The lads are joined by their friends Scoop and Jade to preview the Super Rugby Pacific season!
Follow our socials: https://linktr.ee/thepiraterugby
Chapters
0:00 Intro
01:58 International Weather Check
02:57 Moment of the Week
07:24 Why Super Rugby is Great
15:43 What to Expect From New Zealand
27:18 Can the Australians Fight Back?
38:24 The Age of the Drua?
41:51 The Challange of Moana Pasifika
45:48 Super Rugby Tier List
52:16 URC Hedges Derby
54:00 Rugby Transfer Window?
55:49 South African Derbies Review
1:01:17 Women’s Rugby Results
1:02:00 REC
1:03:00 Club Rugby Round Up
1:05:38 Rugby TV Guide
Hello and welcome to the 28th episode of the pirate rugby pod after a great reaction to last week’s pod we’re now approaching 800 YouTube subscribers so a huge thank you to everyone for tuning in if you like what we do please like share and subscribe comments also give us a
Big boost and we always respond to each one reviews also give us a massive boost and if you’re only here for thisa cat shorts stick around you might decide you like rugby too a remind you that we now have a link tree which you can find in the description box below that will
Be links to all of our socials so that’s Twitter Tik Tok YouTube and substack on which we just hit 50 subscribers which was our Target last week so thank you very much everybody uh all these platforms have grown a lot over the last few days so make sure you don’t miss out
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Right now that we have that out of the way we are delighted to welcome back Jay to the pot who’s with us this evening all the way from blun fontain and a huge welcome to the host of the rugby scoop pod F otherwise known as scoop Lads how are you both
Doing Jade ahead good good good I was waiting for you P good good guys thanks for being and thanks for inviting us yeah uh good man I just literally got back from the gym and so was like Tex you guys telling you hey man I’m running
5 minutes late but yeah good that I made it on time and nice to be here nice to join you guys as well and be on the receiving end for once yeah so for those of you who don’t know uh Ender and I have in the past
Done a podcast with scoop and Jade uh the Roby scoop podcast which is a Twitter space which you can join us at 3 o’cl every Sunday and you can find it afterwards in in the all the normal podcast places so International weather check so Jade is joining us from Bloom
Fontain and apparently it’s hot damn hot in blo Fain yeah it’s hot it’s hot and office is hot as well so this is the the most I can wear you know to a this Dam night is and Jo I think last might get us in trouble yeah and scoop you’re joining us
From Amsterdam yeah um based in Amsterdam originally though from South Africa but uh currently based the side working refering coaching uh and hosting podcasts I guess good stuff and what’s the weather like in Amsterdam uh what are we sitting on now oops excuse me uh 8 degrees
Currently same as here what about end what’s it like in dubl the moment same as here yeah yeah I’m the same as well our International weather check isn’t very International at the moment anyway let’s jump into our moment of the week Ender you can lead us off
Yeah so mine is I don’t know if all of you guys have seen but Dan McFarland did an interview immediately after oler’s loss to ospre last night and it was the most negative kind of interview I’ve heard in quite a while like his his entire tone was was quite aggressive by
Almost a lot of times or just like just the way he treated the interviewer and everything and he essentially came out and blamed uh two refereeing decisions on their loss and which was just really disappointing especially in the context of everything we’ve discussed on here and you know we’ve all seen
Whistleblowers and all that we’re trying not to go after referees as much trying to give them all a chance so I just thought that his reaction to that was just really poor and just the way he interacted with the interviewer um as well I just thought was very poor and he
He barely said Thank you afterwards and just kind of walked off but what but my actual moment of the week though was the reaction to that uh and everybody basically um every olster fan former players and just rugby fans in general have just come out um and they’ve been
Really negative about him and about McFarland and the way he conducted himself because that’s not the way you you speak to somebody after um a loss like that and it’s not the way you relate to fans or like that it’s it’s not the way to go about things um you
Take the responsibility on yourself and you talk about how you can improve all that good stuff you don’t go out and and single out the ref and yeah have that kind of tone but obviously like it was a tough loss heason he’s under an awful
Lot of pressure to be fair to him but yeah for me it was great to see the rugby Community kind of come out together in unison and just say this is an aunt what about yourself you uh so I’ve changed Mine mine’s not what I had in the notes so uh it goes
With a bit of an apology to our listeners where the Friday breakfast show wasn’t showing on Apple for 36 hours it was on Spotify but not showing on Apple podcasts and I messaged someone at megaphone said what’s the problem they were like don’t know and they said
You need to speak to Apple like how the heck do I speak to Apple it’s only like the biggest company in the world so I sent that I got I found a email address for podcasters and I emailed them this was on Saturday and said my podcast has
Been up for 36 hours and it’s not showing on Apple and I got an automatic reply saying thank you for emailing us blah blah blah um in the meantime the podcast started showing 36 hours late on Apple and then I got an email 10 minutes ago saying hi Hugh we checked and your
Podcast is showing oh cheers Apple thanks for being here so yeah anyway SC what was your moment of the week uh actually it was news that I read uh today this morning actually um hearing Jake White postmatch against the Lions over the weekend so he was complaining to the
Journalists or the media houses out there that were doing that were part of of his postmatch interview that there was no air conditioning uh at Ellis Park during halime I think I I don’t know what how hot it was in joelberg over the weekend but it was blazing hot and he
Was complaining that hey no one is R is writing a story about how hot it was in our changing room during half time everyone is concerned about the result but yeah I found that quite funny so I think I’d make that as my moment of the week actually
But yeah trust Rudolph sty to do something like that as well he’s the live CEO by the way yeah that’s I think Sam wton told a story about I think it was 2015 World Cup at twickingham that England cranked the heating in Wales of changing room ah you
See it’s all part of the game it’s part it’s not the first one fair enough fair enough anything to win I guess these days H yeah exactly what about you Jade yeah I’ll stick on topic today um you know we are discussing Super Rugby so DJ perara after that horrific Ailes standon snap
That he had against England at tkam in 2022 end of the year at the age of what’s it now 32 33 you know making a comeback the weekend I think it’s really you know an achievement to get back on that that level again so that’s my moment of the weekend he played his
First game in like 14 months the weekend nice nice so as you say we’ve got you two on this pod because we are doing in a change from what we’ve been talking about in the last few weeks a big preview on Super Rugby which is back this weekend which we’re all very
Excited about so yeah just you you guys tell us we’re g to get straight into it what’s so great about Super Rugby why why do you love it and why do you think other people who don’t watch it should love it wow who Jade is starting with that
Or H jez oh let’s let’s sell Super Rugby you know to everybody that’s Ur see Obsessed the reason why I like Super Rugby is that it’s for me it’s the game play the flow of it um the intensity of the New Zealand Derbies is unmatched I mean even the weakest team the
Highlanders I mean they front up against all of the teams you know and this season they’re going to be stronger than what they were last season because they’ve got a few talented youngsters there um then I mean we’ve seen when we had Co um the the the attraction that
Super Rugby got Super Rugby atua got when New Zealand started you know when anybody thought it to go back to gam went huge didn’t huge and went huge and I mean that is the intensity of the the does that we expect you know um the the
Trips to to Fiji um playing in that heat you know playing on those fields and those conditions you know um it’s it’s not easy to play there it’s uh it’s it’s unbelievable in terms of that and then also you you got to look at conditions when you go into canar and playing the
Bromes there because they also nearly unbeatable in canar it’s cold it’s it’s you know it’s a different conditions there so if you got to look at it you look at the New Zealand Derbies you’re looking yeah everybody saying yeah but it’s one-sided because New Zealand teams tend to beat um Australian teams you
Know which is fair can be recently but I mean the force is more than competitive in in Perth they I mean they’re fronting up and they’ve got a strong team this year we’ll see a different water this year um the Reds with les there will be a little bit stronger the rebels
Hopefully they can put their you know their woes behind them but for me growing up watching Super Rugby waking up in the morning you know African time watching New Zealand Derbies watching African teams against what I grew up and what were accustomed to and the way they try to improve the game
You know the way they try and you know promote ball in play because remember super Rugby’s Biggest competition it’s not so much URC it’s not so much you know top 14 it’s the NRL that is their biggest competition to get bums on seats you know in Australia and not so much
New Ze but in Australia so that’s the big competition so that say in terms of entertainment that’s where they’re looking at they’re trying to get the game flowing um you know keeping ball in play you know coming up with new rules and regulations so yeah that’s for me a
Super rug entertainment as Blockbuster and you do get you know old additional Derbies as well yeah than you sumed it up I don’t have to say anything clearly okay so SC what what do you say to the to the haters what do you say to people who are like oh super Ry the
Score lines are crazy uh it’s just defense is optional forward passes are allowed uh I think I think for me what I’ve noticed is that the French top 14 has basically taken the template of Super Rugby and try to implement it in their rugby in terms of excitement in terms of running
Rugby in terms of uh Innovation um just from a analytic sense of things but for people that hate I mean I I don’t have much to say to be honest uh for me I think to each their own uh but for me personally Super Rugby will always be
About Innovation history it’ll always be about traveling okay South Africa now is no longer involved Argentina is also no longer involved but the historical element of that is when you move 100 a th000 kilometers away from home uh flying to sa 10 10,000 rather uh flying to South Africa playing in the
Highfield traveling back youed stop your pit stop in Australia playing against force in Perth which is also quite uh a daunting task right and from there you’ll fly back to Oakland and or you’ll fly back to Christ Church minus I don’t know minus one -2 degre so I mean it’s
Those challenges that you overcome the travel um different environment and the challenge of stepping up the challenge of showing that you can do it in in different conditions in different countries at the same time so that was always the exciting part obviously Jade mentioned the waking up at 4:00 a.m.
Back in the days I mean talking back in 1996 1997 uh I remember my old man used to wake us up watching Oakland Blues in 1996 at 4: a.m. play against the Sharks the Gary Tans of this world the Henry Hy balls of this world you know uh Cabos
FES de and those guys Mark Andrews and you grow up with that tradition of waking up early in the morning and you get used to it you get comfortable and I mean you fall in love with it and also the fact that you always get your next Superstar the next generational player
Coming out of those coming out of that of this competition as well uh we’ve seen obviously the Carters the the MC uh coming into the tournament at the age 1920 uh and to see how much they’ve achieved over the years but those ele those things it’s not like it’s not
Happening elsewhere but that’s what we’ve come to know know over the over the time over the years and you just stuck with it you know and I’m always ex I’m think I think now with Super Rugby Pacific it’s a different tournament with different countries Fiji is involved
Which is good for development U Moana sou Pacifica is involved which is very good for development of rugby all around a nice Jersey um so so yeah I mean those things now I think with those countries involved this helps rugby in those regions develop and who knows within the next
Year or two from now because they’ve been part of it now for since 2021 I think so now in the next year or two we should see a lot of guys maybe coming back from the likes of your French top 14s coming to play for their country we should see uh rugby Championship
Expanding Japan in there Fiji in there um yeah and a lot of and maybe some clubs from Japan joining as well because we saw cross border coming through and some excitement from some of the teams in Japan beating the likes of the Chiefs for example so it’s exciting to think
About what is coming next in the future but for now I mean it’s still about the Innovation element the exciting rugby they’re running rugby yeah I mean defense is relative right at the end of the day but yeah so I’m hoping to see the Next Generation Stars uh this year so the
Guys that will probably represent the All Blacks in the next 10 years uh coming through in this year’s tournament also excited to see Australian teams actually improving with the likes of uh Joe Schmidt getting involved maybe he will have some ingredients within the bumes some ingredients within the red
Some ingredients within the waras you know to try and create maybe some way or path of playing a similar type of rugby but not the same but yeah something that is more jointed for the future of Australian rugby I think so yeah that’s my take from on Super
Rugby then maybe just getting into like let’s let’s go through it maybe country by country starting off with with New Zealand in terms of their franchises obviously the the reigning Champions the Crusaders have gone through an awful lot of change we know that Razer is now in
Charge of the All Blacks Jade like would you be able to take take us through maybe their chances this year like are they the team to beat um what’s their new coaching ticket looking like I know it’s Rob Penny now who used to be the
Coach of monster then I know we spent a lot of time in Japan so what what are your expectations kind of Crusaders and do you think that they go all the way this season look Crusaders you can never rate them off right I mean we just broke
The news that um before the show that well Jordan’s out for the whole super rugby tournament so that’s a big loss for them because I mean I think Lee off py is also gone for a few games and then I think Ethan black at is another one
Who’s only back in April I think they lost a load of players to Japan they lost yeah and they lost a load of play to Japan but if you’re looking at the tight five and who they have I mean they have tatei Williams they have um flet
Andle who are you know one of the two of the upcoming props in World rugby and then they have George bow they have Joe Moody both all black Luci heads and they have underap all black in Owen Franks over there as well and that’s the props so how many scrum penalties are you
Going to get from that game so what from that back alone you know so automatically that gives you a platform um if you’re looking at where where else they’re strong is okay they lost white lock but I mean they have Quinton strange they have um scooter Barett
There um K who up and cominging lock you know and then they have Gardner and Galla uh both can play lock or flank I mean they they they Sol I mean we’ve seen them against Island a a few years ago in I’m sure you seen them in that
New Zealand barbarians team they played there so they have a good they have a solid pack you know they didn’t lose much in the pack I mean I think it’s only Cody t on sabatical until April I think then he’s back and then Sam white loock obviously that they lost but
They’re getting Cullen Grace back and all of those guys back so they they’re strong up front their backline is a problem I mean losing Richi manga who arguably many right as the greatest super rugby player of all time you know that they pick the way yeah many R him
As that day then many say that you know he’s been he’s won what seven on the Thro or was it five or seven on but that is one on the Thro so uh the right team as in New Zealand they do right team as the greatest super rug player of all
Time so they’re saying that they losing the driver but I mean they have umara young he played in the 20s last year very good um solid um first five and then one to watch out in that team this year too actually uh no aam number nine very very educated number nine you
Know um he reminds me so much of African number nine um you know very good in the boot decision making um you know similar to um what Africa has at n and then obviously the big acquisition they have there of Lea and mua who play for Mo
Pacif last year he has his eye on the old black Jersey at Center he’s Blockbuster um he’s the one his stats has been unbelievable and I mean if he’s there you know um they they would have really de McLoud in around him they still got seu re there
Macka Springer you know they can still they still a very very strong team I wouldn’t say they’re favorites for me the two favorites this year would be the Chiefs and the blues I think those two are but the Crusaders will be there and they’re about definitely this
Season yeah and will the Highlanders be improved maybe like what do you think definitely um I think yeah with the Highlanders have I’ve noted uh some improvements obviously they’ve got a very young team in there uh but the the the most the positive thing for me about the Highlanders this season is that
Jamie Joseph is back uh with Jamie Joseph there I think also bringing that International experience back into the into the region is going to be invaluable um they’ve got a few youngsters that are in there currently it’s almost like a no-name team and I also listened to Jeff Wilson in the in
The in the breakdown on Sunday talk about how much that this team won’t have any pressure of trying to win the competition but they will have the freedom of expressing themselves each game they play and I thought about that because a a lot of young a lot of uh
Young teams tend to do that um so we we should see Highlanders there there about but I’ll be very I’ll be very surprised if they make the playoffs but I think there will be yeah there will be contenders to some degree especially against the teams outside of New Zealand
Uh with the derbies they might struggle uh with the New Zealand Derbies but as as soon as they start playing maybe some Australian teams the Reds uh Melbourne Rebels um the force even though force will be very difficult to play in Perth um and then yeah Fiji will be tough away
Definitely uh drua um once yeah once they start playing against some of the Aussie sides Moana Pacifica they could they they stand in with a chance I haven’t familiarized myself with a lot of names that are there besides obviously the halfback fuava but um just basically reading and watch and watching
Some highlights on the current setup uh I think they’ve got they stand in with a good chance with the youngsters that they have in the in their group and another one of their signings sorry we might be about to say the same thing so they’ve signed another former Pacifica
Guy Tava naai yeah yeah yeah tell us about this guy I just put a tweak about him this morning he’s Blockbuster he’s in the seiv jooo mes you know those traditional Fijian Wingers hard Runners he looks for work he’s powerful I don’t know if his aerial game is up there but he’s there
And they get Jonah thei back this season he was Outlast all of last season you know he’s another Blockbuster Winger that they have on the left wing so um they get two solid Wingers back um one to watch out two plays to watch out in that team is the fly off camer um
Unfortunately you didn’t get to see him under 20 because there was no World Cup that year but apparently a lot of people say that that under 20 Team new New Zealand had with um cell um gner all of those guys in that team was quite a
Strong team um and Cella was the main player there and then the lock Fabian Holland is another one you should keep an eyes on he’s not eligible to play for New Zealand uh that’s what Riser said um so if Razer said he’s eligible so obviously he has his eyes on in radar
He’s in radar so he’s in his radar and yeah that’s that’s that’s that’s two and then obviously you know you have your forwards your um Ethan the Groot um and then um your your STA and the other B um that they have there as well you know
They they have a decent young pack um they can surprise but I mean I think for Jamie Joseph was just to get a imprint in this team this year make the playoffs I think that’s their goal and one or two deres haven’t won a derby in two years I
Think if I’m not mistaken so that’s how bad they’ve been so let’s take the other three then all at once so whether it’s the Hurricanes the Chiefs or the blues they all feel like they’ve been the nearly men over the last few years like they they can look good in the main part
Of the season and then they comes to crunch time and the Crusaders just pull away scoop is that fair and do you see any of them yeah I think I mean with I’ll I’ll I mean looking at the Hurricanes already uh having lost AI um that’s a big loss having lost ai’s
Brother as well who’s gone to Moana Pacifica now uh julan Sava so yeah I think with the Hurricanes I mean a decade ago they were pretty solid uh in terms of experience in terms of leadership uh but obviously postco or post 2029 or 2019 they really lost a bit
Of momentum uh in that sense looking at them now and also they’ve lost their coach in and he’s gone into the all black setup now uh Holland I think right mhm yeah yeah so yeah with the I mean there’s a lot of players that need to step up now obviously TJ Panara comes
Back uh maybe to create a bit of stability in the leadership element but there’s guys like dupy kifi who are there uh I think now is the time for him to kind of step up as well as a as an open side flanker there’s the young kid
Who also played for the under 20 is last year uh as a loose as a loose forward pet L yeah Lai Peter Lai and there’s a former English uh loose forward he played for the Hurricanes Brad Shields yes Brad Shields is also back which is good because I think yeah which I think
For them is very important because then he brings in that International experience he brings in a bit of leadership and seniority within the group but I think they’ll be lacking a lot of seniority or senior players uh hence I’m saying now they need the these other guys that I mentioned to kind of
Step Up for them um they’ve got Brody Barrett but I mean who is it worth in the backline uh I haven’t really looked at their squad uh in terms of who they really have in terms of seniority but I mean I’m looking at a player like Ruben
Love who needs to really step up this season as a fly off or 15 I don’t know which position he’ll be in because now there’s an open spot for number 10 for the black jersey and there’s a lot of fly offs who need to really put their
Hand up if Ruben love is playing uh first five peretta first five and then the kid at at Highlanders you just mentioned Jade as well at 10 um and then maybe in Crusaders you have um uh Bruce Ran’s kid as well uh Fus BG is there
Fergus BG Fergus BG but Fergus BG also is 1015 as well so I mean these New Zealand likes to do this uh which is probably annoying as well they don’t really put players into one position you get you tend to be thrown around you can even be at Wing sometimes you know so
Wing first center second Center 10 15 until they until you until maybe two or three seasons then you go into your original position uh but yeah I really want for me what I want to see in this season is all these 10 from all these uh other franchises stepping up or uh all
Of them putting their hand up and showing Razer what they’ve got uh calmness under pressure and Raza spoke about uh the boot how important kicking is in the in the breakdown uh podcast as well so I mean I want to see these guys being able to kick having a 90% uh
Kicking accuracy for polls um dictating play having managing where the game is played kick how well they good how well they kick for Real Estate uh during games is also quite important so yeah for me with the Hurricanes yeah stability seniority and maybe a fly off who’s going to really uh give direction
To that Hurrican pack it’s a pretty good overview of of the New Zealand teams but maybe do you guys want to move on to the Australian side I think the only place we should really start is maybe just the Melbourne Rebels and and this the ongoing situation there it sounds like
Yeah they’re in a bit of trouble but it sounds like the season’s going to go ahead they’re going to yeah I think hasn’t Ry Australia stepped in to support the team and ensure that they’re able to to complete the tournament so do you know do you guys know what the
Latest update on this is yeah I saw the tickets went on sale for the rebels brumes today um so it looks like you know they’re going ahead with which is good I mean if you look at the rebels plays they have they I mean they brought
Back the um Rob Leota that they brought back from from from France and he’s the captain they’ve got Tongan Thor there that they just signed now um they’re sitting with C Gordon uh uh that’s the you know the fly off um that played last year for
Australia so if you look at all of those guys I mean all of those talent that is there I mean be that un goes Administration I mean it would be sad you know but then again if you’re looking at what Melbourne itself the city of Melbourne itself is competing
Against I mean that sport itself I think this like I read article like 20 one or 22 professional sport codes in me so it’s difficult for the re to compare to compare I mean there’s League AFL I mean there football everything is going on around there so
It’s very difficult for them I know and I mean what does it cost him to maintain the the M stadium in what’s it now the Marvel Stadium I know whatever they call it now but I mean they big Stadium they got in m i mean they they trying to push
And I see they have the super round there next weekend where all the teams play there so let’s hope this kicks their season let’s hope they be beat the brumes on Friday they play let’s hope they beat the brumes and you know just turn the season around I mean it
Happened with the stormers the stormers was basically almost on close to Administration and when they they turn their season around so let’s hope so because I read an article they said that for Australia to get the 2027 World Cup they had to maintain five um professional franchises in super ragby
Oh that was that’s what the government want because they believe in Mass participation yeah so that was the agreement so yeah that is why they pushing Australian Rugby Union was pushing so hard for the rebels basically because the force I mean the force got
Their fan Bas in I mean they get a good support every week um the bres are solid in cambera you never going to take the rebels or I mean the raids or the waras away so yeah uh they need to have the five franchises to get that 20 2027
World Cup that was the agreement to made to the government so scoop you reacted there when Jade said maybe that they’ll beat the brumes you don’t think that’s gonna happen the Brum going to be the strongest Australian team again final yeah yeah I mean brumes I
Mean you look at their history right um starting off okay from my perspective since I started watching them with uh the locks and the grians in the late ’90s and then Eddie Jones coming in there yeah yeah yeah and saora was there as well during that era um I mean
They’ve I they’ve I mean they’ve taken over they took over from the Reds because Reds were the were the dominant side in earlier in the ’90s uh with the John eills and the cures of this world uh but then the bumes made themselves that uh main Australian team they even
Had Jake white uh back in 2012 I think or 13 Jake white was there and I think they might have promised Jake white that he could have been the next WABE coach if he’ stayed another season or something like that but obviously there was disputes there uh back back room stuff
Um with the brumbies I mean I’m always confident the bumes will always be in the playoffs uh and being the only Australian team in the playoffs every season the waras are second best Australian team for me um and then it’s a battle uh it’s a battle of the pigs in
The mud with the Reds with the force and the rebels because the the Reds in particular it felt like they were getting absolutely smashed last season yeah I mean they started off well actually under th and then they kind of lost it and then you had the okas that
Were injury prone throughout the season so they kind of lacked a bit of leadership in that sense as well uh who’s this kid who plays eighth man as well for the Australian team uh what’s name Wilson Wilson Wilson yeah yeah Harry Wilson as well you know he’s also
On off um because I think had they literally had a team that was injury free okay not injury free which is kind of impossible but if they had a team that was like constantly coming out week in week out there could have been a bit of stability uh but with a lot of
Injuries that come in I mean it was tough for for Ruben Thorn to to literally I mean get get continuity within that team you know but obviously let’s see what uh the new coach can do now with the Reds um I don’t know where okon is is he still around for this
Season if he’s back yeah they need him at 10 um I mean a lot of teams in Super Rugby for me personally with a lot of old heads having left or retired now there is a new generation coming through um now is a lot of tens
That need to come in halfbacks as well involved in that group so there’s a lot of tens that can put their hand UPS uh there’s a lot of nines that need to put their hand up as well uh be it New Zealand be it uh in Australia as well so
I mean yeah Australian teams I mean what the the the the the brmes had uh Noah right but Noah went to France for a bit Leo and then play back is he back now to bres for this season okay so he’s also a youngster who was also dropped by Eddie
Jones uh hopefully he’s passed that and now wants to focus on basically going back into the brumbies after this uh the Super Rugby season um so yeah there’s a lot of that going on currently when I look at the overall perspective of Super Rugby but in an Australian case they
Need a good 10 and obviously the rebels boy is there but he also needs to have another good season this year as well so he needs to show some momentum show show some growth show show some um maturity as well um yeah so from me from an
Australian perspective if I can see the brmes one arar maybe Reds or Force perform well that will boat well for uh for Joe Schmidt uh selecting his uh his next WABE Squad as well and also it’ll it will strengthen the competition in terms of competitiveness uh when teams travel to
Australia they must know that they need to really show up uh because I mean yeah people think it’s too easy for New Zealand teams but I think it’s quite difficult those first 20 or that first half an hour is really tough until obviously they break through after 30
Minutes or 40 minutes or even 60 Minutes uh maybe sometimes the score line is not a very good true reflection of what transpired on the Park yeah the number of times I’ve seen a New Zealand team play an Australian team and the Australian teams been maybe winning at
Halim and then it’s almost like the new zealanders go okay we’re going to start trying now and then it’s like 30 40 points it’s turn of ball turn of ball you if you look at where the tri come from it’s a lot of um you know um
Unforced errors that they make and New Zealand teams punish them you know all the years they punished him from there as two quick trials they scoring in the game a blowout so that’s the problem but you want to add something to what scoop said they mentioned that you know nines
And T I can give you a few guys to watch out for this year as we wrapping up Australia um at the four they have Nick white there now and Ben Donaldson that they brought in from the water and they’ve also got atum moly I don’t if
You remember him but he was the guy that replaced um he made the New Zealand 2015 um World Cup squad ahead of Owen Franks and he’s they got him in there now and they got a few you know Journeymen from New Zealand over there so that’s it’s actually you know the
Force watch out for the them I think they they can challenge the Ts for the second spot in Australia I think the bres will in one but at the Reds and at the war there’s actually two familiar names that’s there we have Michael Alina’s youngest son he plays fly off
For the Reds watch out for him he’s actually and then we have David Wilson who was a former Australian and bres Captain as well flanker ye son Harry Wilson plays nine for the water also a talent and then obviously have a lookout for the junior T boto theer brother of tooto
They plays for uh for Scotland he’s he’s in the water to set up as well so yeah so we have a lookout for those names you know uh so there’s a few names I’m giving you there and then obviously um if you’re looking at the
Rebels a big one is back there as well he a mat Proctor a former all black he’s back at Cent the rebels so also big name signing the rebels made I can’t understand you know with all Administration problems that they have so there’s a few a few names there in
Australia watch out for and remember Australia didn’t have a bad under 20 Squad last year they weren’t that bad they weren’t bad you know I mean look at the conditions they played in very heavy Under Foot they beat wells in the play they beat New Zealand as well so um
Every under fot conditions and so I’m really think you know that they might have you might see a few younger faces in this Australian team this year in this Australian squads this year that you know we might become our names in the future yeah is the other guy who was at
Hurricanes yeah at Hurrican his brother’s still there oh okay fair enough and maybe just to wrap up on on the Australian teams like can an Australian team go the whole way this season or do you guys maybe expect the the bromes to make the playoffs again
But not make it to the final to Win It do you think only way only way they can win it is by somehow you don’t have a Runway New Zealand team like you normally had with the Crusaders or the Chiefs and the log is compact uh and
Then you get the brmes that wins in stop of the log because they wins all the Australian Derbies you know and they win their games at home so they in on top and then they get a home semi home quarter home final that’s the only way
They can win it you know if New Zealand teams really like the blues and the Chiefs and the Crusader and the canes start to knock off each other and take a lot of points from each other no runaway you know leaders of the log I think so
That’s the only way they can and then I don’t want to say this but if Nick Berry Al you know officiates a few Australian games and well there’s a lot of 5050 that there to go his way as well you know sorry for saying that but imunity
Is also there with Australia but yeah um so that’s also one that um Can can go that way but I’m thinking bris needs to in on top to win this okay cool right let’s talk about the exciting teams of the league the relatively new ones and uh one that team
That we kind of made our name here on the pirate Ro be talking about for and drer they uh feel like they’re going from strength to strength uh it’s one of the most exciting developments I think in World rugby in the last maybe this Century the the implementation of this professional
Fian side playing in Super Rugby yeah scoop how good can the dwer be this season do you expect to see them improve at the same right they did last season well they’ve kept uh majority of the team from uh last season and majority of those players also played in the World
Cup last year which is a good thing um bringing back now that experience for me Dru will be difficult at home uh for any for any team be it Australian be it New Zealand I mean you saw what they did I mean those games were at 4:00 a.m. I
Think and I at think the one game I distinctively remember going telling myself that okay I’m not going to watch Crusaders in Fiji Fiji Dru Crusaders are taking this and then waking up at 700 a.m. with the result and I’m like no ways I need to watch this game you know
And then from that moment onwards they really had my attention and I thought okay maybe this this is there something special brewing in uh in Fiji currently so bringing that momentum into this season will be very crucial and for me one of the most important parts is they
Need to start winning away they need to start winning in New Zealand they need to start winning in Australia so in if they can start doing though if they can start doing that or even if they’re not really winning against the New Zealand sides but bring it within a score Five
Points three points seven points uh in that way you can start building the confidence of okay we lost by one point I mean we lost by one point lost within a score that creates that creates a bit of positivity that creates a bit of a different attitude in terms of how how
You you went out there and expressed yourself and performed against New Zealand teams in New Zealand which is probably the most difficult thing for any team from anywhere to to to actually do so for me I want to see them perform away from home and get some W’s away
From home yes maybe one or two they got in Australia surprise surprise but I mean I want to see them do it against New Zealand teams now and uh that’ll bod well for their International season as well uh going forward so yeah FID drua they will do well they would be they
Will be a mid-table team but I mean if they crack it in within the top eight That’ll be amazing if they crack it if they make playoffs that’ll be incredible for for them this season I’m sure uh within their coaching structures there targets and looking at the at the setup
Or looking at their fixtures they’ve probably targeted one or two teams from New Zealand and one or two teams from Australia to actually and then basically put a Target on for themselves at home to probably try not to lose any games at home so if they do that then yeah maybe
They take a lot of boxes and it uh probably helps them and yeah in terms of uh this year’s competition and what about Mo and Pacifica Jades how do you think they’re going to do this season you know I still think bana Pacifica is unfairly judged because they play in a
Tough ball so they play all New Zealand teams home and away you know I think if they played in the Australian pool they would have got a more few more W’s um I really think that for them it’s difficult because I mean with Fiji you know whole Fiji development everything
Happening in with Fiji you know pumping money into into that region well the mo Pacifica team it’s more like New Zealand’s six team you know it’s more like there are a lot of these guys play um rugby in the the two best players have gone to New Zealand franchises yeah
The two best players have gone to Zealand but I mean it’s like New Zealand 16 with uh a lot of these players they play in Bunnings NPC for whether it’s for counties or for you know they play their they roam around there you know so it’s difficult to say that for them this
Season I would like to see them slowly move out of Oakland and to Samoa or to Tonga you know and base get Bas there until they do that they’ll be much much more stronger but looking at who they got I mean it’s more or less the same
Play as last year I see they got Nigel awong also back this year Julian Saia is there um back there this year they still got Christian Leu there so it’s more or less the same place you know there but for them they tend to get close in games
I mean they beat the hurries once but they tend to get close in games last year they ran the blues short but then the last 5 minutes they played with 13 men you get what I’m saying so their discipline is the problem you know if
They can sort that out I mean the the Brumby short close last year and also last 5 10 minutes they they were on the field 13 men and that’s that’s the big problem you know but I mean guys like mirle f langi um Nang Danny dala um I
Think William a is still there as well if I’m not mistaken those guys I mean they they they did well in the world cup so they can push and and but cause a mistake but because they playing a difficult pool they playing New Zealand pool is very difficult for them to to
Actually you know get ey up the log yeah and they got new coaches there as well so they’ve got Tana Umaga is is the head coach now and they’ got Steven Jones as well who former Wales F half he was Scarlet’s attack coach when we won the
Pro 12 so I don’t know do we think that’s G to make much of a you laughing at do you think this is gonna make much of an impact on it should make it should make it should make a difference you know because I mean um the last year
They had Adam Maj and I think against ER Maj I think he punched above his weight but I don’t think he understand the culture of that team as Daniel manga does you know so that’s maybe with a difference coming H it’s going to be tough for T though I think I mean his
Coaching record he was what at at leer uh before and then moved down to New Zealand or the under 20s with Razer at some point and then the blues at some point as well C World Cup I think Samoa defense defense coach okay yeah then he’s I think he’s probably familiar
Now uh since he was with Sam so he should be familiar with the players cuz I I mean thinking about this whole player coaching situation um listening to what uh plumtry John plumtry said in his postmatch against the stormers this weekend that he was not used to the
Players or he hasn’t been used to the players he didn’t know the players or he doesn’t know the players and how important that is uh for now for him the season right so T probably in the same boat now starting off with a new club so it’s about
Understanding the players for any coach and understanding what those players can do for you as well um yeah I think those are very important details that we may be underestimating to this coaching uh thing as well cool so before we go on on talk about how people at home can watch Super
Rugby up in the northern hemisphere this year let’s do our table predictions so we’re not going to predict a full table I’m going to sh my screen guys so sh when you can see it um so we’re not going to predict the full table but we’re going to group the teams
In the tier list so let’s get straight on with it uh they’re not in any particular order so let’s go Blues first so the the categories are title contenders playoffs battling for eighth falling short or just making up the numbers that might be a bit of a harsh
One I might rename that one let’s go Blues first what do we reckon then contenders title contenders definitely they’re going to win it this year that’s my team title conts you agree SC yeah I think I mean Vern cot is uh he’s a guy that’s been around uh he’s
Done it before um he’s coached internationally and I think he’s bringing in a different culture into this team they’ve had young coaches uh not to say uh what’s his name on the breakdown is a young coach but they’ve had young coaches in the past but now I
Think Vern cter with experience that he brings in and the seniority that it brings in kind of reminds me of Ted as well when Ted was at the blues so yeah I think ver cter will do will bring in something special within this Blues team yeah cool and the Crusaders then title
Contenders as well have to be yeah been there done that always always hurricanes we’re doing all the New Zealand teams first hurricanes battling for eighth for me nah playoffs scoop playoffs I think they they’ll make the playoffs so put it in the in the middle there it doesn’t I’m
Kidding I think playoffs playoffs okay let’s change it up let’s go to I think this is warar this one play White playoffs yeah yeah yeah because they play lot of Australian deres I think playoffs yeah yeah playoffs definitely yeah playoffs yeah okay let’s let go to the Rebels the team of the
Moment no short fall short yeah fall short definitely falling short okay let’s go back they start off well but they’ll fall short let’s go for the drewer next I think falling short as well for duw you think so it’s a tough one but I would love for them to make it to the
Playoffs but I think at the back end of the season back end of the season is the toughest because you’re either traveling a lot or you’re playing some New Zealand teams before you go into the playoffs so I yeah for me I think they’re falling short they will be there there about but
Then back end of the season they start trickling down I think for you disagree go ahead battling for eight because I think they they they they’re gonna win at least five six home game scoop I mean it’s it’s not easy to play in s so I think that that takes you what to
16 points yeah and then I mean Aussie game yeah there you can win I think I think they’ll get about 25 points there about and you can get up with eight I think that’s a lot of points I think so I think last year they made I think
They’ll be there battling for e and and you you have the casting vote yeah I’ll go batling for E we do have some viewers from down that side of the world so exactly knows where his bread is buttered right uh thank you viewers at home let’s
Go to the Chiefs next uh last year’s finalists Chiefs are contending contenders is is dmac gonna be New Zealand’s fly half now nodding B Barrett bden Barrett there and hasn’t R in Japan is he think they making yeah so he will be just like uh what’s his name who’s the
Guy that got a red card in the final Sam and a Savia back and a Sav is back in the international season so they they lucky fortunate in that in he didn’t rule out Richi manga not being called up he didn’t rule it out he said so said he
Said f the rules basically yeah that’s my boy right okay brumes contenders yeah yeah top Yeah I think that’s think that’s a semi-finals those four teams I think so definitely yeah okay I wouldn’t gone for that definitely Force making up numbers no falling short no making up numbers making up numbers
No you think so I think the r is making up numbers scoop I think four actually all those teams right there are making up numbers even Highland you think so n those four teams are making up numb I think the for is I think the force
Falls short or they or they make it into the top eight I think they there yeah for force is better than the rebels at least uh don’t worry we’ll have you guys both on at the end of the season we have the yeah luckily this is recorded we can
Always go back yeah red red definitely making up numbers Moana making up numbers oh sorry Moana we love you battling battling for E because the D can’t battle alone for eth they need we need to get team Highlanders are battling for eight oh yeah Highlanders gave in preseason they gave the
Crusaders hiding they gave the the the Hans hiding and the game one hiding yeah but the Crusaders team was like an under 20 team did you see that tell mon didn’t tell monster guys to stop to stop gloating about Okay cool so there it is definitive your semi-finalists are the
Blues the Crusaders the Chiefs and the bromes making the playoffs but not making semifinals are the hurcan against rotar battling for eighth is Drew and Highlanders falling short Rebels and force and then making up the numbers is red and mor Pacifico you heard it here first yeah and the final Eden B the
Final said Eden B and the blues will win it this year they need to win it man they have to win it this year that’s enough of that let’s go into some URC so let’s go through this quickly so I’m going to start I’m going to talk
About my favorite game of the weekend which is ler versus Benetton or at least my favorite half of the weekend because the first half of this game was insane so ler played at a, Miles hour is some of the fastest Robby I’ve seen this season but benison went with them
Bennetton just stood up to them there were some huge hits going in absolutely brutal tackles and it would be lster would score and you’d think oh okay here it comes and then bennetton would go up the other end and score as well bennetton actually scored first in this
Game I saw that yeah yeah um unfortunately in the second half Benetton fell away I think just lster just shattered them I think they played so fast and such intensity that he came to the final quarter and pison just couldn’t stick with them anymore this was of course the teams with Hedges at
Their ground Derby which makes it unique in rugby it was it was a first first versus second in the league bennetton dropped down to Fourth now but I think they’re still gonna be okay and ler just lering on uh let’s go down to sorry want to come in
Yeah do you think Benetton going to lost I think playoffs yeah yeah yeah I think they’ve got I think they’ve got enough winnable games in their fixtures to get a home semi or home quarter anyway and they’ve like 20 players in the Italian Squad at the moment it’s yeah
Exactly because you can see the massive difference that makes and they got Malik you know so they don’t need Playas as well and Gallo that prop the Argentinian prop he’s a hell of a player yeah is is is ler can can can l play for them now I wasn’t
Sure is signed for them I think it’s playing for this weekend quick quick one guys quick one just just clarify this rule for me for for ask people onself please I I’m struggling to understand it so how is it possible that P offway the season you can transfer to another club
In the and and play in the competition for for another club is shouldn’t the your see have a window or isn’t there a window is it just so if people check out our substack you will find an article discussing this very thing uh L that is why I I was so
Anno I’m so annoyed with rugby just rugby in general because we don’t have a window for anything right I mean there is a break where everyone stops playing rugby which is when during I think after the after the Autumn series there’s maybe a window there an opportunity or
Just before the Autumn Series in October there’s a window of opportunity Unity where maybe teams can start um trading and obviously teams can start uh buying players and moving players around you can be in discussions maybe in September roughly and then obviously things can start being official around October by
The end of October everything should be finalized and then we go into the next year as well in a 12mon cycle but I mean at the moment it feels like every week there’s someone in in in discussions about moving and some players can move midseason some players can move the last
Three games of the Season which really doesn’t create a bit of stability to be honest French teams have started playing paying transfer fees so to lose paid half a million for Kinghorn to from Edinburgh to to lose agree I think need transfer window yeah we need a transfer window definitely
Definitely okay so let’s talk the sa Derby then so scoop I’m going to get you first because I haven’t heard you I’ve heard you ask other people about the balls but I haven’t heard you talk about the balls [Laughter] so I want you to tell
Me lions yes they did yes they did I’m very happy with the Blue Bulls uh I’m really happy with their progress actually I mean they’re not flashy like your stormers uh the Blue Bulls typical Jake white rugby uh grinded out um very patient in their buildup because I mean
They played a few unknown players in the starting lineup uh for the first 50 60 minutes and then they brought in the more experienced players from the bench and then you could tell the difference uh as soon as the Lions started falling away in the last quarter of the game um
The blue bus started finding their magic started building phases started threatening the Lions started poking the lions with their phase play or interphase play because then cuz the lions were just kicking the ball the whole time I mean if you look at that game I think probably once or twice the
Lions entered the bues 22 besides that they every every ball they got they kicked away Noh must have kicked I don’t know just double digits over just over 10 kicks every single time lions at possession so yeah with the Blue Bulls I’m really happy with their progress I’m
Happy with the balance that they have within the backs and the forwards which is quite important and the experience that comes within the backs and the forwards as well few Sprint box that are there are helping them with the maturity of and the platform that Jake has set as
Well there’s a very simple structure uh with Jake white it’s it’s he’s just like Russy to be honest um he prefers Going Back to Basics let’s grind it out in the forwards backs will finish it off get the fastest or the quickest or the most skillful backs who can really turn
Things around at any split uh of the uh uh at any moment of the game let mean you look at the likes of abana who used to play for Jake white when he was a springb coach Habana could really turn magic uh for the springb uh the for redu
Priers for example but yeah so I’m really happy with the Blue Bulls and I think they will really go far within this competition even if they even if they get a challenge of playing a playoff away from home I think they could really grind it out and play really Jose Mourinho type of
Rugby Football context but really yeah yeah yeah I don’t know how to the analogy is really tough to make right now but they can really grind it out and play Simple basic rugby that will definitely frustrate the opposition I mean if you go back to when they played
Uh lster away from home and how they grinded out grinded out that game because the coaching staff of lster probably must have underestimated them and then the Blue Bulls typical Jake white fashion forward play forward dominance and then grind out a win out of nowhere out of nothing but the their
Biggest a kill is heel at the moment is the stormers okay so if they can beat the stormers I think everything will be good for them so Jade tell me about the stormers there’s nothing really new to say about the Sharks this week so we’re going to avoid talking about them this
Week but so Jade are are the storm is back they they never left I don’t think they left I think they’re there I think the stormers will be there I think lster if if you ask lster and lster support is you know sitting on top of the chain who who
What’s the game who don’t they want to play where don’t they want to end up they don’t want to play the stormies in Cape Town I think that’s the one game that they said out I don’t want to go there but I fancy you know I should beat
Every other team besides the or my kid monster again but I mean the stormers is they they a championship team I mean they won it before um they were in the final last year so they’ll be there and there about I mean they got a winning
Culture and yeah I mean if they for me it’s important this season if they beat uh lell in that um the in that last 16 game if they beat lell and knock lell what’s that going to do to that confidence cuz I mean there’s a few
World Cup winners in that team as well that I mean they they’ll be scared of no Challenge and if they do that even if they fall short later on in the tournament you know um they they’ll fancy going and getting L their away you know and beating them in the final so
They’ll they’ll fany their chances here yeah one thing I like about the storm is now also the the makeup of the squad uh from this past weekend as well I mean a lot of new talent coming through Players I’ve never even heard of coming through I was like whoa what is happening here
But the mere fact that they can just slot in and still perform and still grind out a win in Durban in the humidity in front of 31,000 people I mean you would think the Sharks would have performed very well because I think now they starting to make make a bit of a
Few changes within their structures as well uh I think listening to Plum Tree about what they’re trying to do there uh there will be a bit of change but maybe for next year but the stormers I mean the fact that they can bring in new talent and they they just slot in there
And come up with the win perfect perfect recipe okay let’s get into our club Roundup then so Ander do you want to take us through what happened in the women’s rby this weekend y sure so in premiership with man’s rugby Gloucester harpery are now on top with 10 wins from
10 and they’re just one point shy of a perfect score after beating sale at the weekend do you want to take us to the Celtic challenge yeah so Thunder won again over the same opposition they won up in Glasgow against Glasgow first ever away victory for that team uh Edinburgh
Lost out to wolf hounds but that was a very high quality game it was the two arguably best sides in the league to be fair this was round one of the playoffs which has taken place in Scotland uh and the next playoff round double header will be in
Ireland uh so Ender do you want to take us through the men’s rugby Europe this week uh oh actually I’ll start with Georgia versus Spain um Georgia beats Spain it was a very it was a very competitive first half and Spain played some really attractive rugby but Georgia
Went to their power game in the uh in the second half and kind of blew Spain away they managed to milk two yellow cards out of Spain to be fair Spain fought back and gave them a hell of a game out of it but in the end Georgia
Was it was just too much so congratulations to them um in other uh news the Netherlands beat Germany a very impressive performance I know you watch that one scoop and Belgium beat Poland which is great two wins out of three for Belgium so far and Portugal beat Romania
With some Wonder tries that we’d like to talk about more but we Haven quite got the time but uh if you go on Twitter there they’ve all gone viral or Portugal Portugal tries they were incredible uh onto the top 14 then stad fron a back top somehow after beating Peron Bordeaux
Is still third despite losing three of their last four games not going well for ubb in the league at the moment and to Loser on a six match winning streak having put 60 points on o be and now top of sorry Co mate yeah isn’t BAU supposed
To be good and strong this season what’s happening they’ve had all their Players called up by France and they gone and they’ve got injuries as well but see yeah maybe not the deepest Squad but I’m sure they’ll be back the end of the season is what matters in the northern
Hemisphere anyway Pro bersier are now top of the pro after to uh they got another victory at the weekend provant a second after they beat vanau in a top of the table Clash but is still all to playay for there’s only two points separating the top three and down the
Bottom bit’s got a big win over norand D and what happened in Japan this week Honda Heath took another 50o hammering against Toyota Ritz while Knights are still on 100% winning effort after beating sunlet then in the Premiership rugby cup we have both semi-finals this past
Weekend so Tigers beat eling in a 10 game to make the final and Gloucester also beat exiter by three points in the a division 1A there were wins for B hinch clant and KH teror and young monster and after the weekend’s action there are just Five Points between
Leaders Clan tarf and fourth place lands down Dublin University are still bottom with just one win so far this season then we had the opening round of this Super Rugby America’s tournament you how did things go there yeah so we’re going to try and follow that while it’s on
It’s not the easiest competition for us to follow in the UK but we’re going to do our best so there was a huge upset in this round one so Brazilian side cobras who finished bottom of the log last last season beat the Champions pen roll from
Uruguay uh I think they were leading at Hal time and people were thinking surely not they couldn’t could they and then they did so congratulations we’re a big fan of Brazilian rugby here on the pirate rugby show so fantastic well done then for the two Argentinian teams uh
Doos hammered American Raptors 568 and Pampas beat Paraguay inside yakare then to the Welsh Prem which feels a long way from Super rby America is now I’m saying it like that uh fuy roll on another huge win for them at bottom side Neath Kamar and quins had multiple senior Scarlets in
Their team but fell to lowly Swansea so a disappointing result there anyway uh Ender let’s wrap up our Super Rugby talk with you telling us how people can watch it in the UK and irelands this weekend y so just like last season all games are going to be shown live on Sky
Sports and they’re going to be streamed on now last season they showed almost every single game so I expect them to do the same this season like with the opening fixtures coming up this weekend every game is live and so that’s how you can catch those we will run through the
Full TV Guide for the weekend on Friday but unfortunately we’re out of time uh tonight guys but I just wanted to finish the show by saying a massive thank you to both Jade and feler for coming on hope you guys um enjoyed it and we really appreciate it yeah and plug your new
Show geez it’s not a show it’s not a show it’s not a show so what we’ll be doing every Thursday is basically starting up conversations on Twitter uh basically anyone can join we’ll be basically talking about all things Super Rugby everything Super Rugby predictions what we think uh probably who the next
Big star is going to be um all these other conversations just maybe a Twitter nice Twitter thread and see how far we can get with that but yeah at the moment no not a show but uh if it yeah if things go well maybe we might create one
But yeah there’s too many podcasts around to be honest so we’ll just probably have a slot uh on Sunday to uh see if we can yeah to discuss those super rugby results looking forward to it yeah okay cool thank you you for listening a jam-packed show thank you so much to Our
Guest again end any final words oh just again yeah thanks to the lads and yeah looking forward to next one cheers everyone cheers thanks guys thank you guys cheers good evening by
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