Super Rugby roundtable: NZME rugby writers answer all the big questions

Moana Pasifika players L-R Danny Toala and Neria Foma'i. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Which part of Super Rugby Pacific has surprised you the most?

Liam Napier:

Moana Pasifika's competitiveness. Given the new entrants first assembled on January 5 and have endured a ruthless schedule due to postponed Covid matches, they have well exceeded my expectations. One win over the Hurricanes, 2016 champions, should increase by season's end.

Alice Soper: That we are still talking about referee decisions as if they are moral judgements and not applications of the laws as they are written. The adjustment to changes always has a teething period as players work to undo muscle memory. But the short term hiccups are worth the reduction in the long term harm for players.

Elliott Smith: Probably the Chiefs' wobbles in recent times. Seems like the frontrunners tag doesn't sit well with them, after beating the Crusaders in Christchurch they made a statement – since then though they've lost comfortably at home to the same side and were then walloped by the Blues and held scoreless for the first time. They've had injuries which haven't helped their cause but things have just gone a bit awry for the Chiefs. All is not lost given they won't meet either of those sides again until the playoffs but the damage may have been done.

Kate Wells: The inconsistency. We saw the Chiefs overcome the Blues at the start, then just last week the Blues thrashed the Chiefs. And the Hurricanes, who were beaten by Moana Pasifika, then came close to toppling the Crusaders. I know Covid hasn't helped player availability but as a rugby fan I hoped for more consistency.

David Havili of the Crusaders makes a break during the round six Super Rugby Pacific match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images.

What is your most controversial opinion on the 2022 Super Rugby season?

Liam Napier: Caleb Clarke's six-week entry point and subsequent three-week suspension for his attempted charge down is ridiculous. Did he really deserve the same punishment as Blues prop Nepo Laulala and Crusaders hooker Shilo Klein, who both made shoulder to the head contact? Surely not.

Alice Soper: I miss scrums. I know after the trial of the goal-line drop out last year we were all supposed to be happy with the supposed faster pace but I still can't see the benefit for an attacking side to relaunch from outside the twenty-two. I miss the drama and the niggle of a pack camped on the line but that's just me.

Elliott Smith: It's just had a very makeshift feel to it once again, through no real fault of NZR/RA. The stop-start nature due to Covid, derbies being frontloaded when teams were juggling the virus and crowds not being allowed has made for a competition that has failed to get going. The rugby itself has been better than many have given it credit for, especially early on. Super Rugby faces a battle to re-establish itself in the market as a full competition and this year hasn't helped.

Kate Wells: The refereeing decisions have caused a controversy. I think players need to accept that the refs make the decisions, and of course they can disagree with them. But to give them a spray at the end of the game is unprofessional, especially if you can take the game to golden point by taking an easy three pointer…

Caleb Clarke of the Blues (R) is sent off with a red card by referee Paul Williams during the round seven Super Rugby Pacific match. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Super Rugby Aupiki showed us that....

Liam Napier: More is needed. More games – not 70-minute matches with rolling subs, either. More preparation time, too. Aupiki was a decent starting point in the challenging circumstances. Next year the window must expand to include a genuine final and fully fledged round robin to showcase the best of our women's game.

Alice Soper: Our wāhine have proven the concept now let's get on with it! We are all ready to see the potential of our talent realised with a properly resourced competition that runs over a longer period to allow more people to get invested. In 2023 please give me a final and a crossover with Australia's Super W.

Elliott Smith: There is a competition there waiting to be nurtured and desperately needed to bridge the gap between the Farah Palmer Cup and test rugby. It was a starting step and the Chiefs in particular were a joy to watch. Let's hope for a double round-robin in 2023, perhaps with a mirror competition to the men in the years after that.

Kate Wells: There is a need for a women's Super competition. Most people were surprised with the quality and intensity of the matches, even with the sides having little to no preparation. If we want to foot it with the powerhouses of women's rugby we need to have a high performance competition.

For the NZ-based teams, next week's switch to Super Rugby Trans-Tasman will mean...

Liam Napier: A flurry of victories. Put it this way, the 1-6 Highlanders will make the bloated eight-team playoffs. The Brumbies and Reds should be competitive but it's hard to see the Force, Rebels or Waratahs causing a boil over. And, thus, the argument for culling Australian franchises rears its head again.

Alice Soper: A chance to check the reality of their skill against their step on the ladder. We have the Brumbies sitting on top but for how long once the competition has opened up? It will be fascinating to see how Moana Pasifika travels after cutting their teeth against the Kiwi sides. A lot could change between now and the playoffs.

Elliott Smith: Probably the competition losing momentum on this side of the Tasman when it can least afford to. Crowds finally back, a marquee derby this week between the Crusaders and Blues...then the kiwi teams pack up for the Super Round in Melbourne and then an extra week away after that. If the Super Round isn't compelling, the competition could lose momentum until the playoffs.

Kate Wells: Some more wins on the board. I imagine the Highlanders will be pleased to be playing their Trans-Tasman rivals to push them up the leader board, given they actually win some games.

AJ Lam of the Blues (L) celebrates his try with Mark Telea during the round eight Super Rugby Pacific match between the Chiefs and the Blues. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

The Super Rugby Trans-Tasman storyline I'm most interested in is...

Liam Napier: Who emerges in the All Blacks midfield assumes great intrigue following Anton Lienert-Brown's six-month injury absence. David Havili, Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Rieko Ioane, Jack Goodhue, Braydon Ennor, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will all be in the mix. Tupaea and Ioane probably have the inside running but that picture could well change.

Alice Soper: The birth of a new rivalry with the battle of the Pacific in round 13! When we see the Fijian Drua square up against Moana Pasifika it will be nothing short of a celebration. To see the players and their community come together to mark this moment, will be something special. A moment in rugby that will be remembered long beyond any other match this season.

Elliott Smith: The Moana Pasifika game against the Fijian Drua on May 14. Regardless of those two sides being unlikely – at this stage – to make the top eight, that game promises to showcase why they have both been added to the comp. It's just a shame their inaugural game is in Sydney and not Mount Smart...or Suva (or Apia, or Nuku'ulofa).

Kate Wells: If Moana Pasifika can beat the Aussie teams. Playing New Zealand teams week in and week out has no doubt been a positive for the franchise, and I'm hoping to see some more wins next to their name.

Who wins the comp?

Liam Napier: Blues or Chiefs because, let's be honest, no one likes the Crusaders.

Alice Soper: Well Chiefs Manawa have already won Aupiki and it would be a fairytale to see the Fijiana Drua take out the Super W in their debut season. The majority of this team will be making their World Cup debut, albeit in the pool of death, this October so it would be great to see them carry this moment through.
In the men's competition, well. Do I dare jinx things and suggest the Blues might just get there?

Elliott Smith: The Crusaders.

Kate Wells: I'd love to see the Blues win. But I have to go with the Crusaders.