Super Rugby News
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From Yealden:
Good afternoon. So that’s the first three rounds of Super Rugby done & with it, the end of the 180 minute restriction for All Blacks, though apparently they aren’t allowed to play more than four games in a row during the season. Here’s what each NZ franchise face over their next six games:BLUES
Sunwolves at home
Highlanders at home
Stormers at home
Waratahs at home
Chiefs away
Highlanders away
Big home stand represents a chance to get back in the mix but IMO can’t afford to drop any of the home gamesCHIEFS
Crusaders away
Hurricanes at home
Bulls away
Jaguares away
Blues at home
Lions at home
Good luck with thatCRUSADERS
Chiefs at home
Highlanders away (love a southern derby)
Waratahs away
Hurricanes away
Brumbies home
Highlanders home
Those three away games in a row could be a challenge to them but they’ve look so organised & ready this season that I doubt it willHIGHLANDERS
Hurricanes away
Crusaders home
Blues away
Hurricanes home
Crusaders away
Blues home
Six straight NZ derbies ... woah! Could be the making of them too thoughHURRICANES
Highlanders home
Chiefs away
Stormers home
Crusaders home
Highlanders away
Sunwolves away
Pretty balanced draw & they looked very sharp with their ABs back in the mixHere’s the NZ conference table after three rounds & as always, your thoughts are welcome too 🇳🇿🏉
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For the Blues, the Sunwolves may be tricky and the Landers (both games) will be difficult, but they should be able to beat the Stormers, Tahs and Chiefs
For the Chiefs, everything seems difficult at the moment.
For the Crusaders, both Highlanders games and the Canes away will be tough, and also the Tahs game. The Tahs always lift their game when playing the Crusaders and they'll want revenge for last year's game.
Fot the Highlanders, both Hurricanes and Crusaders games will be very tough, and depending on which Blues team turns up, the away game might be difficult too. They seem to have the most difficult 6 games ahead of them with all those derbies. Geez.
For the Hurricanes, both Highlanders games and the Crusaders game will be tough, but the rest should be okay, unless one of those other games proves to be a banana skin.
Some interesting weeks ahead!
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@Stargazer dunno, for as good as the SW were, I think the Chiefs were poor, the Blues should account for them, but then this is still the BLues I guess.
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The Canes have signed Andries Ferreira for the rest of the 2019 SR season.
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Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau set to take on Reds after Leicester Tigers sign off on Super Rugby loan deal
SOS: Wallabies hooker set to take on Reds after loan deal
Wallabies great Tatafu Polota-Nau is back in Australian rugby and is set to take on the Reds on Saturday night, after the veteran hooker was granted a loan deal. Polota-Nau is in his second season with traditional English heavyweights Leicester Tigers, but has struggled for game in recent months. And after Test rake Tolu Latu was suspended for six weeks, the Waratahs inquired with the English club whether they could lure Polota-Nau back home on a short-term deal. Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson confirmed to reporters in Sydney on Monday afternoon that Polota-Nau was going through the final fine print to secure the deal. “We are pleased to welcome home internationally renowned hooker and NSW Waratahs’ own Tatafu Polota-Nau, to help fill a short term need with our squad,” Gibson said. -
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@Tim If it's true, it's not really surprising. Even with small improvements in performance since they joined the competition, what have they actually contributed to the development of rugby in Japan? You only have to look at the make-up of their squad - with an incredible number of non-Japanese born players - to know that that contribution can't be very significant. This is not a Japanese SR team, this is a multi-national team of SR rejects.
Going back to a SR 14 opens the door to abolishing the conference system and returning to a shorter regular season (13 matches) than currently (16 matches). Fewer games and less travel; it's good from a player welfare point of view, which should also benefit the quality of the games. The question is, what's the financial impact of such a decision on the competition. I have no idea what Japanese broadcasters/sponsors are currently contributing in that respect.
Maybe they should join the Major League Rugby in North America.
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I don’t know what their deal is worth, but I doubt that the Sunwolves bring any many new rugby viewers - most are already fans of the Japan league, and accordingly already subscribe to the main provider (J-sport), so my guess is that you’re right about the lack of impact on TV rights. With that in mind, moving to a 14 team competition would be ideal.
Even better if they split the Jags and got Argentina, the US, Japan, and other pacific teams in a Super rugby D2 division.
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Springbok hooker Ralepelle fails drugs test - reports
South African rugby has been rocked by reports that Springbok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle has failed a drugs test.
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"Sprained his ankle. How bad, we will find out tomorrow," Robertson said.
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Controversial ex-Rebels star returns to Super Rugby despite assault charges
Blockbusting Japanese No. 8 Amanaki Mafi, who is still undergoing legal proceedings for his role in an assault case against former Rebels teammate Lopeti Timani in Dunedin last year, is set to return to Super Rugby.
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