Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Super Rugby Power Rankings: The Kings bandwagon is gaining steam

Kings (Photo: Getty Images)

A change has come at the top of Scotty Stevenson’s power rankings after the Crusaders dethroned the Hurricanes in a New Zealand conference classic.

1. Crusaders (up 1)

I am a man of my word. Last week I suggested the Crusaders were “the only team you would actually back right now to have the defensive wherewithal to work out the Hurricanes attack”, and did they ever do that on Saturday night? That was a win for substance over style, and they deserve to be top of this week’s power rankings after keeping the hottest attacking team in the competition tryless over 80 minutes of bare-knuckle brawling footy. If you’re looking for heroes in the Crusaders, give the management team a plug. They have done an amazing job in terms of empowering the youngsters in that team and that enthusiasm has rejuvenated the veterans. Scott Barrett will be a big loss, but the emergence of Quinten Strange is a massive positive.

2. Hurricanes (down 1)

The Hurricanes forwards may have been out-muscled on Saturday night but it is hard to see a team that proud not bouncing back, and bouncing back fast. After a month of pounding ten types of hell out of teams, they fell short of their own lofty standards against the Crusaders. The lineout (offensively and defensively) was well down on expectation and the scrum got tooled up. Worryingly for the Hurricanes, their two losses this season have both come against renowned breakdown ballbusters, the Chiefs and the Crusaders. Expect them to tear the Cheetahs to shreds this week, after tearing each other to pieces on the training field. They’ll find their running game again, too. Being restricted to just 300 metres on Saturday will not sit well.

ADVERTISEMENT

https://twitter.com/Hurricanesrugby/status/863666472584794112

3. Lions (N/C)

I don’t blame the Lions for what they served up against the Brumbies. That is a team that can drain the life out of anything. You have to hand it to the Lions’ defence in Canberra. They were under the hammer from a team that just kept the ball for the entire match, and they still kept their line clean. Kwagga Smith, the sevens specialist, was the star of the show. His 81 metres was a team-high in the game.

4. Chiefs (up 1)

It’s rare that a team leaps up a place on a bye-week but that’s just the way it is this round. There is nothing the Chiefs would have enjoyed more than sitting back and watching the other sides in the playoff hunt bash the living bejesus out of each other. You get the feeling that the round 11 win over the Reds may well have sparked something with Hamilton’s finest. They will be full noise in Suva this weekend, knowing that they prevailed against the Crusaders at the same venue last year.

https://twitter.com/MalakaiFekitoa/status/863462466700939264

5. Highlanders (down 1)

You can give grit points and not much more to the Landers this week after mud-wrestling their way to another last-gasp victory, this time over the Bulls. There are two ways to look at this result: either this is the most determined team in history, or they are fast using up all nine of their lives. They will see themselves as the former, but what toll this emotional rollercoaster of a tour has taken will be revealed this weekend against the Force.

6. Blues (up 1)

A third straight win for the Blues, who have mastered the art of making the easy look hard. Take nothing away from their attack, which was good for a half century on the weekend. On the face of the stats, their defence is also firing. They have missed the fewest tackles per game of any side, won the most rucks, and conceded the fewest penalties. They’ve achieved all of this by keeping the ball for longer than any other side. That makes the final scoreline a little bit baffling. Up 45-18 after 53 minutes, their fade at the close and their concession of late tries is a worry.

https://twitter.com/SonnyBWilliams/status/864141717330694144

7. Kings (up 1)

When I said last week they were capable of beating the Sharks, I didn’t expect them to actually beat the Sharks. The Kings are still last in their conference, but with five games to go are still a chance to claim the African wildcard spot in the playoffs. That would be the most extraordinary result in Super Rugby history. I’m officially on the bandwagon.

8. Sharks (down 1)

Forget everything I said last week. The Sharks tried to defeat the Kings from depth. They are still not good enough to win games like that.

9. Stormers (up 1)

The break could not have come soon enough for the Stormers after their horror tour to New Zealand. Fortunately for them, their bye-week saw their closest rivals both beaten by kiwi sides. The Stormers will be better for being home and though they face a Blues team growing in confidence, if they can starve the visitors of ball, they can all but put the conference to bed.

[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1473723684″]

10. Jaguares (down 1)

The Jaguares tried to beat up on the Force which is a rookie move. The way to beat the Force is to run around them, not through them. The Jags were outrun, out-passed and out-thought by the desperate Force who limited the home side to just three clean breaks. The insistence on confrontation in the Jags’ undoing.

11. Waratahs (N/C)

With the Rebels, Highlanders, Chiefs, Jaguares and Force still to come, the Waratahs are fast running out of ways to snatch the conference from the Brumbies. Like the Stormers, the weekend off would have been the best thing for the Tahs, who have spent the entire season giving the ball to the opposition. Hopefully they spent the week removing the toes that have grown where their fingers used to be.

12. Cheetahs (up 1)

At least they’re trying to entertain us. Mostly it’s the old pie-in-the-face trick but who doesn’t like that old gag?

13. Brumbies (down 1)

Give the Brumbies some credit for minimising the damage against one of the best offences in the competition last weekend. But this team boasts the fewest running metres per game, the fewest offloads, the second fewest defender beats, and the third fewest clean breaks. They can’t win an opposition lineout, and haven’t made a scrum steal. Those are not minor issues.

https://twitter.com/BrumbiesRugby/status/863906230766415872

14. Force (up 3)

I’m going to give the Force some due credit here. Winning in Argentina is not easy. Especially when you are a team that averages 18 points per game. The Force’s biggest problem is they play like the Brumbies.

15. Bulls (down 1)

None of the current Bulls players were born the last time it rained at Loftus. Could be forgiven for wondering what was going on.

16. Sunwolves (down 1)

I missed the Moondogs this week. They shouldn’t be allowed bye weeks.

17. Reds (down 1)

Took 81 minutes to beat the most limited team in the competition.

18. Rebels (N/C)

Can’t buy a win. I feel for this team. The loss to the Reds was the cruellest cut of all.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

N
Nickers 26 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

41 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors Scott Robertson responds about handling errors
Search