Sports

Super Rugby Recap – Week One

Those brave enough to bet against the favorite would have made a handsome profit this weekend. In a unique opening for 2015 super rugby, six of the seven matches were won away from home and three of those games, by the ranked outsider.

The competition began with the Rebels losing to last year’s finalists and seven-time champions, the Crusaders, in Christchurch. Although beaten at set pieces, the Rebels’ defense was exemplary and they made fewer mistakes than their rivals. As usual, the Crusaders came out of the box slowly, tended to rush things, kicked poorly and lacked ideas. For the winners, McMahon was exceptional.

The Brumbies got back to normal at home against the Reds, who looked completely disorganized. The referee did not help them but they were wrong in every way. The Brumbies looked solid and the backline was particularly dominant, with Kuridrani and the underrated Coleman up front.

Without several All Blacks, the Chiefs started quickly and established a good lead early on. They faded later and their continuing tendency to lose the ball on contact needs to be addressed. Sonny Bill Williams made an immediate impact, the defenses were good in the first half and the McKenzie brothers were good. However, if the Blues play to their potential, the Stormers will have their hands full this weekend.

Lions vs Hurricanes was a strange game, which the visitors did well to win, but the result could easily have been different. Too many turnovers and a lack of finishing cost the Lions dearly and the Hurricanes made the most of limited opportunities. The result will hurt but much was promised in this Lions performance.
Unsurprisingly, the Bulls turned to the guy, but without the scrum muscle to back him up, they floundered against a motivated Stormers team and suffered a rare loss at Loftus. They were vastly outmatched by a team that fully deserved their victory.

Every year the cash-strapped Cheetahs lose top players to other South African franchises and in their match in Durban they lost Jager’s Bok lock early in the game. However, they always fight bravely and although their forwards held their own, Pretorius and le Roux lit them up at the back. They seemed sharper and more focused and, despite a jittery finish, left Durban with a bag full of points. The Sharks were just disappointing.

Last but not least, the plucky Force, who never won the first match of a super rugby season and who were without talismanic captain Hodgson for the first eight weeks of the competition, magnificently took on the packed champions. of stars. Even the loss of international support for him, Pek Cowan, did nothing to mitigate his efforts. The Waratahs seemed as if they thought that all they had to do was show up and that arrogance was their downfall. Despite dominating set pieces, they were slow to react and seemed unmotivated. Next weekend should be interesting.

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