Super Rugby preview All Black commitments may stretch Crusaders
GLENN Delaney insists Crusaders will still be the team to beat when Super Rugby returns on Friday.
However, the Highlanders’ defence coach reckons the demands of the All Blacks’ management could leave the defending champions vulnerable in a World Cup year.
Crusaders kick-off their title defence at resurgent Auckland Blues, who welcome double-World Cup winner Ma’a Nonu back among their ranks after his stint at Toulon. Delaney told The Rugby
Paper: “Who can beat the Crusaders? It’s a challenge all the teams are trying to rise to and, from our perspective at the Highlanders, we were the last team to beat them in the competition last season so we know they’re not infallible.
“Their squad is deep but they’ll probably have to use it a bit more this season because guys like Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue will be limited in the number of minutes they play to be ready for the All Blacks.
“That’s going to be more of a challenge for them because they’ve got more All Blacks than anyone else, so we want to get off to a fast start.”
While the Highlanders lost fly-half Lima Sopoaga to Wasps, Delaney said: “Bryn Gatland’s come down from Auckland to join us and Marty Banks has returned from Japan, so with Josh Ioane, who was in our 23 all last season, we’re very well covered there.
“We knew ‘Sops’ was leaving so it’s been well planned and those guys will fight it out, while we’re happy with the rest of our squad. We were disappointed to lose in the play-offs at the Waratahs last season and hope to go further.”
As for Auckland’s chances, Delaney says: “They’re making good noises and the Mitre 10 Cup win last year has given them a tremendous boost. Leon MacDonald’s changed things up as their new head coach and they’ve got Graham Henry on board as well.
“They’ve ignited a fire up there and have good players, so it just depends how they gel.”
Delaney added: “I’d also expect the Hurricanes to be very strong again after their centre, Ngani Laumape resigned. He gives them huge go-forward and they offer an attacking threat, while the Chiefs also grew as a team at the end of last season.”
In Australia, meanwhile, Queensland Reds are plotting a comeback after five years in the doldrums. Since winning Super Rugby in 2011 and making the play-offs for two years after that, the Brisbanebased side fell off a cliff and have since finished no higher than 13th.
Attack coach Jim McKay, one of the architects of their 2011 triumph, is back at the club alongside head coach Brad Thorn. McKay said: “It’s a classic rebuild here. A lot of experience has left the joint but in Samu Kerevi we have a fantastic skipper and we’ve got a really determined, young group of players who may lack experience but are going to go for it.
“On the wings we’ve got some firepower in Sefa Naivalu and Jordan Petaia, who is one to keep an eye on, while we’ve got a really good back row with Angus ScottYoung and Liam Wright.”
While a Waratahs side featuring Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, Michael Hooper and Bernard Foley are expected to lead the Aussie charge, a fascinating subplot elsewhere sees the return of mercurial No.10 Quade Cooper to Super Rugby with Melbourne Rebels.
McKay added: “Quade will partner Will Genia again after previously playing together for the Reds. It will be interesting to see if he makes the Wallabies.” ■Fresh from helping the Sharks claim their first Currie Cup in five years last October, assistant coach Nick Easter hopes his side can end their Super Rugby hoodoo.
Three times losing finalists in 2001, 2007 and 2012, the Durbanbased franchise have never managed to finish the job. Last year saw the Sharks beaten 40-10 at the quarter-final stage by eventual champions Crusaders.
But former England No.8 Easter,
left, said: “We’re aiming to do better than that this year and we’re in pretty good health squadwise.
“Our playmaker, Rob du Preez is back after a great spell at Sale and there’s a pretty buoyant atmosphere after the Currie Cup success.
“That’s given us a lot of belief and I’m told it’s a stark contrast to this time last year in terms of buy-in from the squad. People are enjoying themselves and the bond between us all is very strong.”
Sharks kick-off their campaign against the Sunwolves on Saturday before their next tranche of games in South Africa.
“It’s worked out really well and our first game is in Singapore, rather than Japan, so we can go there earlier to get over the jetlag and acclimatise,” Easter said.
“It’ll be against virtually the full Japan team and we know how dangerous they can be, but if we can get a result there our next eight games are in South Africa, with six of them at home, before we go to Australia in late April. There are no excuses.”
Easter has rebuilt his career since losing his job as defence coach at Harlequins last summer. He added: “I’m looking after the forwards and breakdown and it’s great to experience the workings of a new league.”