Franks, Stags and predictions
It’s the halfway mark of the Mitre 10 Cup regular season, meaning it’s time for teams to get a move on and press for a spot in the playoffs.
Here’s this week’s talking points:
1. It's almost Owen Franks time
Unwanted All Blacks prop Franks could play for resurgent Canterbury as soon as tomorrow night, when the red-and-blacks play Northland in Whangarei.
Franks has been training with Canterbury at their Rugby Park facility, and coach Joe Maddock this week told Sky News he will play in the next couple of weeks.
"When Owie is ready to go, we’ll put him on the track,’’ Maddock told Sky News.
Franks hasn’t played since the All Blacks’ were hammered by the Wallabies in Perth more than a month ago, but needs to be match-fit in case the All Blacks’ front row stocks are hit at the World Cup in Japan.
To paraphrase All Blacks selector Grant Fox after Franks’ shock omission from the 31-man squad: don’t be so sure Franks’ World Cup is over.
2. Is this Southland's last chance?
Time is running out for the Southland Stags to avoid three consecutive seasons without a single win.
Entrenched at the bottom of the championship with zero competition points after five losses, their home game against 1-4 Manawatu might just be their best chance to snap their hideous losing run.
For those still counting, the Stags have lost 26-straight matches since their last win – against Northland on October 8, 2016.
Following their home match against the Turbos, they’ll host premiership strugglers Counties Manukau, before finishing the season against Taranaki (away), Auckland (away) and Bay of Plenty (home).
Let’s just say coach Dave Hewett, who is offcontract at the end of the year, has the hardest job in provincial rugby, could well finish his two-year stint in the south with a 0-20 record.
3. Tasman's brick wall
Everyone talks about Tasman’s scorching attack, but it’s time to give their defence some love.
Armed with tackling machines such as loose forward Ethan Blackadder, the Mako have leaked a measly 37 points at the halfway mark of the regular season. That’s right, a piddly 7.4 points per game. It’s no wonder they’ve swept all challengers aside and started 5-0, leaving them eight points clear of secondplaced Wellington (16) in the premiership.
For the record, the next stingiest teams are Bay of Plenty (75) and Canterbury (99) .
Tasman’s point differential (+159) is also leaps and bounds better than next best – Canterbury (+71).
4. Quality assessment
The Mitre 10 Cup always produces up-tempo, expansive, running rugby, but this year’s competition feels like it’s even better than previous seasons.
There’s been no shortage of cracker matches, including last Sunday’s thrilling Ranfurly Shield match in Dunedin, where Otago outlasted Taranaki 35-27 under the lid.
Then there was North Harbour’s come-frombehind 38-36 win over Waikato the previous day, and Manawatu’s 31-25 Northland scalp to start round five.
Long may it last.
5. Playoff prediction
Easier said than done in the premiership section, which is as tight as can be with just five points separating second-placed Wellington (16) and lastplaced Counties.
But let’s go with: Tasman, Canterbury, Wellington, Auckland – in that order.
Sure, the red-and-blacks made a rotten start. But, having knocked over reigning champs Auckland last week, they’ll roar home on the back of a soft schedule, which includes three of their final four games at home.
As for Auckland, they look like shells of the 2018 team, which rolled to their first title since 2007.
To the championship section, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, Otago and Taranaki have pulled clear of the bottom three and will take some catching.
Here’s how they will finish: Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, Otago. The man dragged into claims that Steve Smith mocked Jack Leach during Ashes celebrations has confirmed that he got a tribute message from the Australian batting superstar – though wondered if it was a ‘‘smokescreen’’.
Former Aussie test opener Chris Rogers was claimed to be the inspiration behind Smith’s revelry at Old Trafford after Australia retained the Ashes in the fourth test.
The fifth and final test begins in London tonight.
Like Leach, Rogers was a lefthanded batsman and he sometimes wore glasses on the field; though he did not bat in them during his test career, instead using contact lenses.
Smith donned glasses as Australia partied on the field in Manchester and was seen shadow-batting left-handed.
English media witnessed Smith’s celebrations, taking them as a slight to Leach, and photos of the Australian batsman then inflamed English fans on social