Super Rugby 2025
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@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2025:
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2025:
This prompts an interesting question for next year... if he really does want to be an AB, he probably switches to a different side - what's his landing spot? Canes? Crusaders? Chiefs?
Canes are probably the one that need wingers the most tbh. Our only half decent wing is Naholo.
It seems stupid though that Ardie can play for them and be an AB but he has to move. Maybe we start picking guys out of Moana as well?
He's the form Super winger alongside Tangitau this year.
There are agreements on the number of ABs that can play for MP (3?) or maybe more correctly players unavailable for Tonga or Samoa. And it is a good look for Ardie to go and help MP whiclst still being an AB. It's a bad look for NZR to 'steal' (yes they're mostly kiwis and based in NZ and paid for by NZ but optics) a MP player. So the players have the sense to sign somewhere else to pursue their ABs dream.
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@Machpants said in Super Rugby 2025:
@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2025:
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2025:
This prompts an interesting question for next year... if he really does want to be an AB, he probably switches to a different side - what's his landing spot? Canes? Crusaders? Chiefs?
Canes are probably the one that need wingers the most tbh. Our only half decent wing is Naholo.
It seems stupid though that Ardie can play for them and be an AB but he has to move. Maybe we start picking guys out of Moana as well?
He's the form Super winger alongside Tangitau this year.
There are agreements on the number of ABs that can play for MP (3?) or maybe more correctly players unavailable for Tonga or Samoa. And it is a good look for Ardie to go and help MP whiclst still being an AB. It's a bad look for NZR to 'steal' (yes they're mostly kiwis and based in NZ and paid for by NZ but optics) a MP player. So the players have the sense to sign somewhere else to pursue their ABs dream.
That makes sense, it's just a pain for them that they have to shift, especially if they are thriving at Moana, which is great for the comp.
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@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2025:
@Machpants said in Super Rugby 2025:
@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2025:
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2025:
This prompts an interesting question for next year... if he really does want to be an AB, he probably switches to a different side - what's his landing spot? Canes? Crusaders? Chiefs?
Canes are probably the one that need wingers the most tbh. Our only half decent wing is Naholo.
It seems stupid though that Ardie can play for them and be an AB but he has to move. Maybe we start picking guys out of Moana as well?
He's the form Super winger alongside Tangitau this year.
There are agreements on the number of ABs that can play for MP (3?) or maybe more correctly players unavailable for Tonga or Samoa. And it is a good look for Ardie to go and help MP whiclst still being an AB. It's a bad look for NZR to 'steal' (yes they're mostly kiwis and based in NZ and paid for by NZ but optics) a MP player. So the players have the sense to sign somewhere else to pursue their ABs dream.
That makes sense, it's just a pain for them that they have to shift, especially if they are thriving at Moana, which is great for the comp.
cf Aumua
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The Aust teams have to rest current and potential Wallabies. Some were "managed" last week, others this week.
A select group of managed players who can not play more than six games in a row, barring extreme circumstances, with the Wallabies' upcoming Test season in mind.
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@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2025:
Tonga to the ABs could be accurate though?
Alatini played for Tonga first but I'm not sure if he was capped
I think it was Pita's brother (?) Sam who played v Samoa in 1995, so Pita was not capped by Tonga. (He may have been a junior U19 rep, and/or a Tongan rep at a minor sevens tournament though).
But Emosi Koloto played a test for Tonga in 1986, and was grabbed by New Zealand 7's the year after - and then went on to represent New Zealand at Rugby League.
So, there is a precedent for a capped Tongan switching to New Zealand.
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2025:
1 v 2 coming up on Friday.
And 3rd v bottom. And after the saders last payed the bottom tam, does anyone see them winning against the Drua?
The most watched rugby team in the world? Fijian Drua’s staggering numbers
Analysis - The team's chief executive claims that half the Fijian population tunes in every time they play.
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Well I've unsubscribed (feed in youtube) to the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. Last weeks 'Ioane is playng excellently, form 13 in NZ' has been added to with 'Scott Barrett's form has not dipped' this week. I'm happy with a bit of bias, but man they are rose tinted spectacles ATM.
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@Machpants said in Super Rugby 2025:
Well I've unsubscribed (feed in youtube) to the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. Last weeks 'Ioane is playng excellently, form 13 in NZ' has been added to with 'Scott Barrett's form has not dipped' this week. I'm happy with a bit of bias, but man they are rose tinted spectacles ATM.
We all know how hard it is to win in Fiji. Looks like it's going to be raining and 30 degress on Saturday so the ball will be like a bar of soap. The Crusader's loosies will definitely need to step up in this one.
One thing going for the Crusaders is that they are playing in Suva and not Lautoka where the Drua have a vastly better record.
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@Machpants said in Super Rugby 2025:
'Scott Barrett's form has not dipped
TBF, that's a true statement, he's remained consistently shit.
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2025:
The ARP was fluff this week, apart from the interview with Ben Tameifuna. Parsons and Hall refuse to criticise any player and they spent far too long talking about Mo'unga.
I really enjoyed the show last year but Hall keeps reverting everything back to the Crusaders. Parson's provides great insight about the game but is still mates with a lot of players so never really has a bad word to say. We need a show that provides honesty.
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@Canes4life yeah if you can get Parsons to talk on about the game and not focus on his ex-team, he provides some great insights.
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@gt12 said in Super Rugby 2025:
That show is much better when they talk strategy and tactics, rather than about players. I’m a pretty avid listener but I’ll give it a skip this week.
Edit: if Ross Karl is a lurker here, please consider this consumer feedback.
Quoted for truth
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For all you stats buffs out there, this very well put together article by Rugby Pass highlights why Super Rugby has been a 'cut above' this year compared to other comps around the world.
The raw data that proves Super Rugby Pacific is currently a cut above
To appreciate how unique the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season has been, we need to look at other seasons and other competitions.
