Super Rugby 2018

Vrotappel said:
LOL, the TMO that cost us a try and missed the swinging arm from no 2 early in the first half. Then we have the ref that gave a yellow in the first half against the Bulls and in the 2nd half only a penalty for the same offense. The refereeing was poor to say the least but it was 90% against the Bulls. This makes this victory more sweet.
Click to expand...

How I missed the Bulls supporters in true form!
 
Good win for the Bulls. Expected the Hurricanes to take it by 5-8 or so.
Lions vs Bulls game at Loftus next week could be a cracker.....let's hope poor refereeing stays away.
 
Haven't enjoyed a Bulls performance as much as I enjoyed that, in about 3 seasons. Man, they were so slick on occassion, brutal at times, scrappy too but what a great win to start their season?
 
Badprop_za said:
Good win for the Bulls. Expected the Hurricanes to take it by 5-8 or so.
Lions vs Bulls game at Loftus next week could be a cracker.....let's hope poor refereeing stays away.
Click to expand...

Jamie Nutbrown practised fair laws and conduct, he refereed the game between the Blues and the Highlanders. He played for the Ospreys, Crusaders and Chiefs back in the day and closed his career out with the Bay of Plenty. I guess this experience gives him a better idea of what is mentally happening on-field. So far I rate him the best in this league and he has only been a full-time ref since 2015.
 
sand_man said:
Haven't enjoyed a Bulls performance as much as I enjoyed that, in about 3 seasons. Man, they were so slick on occassion, brutal at times, scrappy too but what a great win to start their season?
Click to expand...

Major confidence boost, I agree.
 
Fulcrum29 said:
Jamie Nutbrown practised fair laws and conduct, he refereed the game between the Blues and the Highlanders. He played for the Ospreys, Crusaders and Chiefs back in the day and closed his career out with the Bay of Plenty. I guess this experience gives him a better idea of what is mentally happening on-field. So far I rate him the best in this league and he has only been a full-time ref since 2015.
Click to expand...

What an unfortunate surname.
 
The Stormers game looked like a match fixing ending. Pathetic.

Bulls looked much better than I thought they would look.
 
I'm tipping the Stormers to finish just above the Jaguares. The Bulls have shifted a gear under Mitchell. The Lions are gonna be very competitive again even though there's a change in the coaching team. And all the pundits for some reason think the Sharks will do well.
 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...set-to-return-to-nrl-after-super-rugby-season

Sonny Bill Williams reportedly set to return to NRL after Super Rugby season

Sonny Bill Williams is reportedly set to return to the NRL at the end of the Super Rugby season after being told he is not part of the All Blacks' 2019 Rugby World Cup plans.

Jimmy Smith, who played 120 NRL games and now works as a pundit for Australia's Fox Sports, claims Williams has already done a deal to return to the Roosters ahead of this year's NRL finals.

The All Blacks midfielder won a premiership with the Roosters in 2013 and left at the end of the following season, but is known to be close with powerful club chairman Nick Politis.

While Williams is under contract with NZ Rugby until the end of 2019, Smith says the 32-year-old has been told he won't be part of the All Blacks' World Cup campaign.
Click to expand...
 
I read rumours that Quade Cooper may have landed a possible contract somewhere else, and there are indications that it may be ‘close’ to home. Most people believe that he may end up in Europe, but… time will tell.
 
https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...e/news-story/a15ed769a771e1eda55dd348800166a2

Queensland Reds captain Scott Higginbotham suspended for three weeks for dangerous tackle

JUST days after their round one drubbing, the Queensland Reds have been dealt another blow with new skipper Scott Higginbotham suspended for three matches by the Super Rugby judiciary.
Higginbotham was sent from the field after just eight minutes in Friday’s heavy 45-19 defeat to the Melbourne Rebels after his dangerous no-arms hit on lock Matt Philip.

Higginbotham’s tackle was deemed to meet the mid-range entry point of six weeks, but his suspension was halved because of his previous history and guilty plea.

His three-week ban means he will miss the home clashes against the Brumbies and Bulls, as well as the away fixture against the Argentina Jaguares.

“With respect to sanction the Foul Play Review Committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of 6 weeks due to the Players direct contact by the Player’s shoulder to his opponents head,” review committee chairman Nigel Hampton QC said.

“However, taking into account mitigating factors including the Player’s good record over a long career, the lack of injury to the victim and his guilty plea at the earliest possible opportunity, the Foul Play Review Committee reduced the suspension to 3 weeks.”

“The player is therefore suspended for 3 weeks, up to and including the Saturday 17 March 2018.”
Click to expand...
 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...-rugby-season-sours-with-further-injury-blows

Chiefs' start to Super Rugby season sours with further injury blows

The Chiefs' injury woes have intensified and, just one game into their season, their bye week looks like it can't come quick enough.

But first they must pick themselves up from their 45-23 defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch and front up to another tough Kiwi derby against the Blues at Eden Park on Friday night.

It's certainly going to be a week where the squad's depth is tested though.

At Monday afternoon's training Chiefs coach Colin Cooper confirmed utility back Tim Nanai-Williams was gone for the season, requiring surgery on a shoulder he injured in the final pre-season game against the Brumbies on the Sunshine Coast.

...

Then there's newly instated co-captain and fullback Charlie Ngatai (knee) and lock Dominic Bird (shoulder), who left AMI Stadium gingerly, with Cooper guessing each would be out for a couple of weeks.

A trio of players are also going through concussion protocols, with loose forward Mitch Brown and bench backs Marty McKenzie and Sean Wainui all taking knocks on the night. Brown had looked the groggiest on the night but is said to be in the best nick of them, with no symptoms.

Cooper said there wouldn't be any returnees from the casualty ward this week either, with props Kane Hames (illness), Mitchell Graham (leg) and Sefo Kautai (foot), loose forward Tyler Ardron (hand) and utility back Sam McNicol (concussion), already out. All Black Hames had returned to training last Thursday but Cooper said he "had to go through a process".
Click to expand...

Oh...
 
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2018/02/26/rugby/sunwolves-trio-take-lessons-defeat/

Sunwolves trio take lessons from defeat

The Sunwolves may have come up short in their 2018 season opener, but the contest provided valuable experience for those younger players making their Super Rugby debuts.

On Saturday, a trio of young Sunwolves — scrum-half Yutaka Nagare, flanker Kazuki Himeno and center Ryoto Nakamura — all made the starting lineup and put in vigorous performances before a crowd of 14,614 at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground

“It was just so much fun to be playing out there,” Nakamura, who has been capped 11 times for the Japan national team, said after the hosts fell 32-25 against the Brumbies. “I was so excited and thrilled.”

The 25-year-old Nakamura is considered one of the most improved players in the Top League and helped the Suntory Sungoliath capture the league title each of the last two years. The Kagoshima native said the Super Rugby competition was certainly different from domestic league contests. But he added he was psyched up to play in upcoming matches for Sunwolves.

“Now I know what (Super Rugby) is all about,” Nakamura said. “I’m looking forward to our upcoming games.”

Unlike Nakamura, Himeno said he was nervous throughout the game. But it did not cause him to have a disappointing performance.

Himeno thought he was able to play on a par, physically, against the players of the Canberra-based Brumbies, which gives him confidence that he can compete in the league.

“I could shove (the Brumbies players) offensively, and I think I felt like I did well defensively also,” said Himeno, who joined the Toyota Verblitz last year and received the Top League’s rookie of the year accolade last season. “So physically, I felt good.”

While Nakamura and Himeno wore smiles that carried a certain amount of satisfaction, Nagare felt responsible for not being able to have a better game in a central position.

“Obviously, we were looking for a win, so I’m frustrated,” Nagare, also of the Sungoliath, said. “We scored tries as we intended to in the first half and entered the second half with a lead. But at the beginning of the second half, we gave up a lead off my own mistake and it factored into the loss for us. So I feel responsible as a (co-)captain and feel like I let my teammates down.”

...

Nevertheless, Nagare held his head high.

“The Super Rugby season will continue,” said Nagare, who has played for the national team since last year. “I think the fact that I was able to have an experience like this and play with pressure was beneficial for me.”

Despite Nagare’s critical view of his day, Brumbies coach Dan McKellar and co-captain Christian Lealiifano regarded the diminutive Nagare as one of the players who made a strong impression.
Click to expand...

Good vibes coming from the Japanese debutants. I believe most Japanese players punched above their ‘expected’ weight, especially the centre, Nakamura, and the tight three.

Nagare has much potential, if not for his blunder he could have easily been man of the match. Shota Horie impressed, one of the better Super Rugby performances at hooker so far into the competition.

A few Sunwolves disappointed, Robinson is no flyhalf, though he fulfilled his role as pivot, Emery is no fullback and the Georgian only came on to be injured with no impact made at all… Foreigners which did impress, Ed Quirk, Grant Hattingh for a short time, Lappies Lubaschagne and Willie Britz. The Pacific islanders, all had a great match.

Hayden Parker did fantastic work when he came on from the bench, I expected less from him.

I hope to see a better team selected for the Rebels. Emery can play of the bench for continuity on centre and wing. Kenki Fukuoka and Yu Tamura are still out for a few weeks and Kotaro Matsushima may be cleared this week which I rate highly at fullback.

Apparently Michael Leitch, Harumichi Tatekawa and Akihito Yamada are still out of form…
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X