Aussie Super Rugby takes: Worrying trend, why Wilson is a cut above

You’d be hard pressed to find a predictable round of rugby anywhere in the world this weekend, in Ireland, powerhouse Leinster lost to the seventh-place Welsh Scarlets, the ACT Brumbies lost to the Hurricanes in Canberra for the first time in years, and the Top 14 served up some doozies in France. 

Jeopardy makes competitions great, for fans that is, one can imagine Stephen Larkham found his side’s loss far less intriguing than the Super Rugby Pacific fans, and Les Kiss and his Queensland Reds will be over the moon with their strong win against the Blues. 

The Australian sides lost the weekend two losses to one win in the trans-Tasman clashes and now finally, a Kiwi side has triumphed on Aussie soil in 2025.  

While the battle for the top six finalists rages on, the conversation around Wallabies selections only gets hotter, because every week the British and Irish Lions series draws nearer, and today we explore the Wallabies No.8 position. 

Brumbies receive a serious wake up call

The scoreline flatters the Brumbies, who were well beaten by a desperate and powerful?Hurricanes side. 

It was the clash of the capitals and the men from Wellington dished out to the Canberra boys, their first loss to them at home, since 2017. 

That record speaks for itself and shows just how crucial it is to finish in the top two, to secure a home quarter, semi, and perhaps grand final. 

The Aussie sides hopes of hoisting the trophy takes a substantial hit without a top two finish. 

What is promising, is their potency in the opposition’s 22m-zone, scoring four tries from their limited possession and territory, almost scoring on every entry, a strike rate any side would be happy with. 

Conversely, their defence was atrocious, their tackle completion ninth overall in the competition, despite sitting third on the ladder. 

Although their system accounts for missed tackles as part of their rush defence, tackling at 80 per cent against a side as dangerous as the Hurricanes is inviting too much risk into the equation. 

The Brums’ ambitions of a top two finish has taken a savage blow, but a close loss like that at home, with four games left to play in the regular season, is just the motivator the Brumbies need, in their relatively easy run to the finals. 

Tom Lynagh stands tall and leads Reds’ finals charge 

It’s always awesome to see a player prove the haters wrong, and 80kg, 180cm Lynagh punched well above his weight against a big Blues side. 

He’s always been considered a tough player but over the last couple of seasons there have been questions around his ability to handle the rigours of Test rugby. 

On Friday night, he took a step in dispelling any doubts about his ability to handle the confrontations at the top level.? 

It was just in the third minute of the game when Lynagh made his intentions known; he tucked the ball under his wing from five metres out and charged headfirst into All Blacks Rieko Ioane and Mark Tele’a, only to barge through them both, claiming the Reds’ first try of the night. 

His efforts throughout the game earned him the sixth most run metres overall, capping off impressive month, where his running game has steadily improved, showing on a few occasions?he has a decent offload in his toolkit. 

While Ben Donladson and Noah Lolesio were both impressive, getting involved and physical in their teams’ losses, Lynagh nonetheless took the ‘W’ this weekend, in the race for the Wallabies no.10 jersey. 

Australian sides worrying trend ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour 

If there’s one thing Australian rugby fans can bank on in the Lions’ series, it’s that the breakdown battle will be brutal, and fiercely?contested. 

As a result, the Wallabies’ must find a ruthless precision at their attacking breakdown and conversely work hard for an?indomitable drive to slow the Lions’ ball in defence. 

Over the weekend, five of Australia’s best fetchers were on display in the three crucial trans-Tasman ANZAC clashes, and while most got steals, it was not enough to swing momentum in their teams’ favour. 

Luke Reimer (13), Tom Hooper (10), Fraser McReight (9), Nick Frost (9), Darcy Swain (8) all got a turnover this weekend, and these five players along with Western Force captain Jeremy Williams (9), make up six of the top 11 pilferers in the competition. 

While this figure could be worse, only McReight?and Frost, and possibly Williams are walk up starters for the Wallabies, and even then, their figures are way behind Reimer. 

Their strike rate is also on average less than one were game, and the Wallabies are going to need more than three steals per Lions’ Test if they are to thwart the best of Ireland and Britain. 

Irish head coach Andy Farrell is at the helm and his emphasis will be on workrate and efficiency, something which the Wallabies are yet to master. 

These last few regular season clashes must see greater breakdown control from Australia’s best onballers, and will require players like Carlo Tizzano, Langi Gleeson, Angus Bell, and Fraser McReight to lift their game at ruck time. 

What sets Harry Wilson apart from the Wallaby No.8 contenders 

Harry Wilson was magnificent in Wallaby gold in 2024, he played so well in fact, his commanding presence guaranteed him a starting spot week-in week-out, and thus the captain’s armband. 

However, a Lions’ series requires a new standard, a new lens in which to view the strengths and weaknesses within and those the Lions bring with them. 

The Lions series will be a bruising encounter, attritional, and it will require only the strongest and hardest workers to be able to set the platform for victory, and although No.8 is at the back of the scrum, they often lead the charge. 

The Wallabies will need a No.8 who can crash in attack and smash in defence and who will disregard his own body when clearing a ruck, in other words, a brawler. 

While Farrell may well go with a pilfer heavy backrow, the Wallabies have the players to mirror or go with power, and while there are a few players who could play blindside and No.8, it appears currently like a three-horse race for the man who locks the scrum. 

Wilson, Gleeson, and Nick Champion de Crespigny, while they could all play blindside flank, why shift Rob Valetini out of a spot he dominated last year? 

All three have played comparable minutes, with Gleeson having made 108 carries for 608-metres with 21 defenders beaten. NCDC has made 59 carries for 306 with 11 defenders beaten and Wilson has carried 84 times for 504 metres for five line-breaks and 10 defenders beaten. 

On the other side of the ball, Gleeson leads the charge with 82 successful tackles for four misses and six dominant hits, at tackle success rate of 96 per cent.

Wilson has 110 tackles for nine misses and four dominant hits, for 92 per cent. NCDC has 136 tackles, 13 misses and six dominant tackles, for 90 per cent. 

However, Wilson has recorded zero penalties, Gleeson has four and NCDC has seven, now this next stat throws a real spanner in the works; the Reds are the least penalised side, with the Force and Waratahs tying for the second least penalised sides. 

Goal kicking will be a crucial element of the Lions series, and although you need a kicker to slot them, which puts the spotlight on the Wallabies’ nominated goal-kicker and potentially a deal-breaker for the eventual No.10, you have to get the penalties award in order to slot them. 

So, despite their being great competition for the no.8 spot, Wilson, based on form, appears to retain his spot at the top of the log, for now.