Barrett at first-five eighth. Ryan Crotty and Malakai Fekitoa were the midfield players with Ben Smith covering if needed. Ryan Crotty started at inside centre and was a decent option.

To finish with the starting XV, Ben Smith and Waisake Naholo kept their respective place at the two wings while Israel Dagg was rewarded with the fullback position. The bench which was picked by the New Zealand coaching staff was a promising and a strong bench.

First, Dane Coles was the back-up at hooker along with Charlie Faumuina and uncapped prop Kane Hames. Liam Squire and Ardie Savea sat down on that bench with TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden and Julian Savea, the three backs looking for game time in the second-half.

First-half of the game : New Zealand storming in Sydney

The opening Rugby Championship game was referred by the south-african official Jaco Peyper. The toss was won by Australia and they decided to kick-off. The game was played in perfect weather conditions with no rain and no wind and in front of a so friendly crowd.

The Wallabies first-five eighth Bernard Foley kicked off and the first-half was underway and the New Zealand players had a first possession and tried immediately to run with the ball. Scrum-half Aaron Smith waited and then passed to his playmaker Beauden Barrett.

Following some phases of play, centre Ryan Crotty got the ball in the short side and made a good run but flanker Sam Cane made a knock-on in the build-up. On their 10-metre line, the Australia forwards pack had an opportunity to launch an attack with space available.

Ready for this first scrum, Will Genia had the feed of the scrum and Bernard Foley threw the ball to his backline. Winger Dane Haylett-Petty got the ball and found space on the right wing. The Wallabies came into the All Blacks’ 22-metre zone in opening minutes.

Caught off-side, referee Jaco Peyper penalised the All Blacks players and gave a first opportunity to Bernard Foley to put the Wallabies in the scoreboard. In the same time, New Zealand hooker Codie Taylor had to leave field for an HIA (Head Injury Assessment).

After only 3 minutes in this game, Bernard Foley took his first attempt on the 22-metre line and made no mistake to take the lead (3-0). Beauden Barrett made the re-start and the Wallabies made some phases of play in their half before kicking the ball into touch.

Throwing the ball at the lineout, Dane Coles connected with Brodie Retallick and some strong carries came from Sam Cane and Jerome Kaino. Switching the ball to the left, Beauden Barrett combined with Malakai Fekitoa to throw it until the All Blacks left wing.

Captain Kieran Read gathered the ball and made the offload to Ryan Crotty who took the space to score the first try of the game (3-5). Taking the conversion from the left of the posts, Beauden Barrett was successful and the All Blacks were back after 7 minutes (3-7).

Looking to bounce back, the Wallabies put their hands into the ball and retained possession. Centre Tevita Kuridrani brought physicality with prop Scott Sio and lock Rob Simmons trying to launch the good attacking combos in the midfield to add some threat.

With the powerful prop Sekope Kepu carrying the ball, second-five eighth Matt Giteau was accidentally off-side and picked up an ankle injury in the process. Michael Cheika gave his instructions and Matt Toomua came on the field to replace the overseas-based veteran.

New Zealand was keeping the pressure on their opponents. Ben Smith often switched his position with Israel Dagg while Owen Franks worked hard at the breakdown. Getting the turnover on their 22-metre line, Australia players were penalised for losing their feet.

It gave another opportunity to first-five eighth Beauden Barrett from the left touchline and 30 metres out. The Hurricanes players pushed it to the right and that was a 22-metre drop-out for Bernard Foley who took some advice from his great skipper Stephen Moore.

Three minutes later, winger Waisake Naholo rushed on his left wing with Brodie Retallick in support. David Pocock and Michael Hooper defended well but the Wallabies defence was penalised for an off-side position. Skipper Kieran Read decided to opt for the penalty.

In a similar position than his first two attempts, Beauden Barrett was okay with the penalty and the All Blacks had a 7-point lead after a quarter (3-10). Bernard Foley re-started but Sam Whitelock gathered the ball and that was another New Zealand build-up.

Australia was hanging on in defence with Kane Douglas and Ben McCalman making huge tackles. The All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg made a big up-and-under with winger Ben Smith chasing. The ball was contested by Australia but the kicking game was not good.

Lock Brodie Retallick charged the ball down and Ben Smith picked it up and set up a wonderful score. Jaco Peyper asked for a TMO (Television Match Official) review which confirmed that Ben Smith picked the ball in an off-side position before creating the try.

Ben Smith was in front when Brodie Retallick charged Israel Folau’s kick down. The Wallabies had the penalty with Stephen Moore looking to connect with his jumper Rob Simmons. The ball was gathered and reached playmaker Matt Toomua in the midfield.

Scrum-half Will Genia wanted quick balls with Adam Ashley-Cooper waiting the ball on his wing. Prop Sekope Kepu was penalised for going off his feet at the breakdown after a huge pressure from the New Zealand forward Wyatt Crockett with Kieran Read, as well.

Once again, in a similar position that the last penalties, the All Blacks first-five eighth Beauden Barrett increased the lead with 18 minutes to go in this first-half (3-13). New Zealand was adding even more pressure and the Wallabies had no answer in that game.

Their combo in the back-row did not make enough turnovers with David Pocock not having the same influence. Scott Sio, the powerful prop, struggled to find himslef in a good position. New Zealand players came back quickly in that Australia 22-metre zone.

Showing a running threat, Malakai Fekitoa found the gaps in the defence. With the forwards working on the left, Aaron Smith decided to go on the right and found Waisake Naholo and then Kieran Read, offloading to put Beauden Barrett into space to score (3-18).

The second try was scored for New Zealand and Beauden Barrett easily converted it and the All Blacks were comfortable playing the 26th minute (3-20). Storming in the Wallabies half, Steve Hansen’s men wanted to score more tries before half-time in ANZ Stadium.

Back in the 22-metre zone, Dane Coles, staying on the field after that Codie Taylor failed his HIA (Head Injury Assessment), showed his pace. Beauden Barrett tried the inside pass and made a grubber but fullback Israel Dagg was penalised for a high tackle on Will Genia.

Michael Cheika had to empty his bench as Matt Toomua had to come off the field after a knock. Vice-captain Rob Horne got game time on the wing with Adam Ashley-Cooper coming in the centres. Stephen Moore and Kane Douglas secured the ball at the lineout.

Making the clearance, playmaker Bernard Foley was charged down by flanker Jerome Kaino who picked the ball and raced forward to score the bonus point try (3-25). The conversion was wide to the right but the All Blacks were showing some impressive form so far (3-25).

With 8 minutes to go, the Wallabies needed half-time to fix the issues. Their problem was that their key players Tevita Kuridrani and Israel Folau never managed to gain thoses valuable metres. Too many handling errors were made and it became costly at the end.

Working together, New Zealand got the possession with Aaron Smith throwing the ball wide. Beauden Barrett took the midfield and made an assist for the winger Waisake Naholo who touched down for the 4th try of the team but injured himself in the process (3-30).

In front of the posts, Beauden Barrett converted the try and it was half-time. New Zealand was dominating this game (3-32). Australia was lost on the field, caught by the All Blacks physicality, and unable to produce their game. New Zealand were the best in the first-half.

Second-half of the game : More All Blacks magic

The second-half started quickly in Sydney with the Wallabies coming back with the desire to make amends in front of their home crowd. The New Zealand team with Beauden Barrett made the kick-off and the second-half was underway with Wallabies possession.

Under pressure, the Australia players managed to keep the ball a bit more this time. Flanker David Pocock made some good runs and Michael Hooper tried to tidy things up. New Zealand stayed strong in defence with all the players collectively delivering tonight.

It was a bit scrappy at the start of the second-half. Both teams made some unusual handling errors. The All Blacks players, such as Kieran Read and Owen Franks, were sometimes inaccurate. That’s why Jaco Peyper ordered many scrums in the second-half.

Michael Cheika’s men were struggling to make yards in their own half and made knock-ons as well, meaning that it was more a territory game in these first minutes of the second-half. Playing the 45th minute, winger Adam Ashley-Cooper was a bit lost, there.

At the back of a scrum, the overseas-based winger did not make a good clearance and managed to ground the ball over the whitewash. Fullback Israel Dagg was chasing him so that was no try but the Wallabies conceded the 5-metre scrum and were without solution.

After a strong scrum and decent efforts from Wyatt Crockett and Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read picked the ball at the back of the scrum but Ben McCalman was committed with Dane Haylett-Petty and Scott Sio. The ball was knocked on and the Wallabies got the scrum.

The All Blacks changed their attacking combinations a little bit as Waisake Naholo and Ryan Crotty came off the field at half-time because of injuries. Steve Hansen gave an opportunity to Aaron Cruden at first-five eighth with Ben Smith switching to the centres.

Playing with the number 13 on his back, Malakai Fekitoa switched at inside centre, Julian Savea took Waisake Naholo’s wing and Israel Dagg went to the other wing. All this re-schuffle allowed Beauden Barrett to play at fullback and add other big playmaking options.

The two sides were playing the 50th minute in this game and newcomer Aaron Cruden ran the ship well from first-five eighth with good offloads and decent kicking options. In the counter-attack, the Chiefs player took the gap and kicked in front of him for a teammate.

On his left wing, the Hurricanes winger Julian Savea chased the kick but it was too long and he could not catch it. The ball went over the Wallabies lines and Bernard Foley got the 22-metre drop-out for Australia. New Zealand were still confident in this huge contest.

Maintaining their standards, the New Zealand team played with a very high tempo and the Wallabies defence was not good enough. Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett moved the ball quickly to the left wing with forwards players proposing themselves in the backline.

After a good attacking play and strong phases of play, Brodie Retallick and Kieran Read played very well to put Dane Coles into space. The hooker found a way in the Wallabies defence and scored another try for his team and New Zealand side was incredible (3-37).

Taking the conversion, the attempt from Beauden Barrett was wide to the left (3-37). Michael Cheika had no answers to the All Blacks power on the field. Prop Sekope Kepu and centre Tevita Kuridrani did not get enough balls to threaten the New Zealand try line.

The players were not far from playing the 58th minute in the game and the All Blacks coach Steve Hansen decided to give some game time to his forwards who started on the bench. The Auckland Blues prop Charlie Faumuina replaced Wyatt Crockett in the pack.

Besides, Kane Hames honoured his first cap when coming on the field for Owen Franks and became the All Blacks number 1152. Liam Squire and Ardie Savea were also brought into this game with Jerome Kaino and Sam Cane having made some huge contributions.

Attacking from right to the left, scrum-half Aaron Smith set up another counter-attack following a good kicking game from Ben Smith. Thanks to a good timing, new capped prop Kane Hames passed to Beauden Barrett on the left wing who threw the ball to Julian Savea.

The Hurricanes winger found enough space on his left wing to race and score the New Zealand 6th try of the game (3-42). That was his 40th try in exactly 40 games for the All Blacks. He lacked game time through the season but he is finding some confidence back.

Probably planned before the game or decided between the players, Beauden Barrett handed the goalkicking duties to Aaron Cruden. The Chiefs first-five eighth tried to convert the try from left touchline but the ball went to the left after 59 minutes (3-42).

Australia tried to salvage something from that game but Adam Ashley-Cooper was not comfortable at centre and Rob Horne did not have enough impact. In the forwards pack, Dean Mumm and Scott Fardy were physical but could not force the turnovers regularly.

However, it seemed that the Wallabies managed to find their attractive game again in the last 20 minutes of the game. Playing the 63rd minute, fullback Israel Folau made a break in the All Blacks midfield and tried to find support. Michael Hooper came to secure the ball.

Having replaced Will Genia, Nick Phipps played a lot on the short side but the New Zealand team was aware of that switch and Israel Dagg, along with Julian Savea and Charlie Faumuina made no mistake to cover. Stephen Moore made huge carries to gain metres.

The following phases of play were a bit confused as both Australia and New Zealand did not manage to find enough momentum to threaten the opponent tryline. Jaco Peyper awarded a lot of scrums and penalties because there was some big indiscipline at the end.

The Wallabies were throwing everything at it in the last 10 minutes of the game with New Zealand controlling things and not combining together as good as the first-half. Earning a penalty at the breakdown, Stephen Moore opted for the lineout in the 22-metre zone.

Winning the ball at the lineout thanks to Dean Mumm, Australia built the driving maul with a huge effort from James Slipper and Michael Alaalatoa, making his debut. The maul was collapsed by the All Blacks skipper Kieran Read, just 10 metres from the whitewash.

Referee Jaco Peyper branded the yellow card to Kieran Read and the All Blacks were going to finish the game with only 14 men on the field. That was more possession for the Australia players, making some pick-and-go, good phases of play but it was not enough.

However, following a quick build-up, the Wallabies scrum-half Nick Phipps found space and scored the consolation try (8-42). First-five eighth Bernard Foley attempted to convert the try from left touchline but the ball drifted to the left for Australia (8-42).

In the last moments of the game, New Zealand stormed back in the Wallabies half. Thanks to a good platform, Beauden Barrett made the crossed-field kick to Israel Dagg on the right wing. Another TMO review confirmed that the fullback had knocked that ball on.

Finally, Kieran Read came back on the field as the game was played until the 84th minute but a last knock-on after a lineout was the end to the game. New Zealand won convincingly on the Australian soil and they are the favourites to retain the Bledisloe Cup.

The Barrett Review : Trying to make the jersey his

Kicks : 5/8 – Pretty good performance from the kicking tee. Beauden Barrett kicked two penalties, three conversions and missed three kicks. Most of his kicks were difficult from the left touchline and that will give him some big confidence and some positive mindset.

General play : Beauden Barrett was brillant at first-five eighth. He scored one try and made two assists for Waisake Naholo and Julian Savea. It could have made a third assist on Israel Dagg’s ruled out try. His territorial game and management were just outstanding.

Conclusion : Beauden Barrett was awarded the Man Of The Match performance. The All Blacks first-five eighth is consistent through the weekends and that is what is making New Zealand happy. He deserves to wear the number 10 jersey for the New Zealand team.

Take a bow, Beaudy ! What a performance !

Max.

Stuart Lancaster : What is his coaching future ?!

Since the end of the last World Cup Pool stages in 2015, Stuart Lancaster has not been in charge of a single rugby union game as a Head Coach. The former Leeds Carnegie Director of Rugby stepped down as England Rugby manager at the end of the last 2015 World Cup.

England became the first World Cup host country ever to be knocked out of the Pool stages since the first World Cup which took place in New Zealand, in 1987. Stuart Lancaster was managing England since 2012 Six Nations Championship after a miserable 2011 World Cup.

That would be too easy to say that Stuart Lancaster was the only to blame for the England failure at the last World Cup. He has been branded as a scapegoat, like former Bath centre Sam Burgess, just because two people had to pay for this big unexpected disappointment.

It is fair to say that Stuart Lancaster made some controversial selection calls and seemed to have a doubt on what his best starting XV could be. That was particularly the case after the June Tests in New Zealand in 2014 when the England coach did not target consistency.

Obviously, like all the coaches who are working in the rugby union environment, Stuart Lancaster made some mistakes in his coaching and he failed to develop world-class players. However, blaming him for what happened at the 2015 World Cup is unacceptable.

Today, the former England Rugby manager is still considered as a knowledgable coach. He is giving a lot of his time to learn the game and share his past experiences. Stuart Lancaster is looking for a new opportunity and let’s hope that he will find it very quickly.

1. Stuart Lancaster’s record with England : Pretty good

Following the 2011 World Cup and the England defeat in Quarter-Finals against France, Stuart Lancaster was appointed as the interim coach when Martin Johnson decided to step down. The 2012 Six Nations Championship came and Stuart Lancaster raised challenge.

In his past few years, Stuart Lancaster had got plenty of coaching experience as he was learning the game from the sidelines while he was also playing on the field. It was with Leeds Carnegie at the beginning of the 1990’s and that was a valuable experience for him.

Stuart Lancaster delivered as a rugby coach before his appointment by the RFU (Rugby Football Union). He led Leeds Carnegie to the Aviva Premiership promotion during the 2006-2007 Championship season. Then, Stuart Lancaster started to work with the union.

At the end of the 2010’s, Stuart Lancaster managed the England Saxons and won the Churchill Cup with the England ‘A’ team and coached the England Rugby team at U20’s level. Stuart Lancaster helped them reach several IRB Junior World Championship finals.

The talented man coached England Rugby at senior level during four years which is representing more than 50 games as the manager. Stuart Lancaster tried and put in place an expansive gameplan to help the national team climb as high as possible in rankings.

In fact, his record is pretty impressive because England finished second in the Six Nations Championship during 4 consecutive years (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015). Winning the Championship and the Grand Slam was the target but that record is not bad, to be honest.

Moreover, even if a lot of pundits highlighted the fact that Stuart Lancaster never had a good record against the Southern Hemisphere countries, it has to be said that the former England coach masterminded some memorable wins against the South during his reign.

First of all, contrary to Heyneke Meyer and Joe Schmidt, Stuart Lancaster has never been defeated by Argentina. He won many times against Australia at Twickenham and managed to snatch a draw during the third game of the June Tests, in 2012, against South Africa.

Last but not least, Stuart Lancaster remains one of three coaches with Heyneke Meyer and Michael Cheika to have won against New Zealand since the 2011 World Cup Triumph and the appointment of Steve Hansen. It was during the 2012 Autumn Tour at Twickenham.

Finally, that is fair to say that Stuart Lancaster has never been a bad coach during his time with England. He tried his best to give the confidence to his players and his coaching record is decent. Controversial selection calls just before the 2015 World Cup cost him.

More information about Stuart Lancaster : Stuart Lancaster : Tribute to a great person

2. The Ultimate Goal : Coaching in Super Rugby

Stuart Lancaster has made it very clear when asked about his coaching future : He would like to work within the Super Rugby environment. Coaching a Super Rugby franchise would represent a great achievement for Stuart Lancaster and a new coaching opportunity.

After the last World Cup and his resignation, Stuart Lancaster has looked for coaching jobs in Super Rugby. He went to the three historical southern countries (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa) to learn from the way the South was considering the rugby game.

From what the media reported in the last few months, Stuart Lancaster spent a lot of time with the Stormers first. The south-african franchise, based in Cape Town, welcomed him and allowed him to stay in their training camp, giving him another approach of the game.

Last Friday, New Zealand was playing the traditional Game of The Three Halves against two Mitre 10 Cup provinces : Northland and Counties Manukau. The game was played in Pukekohe and Stuart Lancaster was on the sidelines and gave an interview to the medias.

He explained that he worked during the week with the Counties Manukau to assist them before the start of their Mitre 10 Cup campaign next weekend. Stuart Lancaster stated that the goal is a win-win relationship and how North and South can learn from each other.

Coaching in Super Rugby during the 2017 season may be very complicated. The All Blacks franchises completed their promising appointments with Scott Robertson and Tony Brown respectively replacing Todd Blackadder (Crusaders) and Jamie Joseph for the Highlanders.

Nevertheless, the Chiefs coach Dave Rennie could leave the franchise after the 2016 Super Rugby season and it could be an opportunity for Stuart Lancaster. The Hamilton-based franchise expressed interest in Joe Schmidt but the candidates are free to apply, of course.

Sacking Richard Graham after only two Super Rugby games in 2016, Queensland Reds was directed by an interim coaching duo, including former Leinster manager Matt O’Connor. Former Wallabies prop Nick Stiles has been appointed so that is another possibility gone.

Also, the Western Force, based in Perth, sacked Michael Foley because of disappointed results. New coach was named but as it stands, the Western Force may be the only opportunity for Stuart Lancaster to get a coaching job in Super Rugby for the 2017 season.

If it seems that the franchises in New Zealand really know how they want to direct their team, there is still the South Africa way. Franchises like the Cheetahs and the Bulls would benefit from a coach like Stuart Lancaster who would bring discipline and expansion, too.

3. About the opportunites at Test level : Unlikely but possible

Having Stuart Lancaster coming back at Test level with England or another country is unlikely but it would be possible. As it stands, all the countries playing in the Six Nations and in the Rugby Championship are settled but it could change in the coming years, now.

First of all, France has appointed Guy Noves as their new manager after the 2015 World Cup. Former England coach and 2003 World Cup winner Sir Clive Woodward applied for the job and a foreign coach could be the solution to France struggles if the board agrees.

Then, Ireland still does not know what choice Joe Schmidt will make after 2017. The New Zealand manager is considering a home return and with Andy Farrell, former England defence coach working now with Ireland, it could well open the door for Stuart Lancaster.

After, Wales fans are starting to become unhappy with the way Warren Gatland is managing the union. There is not much chance for the former England coach to manage Wales when Warren Gatland will leave after the 2019 World Cup but it could well happen.

Moreover, Italy and Scotland are settled with Italy beginning a new era with Conor O’Shea and Scotland are happy under Vern Cotter. About the Southern Hemisphere nations, that is honest to say that it will be almost impossible for Stuart Lancaster to coach one of them.

New Zealand has always wanted to give the priority to their home ground coaches and so has been South Africa. That is even more unlikely with South Africa as Allister Coetzee has been apppointed after the 2015 World Cup and Heyneke Meyer leaving his coaching job.

The ARU (Australia Rugby Union) was okay with giving the confidence to a foreign coach in the last few years. New Zealander Robbie Deans, Super Rugby winner with the Crusaders, coached the Wallabies between 2008 and 2013 and succeeded pretty well during his reign.

Obviously, there could be the opportunity for Stuart Lancaster to work with the Tier 2 Nations and help them improve. The All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan spent his time with Japan several years, coaching them at the 2011 World Cup, before jumping in Blues ship.

The Pacific Nations had a tough World Cup and Fiji, Samoa and Tonga did not perform well against Georgia during their Summer Tour. The board could decide to bring a foreign coach to fix the issues and start all over again. Stuart Lancastet could well be one of the coaches.

However, there is another option which has not been discussed yet : the Aviva Premiership or the Top14 option. Stuart Lancaster could raise the challenge with a Premiership side in the future but he is too kind to coach in France as Top14 does not deserve a man like him.

4. The Stuart Lancaster Style : Fair-play and Respect

Stuart Lancaster was praised by many fans, even after that he stepped down as the England coach, because he gave the values of the game to his players. He was always fair-play in his speech and Stuart Lancaster has never played the mind games during his time.

Fair-play and Respect are two words which were made for Stuart Lancaster. That would be a challenge to go and find a statement when the former coach would make a critic towards a player, an opponent or an institution. He has never made a critic and was always classy.

To be honest, Stuart Lancaster gave the right attitudes to his players. Leading by example on the pitch but also off the pitch was very important for the England Rugby coach. There are many examples which can describe the behaviour that he wanted in the training camp.

For example, Danny Cipriani played during the 2015 Six Nations Championship and he could not push for World Cup inclusion because of drink-driving controversies. It was the same for the Leicester Tigers centre Manu Tuilagi who was left out by Stuart Lancaster.

It was reported by the media that the England centre Manu Tuilagi was involved in a fight with two policemen, only weeks before the announcement of the England squad for the World Cup. Stuart Lancaster did not select him because the players had to lead by example.

In the last Six Nations Championship, there were many controversies with the new England coach Eddie Jones. He made some provocations towards Scotland, verbally targeted Jonathan Sexton and made some unacceptable comments about the Wales team.

On top of that, the Harlequins prop Joe Marler was caught in a controversy when he insulted the Wales prop Samson Lee, calling him “Gypsy Boy”. This sort of comment would never have been heard under Stuart Lancaster because the coach set the standards.

About his gameplan, Stuart Lancaster wanted to play a fast game with a lot of physicality from the forwards pack. England scored a lot of tries during Stuart Lancaster’s era but there were some criticism which were made in some of his coaching decisions from 2014.

In 4 years, Stuart Lancaster never managed to find his midfield partnership as he tested 20 different combinations. He struggled to find a world-class openside flanker as well though this problem has not been solved by the new coach Eddie Jones either, as it stands.

Stuart Lancaster managed well his group even if axing Danny Care after an intercept pass which led to a try from Jan Serfontein during the 2014 November Tests against South Africa was criticised. Stuart Lancaster left England in 2015 but he has no regrets to have.

Conclusion :

Former England Rugby coach Stuart Lancaster was a scapegoat along with Sam Burgess after the 2015 World Cup failure. It was a tough period for these two guys as they were not deserving that treatment because that is not the fault of two people when there is failure.

That was pretty harsh on Stuart Lancaster given that his record with England is decent. His appointment was not a mistake as he built a strong coaching experience thanks to his successful years at Leeds Carnegie and with the England Saxons, the England ‘A’ team.

Stuart Lancaster wants to pursue his dream of coaching in Super Rugby one day. There is not a lot of opportunities for the 2017 Super Rugby season as the Crusaders, the Highlanders and the Reds, who lost their staff, have already appointed the new managers.

Nevertheless, that is not unlikely to imagine Stuart Lancaster coming back at Test level with England or another union. He will probably not coach a Southern Hemisphere nation but there is certainly room for the Pacific Nations, France, Ireland or even Wales, really.

Stuart Lancaster came on the Test level with all the values of the game that we love. He is a smart man, he is very kind and always had a huge respect for his opponents. His fair-play was in all his declarations, even in post-match conferences when England had lost game.

That is difficult to know what will be the coaching future for Stuart Lancaster. One thing is sure, he is a very good coach and he has got so much to bring. He deserves a lot of credit and let’s hope that he will be able to pursue and achieve all his dreams in the rugby union.

Good luck, Stuart ! Pursue your dreams !

Max.

The 2016 Rugby Championship : The Preview

Next weekend, the Rugby Championship for the year 2016 will start as the nations from the Southern Hemisphere are really getting their season underway after the June Tests. These games against the Northern countries was a good opportunity to launch the season.

The 2016 Super Rugby competition is now over with the Hurricanes crowned Champions and deservedly so. The Wellington-based franchise won their last 8 games against some Wallabies and Springboks franchises such as the Reds, Waratahs, Sharks and Lions.

New Zealand will head into the Rugby Championship as the favourites to win the competition as Australia are the defending Champions. Last season, the Wallabies won the Trophy after a famous All Blacks win but they could not retain the Bledisloe Cup, though.

Michael Cheika, the Australia manager, has got a big re-building job to do, because the June Tests were a disaster for his team, losing the Series against England (0-3 loss). As for South Africa, the squad keeps improving in this new era for them with Allister Coetzee.

About Argentina, it is probably a bit more complicated to say if they will maintain their World Cup standards or not. They had a good Summer Tour with wins against Italy and France but their Super Rugby franchise, the Jaguares, really struggled and it was a surprise.

Let’s talk about the squads which were named by the managers and let’s throw the opinions. Following the last Rugby Championship which was shortened due to the World Cup, the competition is back with the usual format. So, each nation will play the 6 games.

1. New Zealand : Re-establishing more than re-building

As the All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said during the June Tests against Wales, he does not consider New Zealand in re-building but in re-establishing. He selected a squad where most of the players involved this summer have been trusted for this important campaign.

Despite a rib cartilage injury sustained in the Super Rugby play-offs, Dane Coles is included in the squad at hooker along with Nathan Harris and Codie Taylor. In the pack, the experienced props return with Crusaders (Joe Moody, Owen Franks, Wyatt Crockett).

The second-rowers are offering much plysicality with the Chiefs Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Patrick Tuipulotu from the Auckland Blues and Luke Romano. For the back-row, Steve Hansen has named two players who can play both at flanker and at number 8.

In fact, the Highlanders duo (Elliot Dixon and Liam Squire) have got a lot of versatility. Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read are the two Test veterans of the back-row with Sam Cane and his Hurricanes teammate Ardie Savea set to compete for the other flanker position.

Moreover, the coaching staff trusted same players for playmaking options. Playmakers Aaron Smith and Aaron Cruden are incumbents at scrum-half and first-five eighth while the Hurricanes duo, TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett, are pushing for more game time.

Also, the Highlanders Lima Sopoaga could have game time. The centres who were initially named were Ryan Crotty, Malakai Fekitoa, George Moala and Sonny Bill Williams. However, after an injury, Sonny Bill Williams was replaced by Anton Lienert-Brown, then.

The back-three is very competitive as well with the Hurricanes winger Julian Savea retaining his place in the squad despite limited game time. Waisake Naholo is included along with the Crusaders fullback Israel Dagg and the Highlanders playmaker Ben Smith.

Steve Hansen decided that there was no place for the Chiefs promising player Damian McKenzie. Though, he will remain in a wider training squad to get some training camp experience and the Chiefs maestro played with New Zealand team in an uncapped game.

It is a tradition in New Zealand : the weekend before the start of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks are playing a Game of Three Halves against two Mitre 10 Cup provinces. On Friday, Northland and Counties Manukau tried their best against the World Champions.

An opportunity was given to all the New Zealand players, squad and wider training group, to stake their claims for the future. It was a popular event and former England coach Stuart Lancaster was there as he was working with Counties Manukau during the week.

New Zealand XV to face Australia (15-1) : Dagg – Smith – Moala – Crotty – Naholo – Barrett – Smith – Read – Savea – Kaino – Whitelock – Retallick – Moody – Coles – Franks.

Bench (16-23) : Harris – Faumuina – Crockett – Tuipulotu – Cane – Perenara – Sopoaga – Fekitoa.

Comment : Time to make the big calls and reward Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett for their outstanding form. The midfield partnership with Ryan Crotty and George Moala is perfect to break the lines. Jerome Kaino deserves his jersey after massive performances.

2. Australia : Short-term vision destroying the academy system

Following a miserable June Series against England, Michael Cheika is doing the contrary of what he should have done. He re-called 4 Test veterans from France such as scrum-half Will Genia, playmaker Matt Giteau with wingers Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Australia is not preparing the future for the World Cup in 2019 selecting experienced players who will not be around in three years. Leaving home ground players out of the squad such as the Western Force winger Luke Morahan is sending a very bad signal, now.

The situation is not going to encourage players to work hard to earn their jersey because they know that there will always be overseas players to steal their jersey. Michael Cheika does not know what he is just doing and it could well be the Wallabies downfall very soon.

About the squad, there are world-class hookers such as the Brumbies skipper Stephen Moore and the Waratahs Tatafu Polota-Nau. The Waratahs props Sekope Kepu and Tom Robertson have been trusted at scrum time with James Slipper from the Reds, part of it.

In the second-row position, Michael Cheika selected the promising player from the Melbourne Rebels : Lopeti Timani. He could be partnered with the likes of the Western Force player Adam Coleman, Will Skelton and the Reds pair (Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas).

Ben McCalman, playing in Perth for the Western Force, is the only number 8 selected in the squad. The combination with Michael Hooper and David Pocock from the flanker position could be devastating with Melbourne Rebels youngster Sean McMahon included.

Only two scrum-halves (Will Genia, Nick Phipps) and two first-five eighths (Quade Cooper, Bernard Foley) are making the squad with interesting options at centres with Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani providing physicality along with Matt Toomua, then.

The Brumbies players will have a big work to do in the midfield. Four wingers will fight for two places with Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Dane Haylett-Petty and Rob Horne all in contention. There are also two fullbacks who are selected in the Wallabies squad.

The Waratahs playmaker Israel Folau is one of the best Wallabies players and the other fullback will be a player from Melbourne Rebels : Reece Hodge, who scored 9 tries in Super Rugby in 2016. Both have that ability to play in the centre if it is required by the gameplan.

One of the big advantage of this Wallabies squad is the number of the combinations available in the backline. This is the Australia starting XV against New Zealand. This is a starting XV to build the future for next World Cup, not a stating XV to satisfy short-term.

Australia XV to face New Zealand (15-1) : Folau – Horne – Kuridrani – Toomua – Haylett-Petty – Foley – Phipps – Pocock – McMahon – Hooper – Douglas – Skelton – Kepu – Moore – Sio.

Bench (16-23) : Polota-Nau – Slipper – Robertson – Simmons – Mumm – Genia – Hodge – Kerevi.

Comment : There is no interest in selecting the overseas players as Australia is not going to build the future like that. It is time to give game time to Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge and Samu Kerevi, too. Nick Frisby missing in the final squad is just unacceptable.

3. South Africa : Inconsistency could be very costly

The South Africa manager Allister Coetzee said when he was named that he will give the priority to the home-based players. That is why he has selected 7 players playing overseas such as big prop Steven Kitshoff, number 8 Duane Vermeulen and winger Bryan Habana.

As it is possible to witness, there is absolutely no consistency in the speech which was held months ago. Besides, it is even more unfair for the Springboks JP Pietersen and Willie Le Roux, left out of the squad, just after stating that they will play overseas next season.

Following an impressive Super Rugby season, the Lions are dominating the Rugby Championship squad with Malcolm Marx leading the charge at hooker with Bulls player and Springboks skipper Adriaan Strauss and Stormers Bongi MBonambi, rewarded as well.

The South Africa squad will be very physical at scrum time. The Sharks duo Tendai Mtawarira and Lourens Adriaanse are in the forward pack with Trevor Nyakane from the Bulls. Vincent Koch (Stormers) and Julian Redelinghuys (Lions) will target big game time.

For the second-row, Allister Coetzee opted for four players with the Stormers partnership of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth. Lood de Jager, who will leave the Cheetahs to play for the Bulls, is given a chance to impress with the Lions player Franco Mostert.

Also, the back-row is very well balanced : Jaco Kriel deserves a starting position, Oupa Mohojé from the Cheetahs is a promising younster and Sikhumbuzo Notshe will bring powerful carries. Duane Vermeulen and Warren Whiteley are the two number 8 in squad.

Formidable players will compete at scrum-half with Faf de Klerk, Rudy Paige and Francois Hougaard, back from Sevens duties. Elton Jantjies will have the task to lead the attacking game. The Lions playmaker has got an opportunity to stake claims in the fly-half position.

The Springboks coach Allister Coetzee will probably rely on the Stormers Damian de Allende and Juan de Jongh in the midfield though Lionel Mapoe and Jesse Kriel, who can play at fullback too, are decent options. Rohan Jansé Van Rensburg could have been there.

Wingers Lwazi Mvovo and Ruan Combrinck will have a huge task. Another overseas player, Johan Goosen, is named in the squad at fullback but he can play at fly-half as well. Jesse Kriel is probably a better fullback than centre as he likes to run a lot with the ball in hand.

South Africa will be the biggest threat for New Zealand because their forwards pack is very strong and their backline could be devastating if they are playing an expansive game. They will lack Test experience though but they will be fine for the 2019 World Cup, in 3 seasons.

South Africa XV to face Argentina (15-1) : Kriel – Combrinck – Mapoe – de Allende – Mvovo – Jantjies – de Klerk – Whiteley – Kriel – Notshe – Etzebeth – du Toit – Nyakane – Strauss – Mtawarira.

Bench (16-23) : Marx – Koch – Redelinghuys – de Jager – Mohojé – Paige – Goosen – de Jongh.

Comment : Jesse Kriel belongs at fullback and the midfield partnership de Allende – Mapoe needs time to improve. Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Trevor Nyakane have been consistent this season and would deserve to start. Warren Whitely should start for his team at number 8.

4. Argentina : Looking to maintain the standards

Daniel Hourcade, the Argentina coach, has named a very strong squad for this Rugby Championship where almost all the players selected are playing for the Jaguares franchise in Super Rugby. The board wants to build a successful team in the next couple of seasons.

There is a clever balance between some Test veterans who are considered as one of the best players of the game. These players will have the task to give the confidence to the youngsters who are coming from the Jaguares academy, several having made their debut.

First of all, the Argentina scrum will be led by two powerful hookers : skipper Agustín Creevy and Julián Montoya who always made good impact from the bench. The front-row is very competitive with Ramiro Herrera, Lucas Noguera Paz and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.

Some interesting options will be tested at lock with talented players Matías Alemanno and Tomás Lavanini who is a key at the set-piece to call the lineouts. On the bench, Guido Petti Pagadizábal is learning very quickly and he brings some power to the line for the team.

In the back-row positions, Argentina is a big threat for the other opponents. Juan Manuel Leguizamón, with Pablo Matera and Javier Ortego Desio, are leading the calls at scrum. Their numbers 8 Leonardo Senatore and Facundo Isa gain valuable metres on their carries.

With the scrum-half position, one of the only players based outside of Argentina has been selected : The Brumbies scrum-half Tomás Cubelli. He will compete with Martín Landajo for a starting position. There is also many playmakers in this Argentina squad, to be fair.

Nicolás Sanchez and Santiago González Iglesias will direct the attack from the fly-half position while Juan Martín Hernández is preferred as a second playmaking option from the centres. Jerónimo de la Fuente and Matías Moroni are the other options for the centres.

Besides, Daniel Hourcade has also called three talented wingers with so much pace : Santiago Cordero, Manuel Montero and Ramiro Moyano. Lucas González Amorosino and Joaquín Tuculet are the two available options at fullback, showing some attacking threats.

The last Rugby Championship campaigns from Argentina were not far from ridiculous. In 2013, they proposed a decent challenge to Australia and they beat them at home in 2014. In 2015, just before the World Cup, Argentina managed to win away against South Africa.

Argentina finished 4th at the last World Cup so they have the talent to rise again. Keeping a strong home record will be important for them. Given Australia struggles, there is room for a 3rd place finish for the Argentina team just before the start of the November Tour.

Argentina XV to face South Africa (15-1) : Tuculet – Cordero – de la Fuente – Hernández – Montero – Sanchez – Cubelli – Senatore – Leguizamón – Matera – Alemanno – Lavanini – Tetaz Chaparro – Creevy – Herrera.

Bench (16-23) : Montoya – Noguera Paz – Pieretto – Petti Pagadizábal – Isa – Landajo – González Iglesias – Moroni.

Comment : The Argentina gameplan would work better with two playmaking options at 10 and at 12. Pablo Matera has to start and Facundo Isa will bring so much from the bench. Ramiro Herrera is very powerful at scrum and it is time for him to get more game time.

Conclusion :

The 2016 Rugby Championship will be massively important for all the four countries in the Southern Hemisphere because there is an opportunity to climb in the World Rugby rankings for some of these countries before facing North during the next Autumn Tour.

New Zealand will be the favourites coming into this competition. They have a tough opener in Sydney against Australia but their depth is outstanding. The All Blacks have talents in all the positions and there is a quick adaptation which is giving them the edge.

Australia and Michael Cheika should be careful as the downfall may not be too far. Controversial selection policy is breaking the academy system and the home ground players are not trusted anymore. They are not building the future for the next World Cup.

South Africa has named a very competitive squad and Allister Coetzee is looking for the right balance. The lack of experience at test level is probably the only thing which could prevent them from winning this season but they are heading towards the good direction.

Argentina will try and maintain their standards that they set at the last World Cup in 2015. In the Rugby Championship, New Zealand is the only nation that they have not beaten. Their opponents will not take them lightly and will be aware of their physicality on field.

There will be another challenge in this Rugby Championship with New Zealand and Australia contesting the Bledisloe Cup. Third game will be played between them just after the end of the competition and New Zealand retained the Trophy for the last 14 years now.

Good luck to all the teams ! Make Rugby Proud !

Max.

The Hurricanes : The Super Rugby campaign which will go down in History

Saturday, 6th of August, 2016. Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand. On this day, the Hurricanes won the Super Rugby competition after 21 years in the waiting. They became the last franchise from New Zealand to win prestigious competition since 1996.

The Hurricanes were one of the two franchises involved with the Blues in the first ever Super Rugby game. It was in 1996 at Palmerston North and on that day, that was a new era for rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere. The Hurricanes were part of that History.

Through the seasons, Super 12 evolved in Super 14, Super 15 and finally Super 18 with many franchises coming in the last few seasons : the Cheetahs, the Melbourne Rebels, the Western Force, the Southern Kings, the Sunwolves from Tokyo (Japan) and the Jaguares.

It took exactly 21 years, 7 play-offs appearances and 3 finals to win the Super Rugby. The Hurricanes rewarded the work which has been achieved in the last seasons. All the players and the coaches through the years have all contributed to the final success coming in 2016.

Not many fans would have bet on the Hurricanes at the beginning of the 2016 Super Rugby season after the 2015 final loss and many legendary players leaving the franchise. However, the franchise from Wellington always wanted to make amends and they made it.

1. The 2015 Super Rugby season : Terrible disappointment

The Hurricanes came in the 2015 Super Rugby season with the favourites tag as it had been announced that Ma’a Nonu will be joining again the franchise from the Blues. His All Blacks successful partnership with Conrad Smith was going to be the key for the big squad.

Following the departure of Mark Hammett at the end of the 2014 year with a three-year re-building, Chris Boyd was appointed as the Head Coach by the board with John Plumtree the assistant coach. He was a very experienced south-african manager in the Super Rugby.

With the strong start to the season with three opening away wins against Lions, Bulls and Western Force, the Hurricanes were regarded by the fans as the benchmark of the Southern Hemisphere teams. They performed very well against the All Blacks franchises.

The Wellington-based franchise managed to get wins that season against the Highlanders under the roof of the Forsyth Barr and the Chiefs at New Plymouth in the Yarrow Stadium. Their home record remained very strong that year with just a defeat against the Waratahs.

At the end of the regular season, the Hurricanes finished at the top of the New Zealand conference and at the top of the Super Rugby table. Going into the play-offs, there was plenty of experience in the franchise before facing the Brumbies in their home semi-final.

Convincingly winning, Chris Boyd’s players were going to host the final against the Highlanders. That was an opportunity to bid farewell to the leaders of the squad : prop Ben Franks, lock Jeremy Thrush, centres Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith playing their last game.

Unfortunately, in that 2015 final, almost everything went wrong. The Hurricanes made costly mistakes, did not manage to build momentum. Also, Julian Savea knocked the ball on just before scoring. It is not a player but all the team who failed on that very sad day.

2. The big challenge : Re-building completely the squad

In 2015, the Hurricanes were cursed in the final as two key players missed the game : flanker Ardie Savea and winger Cory Jane were struggling with hamstring injuries. After the final, Chris Boyd and John Plumtree had a meeting and launched the big fightback.

Working closely with the academy, the coaching staff trusted Vaea Fifita and Michael Fatialofa with James Broadhurst suffering from concussion after a big knock in the Mitre 10 Cup before the start of the season. That was about re-creating the positive team spirit.

Chris Boyd worried also about the scrum and John Plumtree knew that new players had to step up. Reggie Goodes played that role with Loni Uhila, the revelation of the season. Moreover, the biggest concern was more about finding quickly a new midfield partnership.

Rather playing on the wing, Matt Proctor was handed the number 13 jersey with Vince Aso and Ngani Laumape along with Willis Halaholo having the pressure to deliver. It took some games for Chris Boyd to decide his partnership : Willis Halaholo and Matt Proctor.

Besides, there was another quality inclusion in the squad with the australian journeyman Jason Woodward. Playing at centre, on the wing or even at fullback, Jason Woodward was unavailable in 2015 with an ankle injury suffered in NRC (National Rugby Championship).

Then, when the Hurricanes team were starting their 2016 Super Rugby season, that was a pretty strong squad with ambitious players. The most important thing was finding the momentum and taking the momentum games after the games to believe in that success.

Finally, a number of All Blacks players remained with the squad. First, hooker Dane Coles was named the Hurricanes skipper after Conrad Smith’s departure. The half-backs TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett had that very big responsibility to lead the attacking game.

3. The incredible Journey : It really started in Durban

The 2016 Super Rugby season started at the end of February and the Hurricanes had a tough schedule with the first three games away. It started very badly with two defeats to the Brumbies in Canberra (52-10 loss) and to the Highlanders in Dunedin by a single point.

In the next games, the Hurricanes never managed to find their running game. The team performed against Blues, Western Force and for their first games at Westpac Stadium, facing Southern Kings and Jaguares, but the coaching staff knew that it was not enough.

With four games won in-a-row, the franchise from Wellington used the momentum to win in Melbourne before losing again by a single point (27-28 loss) against the Chiefs in a controversial game played in awful weather conditions in Wellington with rain and wind.

Starting their South Africa Tour, the Hurricanes got a bonus point in Johannesburg before heavily losing in Durban to the Sharks. Chris Boyd revealed that 5 players had missed a curfew between Lions and Sharks game and that they will be stand down against the Reds.

Cory Jane, Julian Savea, Ardie Savea, Victor Vito and Chris Eves did not play the week after. Following that controversy, the Hurricanes set high standards. Before the June Tests, they won two more games against these Reds and the Highlanders in a tough one (27-20 win).

Back from the June Tests, the Hurricanes showed character to come back from behind against the Blues. They kept the performances against Waratahs and Crusaders, both away fixtures. Then, the franchise had home advantage for the remaining of the competition.

Thanks to passion and determination, the Hurricanes put everything in the defence, not conceding a try during the play-offs. Winning the Sharks and the Chiefs, the Hurricanes host the final for the second year in-a-row, facing the Lions, and finally making amends.

4. The 2017 Super Rugby : Defending Champions

Heading into the new Super Rugby season, next February, 2017, the Hurricanes will be the defending Champions and no doubt that there will be pride in the franchise to perform very well and try and defend this Super Rugby Trophy in front of their passionate crowd.

Like in the last two seasons, the Hurricanes will have to trust young players from their academy. First, the number 8 Victor Vito, who played his 100th game for the Hurricanes in the 2016 final, is leaving Wellington and will play for La Rochelle in the Top14, in France.

Obviously, the Hurricanes have decent players to replace him like Blade Thomson and Callum Gibbins. After, Willis Halaholo is off to Cardiff in Wales but last season showed that finding another successful midifield combination should not be much complicated.

Besides, in the scrum-half position, Jamison Gibson-Park has agreed to play in the Pro12 league with Leinster Rugby. It should open the door for Taranaki youngster Te Toira Tahuriorangi. There is potential in these provinces like Hawke’s Bay and Wellington, too.

Also, at the fullback, second playmaking option James Marshall has signed with London Irish in Championship, in England. Nehe Milner-Skudder will probably reclaim his starting position with Otere Black getting game time at fullback and at first-five eighth.

The All Blacks World Cup winner Cory Jane has announced at the end of the regular season that he will play for Japan after the 2016 Autumn Tour. It is not known if he will come back in time in Wellington to play with the Hurricanes so Julian Savea could have time on field.

Finally, the Hurricanes will try to use their influence to sign quality players. Chris Boyd already said that Sam Lousi, the powerful second-row, will join from the Waratahs with Pita Ahki, the young centre, back from Sevens duties with Ngani Laumape in the squad.

5. The 21-year wait since 1996 : So much History

As it was said in the opening, the Hurricanes played the very first Super 12 game against the Blues in 1996. Back in that era, it was just after the 1995 World Cup and rugby union was becoming popular. The Blues were considered as the benchmark at that glorious time.

Through the years and through the seasons, the Hurricanes welcomed the best All Blacks players who became world-class legends such as these inspiring men : Jerry Collins, Jonah Lomu, Tana Umaga, Christian Cullen, Rodney So’oialo, Chris Masoe and Jimmy Gopperth.

It was not all easy for the Hurricanes with three finals played in 21 years. The first final was played against the Crusaders in 2006 in a stadium with so much fog there that it was unplayable and the pundits really could not believe it (Grant Nisbett and Justin Marshall).

If the players deserve a lot of credit, it is also very important to pay tribute to all the coaches who worked hard through the seasons. Particularly, there is a man who was at the start of this new Hurricanes success from 2012 Super Rugby season : Mr. Mark Hammett.

His methods were controversial and it was told by the media that there was not a good atmosphere in the sheds. However, the man who is coaching the Sunwolves today, gave game time the first to the future legends of the team : TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett.

During his last season in charge in 2014, the Hurricanes failed to reach the play-offs for a single point in the overall table. He left at the end of the season and Chris Boyd stepped in the coaching position with John Plumtree making wonders with the scrum and defence.

The 2016 Super Rugby title is rewarding all this hard work. More than two decades were necessary to the Hurricanes to finally won the Trophy. The challenge for the next seasons will be maintaining the same standards with a good balance in all their performances.

Conclusion :

The Hurricanes managed to find enough character, beating the disappointment of the 2015 Super Rugby final when they did not play their best game. It was tough because it was played in front of their fans at the Westpac Stadium and so they wanted to make amends.

In charge of the franchise since the 2015 season, Chris Boyd had a conversation with his assistant John Plumtree on how getting back to the winning ways. They worked closely with the academy, trusting the youngsters and giving them confidence for the re-building.

Looking at the 2016 Super Rugby season, there was a change of attitude after the Sharks game and the curfew controversy. Five players were stood down and the team really understood that the opportunity was there to finally win the Trophy and they succeeded.

The 2017 Super Rugby season will be another exciting season for the Hurricanes. Some players departed as in 2015 and the coaching staff will think about maintaining the same standards. There is a lot of potential in the franchise which manages quality provinces.

In conclusion, the 2016 Super Rugby Title is dedicated to all the players who once wore the jersey since 1996 and to all the coaches who put all their energy into it. That 2016 Super Rugby campaign will be forever remembered and will go down in History. Unbelievable !

To the Hurricanes, the fans love you ! Legends !

Max.

The 2016 Super Rugby : The Complete Review

That 2016 Super Rugby season has come to an end with the 2016 Super Rugby final which was played on this weekend at Wesptac Stadium, Wellington. It has been a fantastic season of Super Rugby in this new era as the competition is now played with 18 franchises.

Looking at the results through the competition, New Zealand remains the dominant force in the Super Rugby with 3 franchises in the semi-finals (Hurricanes, Chiefs, Highlanders). South Africa have improved this season with the Lions making the final of Super Rugby.

About Australia, that is much more disappointing. Only one franchise made the play-offs with the Brumbies and they could not win their home Quarter-Final. Besides, the Waratahs have not been up to their standards after their Super Rugby Triumph in 2014.

For this 2016 season, there were three more franchises which were included in the competition (Southern Kings, Jaguares, Sunwolves). The format has also changed and led to controversies with the fact that conferences have not the same level of competition.

Only two weeks following the end of the Super Rugby competition, the Southern Hemisphere will start the Rugby Championship and the Autumn Tour. Super Rugby will return at the end of February, 2017 and it will be a new challenge for all these franchises.

I- The New Zealand franchises : Bright future

1. The Hurricanes : Maintaining the standards

Following the end of the 2015 season and the missed opportunity in the final, the Hurricanes were a bit in trouble because some of their leaders were leaving the franchise : prop Ben Franks, lock Jeremy Thrush and the two centres Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith.

Nevertheless, credit has to be given to the manager Chris Boyd and his assistant coach John Plumtree. Working at the Hurricanes for two seasons, they built a strong gameplan and they have developped the team’s academy to finally win a deserved Super Rugby Title.

The key for the Hurricanes will be maintaining the same standards in the next years. Next season will be another challenge with number 8 Victor Vito leaving Wellington for France. Chris Boyd and John Plumtree are not sure to remain at the franchise but there is a legacy.

2. The Highlanders : Jamie Joseph leaving

Defending Champions in 2016, the Highlanders surprised the Super Rugby fans when they won the Title in 2015. The franchise is starting to get the recognition with a more powerful All Blacks contingent : Aaron Smith, Malakai Fekitoa, Ben Smith and flanker Liam Squire.

The Highlanders reached the semi-finals in 2016 but could not get through the final. One thing is sure : the Highlanders are going to be the benchmark in Super Rugby for the next seasons to come even if they will have to build a bit more on their talented youngsters.

Next season will be a huge challenge for the Highlanders as Jamie Joseph is leaving the franchise to coach Japan. The board has already started to search for a new coach and they have some interest in current Ireland coach and double Six Nations winner : Joe Schmidt.

3. The Chiefs : Chasing a 3rd Title

Since their Super Rugby double that they made in 2012 and 2013, the Chiefs never managed to reach similar performances in the last three seasons. They made the play-offs three times but failed twice in Quarter-Finals and in Semi-Finals during that 2016 year.

That is the same thing than the Highlanders but their coach Dave Rennie may leave the franchise to coach overseas. Joe Schmidt is also the target of the Chiefs’ board even if no announcement was made yet about the potential new coaching staff for this franchise.

Obviously, the Chiefs will be a threat next Super Rugby season as they rely on key All Blacks leaders such as second-row Brodie Retallick and flanker Sam Cane. The Hamilton-based franchise also have a promising player at scrum-half and his name is : Brad Weber.

4. The Crusaders : New era for Christchurch

It was a very long time since there had so many turnover in the coaching position. The Crusaders reached the Quarter-Finals in 2016 but Todd Blackadder was unable to qualify the Crusaders in the final to get the 8th Super Rugby Title before his emotional departure.

Taking over at Bath Rugby, Todd Blackadder has no regrets to have even if he never managed to win the Super Rugby as a coach. This season, the Crusaders made impressive performances, winning the Sharks and the Lions and scoring 85 points against the Rebels.

Scott Robertson, former New Zealand coach at U20 level, will come at the franchise at the beginning of the 2017 season. The Crusaders  will be in the contest thanks to an expansive game and a powerful scrum. The defence is very good as well and it will only get better.

5. The Blues : Tana Umaga giving hope

After the sacking of John Kirwan at the end of the 2015 Super Rugby season, Tana Umaga accepted the job following a first coaching experience with Counties Manukau in the ITM Cup, in 2015. For his first season, Tana Umaga has really done well with Auckland Blues.

The franchise recorded big wins against the Brumbies and the Waratahs but they were hammered by the Lions and were close to a defeat against the Western Force. The Auckland Blues have to be more consistent and they also have to perform better away.

Moreover, Tana Umaga is trying to use his influence to sign superstars. He convinced Sonny Bill Williams to join the franchise in 2017. He is also chasing the Hurricanes first-five eighth Beauden Barrett. The Chiefs scrum-half Augustine Pulu has agreed to come.

II- The Australia franchises : Time for a re-think

1. The Brumbies : Questions about the future

Comparing to the last season, during the 2015 Super Rugby season, the Brumbies have underperformed this season. They topped the Wallabies conference but with the same number of points than the Waratahs. They reclaimed the lead thanks to one more victory.

Stephen Larkham, the Brumbies coach, never managed to build a gameplan and some off-field issues did not help the team at all. The future at the Brumbies will probably be tough as a big number of key players of the squad are leaving Canberra to start a new journey.

Winger Joe Tomane is leaving Australia to play in France while Stephen Moore agreed to move to the Queensland Reds. Finally, David Pocock is take a one-year sabbatical for his studies. The Brumbies will have to find new players and academy will have to be strong.

2. The Waratahs : Poor start does not forgive

The Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said before the last game of the regular season against the Blues : “There will be some moments in the season that we will regret”. In fact, the Waratahs made a poor start in the 2016 campaign and it just cost them terribly at the end.

For example, the australian franchise lost a home game against the Rebels that they probably should have won. Their home defeat against the Brumbies did not help them and another so close home defeat to the Highlanders after a terrible start was not great either.

However, the Waratahs have showed during the season that they were able to play a very good rugby with a good balance between forwards and backs. Michael Hooper is their inspiring skipper and back-rower Wycliff Palu will help the Waratahs for the 2017 season.

3. The Melbourne Rebels : Improving but still struggling

Melbourne Rebels are a very young franchise which was created only a few seasons ago. Tony MacGahan, former Munster Rugby coach, is making wonders with the franchise, relying on the strong flanker Sean McMahon and the world-class winger Sefanaia Naivalu.

Overall, the Rebels have got the same problem that the Blues because their home record is decent but they sometimes struggle to put decent performances when they are playing away. Conceding 85 points against the Crusaders will remain a big scar for Melbourne city.

They have promising youngsters such as centre or fullback Reece Hodge who scored 9 tries in 2016. The tragedy is that he will not get game time for Australia because Michael Cheika will favour the overseas players. He is not preparing the future with that management.

4. The Queensland Reds : Big potential there

After a miserable start of the 2016 Super Rugby season, Richard Graham was sacked after only a couple of games. Former Leinster Rugby coach Matt O’Connor was named as one of the interim coaches. Weeks later, the Queensland Reds were winning the Highlanders.

It was announced that former Wallabies player Nick Stiles will be the manager for the next season. The Reds have got some depth even if their skipper Greg Holmes is leaving for the Exeter Chiefs with Liam Gill deciding to play in France rather than playing in Australia.

The appointment of Nick Stiles could open the door for the comeback of the legendary Reds half-backs pairing Will Genia and Quade Cooper who won the Super Rugby in 2011. They could help young players to develop and improve their game to prepare the future.

5. The Western Force : Building stronger structures

Based in Perth, the Western Force is really struggling as they were unable to win a single game at home this season. Manager Michael Foley has been sacked and replaced before the end of the 2016 Super Rugby season to try and salvage something before re-building.

The Western Force have got a pretty good back-three with Dane Haylett-Petty and Luke Morahan. What the franchise needs to do is strengthening their forwards pack because the Western Force cannot compete at scrum time against most of the Super Rugby opponents.

Finally, a big re-think has to be made made with structures as Western Force is relying too much on the foreign players. In the last two seasons, their starting first-five eighth was from South Africa : Sias Ebersohn in 2015 and former Stormers player Peter Grant in 2016.

III- The South Africa franchises : Trying to find the balance

1. The Lions : More competition would not be bad

The Lions have been the benchmark in the South Africa rugby in 2016 but that was not really a surprise given how close they were to qualify for the play-offs in 2015. Their coach Johan Ackermann is probably one of the most talented coach in the rugby world today.

In 2016, the Lions had no opponents in South Africa as they claimed a big number of wins with the bonus point try. The Lions will qualify for the Super Rugby play-offs in the next seasons to come and they will maintain their standards because they have a young squad.

They reached the Super Rugby final this season after some spectacular rugby played. The key to their game is their unpredictability but all these things are cyclical and no doubt that the franchises will start to adapt to their game for the 2017 Super Rugby campaign.

2. The Stormers : Too much physical game

For many seasons now, the Stormers are probably the only franchise in South Africa which does not want to develop his game. They do not seem to want to make a final transition from a physical game to a more expansive game like it is played in New Zealand, today.

In 2015, the Stormers hosted the Brumbies in the play-offs but could not qualify for the semi-finals. Their former coach Allister Coetzee left Cape Town to coach South Africa. Robin Fleck replaced him but he does not really want to make the revolution in the squad.

The Stormers approach when they are facing the All Blacks franchises has never worked and it never will. The fact is that the Stormers have got talents like Siya Kolisi and Damian de Allende to lead the team. They have the ability to open the game and they can do better.

3. The Sharks : Focusing too much on the defence

The Sharks have reached the Super Rugby play-offs in 2016, facing the Hurricanes in Wellington in Quarter-Finals. They were destroyed (41-0 loss) and became the first franchise ever not to score a single point during these play-offs in that Super Rugby era.

Gary Gold’s men did pretty well though through the season and they got that final wildcard. Their record in defence was good so far and they probably focused too much on that area of the game. They do not play much rugby and rely a lot on the counter-attacks.

If there was a challenge for the Sharks in the coming months, it would be playing more the game and improving the attacking combinations. The team has got a lot of Springboks players even if they lost JP Pietersen who is off to Leicester Tigers in Aviva Premiership.

4. The Bulls : Work to be done on the discipline

Honestly, the Bulls were with the Blues the unluckiest franchise no to make the play-offs. They proposed an attracting rugby game with a good balance between the physicality and all the backline moves, led by the Springboks fullback and promising player Jesse Kriel.

The Bulls are directed on the field by Adriaan Strauss who has also been named as the South Africa skipper by Allister Coetzee. Their forwards pack can do a lot of damage with Deon Stegmann and Renaldo Bothma making the huge efforts at scrum and lineout, too.

Besides, the franchise will welcome the second-row Lood de Jager next season to strengthen the lineout. Discipline remains a big concern though and if they can correct that, the Bulls will be definitely a strength for the next Super Rugby competition, then.

5. The Cheetahs : Unable to retain the players

The drama for the Cheetahs is that this franchise could have become one of the greatest ever in Super Rugby if the players had trusted the system and the structures put in place. All the key players of the squad have decided to leave Bloemfontein and that is not good.

Last example of this exodus is the second-row is Lood de Jager who decided to leave to play for the Bulls. This season, the Cheetahs winger Sergeal Pietersen scored 9 tries and that statistics is just showing that there is a big potential in that squad if players are staying.

The Cheetahs have got talented players such as the back-three with fullback Clayton Blommetjies and winger Raymond Rhule. The forwards pack is struggling and their challenge is the same than the Western Force : building a very strong forwards pack, now.

6. The Southern Kings : Super Rugby comeback

Following several tough seasons, the Southern Kings are finally back in Super Rugby. The manager Deon Davis is making a good job despite all the difficulties. They have recruited experienced players such as former Bulls Jurgen Visser and former Lions Louis Fouché.

The scoreboard is not always a fair reflection of the game and the Southern Kings had a pretty good scrum during the season with hooker Edgar Marutlulle, prop Jacobie Adriaanse, lock Steven Sykes and flanker Chris Cloete showing solidarity on the field.

There is the feeling that the Southern Kings have got a significant margin of improvements and they can probably achieve more in Super Rugby. Recruiting more experienced players to help the academy players would be a good idea from coaching staff.

IV – The two newcomers : Learning the Super Rugby way

1. The Jaguares : First disappointing season

For their first Super Rugby season, the fans were expecting more from the Jaguares. Argentina qualified for the World Cup semi-finals in 2015 so there was huge expectations but the Jaguares never managed to find their game despite so many talents on the field.

There is a big Argentina contingent in the Jaguares with Manuel Montoya, Facundo Isa, Martin Landajo along with Nicolás Sánchez and Santiago Cordero. Their home record was not as good as it should have been with few wins against the Southern Kings and the Bulls.

Moreover, the Jaguares need sometimes to calm things down. They had too many players yellow-carded and two players were sent-off against Southern Kings for dangerous tackles. There is sometimes too much passion in their game and they have to relax more.

2. The Sunwolves : Big support in Japan

Following the success of the Japanese national team at the World Cup, the Sunwolves were allowed to play in Super Rugby to represent Japan. The coach Mark Hammett, former Hurricanes manager, gave to the squad all the keys to play a good and decent rugby game.

The Sunwolves built on their Japanese internationals such as the winger Akihito Yamada who was one of the best try scorers during the 2016 Super Rugby campaign. Their back-rower Ed Quirck was a beast at the breakdown and he won many turnovers for his team.

In the next season, the Sunwolves will improve with their game and they are supported by a very passionate crowd when they are playing at home. Mark Hammett has to stay because he is bringing lot of self-belief to the players and he gives them some confidence.

Conclusion :

Based on the 2016 Super Rugby campaign, the New Zealand franchises are the benchmark and their depth is incredible. The All Blacks are not in re-building because they are maintaining the standards with again 3 franchises in the semi-finals for this campaign.

However, in Australia, the future is very worrying and that is due to the management of the national team manager. Michael Cheika is not giving game time to the players settled in Australia and the academy system is broken in most of the franchises and it is not good.

In South Africa, the franchises are still trying to find a balance between an expansive game and a physical game. So far, it seems that only the Lions achieved that transition and the franchise which will have to do the big efforts to reach that goal will be the Stormers.

For their first season in Super Rugby, the Jaguares from Argentina disappointed. Their gameplan changed all the time and they were not enough disciplined, making too many silly mistakes. Nevertheless, they are talented squad who will only get better in the future.

In conclusion, the Sunwolves have also done their best for their first season. Having a Super Rugby franchise is a first step for Japan who will welcome the World Cup in 2019. The Sunwolves are supported by all their country and they will try to get better very soon.

Thanks to all the great franchises ! Bring on 2017 !

Max.

The Barrett Review : Super Rugby 2016 (Final)

On Saturday, 6th of August, 2016 at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, the 2016 Super Rugby final was contested between the Hurricanes from Wellington and the Lions from Johannesburg. The two franchises had never won the Super Rugby competition before.

That final was always going to be spectacular as the two franchises which were facing each other had very good attacking records in the competition with a big amount of tries scored. It was also an opportunity to witness the depth that New Zealand and South Africa have.

Following the end of the regular season, the Hurricanes finished at the top of the New Zealand conference and at the top of the Super Rugby table. They won their Quarter-Finals and their Semi-Finals at home which was explaining their home advantage for the final.

It was the third Super Rugby final for the Hurricanes and the second final in two seasons. Last season was a disappointment for the fans as the Wellington-based franchise could not get the Trophy after the 2015 final with the Highlanders claiming the win and Glory.

So, that was another opportunity for the Hurricanes to finally win the Super Rugby and reward the incredible work which has been done for this franchise since 1996. To reach that goal, they had to win that final home game against the Lions, the south-african side.

Team News : Trusting all the squad, all the players

During all the week, in the build-up to the final, the Hurricanes training camp was very relaxed and did not want to feel the pressure of the final. The fact is that most of the starting XV playing this season played the 2015 final and they wanted to learn from that.

Leader and playmaker Beauden Barrett revealed that beating that disappointment of the 2015 season by reaching the final again and finally winning it was the big motivational factor not only for him but for the squad and the players who knew this disappointment.

The Hurricanes coaching staff, coach Chris Boyd and assistant coach John Plumtree, worked hard to build a strong gameplan. Chris Boyd made the overall analysis of the Lions playing abilities while John Plumtree focused on getting the defence right for the game.

During the starting XV’s announcement made on Thursday by Chris Boyd, three players were a doubt for the final. Hooker Dane Coles, prop Reggie Goodes and back-rower Callum Gibbins were respectively bracketed with Ricky Riccitelli, Mike Kainga and Tony Lamborn.

Finally, there were absolutely no surprise in the starting XV which was named by Chris Boyd. Hooker and skipper Dane Coles managed to recover from his rib injury to get a starting position. Loni Uhila and Ben May, the two powerful props, retained their jerseys.

In the second-row, future legend Vaea Fifita and Michael Fatialofa returned in this successful partnership. Victor Vito was named at number 8 and will make a strong back-row with the flankers Ardie Savea and Brad Shields, very powerful in the breakdown area.

With the backline, it remained a classic with TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett leading the team from the half-backs positions. In the centres, the same combination was trusted with Willis Halaholo at number 12 and Matt Proctor at number 13 starting in the midfield.

Coach Chris Boyd made the same calls in the back-three with Jason Woodward and Cory Jane taking the two wings. Finally, James Marshall took the fullback position with this ability to run the ball and being the second playmaking option along with Beauden Barrett.

On the bench, there was cover in all the positions. Ricky Riccitelli with Chris Eves and Mike Kainga covered the front-row. For the second-row and the back-row, there was room on the bench for Mark Abbott and Callum Gibbins, replacing the flanker Tony Lamborn.

Exactly three backs started the game on the bench with Jamison Gibson-Park, the scrum-half. Vince Aso was there to cover the centre and played well during all season. Struggling in this 2016 Super Rugby season, winger Julian Savea started the big final on the bench.

First-half : Classic weather conditions in Wellington

The 2016 Super Rugby final was referred by the New Zealander Glen Jackson. The first-half started in terrible weather conditions with rain and wind. The Lions won the toss and took the kick-off to play against the wind in the first-half to be more comfortable afterwards.

Promising Springboks fly-half Elton Jantjies kicked off and the first-half was underway in front of the 36,500 fans of the Westpac Stadium. Misjudging the conditions, the ball had to much power, went over the Hurricanes try line so it was scrum on the halfway line quickly.

Securing the ball at scrum time with the help of back-rower Victor Vito, playing his 100th game for the franchise, the Hurricanes scrum-half TJ Perenara decided to throw the ball wide but the pass was inaccurate and winger Cory Jane could not catch it on the left wing.

Under the rain, the Lions had the first lineout of the game with hooker Malcolm Marx finding his jumper Franco Mostert for a driving maul. The Hurricanes defended well in a first time with the props Loni Uhila and Ben May trying to stop the Lions’ forwards pack.

Referee Glen Jackson penalised the second-rower Vaea Fifita for an off-side position. That was a first opportunity for the Lions playmaker Elton Jantjies. Taking the penalty, from 40 metres out, Elton Jantjies did not have the power and the Hurricanes got that ball (0-0).

Taking it in his 22-metre zone, fullback James Marshall made the clearing kick. The Lions back-three picked the ball with Ruan Combrinck making an up-and-under. However, the ball was gathered by the Hurricanes first-five eighth Beauden Barrett who kicked as well.

He found a touch on the Lions 22-metre line with Malcolm Marx making the throw. The Hurricanes managed to win the ball back and following good linespeed from TJ Perenara and Willis Halaholo, Beauden Barrett made a crossed-field kick for his winger Cory Jane.

Former All Blacks legend found the space and scored the try but Glen Jackson was called by the TMO (Television Official Official) for a potential knock-on. After review, Ben Skeen confirmed that flanker Brad Shields made the handling error in the build-up of the try.

Glen Jackson ruled the try out and the Lions had the feed at scrum on their 22-metre line. Presenting the ball at scrum, Faf de Klerk wanted the quick ball but the Lions got the penalty thanks to the efforts from the two big props Dylan Smith and Julian Redelinghuys.

Under pressure, the Hurricanes did not have much possession but stole the ball once again in the lineout thanks to lock Michael Fatialofa. The Hurricanes players started their real first build-up with good phases of play. Centre Matt Proctor looked for space in defence.

Relying much on their forwards’ power, with the carries from Dane Coles and Ardie Savea, the Wellington-based franchise got a penalty near the Lions’ 22-metre zone. On the right of the posts, Beauden Barrett made no mistake to take the lead after 12 minutes (3-0).

The Springboks fly-half Elton Jantjies made the re-start but the Hurricanes back-three made no mistake with Jason Woodward providing some belief to the team from his wing. Chris Boyd’s men were looking to release the pressure with the Lions showing passion.

With the weather conditions still awful, the management started to be the gameplan for the two franchises. Johan Ackermann, the Lions coach, gave instructions to his players to make the pressure kicks to try and win the ball back at the breakdown in that midfield.

Scrum-half Faf de Klerk started to add pace in his game. Flankers Jaco Kriel and Warwick Tecklenburg gained valuable metres with fullback Andries Coetzee often coming at centre to provide strong runs. The Hurricanes hold on in defence with Victor Vito making calls.

Rohan Jansé Van Rensburg, playing centre for the Lions, tried some offloads in the midfield but his opposite number Willis Halaholo read well the combinations. The Lions were often looking for their winger Courtnall Skosan, bringing a very big attacking threat.

Playing the 20th minute, the Hurricanes were still under the Lions’ pressure. Fullback Andries Coetzee kicked an up-and-under which was taken by Cory Jane. Receiving the ball from a teammate, the Hurricanes playmaker Beauden Barrett made a great territorial kick.

Back in their own half, hooker Malcolm Marx got the information from his skipper Warren Whiteley about the combination. The second-rower Andries Ferreira took the ball and the franchise from South Africa started a build-up in their 22-metre zone with loose passes.

In front of a very organised Hurricanes’ defence, Elton Jantjies threw the ball to his centre Lionel Mapoe. The Lions centre attempted a grubber which was taken in the air by winger Cory Jane who handled the pressure at the tackle from Andries Ferreira to score (8-0).

With 25 minutes played in the final, Beauden Barrett had a tough conversion, completely on the right touchline. Keeping his routine, the All Blacks players outstandingly converted the try and the Hurricanes were taking the 10-point lead in this Super Rugby final (10-0).

The Lions had to react quickly and they managed to do that. From the re-start, the Hurricanes did not hang to the ball. The Lions carried the ball with Ruan Combrinck and flanker Jaco Kriel. They were awarded penalty following an Hurricanes’ off-side position.

Skipper Warren Whiteley opted to take the penalty and from 20 metres out, just in front of the post, playmaker Elton Jantjies scored the first Lions points in the final (10-3). With less than a quarter to go in the first-half, the Hurricanes had to win the possession back.

Nevertheless, that was a huge ask as the Hurricanes were penalised once again for not releasing the ball with Brad Shields, not getting enough support at the breakdown. That was another penalty for the Lions who were targeting the Hurricanes’ lineout in the game.

Malcolm Marx connected with his jumpers and Johan Ackermann’s players were bringing the big intensity to this Super Rugby final. Hard on defence, Vaea Fifita made the huge tackles with the prop Loni Uhila contesting the breakdown with the number 8 Vicor Vito.

Forcing the Lions’ handling errors, centre Rohan Jansé Van Rensburg knocked the ball on. The Hurricanes had the scrum and kicked the ball away thanks to Beauden Barrett. The Lions counter attacked with Andries Coetzee kicking a lot and Courtnall Skosan waiting.

Having the lineout, skipper Dane Coles made the throw and TJ Perenara made the pass to Beauden Barrett. Making the crossed-field kick, it was charged down and the Hurricanes fullback James Marshall covered the ball. The Lions’ pack rushed and won a great scrum.

Winning the 5-metre scrum following an unplayable ball at the breakdown, the Lions added even more pressure when Ardie Savea was caught off-side at scrum time with the 35th minute being played. Skipper Warren Whiteley wanted try and asked for new scrum.

Embracing the battle, Loni Uhila and Ben May made a huge statement at scrum and earned the penalty with Dylan Smith penalised for standing up. The Hurricanes released the pressure and played on the Lions’ half with the half-time coming soon in Wellington.

After a lineout won in their 22-metre zone, scrum-half Faf de Klerk kicked the ball into touch and the Hurricanes were leading by a converted try at half-time (10-3). Cory Jane scored the only try so far in this final with the Lions getting the most of the possession.

Second-half : Ruthless and Clinical from the Hurricanes

That second-half was played in the same conditions than the first-half. There was still some strong rain and wind and the Hurricanes adapted better to the conditions as they are used to play in this Westpac Stadium while the Lions are not too familiar with that, in fact.

First-five eighth Beauden Barrett kicked off and the second-half was starting with the Lions looking to launch the fightback with Faf de Klerk and Elton Jantjies making some clever combinations to gain metres and release the pressure from their own half, there.

Only a couple of minutes in this second-half and the Hurricanes players were back in their 22-metre zone, trying to build their usual game thanks to good carries from the forwards pack and then unleashing the backline and create these gap for the world-class finishers.

Winger Jason Woodward and fullback James Marshall tried to combine on that left wing but there was a knock-on which was made so the Lions had an early opportunity to score and come back into this game. The two franchises were playing for 4 minutes in this half.

The Hurricanes skipper and hooker Dane Coles stayed down in the last phases of play and seemed to have injured his rib cartilage again. He was replaced by Ricky Riccitelli who had to do the job immediately with that Lions attacking scrum on the Hurricanes’ half, there.

Making the same impact than in the last scrums of the first-half, the two Hurricanes props Loni Uhila and Ben May drove the pack forward and scrum-half TJ Perenara put his hands on the ball. Unfortunately, it was another handling error which was so frustrating.

Referee Glen Jackson awarded a scrum to the Lions and the game started to lose a bit of momentum as a lot of scrums were contested in the beginning of the second-half. The playmakers from the two franchises just chose to keep kicking to win the territory game.

It was even more curious to witness the Lions going for these tactics because they were chasing the score. Fullback Andries Coetzee tried to be more accurate with his garryowens with winger Ruan Combrinck chasing and Jaco Kriel directing the attack and the defence.

Playing a little bit more in the Lions’ half, the Hurricanes backline was waiting the best moment to launch the attacking combinations. The forwards pack was making some pick-and-go but the ball was lost and the Lions had a promising platform at scrum to build try.

Hooker Malcolm Marx leading the scrummagers, the Lions won a new penalty at scrum time after that the Hurricanes front-row collapsed. Elton Jantjies kicked for touch and the Lions had a lineout near the halfway line with Andries Ferreira and Franco Mostert ready.

Ball was gathered by the Lions and some phases of play later, they were back on the Hurricanes’ 10-metre line. Elton Jantjies decided to go back inside for his centre Rohan Jansé Van Rensburg but the Hurricanes defence was solid with Vaea Fifita outstanding.

The Lions raced forwards and rushed again and again in the Hurricanes defence as their playmaker Beauden Barrett just wanted to give his forwards some time to re-organise. The franchise from Johannesburg started a new build-up and the Hurricanes were hanging on.

While they were building nicely with a 10+ phases sequence, Julian Redelinghuys and Warwick Tecklenburg made themselves available. New phases of play were created when the Hurricanes flanker Ardie Savea dove onto the ball, keeping feet to make the turnover.

It was the 50th minute mark and the All Blacks first-five eighth Beauden Barrett found a lineout in the Lions’half. Ricky Riccitelli threw the ball at the lineout but lost the ball. Scrum-half Faf de Klerk got it back and made pressure kick with Courtnall Skosan chasing.

Sure under the high ball, Beauden Barrett returned the favour with Cory Jane winning his duel with Lionel Mapoe. The Lions centre knocked the ball on and it was gathered by lock Andries Ferreira on his 10-metre line in an off-side position. That was a penalty conceded.

Dane Coles having been replaced, TJ Perenara assumed the captain duties and wanted to take the penalty. Near the right touchline and after the  10-metre line, playmaker Beauden Barrett delivered to extend the Hurricanes lead to 10 points with 53 minutes played (13-3).

Elton Jantjies made the quick re-start and fullback James Marshall made the clearance. The Lions needed a score as quickly as possible to get some momentum back. However, the Lions were not comfortable with the conditions and the Hurricanes got another scrum.

Having received a knock, official Glen Jackson asked Ricky Riccitelli to come off for a blood bin. Dane Coles came back on the field but could not prevent the Hurricanes from being penalised at scrum time. The big effort from the skipper probably aggravated the injury.

There was 20 minutes left in this game and the Hurricanes could not hang on to the ball. That was a frustrating night because they did not get the ball much often and when they got it, they were unable to keep it enough longer to let the backline show their talents.

Flanker Brad Shields did not release the ball after good contest from Warren Whiteley. Leader Faf de Klerk organised his forwards while Ricky Riccitelli was back on the field. It paid when the Hurricanes were caught off-side, giving an opportunity to their opponents.

Skipper Warren Whiteley wondered if he was going for the penalty or the lineout. Finally, he decided to go for the penalty and Elton Jantjies lined up for a kick on the left of the posts, 35 metres out. His attempt was wide to the left with 64 minutes in the game (13-3).

The Hurricanes first-five eighth Beauden Barrett made the 22-metre drop-out and that was an exchange of kicks between him and Andries Coetzee. Making a little chip, Beauden Barrett read the plot, took the ball very well but was tackled in the air by a Lions player.

Warren Whiteley escaped a yellow card and Beauden Barrett set up a lineout in the Lions’ 22-metre zone. Ricky Riccitelli tried to combine with Michael Fatialofa but Franco Mostert got the ball but it was not gathered by Ross Cronje, coming at scrum-half for Faf de Klerk.

In some confusion, cover at hooker Ricky Riccitelli kicked in the ball which went over the Lions tryline. Reading the game, Beauden Barrett dove over the Lions whitewash and put pressure onto the ball. Glen Jackson called the TMO for the second time in this 2016 final.

Following the TMO review, Glen Jackson awarded the try to Beauden Barrett (18-3). On the right of the posts, in a similar position to his first penalty in the first-half, the playmaker gave the Hurricanes a comfortable margin and it was the 70th-minute mark now (20-3).

There was some desperation from the Lions who gave everything in the last minutes of the game. They rushed in the Hurricanes’ 22-metre zone but the Wellington-based franchise managed to turn the ball over and Beauden Barrett took the gap before kicking ahead.

All the Hurricanes players chased that kick with the Lions giving the ball away. James Marshall went for the drop-goal but he was short and Ruan Combrinck collected the ball and the Lions were back in attack. Then, phases of play were built by the courageous Lions.

The Hurricanes got the ball back before losing it in the last seconds. After a last turnover from Ricky Riccitelli, the Hurricanes had the penalty. Westpac Stadium was in Heaven and the ball was kicked into touch (20-3). The Hurricanes have won the Super Rugby. At last !

The Barrett Review : Contender for the 2016 World Rugby Player of the Year Award

Kicks : 4/4 – For the third time in six weeks, Beauden Barrett made a 100% from the kicking tee (Blues, Crusaders and Lions). He kicked 2 conversions and 2 penalties under rain and wind including a conversion from right touchline. It will give him confidence.

General play : Beauden Barrett made the assist from a crossed-field kick on Cory Jane’s disallowed try. He scored a try in the final, his 9th of the season, had a huge influence and showed that he knew how to manage a game and how to make these very good decisions.

Conclusion : Beauden Barrett is the 2016 Super Rugby top points scorer with 223 points. He won the 2016 Super Rugby Final Man Of The Match Medal and he is at his best. Beauden Barrett deserves to start for the New Zealand team during the next Rugby Championship.

Beauden Barrett, Take a bow ! You, Legend !

Max.