For a fair while now, the world has been aware that NZ have a soft spot; just behind Daniel Carter's groin. Erm. So to speak.
Lose Carter, and the ABs suddenly become less of a frightening prospect.
They've also lacked a genuine world class prospect at 9, struggling along with the robust (shall we say) Piri Weepu, the variable Jimmy Cowan and the generic Andy Ellis.
As though NZ weren't enough of a threat already, and hadn't achieved enough to boot, with Weepu seemingly playing both 9 and 10 for the latter stages of the RWC and the All Blacks STILL winning, this years super rugby seems to have thrown up some interesting new options in those very spots.
Just as Kieran Read materialised from nowhere to breach the gap at 8, and some kind of cloning lab was set up in Christchurch to churn out Whitelocks, TJ Perenara seems to have come from nowhere to thrown his hat into the ring for fringe All Black selection with a series of stunning performances, underlined by his most recent heroics against the Force :
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/6558136/No-9-Perenara-sparks-big-win-for-Hurricanes
And NZ U20's star Gareth Anscombe seems to have stepped up to the plate with a 29 point haul in hostile meat eating territory:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/6557992/Gareth-Anscombe-excels-with-a-bit-of-help
Yep, just what NZ needed, more potential super-stars being beamed in by the mother ship.
Will there be no rest for the rest of us?
Keep an eye on those Kiwis...
posted on 13/3/12
It's not suprising given the quality of the Super 15. They are playing top quality rugby every week and are tested for the full 80 minutes. (it's just a different level to the European leagues)
It is strange though how Australia don't seem to close the gap on the Kiwi's as their teams are also very strong within that competition.
I think you will see the Kiwi's still dominating for the next decade but with Wales replacing South Africa as the second most note-worthy challengers. Also watch out for Argentina getting better as they learn from the best in the new tri nations.
But yeah to anwser the question, they are streets ahead and the injury to DC does give other teams a potential chance of causing an upset.
posted on 13/3/12
Great joke about Wales! Must remember that one
posted on 13/3/12
scouse,
I would pit the best of the Heineken cup against the best of the super 15 and day of the week.
There may be a gulf between international outfits and NZ but that gulf does not exist at club level simply by association and indeed on evidence. i point to a second string munster outfit losing to the all blacks by 2 points 2 years ago! and it was a second string munster side.
I would have no issue placing out best HC team Leinster against Any SH club.
posted on 13/3/12
I'm not sure Heineken and Super rugby are comparable beasts. The tournaments seem to encourage a different style of rugby, and obvious super rugby involves more demands in terms of travel and semi-tours away.
posted on 13/3/12
GG
I understand what your saying mate, however my point is, that any top team from the HC could compete on equal footing to the top S15 teams. Lets say in some club international cup or once off game (hypothetically speaking)
Sure at international level, we cant match the AB's but the clubs are a different matter. I will go so far as to say that the HC is hands down the best and most fiercely contested club rugby competition on the planet.
Style of play does not make a difference. Its about execution, and in fact if anything, Leinster are playing a very Southern style of game. They are light years ahead of some of the other clubs around these parts in terms of speed and accuracy of passing, quick ruck ball, running rugby in general.
posted on 14/3/12
Contentious points DBM! but I won't argue since you are clearly a passionate fan of HC rugby and so i doubt we'll ever agree on what the best club rugby competition is, and Leinster would definitely be a tough nut for any team to crack (and I could some of the internationals in there). Glad you're enjoying it though!
posted on 14/3/12
Well not just coming from a leinster supporter.
Look at how Munster fronted up to the All Blacks, Hell they were ahead for parts of the game 2 years ago, and in the end lost by just 2 points. And into the bargain that was a second string Munster outfit, all the Irish internationals were away camp.
They very nearly scared the black out of the Blacks
All im saying is that at club level there in not the divide that we have seen at international level.
However, it is subjective as always, what you prefer is usually what you think is best, and what you think is best generally contains your own favorite team so for you that would be..... ?¿? The Super 15 and let me hazzard a guess... Stormers? the Reds are just to obvious... But then you could be a closet League fan and love the Rabbitohs ahahaha OH YE GG i said it!
posted on 15/3/12
To be fair DBM it was a mid-week AB team. You have to be careful with those kinds of comparisons. There were enough Kiwis in the Munster side at the time to perform a fairly convincing Haka too...
In order for that to be meaningful in the context of the discussion you would have to know how a Crusaders side, Bulls, or Reds would go against The ABs, Wallabies or Springboks... otherwise it's just an unqualified comparison.
posted on 15/3/12
There was 1 kiwi and 3 lad from the same neighborhood
Second String munster outfit v second string AB's outfit, seems a reasonable comparison to me. Not to mention that the AB's finding them selves behind with 20 mins to go emptied the bench and brought on the big names. Munster had a bench of academy players.
Its not a comparison anyway, its taking the facts at hand and applying them to a theory.
posted on 16/3/12
Still not any kind of proof that the HC is the best club competition in the world, surely.
It's been said that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who extrapolate from incomplete statistics.