Are the Brumbies Really Really that Good?

Last night's Super rugby clash at a rainy and windy Cake-Tin turned out to be the clash of two sides with lots of inexperienced but highly talented, young players. In the end, Jake White's baby Brumbies beat Mark Hammett's young Hurricanes, making a tremendous comeback in the 2nd half after being 10 points down at one stage.

Zack Holmes

There may not be many established internationals in both squads - the Brumbies have Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore and Pat McCabe, Hurricanes have Victor Vito, Conrad Smith and Cory Jane. But you'd think there may be many more to come by the end of this season at the earliest - the talent of Hurricanes' Beauden Barrett, Brad Shields and Julian Savea has already been recognised by All Blacks selectors with their naming in the 35-man training squad to prepare for next month's test series against Ireland and you can expect a few more Brumbies to be named in the Wallabies squad for their series against Wales next month.

There is no doubt that Jake White has really done wonders with this young, inexperienced squad and is the right fit for the Brumbies at the right time - the wrong type of coach would have struggled, and the Brumbies would not be in contention for a playoff spot.

He has unearthed some real talent in the likes of Jesse Mogg, Sam Carter, Michael Hooper, Zack Holmes & Joseph Tomane. He has also turned the likes of the slightly more experienced Ben Mowen & Christian Lealiifano into the guiding lights of this infant team.

Suddenly, Australian rugby's depth looks a little bit better even if it's nowhere near the depth of South Africa and New Zealand. Let's not forget that the Reds do have quite a few decent players too like Horwill, Cooper, Genia, Higginbotham and Shipperley.

I think Robbie Deans' philosophy on picking a youthful Wallabies side could see a few Brumbies in his soon-
to-be announced Wallabies team.

As for the game, it was one that the Hurricanes probably could afford to lose if there is ever such a thing, as the competition dictates there needs to be at least one Australian side in the playoffs, with the Brumbies looking a fairly safe bet to fly the Aussie flag in the post-season after this win. It certainly does boost their respectability on the table - they are now 3rd on the overall ladder by virtue of competition points as well as being Aussie conference leaders. 

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes will learn from this and definitely will win a few more to push their claims for a wildcard spot - not a bad achievement in itself given they were not really the plaudits' choice at the start of the season. It has already been a good season for the Hurricanes with greatness not that far away.

Who Should be the Next Blues Coach?

So it appears the Lam era is about to end in the Blues fraternity. The Blues have announced that they will be advertising Lam's job before a review of this season has been completed.

Too soon or about right? It is probably fair enough given that the Blues have had a disastrous campaign to date after all the pre-season expectations, after the signings of All Blacks Nonu and Weepu, and given the apparent talent around those All Blacks.

On a side note, I think Nonu and Weepu are a bad influence on the team and should be allowed to go overseas to play their rugby. Look what happened at the Hurricanes; it appears they've carried it over to what was already a fragmented and disorganized Blues camp (yes this was even after their fairly successful 2011 season).

While all the 4 other New Zealand Super Rugby franchises are consistently winning and placing themselves in great positions to contest the playoffs, the Blues are now firmly behind, cast adrift and fighting to avoid the wooden spoon.

So who should be the new coach? Here are my 5 candidates.

Rangi as player

Leon Macdonald
The longest shot here but worth considering should the Blues decide to take a leaf out of the Hurricanes book, eat their Auckland pride, and realise that the Crusaders way is the way to go. Macdonald has just started coaching with the Tasman Makos but mind you, Mark Hammett was only assistant coach at the Crusaders when he got the Hurricanes job and look where the Hurricanes are now.

Bryce Woodward/Liam Barry
The current assistant coaches at the Blues but they may not be in the running if the Blues decide that a cleanout of the current coaching staff is needed. However, Woodward has been involved in Northland's recent success.

Peter Russell
It was a huge shock when Peter Russell was sacked from the Hawkes Bay coaching job despite leading the Magpies back to the Premier Division last season, and despite helping turn the Bay from a former second division team into one of the biggest contenders in NZ provincial rugby. Russell may be an outsider given his lack of links to the Blues franchise but could be worth a punt if the Blues want someone from outside the Auckland region to have a look and turn things around.

Vern Cotter
The only other contender to Steve Hansen for the All Blacks head coach job last year, Cotter is one of NZ's best coaches at the moment, yet is a bit of an unknown in his own country, having enjoyed all of his success so far in France with Top 14 and Heineken Cup contenders, Clermont Auvergne. However, if Cotter has aspirations for the top job in New Zealand rugby, he must consider coaching one of the Super Rugby franchises soon and the Blues would give him the perfect opportunity to show the New Zealand rugby union what he can do. The only trouble is that

Wayne Smith
Must be favourite now surely after his decision to stay in New Zealand rather than take up the assistant coaching job with the England rugby team. The Blues must appoint the former All Blacks head coach and definitely the most highly qualified coach in New Zealand rugby who isn't currently in a head coaching role. He helped win the Rugby World Cup for New Zealand last year and has definitely transformed the Chiefs into the real deal this season. It would be perfect for Smith who originally chose the Chiefs so he could be close to his family in Putaruru rather than return to Crusaders land - yes it'll be a slightly longer drive not greatly. And yes he was an ex-Crusaders head coach.

Alternate All Blacks XV for June Internationals

Imagine if you weren't able to pick the likes of Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu or any of last year's Rugby World Cup winning squad for June's internationals. What would the All Blacks look like?

Perhaps the picture isn't quite frightening - for All Blacks fans - with plenty of young stars who have impressed in this year's Super Rugby.







Here's my team:
1.Jamie Mackintosh, Highlanders
2.Hika Elliott, Chiefs
3.Ben Tameifuna, Chiefs
4.Brodie Retallick, Chiefs
5.Luke Romano, Crusaders
6.Liam Messam, Chiefs
7.Sam Cane, Chiefs
8.Brad Shields, Hurricanes
9.Aaron Smith, Highlanders
10.Beauden Barrett, Hurricanes
11.Julian Savea, Hurricanes
12.Tamati Ellison, Highlanders
13.Robbie Fruean, Crusaders
14.Ben Smith, Highlanders
15.Andre Taylor, Hurricanes

SUBS:
16.Dane Coles, Hurricanes
17.Toby Smith, Chiefs
18.Jarrad Hoeata, Highlanders
19.Matt Todd, Crusaders
20.TJ Perenara, Hurricanes
21.Tom Taylor, Crusaders
22.Shaun Treeby, Highlanders

Super Rugby Rookie XV So Far

So nearing the halfway point of the Super Rugby season, which rookies and youngsters have made big impressions this season so far?

*Rookies here mean players who have played less than 2 seasons - 2nd season players must have played less than half of all scheduled competitive games for their team in their 1st season.

1.Ben Tameifuna, Chiefs
2.Motu Matu'u, Hurricanes
3.Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen, Hurricanes
4.Eben Etzebeth, Stormers
5.Brodie Retallick, Chiefs

6.Siya Kolisi, Stormers
7.Michael Hooper, Brumbies
8.Brad Shields, Hurricanes
9.TJ Perenara, Hurricanes
10.Beauden Barrett, Hurricanes
11.Tom Kingston, Waratahs
12.Tom Taylor, Crusaders
13.JJ Englebrecht, Bulls
14.David Raikuna, Blues
15.Willie le Roux, Cheetahs

Are the Chiefs Legitimate Super Rugby Title Contenders?

It's 16 April and the Chiefs are top of the table. No this is not a belated April Fool's joke nor is it a belated Friday the 13th horror story.

The Chiefs are deservedly and rightfully at the top of the New Zealand conference and as a result of the Stormers losing on the weekend, rightfully at the top of the overall standings. Despite beginning the season with a loss to the Highlanders in Hamilton, the Chiefs have been the team to beat since then and after a 100% record in South Africa, must surely now be favourites to win the title (EDIT following Chiefs' 18-12 win in Durban over Sharks)

Yes, the wins have been against the Force and Cheetahs who are at the wrong end of the table but the Force have been a decent side at home and the Chiefs were made to fight for their win by them. Likewise, the Cheetahs who had a brilliant overseas tour and were a side on the up and it was a superb result by the Chiefs to not only win but get a try-scoring bonus point.

The Chiefs have always had the backs to run around teams but never had the forward pack and defence to back it up. But under Dave Rennie, the Chiefs appear to finally have a pack to be the best and are only second to the Stormers in defence this season. As the shaven head saga has shown, this year's Chiefs are a solid team and look set to stay that way - the same can't be said for the team two hours north on State Highway 1. And with players still yet to return from injury, the Chiefs are perfectly placed to repeat their Finals appearance in 2009 - and this time maybe even have the party at home in Moolooland.

The Chiefs go to Durban and the Shark Tank to take on the returning Sharks. The Chiefs could have the edge as they have already been in the Republic but this season, it appears teams have weathered the long trip across the Indian Ocean better - the Crusaders, Cheetahs and Reds have won after being out of their continent, while the Hurricanes were unlucky to lose on their first home game since starting the season in South Africa. The Sharks would also be buoyed by a reasonable tour to Australia and NZ too.

Even if they lose against the Sharks, the Chiefs should be very satisfied with what they've achieved so far this season and should be rightfully confident of their prospects at the business end of the season. But I think they can beat the Sharks travelling home from New Zealand this week and return home to Hamilton to face the buoyant and refreshed Hurricanes side too.

Hopefully they can get a decent crowd too as the type of rugby they've been playing deserves a decent home crowd.

Can Anyone Stop the Stormers?

It seems a weird topic to discuss given that they had just lost to the Crusaders overnight but to be fair, the Crusaders had to play extremely well to beat a still excellent Stormers side - who deservedly got a bonus point at the death which will definitely go a long way to boosting their chances of hosting much of the finals series.

The Stormers in my opinion are still very much the team to beat but they were always going to find it hard to beat the Crusaders in front of a parochial and rugby starved Christchurch crowd. I don't think they've ever won in Christchurch if my memory serves me right.

Ok, while the Highlanders v Stormers game the previous weekend was certainly a clash between the then no. 1 and no. 2 teams on the table, you always got the sense that this year's Highlanders may not be quite ready to take on an in-form dominant South African side like the Stormers. On the other hand, the Crusaders have the experience and known pedigree to beat any side and you felt that they could beat the first team to end the unbeaten run of the Stormers.

They struggled to beat them, but beat them they did courtesy of those typical Crusaders moments and of course that Crusaders D.

But once again, it was that Stormers defence that stood out for me again, as well as their ability to dominate the breakdowns with so few men committed to them. They clearly have plenty of physically big players who are also pretty skillful around the park - the problem with South African rugby in the past was the fact they just had these big fat men which the All Blacks and Wallabies could run rings around. However, the professionalism of the game has created a generation of South African rugby players who could be the most outstanding physical specimens of rugby players ever.

And again their backs looked dangerous. Joe Pietersen looks like Percy Montgomery reborn while Bryan Habana might be in the Indian summer of his career having looked so out of sorts last year. Then there's always the class of Jean de Villiers and halfback, Duvenage.

I have a feeling if the Stormers can come back from this loss and win most of their remaining games in the Republic - well really that's all of their games for the rest of the season now that they've got their tour of the Antipodes out of the way bar one more game against the reigning champions, Reds - they would top the table and host the finals in Cape Town. And it would be quite a formidable task for any team to beat them there if they were on song.

Not that I don't mind too much, if it had to be a South African team to win the Super rugby competition - and they seem more likely to now, I'd rather these guys win it and not the Bulls.

How to Fix the Blues

There is no doubt that the Blues are in deep trouble this season and have plenty to fix. Here are my tips to fixing the franchise.

1. Change of coach
Pat Lam has been there for some time and it's clear the Blues need a change in direction in the coaching. I think the Blues should take a punt, get over their big city ego and hire the next Mark Hammett from the Crusaders - maybe Aaron Mauger, Leon Macdonald or Dave Hewett who are currently amongst the rising crop of coaches in Canterbury. What more could they lose - they've missed out on Dave Rennie and Jamie Joseph, two of the most promising coaches in the country at the moment.

Actually aren't Wayne Smith, Peter Russell and Sir Graham Henry available too?

2. Players
The new coach should let many of the senior players who are pretty much at the end of their careers in NZ leave, e.g. Ali Williams, Keven Mealamu, Isaia Toeava, Daniel Braid, Tony Woodcock, Piri Weepu, Ma'a Nonu so that the coach can hire the players he wants to have in the squad and build a team that can win a championship in the future if not the next season. We have seen what a young, dynamic squad can do with the Hurricanes. Perhaps the Blues need to clear the closet and get some new clothes.

This would be my Blues squad to be a championship contender in years to come -

1.Charlie Faumuina

Charles Piutau, younger brother of Highlander, Sale.

2.Tom McCartney
3.Tevita Mailau
4.Anthony Boric (captain)
5.Filo Paolo
6.Chris Lowrey
7.Luke Braid
8.Peter Sai'li
9.Alby Matthewson
10.Gareth Anscombe
11.Bryce Heen
12.Benson Stanley
13.Rene Ranger
14.Sherwin Stowers
15.Charles Piutau

Has Super Rugby Become South Africa's?

All sports competitions go through times when a particular side or country dominates. The UEFA Champions League has been dominated by the English sides in recent times, the NFL by the NFC sides while it appears now you could say that Super Rugby is currently being dominated by the South African sides.

For years, South African sides were absolute cannon fodder. Yes they were strong at home but absolutely useless once they crossed the Indian Ocean. Their poor form in the Antipodes hampered the likes of the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Cats - the highest they could finish was 3rd meaning they'd have to go back to the Antipodes for the finals series where as expected they would still be exhausted from the long trip on game day and be sent home packing.

Even at home, they were beaten by the more streetwise and athletic New Zealand and Australian sides who exposed the South African sides as nothing but big fat slobs around the park, playing an antiquated and outdated form of rugby. That further dented the South African sides' title aspirations and pushed back their confidence for a couple of seasons.

When expansion of the Super Rugby competition came, it was a bit of a surprise that South Africa received another team despite clearly being inferior to the Australian and New Zealand sides. Alas, South Africa's big player base warranted the country's 5th franchise and the much overdue emergence of the Republic as a key power broker in the SANZAR alliance.

At the same time, a new generation of coaches was also emerging in the Republic. Heyneke Meyer at the Bulls was one of them, doing a Crusaders-like job in the Northern Transvaal franchise by turning them around from dreadful wooden-spooners into playoff contenders and finally South Africa's most successful Super rugby franchise, and their own answer to the Crusaders. In fact, the legacy left by Meyer has been so great, that years after Meyer left the coaching role at the Bulls, the Bulls are still one of the top teams in Super Rugby, and still churning out future Springboks playing a fast, exciting and physical brand of rugby with their big, athletic young forwards and backs.

Stormers v Bulls - now the big clash to watch 

However, the Bulls now have to fight the Stormers for the mantle of top South African side. After many years of under performance, the Stormers have become the epitomy of South Africa's recent dominance of Super Rugby. They may have spent money on getting players like Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie to Cape Town but the coaches there have also installed a system that has finally managed to combine style with substance at last. They've also become streetwise and have figured how to win in the Antipodes.

The Western Province side may have always been one of the more attractive sides to watch from South Africa but had often struggled up front. Now they appear to be one of the most complete teams in world rugby, with a superb, hard working forward pack that is great in all facets of the game, i.e. scrums, lineouts, breakdowns, giving room to one of the most potent backlines in world rugby including the likes of Peter Grant, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Bryan Habana, Gio Aplon and Joe Pietersen.

2012 could be the year the Stormers may finally become champions. They'll be motivated too that they missed out last season after a surprisingly lacklustre performance against the Crusaders in their semifinal.

But the Stormers aren't the only side who have now figured how to win in the Antipodes. The Cheetahs have been very impressive on their short tour and could have easily won 3 out of their 4 games which was unthinkable given their record. What was most impressive was the style of rugby they played which was very much out of the New Zealand rugby manual - fast, exciting, physical and highly skillful in equal measure.

The Sharks and Lions can also turn it on on their day although the Sharks appear to be a fragile side this year while the Lions haven't toured here yet.

But while the first decade of Super Rugby belonged to the New Zealanders and the Brumbies briefly, the second decade of Super Rugby has so far belonged very much to the Republic and could be for a while given their population base for rugby players is far bigger than both Antipodes combined. It is really now down to the Kiwis and Aussies to figure out how to change that.

Mark Hammett: Good Coach or Great Team?

The Hurricanes have won 4 games this season after 7 games played. Many tipped the Hurricanes to win only 4 games this season which could still happen but is unlikely now with the Hurricanes already having made the annual trip to South Africa and Perth and won an impressive 2 games out of 3 there.

Last night, the Hurricanes produced a sublime performance in front of the Taranaki fans, beating one of the favourites of the competition at the start of the season, the Sharks 42-18. They learnt well from last week to keep applying the pressure for 80 minutes despite having an initial big lead rather than take the foot of the pedal like they did against the Cheetahs in Wellington the week before.

What was impressive about the win in New Plymouth last night was the fact that even with a bonus point well under the bag, the Hurricanes never stopped playing and continued to look for tries to put the game out of bed. What was even more impressive was that the Hurricanes did it despite having far less of the ball than the Sharks who must have been shell shocked to find themselves 25-3 down at halftime despite having more than 50% of the ball in the first half.

Andre Taylor has been a huge spark at the back

The Hurricanes had played like they have all season - fast, exciting, counter-attacking rugby with their young backs stretching the play across the field and their equally young forwards busting a gap when they find it. Their defence is a weakpoint but is to be expected from such a young side and has shown signs of gradual improvement.

So is it down to Mark Hammett or is this team actually rather great? It's a bit of both but I think the coach deserves some credit for sticking to his philosophy despite all the criticism and trouble last season. When Hammett was appointed Hurricanes coach in 2010, he had a plan and a philosophy all along. Sure it was very much an imitation of the highly successful Crusaders imitation which was at odds with the Hurricanes way of playing but at least he had a plan and despite unrest from the established Hurricanes like Hore, Gear, Nonu, Weepu, Tialata & Jane, he persevered knowing he was onto something.

Beauden Barrett - future All Black star?

Through a difficult 2011 as the Hurricanes lost games and crowds from the stadium, Hammett's plans for 2012 were slowly coming to fruition. Amidst the news of All Blacks Aaron Cruden, Ma'a Nonu, Andrew Hore, Hosea Gear & Piri Weepu leaving the region, the Hurricanes were signing young players like Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen. Other young promising players like Charlie Ngatai, TJ Perenara, Jack Lam, Brad Shields and Beauden Barrett were also secured subsequently. Later on, more experienced players like Tim Bateman and Ben May were also signed. Eventually, Cory Jane and Conrad Smith also stayed on.

Jeff Toomaga-Allen: highly impressive this season

From the outset, it looked like a Hurricanes team bereft of star power, and likely to lack excitement. In fact, they said it was very much a weakened and ravaged team. But all along, Hammett knew that these were exactly the players he wanted in his team playing his type of rugby. That is the mark of a good coach - yes there is definitely talent in the team but it is definitely not a team of established stars and one that would have required a damn good coach to get them where they are and tell them what they were doing wrong.  

The latest testament to that was the Hurricanes' ability to learn quickly from the mistakes made against the Cheetahs and bounce back brilliantly against the Sharks - funnily enough they did that against the Blues after a tight loss against the Highlanders a few weeks ago.

Bateman: player of the old mould - smart and skilled

The Hurricanes probably will lose out to the Crusaders after the bye next week. Chances are they probably will lose out on a playoff spot in what is shaping up to be a tight Super Rugby season and a highly competitive New Zealand conference. But they certainly will lose out on the wooden spoon that many tipped them to hold - they could still finish last in the NZ conference although that is not really something to be ashamed of and at this stage, it looks like the injury-ravaged Blues are set for that 5th and last spot.

But perhaps, Mark Hammett finally should get the credit he deserves for re-energizing this Hurricanes and possibly building a championship winning team in the next few seasons. At least, he deserves credit for sticking with his guns despite all that pressure from the Dominion Post last season and now being able to show everyone why he did what he did last season.

So come on Canes fans, fill that stadium and support your team!

What's Wrong with the Aussie Super Rugby Teams?

With 6 rounds to go, two things are clear: the New Zealand and South African sides are leading the way, and the Aussies are being left well behind at this stage.

In fact, the Australian conference of 2012 so far has been akin to the NFL's weakest of the weak, NFC West division in the 2010 season when no teams finished with a winning record and the eventual division champ, the Seattle Seahawks only won the division because they won their last game despite possessing a final losing 7-9 season record.

The Australian teams have certainly had it rough in recent times after a glorious late 90s and early 00s. Now that the South African teams have figured out how to succeed away from the Republic in Super Rugby, the Australian teams have found themselves lagging behind with only the Queensland Reds of 2011 pulling away from the rest - a bit like the San Francisco 49ers of 2011 did, when they were streets ahead of the other NFC West teams; and yes I know they both wear red.

However, the Reds of 2012 have been a pale shadow of the side that thrilled on its way to its first ever championship in 2011. Yes, injuries and suspension to key players hasn't helped, i.e. Quade Cooper, Mike Harris, Digby Ioane, Ben Lucas, etc. but you'd expect a side coached by Ewen McKenzie not to have a ton of points scored against it in two weekends. Ok, the Bulls in Pretoria in the highveldt can be quite a tough proposition when you have so many injuries but to be thrashed by the Western Force in Perth and concede a try-scoring bonus point? That is just unbelievable.

As a result, the Reds are now in a mire with their dirty arch-rivals, the NSW Waratahs and the newbies, the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels separated only by 3 points. They're 5 points behind the Brumbies but even the Canberra side can't really be too happy where they are, with only 18 points, and 3rd on the table by dint of the fact they're the Australian conference leader - they're actually 6th tied with the chasing Crusaders with the Bulls and Chiefs actually having more points than them at this stage.

Yes, there are plenty of rounds to go and yes the competition does go till July so Aussie fans shouldn't really panic. After all, there will be an Australian side in the playoffs, but whether there'll be another one, it's a bit hard to see, given that 2012 isn't a Rugby World Cup year, all the South African and New Zealand sides will be absolutely hoeing into the rigours of a full Super rugby campaign.

It has got to be a depth issue across Australia. Yes, it is quite plain to see with the Reds who have definitely struggled once you take out their best players but have a look at the other teams. The Western Force have had to sign David Harvey from club footie in Sydney as injury cover for the injured James Stannard and the move of James O'Connor to Melbourne - having said that, Harvey has actually been quite impressive as first-five there. A spattering of ITM Cup players who couldn't make their own Super Rugby teams in NZ like James Speight, Toby Lynn etc. have also been signed by Australian sides simply because there isn't enough depth to cover 5 teams. This in addition to the likes of Sal Pretorius, Mike Harris, Gareth Delve, Michael Lipman who are all overseas imports.

It is obvious that the war in Australia between the three big football codes, rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules has clearly left rugby union a bit of a poor cousin with the riches of league and Aussie rules a carrot for many young budding Aussie boys. While New Zealand rugby union still has a fight with rugby league, rugby union will continue to win that fight for players. And South Africa has double the population of Australia and no football war to contend with.

Having said that, rugby union has always been a bit of a whipping boy in Australia and the depth of players in Australia has always been the weakest out of the top sides bar Ireland, Scotland and Italy so what's new.

In fact, you could say that the game turning professional might have probably helped Australian rugby and that things could have been far worse if the game wasn't professional there. The franchises there certainly have the money to play the game the European sides play and hence they can afford guys like James Cipriani from England, and big money moves between states involving the likes of James O'Connor and Matt Giteau.

I guess as a Kiwi rugby fan, I have a wry smile seeing our big Tasman brothers failing for once, having seen many Kiwis go over there for the West Island's other big benefits. At the same time though, you wonder if it's a good look for Super Rugby to hand Australia a free ticket into the playoffs despite being clearly so inferior - and they would have definitely missed out under the old system if the season closed last weekend.  

Can the Canes, Highlanders and Chiefs Keep Up this Glory Run?

Just to show that New Zealand rugby is alive and very much kicking everyone in its path away, the likes of the Highlanders, Chiefs and even the much-maligned Hurricanes are leading the way with 3 rounds played in this year's Super Rugby competition. Meanwhile, the traditional powerhouses of Auckland and Canterbury, the Blues and Crusaders respectively find themselves in the wrong half of the table.

In fact, its the Highlanders leading the New Zealand conference,who must be inspired by the fact they're playing in New Zealand's flashest, newest and best stadium at the moment with crowds well in excess of Carisbrook's averages over the last 10 years. They looked like they've built on the potential shown last season; Jamie Joseph's first in charge of the southern franchise and with some big signings like All Blacks, Andrew Hore and Hosea Gear, and former All Black and Hurricane utility back, Tamati Ellison, the Highlanders have never had it better even with the injuries they've already suffered.

The trouble is: the injuries they've already suffered. As evident in the first three games, the Highlanders under Jamie Joseph are playing a very fast, physical brand of rugby. Great when you're under a roof, great early on in the season. The question is can they maintain it through the season; or rather do they have enough players to maintain it through the season? There is no doubt there will be player absences between now and July and the Highlanders' depth will be key to determining if this challenge is for real or whether the challenge will peter out like it did towards the end of last season when the Highlanders clearly hit the wall against the Lions, Western Force, Blues and Waratahs.

But let's just enjoy the rugby the Highlanders are playing right now because it's probably some of the best the region has ever seen.

Anyway, the Highlanders will be travelling on the 6:50am flight to Wellington shortly to take on another surprise package of the season - the Hurricanes.

Ok, like most people, I tipped the Canes to be the worst New Zealand team - and they probably still will take that honour, but they might not finish as low down the table as we might have thought now after a highly successful tour of South Africa - have you seen how many South Africans live in Perth?

By the way here's a bow to "one" of my favourite South African families from the Street City Church, Erik and the Andersen family who just moved to Little South Africa from Wellington.

Anyway, the Hurricanes must now show that they can perform when the heat is on at home against a fellow New Zealand franchise in the NFC East-like New Zealand conference of the Super rugby competition; it could be argued that the Hurricanes performed well away from home because the heat is off them and they're underdogs anyway. It is vital they do in order to get the crowds back to Westpac Stadium.

The Highlanders will be a tough first-up test though and the Hurricanes pack isn't one of the strongest. It will be quite an even game but one that could prove to be a marker for both sides for the rest of the season.

The question is, even if the Hurricanes get up and win, can they sustain a challenge to make it to the Finals? Like the Highlanders, they play an abrasive, aggressive, fast brand of rugby that will surely takes it toll on the players and the Hurricanes probably have the worst depth in the country at the moment. Injuries to the tight forwards could prove devastating to any chance of the Hurricanes competing in the playoffs - their tight forwards as they are already are quite inexperienced having lost the likes of Neemia Tialata and John Schwalger over the off-season.

Unfortunately, much as the start has been great, the Hurricanes will probably be last in the NZ conference - which is not something to be shameful of really given how tight it is and the changes at the team in the off-season - but I think they might still finish in the top ten which is not a bad achievement.

Finally, the Chiefs, undoubtedly the most dangerous team in New Zealand at the moment - two wins against the favourites, Crusaders and Blues, has gotta earn you that title. Injuries to key players like Leila Masaga and Brendon Leonard along with prop, Ben Afeaki, could have been devastating - as it showed in the last stages of their season opener against the Highlanders. But the Chiefs appear to have weathered the storm - in fact they seem to be a better side because of it, as it has meant some very good young stars have emerged, i.e. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, a young halfback who has certainly raised eyebrows with his performance and might even be mentioned as an All Black as early as June.

Heck, their tight forwards are actually rather good too and did extremely well against the Blues and Crusaders' All Black-laden forward packs. That has been an Achilles heel in the past; so if the Chiefs can continue their progress in the tight forwards, they could very well earn New Zealand an extra team in the playoffs. 

Dave Rennie has already done wonders in Mooloo/Steamers country and while they are more likely to miss out (just though), like the Highlanders under Jamie Joseph last season, there is plenty of progress to look forward to.

As for the Blues and Crusaders fans, well don't panic. The Super rugby season is very long and the Crusaders are yet to play a non-Kiwi side; the Blues did over the weekend and actually got a superb win over the tough Bulls in a place they haven't won in 9 years. Furthermore, all the Kiwi teams have to play each other again so the ledger could be squared up at exactly the right time for these teams.

So Crusaders still to win the title, but it could be tight between the Highlanders, Blues and Chiefs - and they could easily snap up all 3 wildcard spots.The Hurricanes may struggle against the other Kiwi teams and become the unlucky losers meaning they will miss out.

*NFC East division in the NFL is often considered the toughest division in the NFL to win with all 4 of the teams, the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys having won championships multiple times in the past.

Who Will Replace Jerome Kaino?

The Blues have received a massive blow to their Super rugby hopes this season with influential flanker, Jerome Kaino out of the Super rugby season with a serious shoulder injury. Kaino sustained the injury against the Chiefs and will require surgery ruling him out for 6 months, effectively the whole Super rugby campaign.

It also means Kaino may be out of the All Blacks picture at least for the June internationals - he could still be in the All Blacks for the Rugby Championship starting in August although it may be quite a close call and would require Kaino to play club rugby and the ITM Cup for Auckland to prove his fitness.

So who will step up to replace in my opinion, the All Blacks' best player at last year's Rugby World Cup? Here are the potential alternatives for Steve Hansen to look at in a couple of month's time.

Liam Messam
Messam is New Zealand rugby's current enigma. There is no doubt that the Chiefs co-captain has plenty of talent and is great with ball in hand but as a forward, his tackling abilities leave much to be desired and he was left out of the World Cup squad as a result of his loose game. Messam is more a number 8 but if he can show that he has improved his defensive game, he could be selected to play at the back of the scrum enabling Kieran Read or someone else to fill the blindside role.

Adam Thomson
Will Steve Hansen still consider Thomson a backup to McCaw or will there be a change of philosophy? Only time will tell but Thomson certainly has had a blinding start to the Super rugby season forming an effective backrow trio with John Hardie and Nasi Manu with James Haskell coming off the bench. Thomson's abilities in the lineouts and with ball in hand should be admired by all in world rugby but he must show these more often in the black jumper - something he hasn't quite done in the past. With Kaino injured, this could be the big Otago man's chance to shine.

Victor Vito
Vito came up leaps and bounds last season and is effectively one of the more experienced players in a youthful Hurricanes lineup. Vito has also started the season for the Canes rather well. However, he is probably more suited to the number 8 role - which like Messam, could enable Read to move to blindside. However, Vito has shown he can play the blindside role so his versatility is likely to be considered.

Kieran Read
The world's best number 8 a couple of seasons ago could be the world's best blindside flanker if given the opportunity. Read is certainly one of New Zealand rugby's leading players now and can easily fill the void left by the equally physical Jerome Kaino at blindside. He could be the favourite to fill that spot in June and early in the Rugby Championship.

Richie McCaw
A long shot but not a pipe dream. Playing the All Black captain at blindside could be a two-pronged blessing - it would mean the 30-year-old and battle-worn captain would have to do less of the tackling and allow another specialist openside flanker like Matt Todd, Sam Cane or John Hardie to come into the side. It could be similar to the move in the mid 90s that the All Black coaches made in order to accommodate Michael Jones and Josh Kronfeld (Jones was moved from his more familiar role at openside to blindside).

Other players to consider? There are quite a few long shots, i.e. young Jack Lam at the Hurricanes, the experienced but solid Chris Lowrey at the Blues, but I'd say barring a major injury crisis, the All Black coaching staff won't look beyond these 5 names.