Super Rugby season preview: Everything you need to know about the teams, new rules and squads
Welcome to Super Rugby 2.0. It has been the longest, most turbulent halftime break in the sport’s history. But what does the resumption have in store? Here is everything you need to know.
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It has been the longest, most turbulent halftime break Super Rugby’s seen, but finally the second half of season 2020 is about to kick off.
After almost four months in hibernation, Super Rugby 2.0 resumes this Friday with a traditional stoush between the Waratahs and Reds.
Just five teams — including the Western Force — will feature in the new domestic competition to be played over 10 rounds before the top three contest the finals in September.
Plenty of big names, both on and off the field, have packed up their bags and left before the resumption, casualties of the financial black hole the embattled code has fallen into.
Rugby’s future in Australia remains as uncertain as ever without a broadcast deal or an agreement on how the competition looks beyond this year, so, fittingly, a bunch of experimental rule changes have been introduced to help speed up the game, adding to the sense that Super Rugby AU is desperate to catch up for lost time. Here’s a look at the five teams:
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BRUMBIES
Captain: Allan Alaalatoa
Coach: Dan McKellar
Squad changes: Lock Ben Hyne was signed before Blake Enever was released on compassionate grounds after he said he wanted to be closer to his family, then promptly announced he was joining English club Leicester.
Key player: Noah Lolesio. A former Junior Wallaby, the Brumbies’ rookie five-eighth has already been tipped for higher honours after slotting into the senior ranks without breaking sweat. With a big forward pack in front of him and plenty of experienced finishers behind him, he’s the link man so if he continues his steep learning curve then the Brumbies are going to be hard to top.
Prediction: 1st
Far and away the best Australian team in the original Super Rugby season, winning five of their six matches, the Brumbies are deserving favourites — as long as they start again where they left off. There’s no doubt they have the best set-piece in the competition but the new rules, designed to reduce resets and keep the game flowing, could limit their advantage so they will need their backline to fire. Past form suggests that won’t be a problem after they averaged more than five tries a game before the competition was suspended, including seven against the Waratahs in their last outing.
TAB: $2.
REBELS
Captain: Dane Haylett-Petty
Coach: Dave Wessels
Squad changes: The Rebels have picked up three Australian Sevens players in Lewis Holland, Lachie Anderson and Jeral Skelton but have lost Harry Potter and Mees Erasmus to European clubs and Fereti Sa’aga to retirement.
Key player: Marika Koroibete. Last year’s Australian player of the year, the flying winger is also the most sought after player in the game, with four NRL clubs preparing to swoop on him if Rugby Australia can’t pay out his contract in full. The Rebels need him to fire if they are to challenge the Brumbies for the title and a big showing will remind the bean counters why they need to find the cash to keep him.
Prediction: 2nd
The most unpredictable team in the competition. With Koroibete, Haylett-Petty, Matt Toomua and Reece Hodge, the Rebels have got a stacked backline as long as they get enough possession. They made a slow start to the previous season but were just starting to get their act together when the COVID-19 lockdown brought everything to a halt. With a shortened 10-week competition, they need to hit the ground running this time but face the added challenge of possibly spending the first part of the season away from home because of new restrictions in Victoria.
TAB: $4.
REDS
Captain: Liam Wright
Coach: Brad Thorn
Squad changes: Hardest-hit team during the break, with Izack Rodda, Harry Hockings and Isaac Lucas leaving and Henry Speight possibly departing as well. Exciting teenage whiz kid Mac Grealy has been added to the squad along with Josh Flook, Kalani Thomas and Ryan Smith and development player Tuaina Taii Tualima.
Key player: Harry Wilson. This is the backrower that not only the Reds but everyone in Australian rugby is pinning their hopes on. A destructive ball runner with a big appetite for hard work, the 20-year-old has taken the game by storm since moving up to the senior ranks and should only get better with time.
Prediction: 3rd
The Reds are still a team in transition, boasting some of the most exciting young talent in Australia but are much better than their early season results suggested, where they won just two of seven matches. Their potential was there for everyone to see when they outscored the Crusaders four tries to three but still lost the game because they failed to land a single kick at goal. Once they get the finishing touches right they will be a force but the loss of lock pairing Rodda and Hockings is a big setback that could delay that process.
WARATAHS
Captain: Rob Simmons
Coach: Rob Penney
Squad changes: Veteran utility back Kurtley Beale was granted an early release before he heads to France after more than a decade with the Waratahs while hooker Damien Fitzpatrick fast-tracked his retirement, robbing the Tahs of two of their most experienced players. Rory O’Connor and Siosifa Lisala have also left while development players Ben Donaldson and Tiaan Taukkipulu have been added to the full squad.
Key player: Michael Hooper. Freed of the NSW captaincy, Australia’s highest-paid player showed that not having the C next to his name hasn’t stopped him from leading on the field. The heart and soul of the Waratahs, Hooper’s workload and experience has never been more important to NSW than right now.
Prediction: 4th
Rocked by mass departures last season, the Waratahs are at the very start of a new development program under Kiwi coach Rob Penney. There’s no doubt there’s some unpolished gems in the line-up with Angus Bell, Will Harrison and Mark Nawaqanitawase among the rising stars to watch but there’s no escaping the horrible start to the year the Waratahs made – giving up 98 points in their last two matches before the break. Things can only get better from there but patience may be needed before they can start winning regularly.
TAB: $8.50
WESTERN FORCE
Captain: Ian Prior
Coach: Tim Sampson
Squad changes: The force went on a shopping spree after being called into the competition and have nabbed former Wallabies Greg Holmes and Kyle Godwin as well as Ollie Atkins, Jono Lance, Kane Koteka and Jordan Luke.
Key player: Kyle Godwin. A natural, Godwin was tipped for big things after making the Australian Under-20s in 2012 but a succession of injuries stalled his progress. He was the Force’s rookie of the year when made his Super Rugby debut and earned a Wallaby cap in 206 but left Australia to play club rugby in Ireland in 2018 but at 27 his best years may still be ahead.
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Prediction: 5th
Cruelly booted out of Super Rugby after 2017, the Force have got an axe to grind and points to prove. They have been smashing everyone in Global Rapid Rugby for the past two seasons and won the National Rugby Championship last year but the step up to is a big one and starting away from home will test their squad so look for improvement in the back end of the season although the one advantage they do have on their rivals is that they are more familiar with the new rules.