Hang by Super thread
international duty along with some of the other Japanese players. Indeed the Sunwolves looked like New Zealand lite.
Over half of the squad of 24 were from these shores. Some of them were effectively Super Rugby rejects who couldn’t get a starting gig in this this country. Throw in the odd player from South Africa, Australia and Tonga, together with a handful of Japanese, and you have the Sunwolves.
Yet it was the Japanese franchise who played all the rugby. Coached by Tony Brown, with input from Joseph, the national coach, and a few New Zealand assistants, these strolling mercenaries played the Chiefs off the park.
Neil Barnes, the Chiefs assistant coach, said at halftime that they were ‘‘peeved’’ and bemoaned all the ball they had turned over. Yes, the lineout was shocking. Yes, the clean-outs were dysfunctional. Yes, players were throwing away possession in contact.
But the main issue was again defence. Only Retallick seemed keen to come up hard. The rest of the defence just sat and waited as they have all season. The props missed the second runner time and again. There was no tightness around the breakdown, letting the Sunwolves pick and go at will.
There was no pressure on the ball carrier. The Sunwolves were able to pass the width of the field without the passer being challenged or the pass, as no-one was jamming up on the outside. There was no sting in the hits. The whole thing was an utter shambles, just as it had been against the Brumbies.
Now I hope Colin Cooper and his team of coaches turn this round, because they are good men. But I am worried.
The Maori had a hell of a team against the Lions in 2017, but they selected people in odd positions and were a crushing disappointment on that rainy night in Rotorua. Yes, there was limited preparation time. But the coach was Cooper and they should have done a lot better.
Success breeds success. We have seen it time and again at World Cups. The only northern hemisphere side to have won the World Cup are England and they did it in the year of a Six Nations grand slam. English clubs had also won three of the four European Champions Cups in the years leading up to that win.
In the years when no country has dominated Six Nations, the northern hemisphere tends not to do so well at World Cups. So look out for Wales this year if they go on to win a grand slam, but if England, Ireland and Wales finish together, then they are less likely to go all the way in Japan.
The 2007 Super Rugby season saw the firstfinal between two South African teams. The Bulls beat the Sharks, but those teams formed the basis of South Africa’s World Cup victory that year. Again the players were in the habit of winning.
So while I completely understand Hansen’s policy of mid-season camps and rest weeks for All Blacks, it could have unintended consequences. The evidence suggests that the teams which win World Cups on foreign soil do so on the firm foundations of success on home soil. The All Blacks need their Super Rugby sides to be victorious.