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Phil Waugh's 'important' challenge to Australia's Super Rugby teams

(L-R) Waratahs captain Jake Gordon, Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa, Rebels captain Rob Leota, Force captain Michael Wells and Reds captain Tate McDermott at the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific Season Launch on February 14, 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)

Phil Waugh is challenging Australia’s under-performing Super Rugby sides to finally stand up to their New Zealand rivals for the sake of the Wallabies and the ailing code in general.

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The All Blacks have enjoyed a mortgage-like hold on the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, way back when Waugh was still playing.

Now the champion flanker turned Rugby Australia chief executive is offering advice on how the Wallabies can break the embarrassing 21-year series-winning drought.

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And it’s not exactly rocket science: start beating the Kiwis at Super Rugby and that might help when it comes to Test time.

Last year, the benchmark ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Melbourne Rebels and Western Force managed just six wins from a combined 30 matches against their trans-Tasman foes in Super Rugby.

Even that 20 per cent winning strike rate was an improvement on two decades of NZ beat-downs that includes a humiliating combined low of none-from-31 return against the Crusaders, Chiefs, Blues, Hurricanes and Highlanders in 2017.

When it comes to play-off matches in New Zealand, it’s even worse.

The Kiwis have won all 15 trans-Tasman finals encounters since the competition began in 1996 and Australian victories on NZ soil have become alarmingly rare.

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But in 2015, when the Brumbies and Waratahs both made the Super Rugby semi-finals, the Wallabies reached the World Cup final in England.

“There’s a strong correlation between having a successful Wallaby team and how we perform at Super Rugby level and it’s important for our Super Rugby team to set up the season for the Wallabies,” Waugh said ahead of the competition start on Friday.

“There’s been challenges around our competitiveness in Super Rugby, and we’ve seen that go through into the late stage of the tournament.

“Ideally, you see our five Super Rugby teams consistently winning and beating New Zealand teams.”

Waugh was reticent to offer a “pass mark” for the Australian teams against Kiwi opposition in 2024.

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“All I know is that every game that you go into, we want to have our Australian sides a genuine chance to win,” he said.

“I don’t want to be too optimistic but, from early signs in the trials, it appears that we’re prepared.

“It’s going to be how we perform in the games this weekend and, ideally, we get off to a fast start for all our Super Rugby teams.”

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Hellhound 18 minutes ago
France put World Cup pain behind them with unbeaten run in November

France is starting to look like they are finally over their WC headache, although they were lucky that NZ had a very bad game. The Argies as usual is one game good, the next bad. If they can sort that out and be more consistent, they could become contenders for the WC.


NZ, Argentina (if they are more consistent), and now the Wallabies too is in an upward curve (can they be consistent?), as well as Fiji(as inconsistent as Argentina) looks like possible contenders. The Boks will be as usual a huge threat to defend their title. Things are looking up for the South, so the North should rightfully beware of the Southern Hemisphere threat.


With the French looking dangerous, the English with their close runs (mostly a mindset problem) and the Scottish seems to be the NH main contenders. The Irish is good, but not excellent anymore. They are more overbearing and with their glory days mostly gone with old players hanging on by a thread, by 2027 if they don't start adding in the younger players, they won't make it past yet another WC Quarter final. The problem is that their youngsters, while good is nothing special.


That is just 8 teams without the Irish that can become real WC contenders. Lots of hickups to be sorted still for these teams, excluding the Boks to become a threat. Make no mistake, the top Tier is much closer than people realise and the 2027 WC will be a really great WC, possibly the best contended WC ever.

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