With the concluding weekend of Vodacom Super Rugby close at hand, now would be the appropriate time to reflect on the inaugural season of the new Super Rugby format, which included teams from Argentina and Japan for the first time in the tournament’s history.
With the concluding weekend of Vodacom Super Rugby close at hand, now would be the appropriate time to reflect on the inaugural season of the new Super Rugby format, which included teams from Argentina and Japan for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The newcomers to the tournament – the Jaguares from Argentina and the Sunwolves from Japan, as well as the returning Southern Kings – have struggled throughout the season.
The Jaguares – perhaps the most surprising disappointment of the three, due to the sheer number of Argentine internationals present in their squad – only managed a dismal 4 wins out of 11.
The Kings, who were hit hard by financial turmoil before the tournament began, only managed two wins all season (at home against the Sunwolves and Jaguares respectively). Despite this, the Kings showed promise, with several close defeats, and a few stars putting their hands up – most notably utility back Lukhanyo Am.
The DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls, who did not play a single New Zealand franchise, both went into the tournament with relatively young squads, and experimental gameplans.
The Stormers’ young guns, such as Jean-Luc du Plessis and Leolin Zas, showed vast improvement over the season, and the franchise deservedly fought their way into the quarterfinals.
The Bulls, however, failed to execute their experimental gameplan when it counted, and fell short of the playoffs in favour of the Cell C Sharks. Both the Bulls and the Stormers faced the Australian franchises in their regular season matches. This ultimately proved to be the Stormers’ downfall, as they were dismantled in their home quarterfinal against a vastly superior Chiefs outfit.
Despite only winning 4 matches, The Toyota Cheetahs showed great promise with their attacking style of play. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, as even well-known pundits Mark Keohane, Craig Lewis, and Brenden Nel have called for the likes of Sergeal Petersen and Francois Venter to be called into Allister Coetzee’s Springbok squad. Undoubtedly, the Cheetahs’ best outing this season came during their 92-17 destruction of the Sunwolves midway through the season.
The Sharks have showed glimpses of brilliance, but inconsistency has cost them dearly. The men from Durban racked up an impressive win over the Hurricanes and a nail biting one-point victory over the defending champions, the Highlanders. However, the Durban side also suffered an agonising draw against the Bulls and an even more disappointing away loss to the Blues.
The Sharks’ rollercoaster season was capped off with a new Super Rugby record: during their 41-0 annihilation against the Hurricanes, they became the first team to be held scoreless in a Super Rugby knockout match in the history of the competition.
The best South African team this season has been the Emirates Lions, the county’s last hope at bringing home the trophy this season. The Johannesburg franchise has entertained its supporters with fast-paced, ball in-hand attacking rugby since their return to Super Rugby in 2014.
However, it has only been this season that their confidence on attack has been backed up by a solid defence, and the men in red are deserving title contenders.
The Lions have made history this season, overtaking the Crusaders for most tries scored in a single season with 81 (the previous record was 71), and securing both their first home semi-final and first final. (They lost away semi-finals in 2000 and 2001, when they were known as the Cats.)
The Lions will have one last chance at a record this coming Saturday, as they travel to Wellington to face the top seeded Hurricanes in the final match of Super Rugby 2016. History will be made regardless of the result, as neither the Lions nor the Hurricanes have ever hoisted the Super Rugby trophy.
However, if the Lions can cap off their Cinderella season with a victory, they will be the first franchise to cross the Indian Ocean for the final and still go on to win.
