Official Super Rugby 2016 Thread

[Fulcrum29]

It's just awful awful rugby, damn this comp has been diluted down.

Agree.

 

[crackersa]

Has the Sharks game started? Fecking ESPN just had a message up saying it's about to begin.

Edit- nvm....kick off happening now

 

[Fulcrum29]

Beast... Beast... Beast...

 

[crackersa]

What did the beast do for a yellow card????

 

[Fulcrum29]

What did the beast do for a yellow card????

He slapped Torsten van Jaarsveld in the face.

 

[crackersa]

He slapped Torsten van Jaarsveld in the face.

Damn...need to see a replay in that

 

[crackersa]

Any options so far? Slow game for me

 

[Fulcrum29]

Agreeing with Mallet, Stuart Berry is whistling the game like an idiot.

 

[greg0205]

Agree with Nick's assessment of Berry there. Poor officiating

 

[Kr1mZoN]

Stuart Berry's total incompetence keeping my team in the game.

 

[sand_man]

It's just awful awful rugby, damn this comp has been diluted down.

Badly so. Format is retarded too.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Really happy some guys decided to wake the game up. Very nice pressure on the Cheetahs and the scrums once Lourens came on, night and day

 

[modern10]

Anyone gonna watch the Jaguares game?

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Anyone gonna watch the Jaguares game?

Nah, too late.

 

[Fulcrum29]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...by-10s-tournament-nears-signoff-for-next-year

Global Super Rugby 10s tournament nears signoff for next year

Super Rugby's global 10s tournament will be officially launched next month, with sign-off on the last remaining contracts imminent.

The two-day, 10-a-side tournament billed as the Brisbane Global 10s will be staged at Suncorp Stadium on February 11 and 12 after Duco Events secured multimillion-dollar Brisbane council and Queensland government funding for the next four years.

The event will feature 500 players, 14 teams from six countries, NZ$1.65 million in appearance fees and prizemoney and is expected to be broadcast in 20 different markets, including France and Sky Sports UK.

It is understood the five New Zealand and five Australian Super Rugby teams have signed contracts, as have Samoa, who have their Prime Minister's backing, and Robbie Deans-coached Panasonic Wild Knights who have won the past three Japanese Top League titles.

South Africa's Bulls, three-time Super Rugby champions, and French powerhouse Toulon, who boast Ma'a Nonu, Bryan Habana, Matt Giteau, James O'Connor, Duane Vermeulen and Leigh Halfpenny among others, are likely be the last two teams.

...

HOW IT WORKS:

- 10-a-side tournament staged at Suncorp Stadium for next four years
- Held on February 11-12, two weeks before Super Rugby starts
- 14 teams - five Kiwi, five Australian Super Rugby teams plus Bulls, Samoa, Panasonic and Toulon
- 500 players - squads of up to 40 players
- NZ$1.65 million in appearance fees and prize money

Interesting 'pre-season' expansion...

Read the article, I think that this is a very good idea.

 

[Fulcrum29]

I think that the Sharks supporters may have a homerun next weekend against the Sunwolves.

The Sunwolves captain Tatekawa apparently picked up a concussion in-game and continued to play. Shota Horie has a bad knee, so they will have to appoint a new interim captain… which I guess is to be Hitoshi Ono as he had captained the Brave Blossoms.

The latest loosie to be included within the Sunwolves squad, Shokei Kin, had his knee bent awkwardly so essentially they have one less captain and centre, and loosie. Another blow to their little to none existent depth.

Next weekend they are likely to debut their Yamada replacement, Panasonic winger Kentaro Kodama, then probably move Paea back to centre to replace Tatekawa, leaving them with a winger replacement on the bench. They also have a debut hooker, Coca-Cola’s Ryuhei Arita, which is likely to replace Kin.

The Sharks should easily bag the game with 20-30, perhaps more, points over the Sunwolves.

 

[DanDango]

 

[Fulcrum29]

Japan has brought in a late lock replacement, Kazuhiko Usami, the tallest Japanese player in Top League rugby coming in at 197cm / 111kg. Though he was in the Sunwolves squad since day 1 I do not remember him playing a single Super Rugby game this season other than the Brave Blossoms game in Canada. Maybe Hammett wants to give everyone a chance at Super Rugby…

Also an interesting development with Tatekawa which had continued play with a concussion, apparently in Japan an HIA was never adopted. It has now been immediately introduced by the Top League and JRFU/university rugby.

 

[Fulcrum29]

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/plans-afoot-to-boost-super-rugbys-popularity-20160711

Plans afoot to boost Super Rugby's popularity

According to the Afrikaans newspaper, SANZAAR has asked consulting firm Accenture to do a strategic review of the two-group, four-conference Super Rugby format and provide a solution to improve matters.

“The Pacific Islands is a region that can be incorporated if SANZAAR wants to expand the tournament,” said Marinos. “The current structure presents challenges. The goal is to have the best possible format that caters for all the expectations of the various role players.”

Furthermore, SA Rugby is expected to ask for more local derbies and for all of its teams to play against New Zealand sides. Under the current format, the South African teams in the Africa Conference 1 play Australian and not New Zealand sides.

Ugh…

The Aussies, the South Americans and the Japanese (in Japan, not Singapore) wants to play more local games and to play against all the opposition sides. During the June Test series, they can play the team’s depth and schedule teams to play away games on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

+1 for SA teams playing against NZ sides. -1 for more local derbies.