Hurricanes' Boyd era finishes but Crusaders chase just beginning - Season Review
The insurmountable task of toppling the Crusaders in Christchurch ended a largely successful Hurricanes season, but more significa…
Ben Smith
29 Jul 2018, 0:25
Contributors
Ben Smith
@bensmithrugby
A former financial analyst & auditor in retail banking, Ben is a columnist at RugbyPass specialising in opinion-based analysis, breaking down rugby as he sees it, to uncover what professional teams are trying to do around the world.
How to fix Super Rugby
What is needed now is a complete reset but also strategic action to address waning interest in the game in Australia and New Zeala…
Ben Smith
24 Jul 2018, 23:39
Highlanders playoff exit spells end of an era – Season Review
The loss marks the end of a promising season, the first under new head coach Aaron Mauger, and is almost the final chapter of the …
Ben Smith
23 Jul 2018, 2:05
Why Israel Folau should not sign with the Queensland Reds
Aside from the chances of winning more championships, the question isn’t whether Folau would make the Reds better, which is obvi…
Ben Smith
18 Jul 2018, 20:49
Why Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett's one-year deals are smart decisions
The surprise was both deals were short-term commitments. On the face of it looks like a worrying sign the two might up and leave, …
Ben Smith
17 Jul 2018, 18:59
Analysis: Where has Beauden Barrett's kick-pass gone?
It seems like last year an endless supply of cross-field kicks fuelled the Hurricanes attack, led by Beauden Barrett. This year th…
Ben Smith
17 Jul 2018, 2:13
Rebels rising from the canvas - Season Review
Wessels deserves a lot of credit for lifting this franchise off the canvas and building a foundation to climb from. A lot of talen…
Ben Smith
16 Jul 2018, 0:07
Chiefs midfielder Johnny Fa'auli is a Hitman stuck in the wrong era
Old school centre Brian Lima, also revered for his brutal tackling, was nicknamed the ‘Chiropractor’ for his back-breaking hit…
Ben Smith
14 Jul 2018, 23:57
The Blues Pero-future is here, and it's better than you think
After years and years of searching for a quality first five-eighth, they just may have found one. A deeper look behind the surface…
Ben Smith
11 Jul 2018, 21:12
Can anyone stop the Crusaders from going back-to-back?
That win confirmed the road to Super Rugby glory goes through Christchurch one way or another. It will take someone to beat them a…
Ben Smith
10 Jul 2018, 20:42
More questions than answers for Queensland Reds under Thorn - Season Review
The final standing for Thorn’s first year as a Super Rugby head coach is really no different to the lean Richard Graham years, w…
Ben Smith
10 Jul 2018, 0:23
Aging talent on Brumbies means rebuild is a necessity - Season Review
This season has largely been a forgettable one for the Canberra franchise, suffering from dire crowd numbers, poor results and an …
Ben Smith
08 Jul 2018, 23:42
Chiefs versus Hurricanes back-to-back could’ve been career altering
We will miss out on McKenzie against Barrett in back-to-back high stakes clashes. This could've been career altering for the two.
Ben Smith
08 Jul 2018, 2:35
Analysis: Welcome to the Laumape show
The Roar. The chest thump. The catchphrase. They are fast becoming trademarks of Ngani Laumape’s try-scoring celebration.
Ben Smith
07 Jul 2018, 22:45
Piecing together the Brad Thorn and Quade Cooper relationship - the feud explained
This has everything to do with Quade Cooper. Let’s just call a spade a spade and attempt to piece together how this saga unfolde…
Ben Smith
05 Jul 2018, 1:03
Analysis: Anton Lienert-Brown vs Rob Thompson was an epic battle in Suva
The Chiefs against the Highlanders in Suva provided an intriguing individual contest even though the game was lopsided. The curren…
Ben Smith
03 Jul 2018, 22:39
Should Rieko Ioane leave the Blues?
21-year-old wing Rieko Ioane is off-contract at the end of the year. The star will likely re-sign with NZR, but should he stay wit…
Ben Smith
02 Jul 2018, 19:05
Super Rugby conferences only serve to strengthen New Zealand rugby
What has transpired in recent years is not what the administrators planned for – the New Zealand conference has produced multipl…
Ben Smith
01 Jul 2018, 20:37
What has happened to the Hurricanes?
The high-flying team that went on a ten-game win streak has failed to score more than 15 points a game in three straight losses.
Ben Smith
01 Jul 2018, 2:39
Why you should be interested in Super Rugby again
So, how do you beat the test window hangover and push through the tail end of the Super Rugby season? Here are some of the positiv…
Ben Smith
28 Jun 2018, 0:19
