2012 nnot such a good start for the Aussie teams?

[Larksea]

quick comparison between conferences looking at the table

Total points:
NZ I think confirmed as the strongest all round conference, SA not too far off and AUS - miles off... Heck 22 points adrift of NZ, that's a lot...

NZ: 88
SA: 83
AUS: 66 ?!?



Total points F/A
SA & NZ close, on a team for team basis NZ is better but the Bulls total blowout over the reds gives them a slight lead. Australia -139... no team with a +ve F/A record the mind boggles....

SA: +70
NZ: +69
AUS: -139 ?!?

What's with AUS this year? I think the main problem is that the reds havn't maintained their momentum from 2011, the others have hardly registered. Only the Brumbies have improved but as Aussies best team overall they would only be 6th overall.

Even with all the imports in Aussie teams is 5 teams too much? What's going on? Injuries? Top players play too much last year - hangover from 2011?

 

[Aedaphon]

Some interesting stats, still, Australia's traditionally been the weakest conference, not a massive shock.

Bear in mind that SA's positive points difference and about 1/2 of Aus' massive negative difference come from that single battering the Reds' took 2 weeks ago.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Aussie have too many teams. If you have to import that many players then you obviously can't support that many teams. They should go back to 3.

 

[Larksea]

Three may be cutting it a bit, they do need an extra team to try and expand their player base with and develop the game, and they should be able to do that. Young stars like Cooper, Genia, Beale, Pocock and O'Connor should be bringing a fair bit of attention to the game in Australia.

just the fact they have all these stars and that they are still one of the best Rugby nations should suggest that they should be able to have at least one team near the top of the table. Things just seem to be well below their potential this year...

You dont expect Aussie teams to dominate the top 4 but to only have their best team sitting about 6th best is pretty shocking.

 

[TNT88]

Our 2 best teams have already been on tour. 1 of them has bulk injuries. That's why there is no one 1 or 2 wins clear like in other conferences.

Give it time. Things will work out.

Also I think people sometimes forget there are never going to be 3 even conferences, thats how the system works. One year it might not be us lol.

 

[TRF_heineken]

This was one of the biggest concerns when they picked the Rebels above the Kings when they expanded it to the Super 15 season.

Since the start there were talks that all that's going to happen is that the Aus teams will divide up even more, and won't be as competitive as the SA and NZ teams. While the SA and NZ teams are oozing of players and teams which will be as competitive as the Aussie 3rd and 4th rank teams at least when they start.

Now i don't want to go into the whole Kings debacle again as it's getting tiresome, but the fact is that SA has tournament running during the Super 15 tournament where 16 teams play against each other and not one of those guys are even in a Super rugby squad... that gives you a total of at least 480 professional rugby players in South Africa who didn't make the cut, barely...

 

[lance2010]

Hey Heineken ive never seen the Kings play before how would they go in the Super Rugby comp would they do better then the Rebels?

 

[Bull]

The Kings will get ****ed up even by the Rebels, hopefully they never reach Super rugby. Disgrace!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Hey Heineken ive never seen the Kings play before how would they go in the Super Rugby comp would they do better then the Rebels?

The Kings as is would get trounced by the Rebels I believe.

BUT, access to Super rugby would give them the opportunity to bring in lots of good players. Some of the young SA guys that have been doing well come from the Kings' area; Johan Goosen, Siya Kolisi and Jacques Potgieter to name a few. While Kolisi and Goosen moved to WP and Free State early on Potgieter played for the Kings last year still before the Bulls snapped him up. So if they could keep hold of their best and have the opportunity to offer overseas players the chance to play Super rugby instead of Vodacom cup rugby they'd have access to guys like Brian Mujati, Schalk Brits, BJ Botha, Gerhard Mostert, Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Jaque Fourie, Fourie du Preez etc.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Hey Heineken ive never seen the Kings play before how would they go in the Super Rugby comp would they do better then the Rebels?

Not as they are at the moment as they are currently just a provincial team, who during the warm-ups was more like an invitational team

The Kings as is would get trounced by the Rebels I believe.

BUT, access to Super rugby would give them the opportunity to bring in lots of good players. Some of the young SA guys that have been doing well come from the Kings' area; Johan Goosen, Siya Kolisi and Jacques Potgieter to name a few. While Kolisi and Goosen moved to WP and Free State early on Potgieter played for the Kings last year still before the Bulls snapped him up. So if they could keep hold of their best and have the opportunity to offer overseas players the chance to play Super rugby instead of Vodacom cup rugby they'd have access to guys like Brian Mujati, Schalk Brits, BJ Botha, Gerhard Mostert, Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Jaque Fourie, Fourie du Preez etc.

If the Kings had Franchise status, then they could be a strong squad especially with their policy to get overseas players into their squad like some of the names mentioned by Stormer. but those names aren't the only ones of interest. Some former and current 7's stars are also from that region and could be somewhat of a revelation for attacking rugby in SA. also a lot of youngsters who are possibly fringe players for the other franchises, might get lured away for the chance to get definite game time...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

If the Kings had Franchise status, then they could be a strong squad especially with their policy to get overseas players into their squad like some of the names mentioned by Stormer. but those names aren't the only ones of interest. Some former and current 7's stars are also from that region and could be somewhat of a revelation for attacking rugby in SA. also a lot of youngsters who are possibly fringe players for the other franchises, might get lured away for the chance to get definite game time...

So far Gio Aplon has been the only one of note but Robert Ebersohn is doing better every year in the 15 man game (well, okay he has union background in junior rugby). Mzwandile Stick as a 7's player is probably the Kings' best player currently and I would LOVE to see Cecil Africa at 9! He has the pass, the pace, is dangerous even in close and has a great attacking rugby brain and decent defense.

 

[sonnench]

So far Gio Aplon has been the only one of note but Robert Ebersohn is doing better every year in the 15 man game (well, okay he has union background in junior rugby). Mzwandile Stick as a 7's player is probably the Kings' best player currently and I would LOVE to see Cecil Africa at 9! He has the pass, the pace, is dangerous even in close and has a great attacking rugby brain and decent defense.

I second that!! Been saying that for a while now, this guy needs a proper run in the 15 man game.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

This weekend will be an interesting one;

Top of their conferences clash in;
Highlanders vs Stormers

Most successful conference teams clash;
Bulls vs Crusaders

Could make the play-offs if they take this one and build on it;
Hurricanes vs Sharks

Will give us a clearer view of the relative strengths of the SA and NZ conferences (although the Chiefs would have to come into contention as well). My picks is that its gonna be close all round.

 

[Icemn]

quick comparison between conferences looking at the table

Total points:
NZ I think confirmed as the strongest all round conference, SA not too far off and AUS - miles off... Heck 22 points adrift of NZ, that's a lot...

NZ: 88
SA: 83
AUS: 66 ?!?



Total points F/A
SA & NZ close, on a team for team basis NZ is better but the Bulls total blowout over the reds gives them a slight lead. Australia -139... no team with a +ve F/A record the mind boggles....

SA: +70
NZ: +69
AUS: -139 ?!?

What's with AUS this year? I think the main problem is that the reds havn't maintained their momentum from 2011, the others have hardly registered. Only the Brumbies have improved but as Aussies best team overall they would only be 6th overall.

Even with all the imports in Aussie teams is 5 teams too much? What's going on? Injuries? Top players play too much last year - hangover from 2011?

think its down to injuries... AUS and NZ have a lot.. don't think SA has any :? maybe 1 somewhere lol

so you can actually say that SA is firing at full strength... but yet NZ is just behind them, with all their injuries...

we can't really look at this stats... cuz the teams play other teams in their own conference... if they only played other countries teams we can make that call....

still early days though...

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Ah, the troll is here as well! Funny how you say South Africa doesn't suffer from injuries. I guess Alberts, Deysel, Burger, Stegmann, Dewald Potgieter, CJ van der Linde, Murray, Rhodes, Mtawarira, Hargreaves, Skeate, Kankowski, Hoffmann and Carstens missing matches due to injuries is not that bad ey?

And the +/- actually does say something about the strength, since you can only get these points against inter-conference teams. All conference matches have no effect on the conference +/-

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Ah, the troll is here as well! Funny how you say South Africa doesn't suffer from injuries. I guess Alberts, Deysel, Burger, Stegmann, Dewald Potgieter, CJ van der Linde, Murray, Rhodes, Mtawarira, Hargreaves, Skeate, Kankowski, Hoffmann and Carstens missing matches due to injuries is not that bad ey?

And the +/- actually does say something about the strength, since you can only get these points against inter-conference teams. All conference matches have no effect on the conference +/-

I doubt Icman could handle even such a simple concept LOL. Don't waste your time.

Also, Stormers were (somewhere during the early games up to now) without Elstadt, De Jongh, Burger, Carstens and Deon Fourie
Cheetahs without Juan Smith, Coenie Oosthuizen, Andries Strauss, Marcell van der Merwe
Sharks without a ton of players and the Lions have something like 10/11 1st choice players out and might be the franchize hardest hit; Jantjies, Bondesio, La Grange, Kamana, Van Heerden, Cilliers, Maku, Rhodes, Murray, hell almost everyone there is or has been injured.
Bulls without Stegmann, Potgieter, De Klerk, Sadie, Venter

 

[sonnench]

think its down to injuries... AUS and NZ have a lot.. don't think SA has any :? maybe 1 somewhere lol

so you can actually say that SA is firing at full strength... but yet NZ is just behind them, with all their injuries...

we can't really look at this stats... cuz the teams play other teams in their own conference... if they only played other countries teams we can make that call....

still early days though...

You are kidding?.....right?