Super Rugby News
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They have also lost grafting lock Scott Scrafton for the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury, to both his ACL and LCL.
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This post is deleted!
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Interesting result: the Jaguares have beaten the Lions 49 - 35. Haven't seen the game, because Sky had the wrong kick-off time in their tv guide, but it really seems that the Lions are weaker than last year.
The Lions and the Jaguares are the Crusaders' next two opponents.
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@stargazer I picked the result, just not by that margin, in fact, the only margin I got close this week was the Crusaders - BUlls, I was 2 points out, rest have been way out.
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Conclusion after watching the game: the Lions indeed aren't as good as last year. Malcolm Marx is a great player and the Lions driving maul is still working reasonably well because of him (although the Jaguares also don't know how to defend against one); their scrum was okay; but they didn't know how to create opportunities other than a driving maul. If they get a penalty, they'll kick it into the corner for a line-out drive. That's basically their game; not much creativity. They look slow.
The Jaguares' discipline was good, so they weren't giving away easy points. They showed patience and that paid off. They created and took their opportunities. Their scrum isn't up to scratch though, and their defence is as leaky as that of the Lions.
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Reds prop Taniela Tupou cited. I haven't seen any other reports of citings.
Tupou is alleged to have contravened Law 9.13 A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously after collecting Stormers wing Craig Barry above the shoulders without using his arms. -
And .... there is at least one other citing:
Sharks flanker Jacques Vermeulen has been cited for alleged foul play during the Sharks' Super Rugby match against the Rebels in Melbourne. Vermeulen is alleged to have contravened Law 9.20 A player must not charge into a ruck.
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Sounds like Ardie Savea is OK:
They lost flanker Ardie Savea to a first-half rib injury, while centre Matt Proctor's sternum was iced up after the game.
"He's got a bit of a tender rib or two. I don't think there's any cracks or breaks there, but he's a bit sore," Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said of Savea.
Proctor was described as sore too, ahead of Friday's trip to meet the Rebels in Melbourne.
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@stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
Conclusion after watching the game: the Lions indeed aren't as good as last year.
It is amazing what impact coaching can have....
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Two-week ban for Jacques Vermeulen
Sharks flanker Jacques Vermeulen has been suspended for two weeks after he pleaded guilty to dangerous play against the Rebels on Friday. The SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee accepted a guilty plea from Vermeulen for contravening Law 9.20 – dangerous play in a ruck or maul – after he was cited during their Super Rugby match. Vermeulen has been suspended from all forms of the game for two weeks, up to and including Friday, April 6. The incident occurred in the 49th minute of the match between the Rebels and Sharks played at AAMI Park. The SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee of Nigel Hampton QC (Chairman), Stefan Terblanche and Stephen Hardy assessed the case. In his finding, Foul Play Review Committee Chairman Nigel Hampton QC ruled the following: "Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and both an account of the incident and submissions from the player, the Foul Play Review Committee upheld the citing under Law 9.20. "With respect to sanction the Foul Play Review Committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid range entry point of four weeks due to the player's dangerous charge into a ruck, making contact with the head of the player's opponent. However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player's youth, his excellent Judicial record and early guilty plea the Foul Play Review Committee reduced the suspension to two weeks." "The player is therefore suspended for two weeks, up to and including Friday 6 April 2018.” -
How Sanzaar could revamp Super Rugby in 2020
The long term future of Super Rugby will become clearer this week when Sanzaar releases a strategic report that is expected to reveal a number of options are being considered to revamp the competition in 2020, including taking more games to neutral venues, expanding the number of teams to 18 or sticking with 15 teams but not necessarily all those they currently have.New Zealand has concluded it can't support and doesn't want a sixth team, while both Australia and South Africa have accepted that their current four teams is their optimum number. The other two teams currently in Super Rugby - Jaguares of Argentina and Sunwolves of Japan - have struggled since they were introduced in 2016 and the question will have to be asked whether they want to retain their respective places in Super Rugby and whether they should be able to given their lack of impact. If one or other pulled out, it would open the prospect of a team from the Pacific Islands being introduced in their place. There is a significant desire within New Zealand to see a Pacific team finally win inclusion, but the difficulty will be finding room for one in the conference format. The big hope for the islands is that the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association is able to wield some power and influence in the next 12 months to push Sanzaar in a different direction. The NZRPA is not sold on the idea of having so many local derbies and is convinced that a round-robin format can be rekindled with 14, 15 or even 16 teams..
I hate this bit:
Regardless of what format is adopted in 2020, the prospect of teams playing competition games outside the existing territories is likely to happen more. In recent years New Zealand sides have taken home games to Fiji and Samoa, but from 2020 there may be moves afoot to see some games played in the USA, Canada and parts of Asia in an attempt to showcase the tournament in the same way the NFL has been playing games in London.Full article:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/super-rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=331&objectid=12019608 -
The Chiefs could welcome back co-captain Charlie Ngatai for Friday's Super Rugby clash with the Highlanders in Hamilton, but they have had yet another player ruled out for the season, with Dominic Bird to go under the knife.Bird is the fifth Chiefs player to be out for the season, after utility back Tim Nanai-Williams (shoulder), prop Atu Moli (quad haematoma) and fellow locking options Mitchell Brown (knee) and Fin Hoeata (shoulder). Cooper is still deciding on second row replacements after the recent hits to the locking stocks, but said Waikato's Sam Caird and Bay of Plenty's Baden Wardlaw were training with the team in the meantime."Charlie could be this week, he could be next week, we're just going to see how he progresses during the week," Cooper said of the man who was making the move from the midfield to be the team's first-choice fullback this year. Midfielder Alex Nankivell is coming back into the selection frame following an appendix issue that had hospitalised him, having made a return via club rugby on Saturday. Outside back Levi Aumua (shoulder and hip) had done likewise, midfielder Regan Verney (groin) is to do the same this weekend or next, while Cooper said loosehead props Kane Hames (illness) and Mitchell Graham (leg) are still "long-term at the moment". -
Midfielder Alex Nankivell is coming back into the selection frame following an appendix issue that had hospitalised him, having made a return via club rugby on Saturday.
Outside back Levi Aumua (shoulder and hip) had done likewise, midfielder Regan Verney (groin) is to do the same this weekend or next, while Cooper said loosehead props Kane Hames (illness) and Mitchell Graham (leg) are still "long-term at the moment".
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I did notice Nankivell's name on the team list for Hautapu along with Luke Jacobson. Another name that piqued my interest in that club side was TH prop Ryan Coxon. He moved to Ta$man last year but may have returned home.
Bummer for Bird. This puts a lot of pressure on BBBR to stay fit with the thin locking stocks.
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The return of the Pocockwomble
David Pocock returns to tackle crucial change in ruck law
With the stroke of a pen law-makers may succeed where the world’s best backrowers have failed
