Super Rugby Round 2 Preview

The first round of the new Super Rugby format was a blast. Viewed by fans from South Africa to the US, a featuring the new sides from South Africa, Argentina, and Japan, the start of the tournament was a great event, that featured some great rugby. Round two also features some mouthwatering matchups, and we at RBP can’t wait to see them play out!

Crusaders vs Blues:

While the Crusaders started their 2016 campaign with a tough home loss, the Blues had a dream start, dispatching the reigning champions in Eden Park. It is very much unlike the Crusaders to lose two home games in a row, so expect them to fight hard, and they have pulled out all the stops in their selections. The All Black front row of Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, and Owen Franks will give the Blues a lot of trouble in the scrum, while the battle between Sam Whitelock and Patrick Tuipulotu would produce some epic collisions. Kieran Reid will have to do the bulk if the ball carrying for the Crusaders, who face a dominant Blues trio. Jerome Kaino is back from suspension, and when paired with Blake Gibson and Steven Luatua gives the Blues a huge edge in physicality. While the Crusaders have not changed their halfback pairing of Andrew Ellis and Richie Mo’unga, the Blues have swapped Bryn Hall and Ihaia West for Billy Guyton and Matt McGahan. The Crusaders will have a hard time stopping the Blues center pairing of George Moala and Rene Ranger, who will give them a dominant midfield. Nemani Nadolo will want retribution after a quiet game against the Chiefs, but with Melani Nanai, Tevita Li, and league convert Matt Duffie, we suspect the Blues will be just fine. The Crusaders are a good team, but in the New Zealand conference, you have to be more than good, and we just can’t see how the Crusaders can come away with a win in this one.

Prediction: Crusaders 17- Blues 24

Brumbies vs Waratahs:

In the biggest of Australian derbies, the two sides tied for the top spot in the Australian conference go to battle. The Brumbies made a huge statement in their 52-10 win over the Hurricanes, while the Waratahs seemed to lose intensity for much of their 30-10 win over Queensland. New signing Angus Ta’avao will have his hands full on the tighthead side for the Waratahs as he faces off with Stephen Moore and Scott Sio. Sam Carter had a great day for the Brumbies last week, but we suspect that he will face much more of a challenge this week when he faces off with Dean Mumm and Will Skelton. The Brumbies will cause mayhem with their backrow, as they bring Sam Carter, David Pocock, and Ita Vaea to bear on the Waratahs. Michael Hooper and Jed Holloway really impressed last week, but they will have their hands full with the likes of Pocock doing his business at the breakdown. Tomas Cubelli made a great impression last week, as did the Waratahs pair of Nick Phipps and Kurtley Beale. The big test will be on young Waratahs center David Horwitz, who made a big impression on debut a week ago. He faces Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani, two of international rugby’s most potent finishers. Henry Speight and Joe Tomane give the Brumbies pace and power in spades on the wing, but the threat of Israel Folau will be hard for them to nullify. A year ago, we would have gone for the Tahs in this fixture, but now we are not so sure. With the momentum they have gained, it seems that the Brumbies will be coming into this match with plenty of swagger, and that just tips the scale in their favor.

Prediction: Brumbies 26- Waratahs 22

Highlanders vs Hurricanes:

A rematch of last years breathtaking final is just what we need to round out the weekend, and once again, Super Rugby is more than happy to provide for our entertainment. Reggie Goodes will go through no end of work for the Hurricanes, who are still waiting on the return of their captain, Dane Coles. Liam Coltman impressed against the Blues so look for him to have a big impact against the Hurricanes. Blade Thomson is a major plus for the Hurricanes, mostly because his name is just so f*cking cool. Elliot Dixon, Shane Christie, and Luke Whitelock all start for the Highlanders, and they will have their hands full against this very dynamic Cane’s back row. Brad Shields will do the hard work, while Ardie Savea and Victor Vito will look to create havoc with their pace and power. Expect to see plenty of these two running down Lima Sopoaga channel. Aaron Smith and Lima Sopoaga will go face to face with two of their rivals for an All Blacks spot, as TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett will want to impress the selectors after a very quiet game against the Brumbies. Teihorangi Walden had a great game on his debut last week, and I would like to see him continue to grow, especially against this very young Hurricanes center pair. With Malakai Fekitoa outside him, the Highlanders should have little trouble replacing Richard Buckman for this season. Patrick Osbourne and Ben Smith will be the primary playmakers for the Highlanders out wide, but should Nehe Milner-Skudder prove to be healthy, they will most definitely have their hands full in defence. This is going to be another close battle, but we think that the Highlanders are in a much better place than the Hurricanes, and in the cauldron of Forsyth Barr stadium, we can only see the Highlanders winning.

Prediction: Highlanders 23- Hurricanes 20