10 reasons to watch the Brisbane Tens this weekend

The Brisbane Global Tens is rugby in a strange new format and no one really knows how it’s going to go. Here’s why it’s worth a look this Saturday and Sunday.

1. When have you ever watched Tens before? Really, the only exposure to this shortened form of the game for most rugby fans is from local club tournaments. Expect more cover tackles than a game of Sevens, but fewer scrum resets than 15-a-side. It seems that the New Zealand teams are pretty unfamiliar with the concept too, with both the Blues and Crusaders yet to train, while Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd has admitted he knows nothing about the format. Good news for them, they can rely on…

2. Andrew Ready’s rule explanation videos. The Reds hooker was selected to perform the duties of informing the public of both the rules and the somewhat confusing tournament structure. Ready was clearly channelling his inner Marlon Brando, who was also heavily reliant on cue cards. However, it’s unlikely he’ll follow in The Godfather’s footsteps when the Oscars get handed out.

3. Marika Koroibete. Ever since the former NRL star decided that rugby union would offer a greater challenge (read: an instant pay rise and fast track to the Wallabies), there has been much conjecture over whether he’ll make the grade as a union player. With the extra space he’ll get at this tournament, he could either propel the Rebels into something resembling relevance, or get the ‘bust’ tag laid on him before the season has even begun.

4. Suncorp Stadium. Easily the best football venue in Australasia, Suncorp has been home to many memorable Origin, Broncos and Bledisloe clashes. It’s been a while since the Reds have been able to be spoken of in the same breath, but at least for one weekend Queensland fans can enjoy watching a bunch of better teams playing each other.

5. Blasts from the past. Chris Latham is pulling on the boots for the Reds, while the Brumbies have recalled Stephen Larkham and Andrew Walker for the tournament. All three are in their early forties, and could potentially be lining up against guys half their age.

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6. Samoa actually get to play. Rejoice, someone has actually listened to rugby fans and included a Pacific Island team in the competition. Let’s hope it’s a sign of things to come for Super Rugby.

7. The Panasonic Wild Knights. The Sunwolves certainly won a few fans in their debut Super Rugby season even if they didn’t win a lot of games. The Wild Knights could go one better at the Tens – they are actually quite stacked, boasting former Wallaby Berrick Barnes, Japanese captain Shota Horie and former Highlanders cult hero Fumiaki Tanaka.

8. There’s only one South African team. The Bulls are the only side from South Africa making the trip, which is probably a good thing considering the state of South African rugby lately.

9. It’s a good way to scout young Super Rugby talent. Obviously teams won’t be risking all of their top players – Super Rugby kicks off a fortnight later – so there will be a few wider squad members involved in the tournament. These are the sort of guys that pop up out of nowhere later in the season when someone gets injured, so at least this year we’ll know a little bit about them.

10. Because it’s something different! Ever since the end of regular tours the rugby season has become slightly monotonous. That’s not to say it’s been bad, just that every season follows more or less the same structure. This tournament offers a fresh alternative to scrappy preseason games, plus it’s all over and done with in the space of a weekend.