Not even half way through this year’s instalment of Super Rugby and New Zealand teams are strongly in the box seat. In what is turning out to be quite a lop-sided competition, New Zealand teams are dominating their overseas competitors as four Kiwi sides are on track to qualify for finals.
Putting aside the complicated logistics of the Super Rugby ladder, if we were just to go on points, 4 New Zealand teams would make up the top 5 after seven rounds of the competition. This is a staggering statistic considering this year’s competition was extended to 18 teams.
With the international season looming, the recent success by Kiwi sides in Super Rugby certainly bodes well for the All Blacks as they look to continue their dominance in world rugby. Australian Coach Michael Cheika is certainly conscious of the fact that Australian teams have only won two fixtures out of nine against New Zealand sides, and has conceded that Australian teams are well behind New Zealand’s.
While other international teams would have hoped New Zealand’s era of dominance would come to an end after losing over 600 caps of test experience at the end of the World Cup, this year’s run of form by Kiwi sides is proving there is no shortage of new talent coming through.
The likes of Malakai Fekitoa and Charlie Ngatai have firmly stamped their mark early this season. The pair have been performing outstandingly with Ngatai equaling the record for the most tries in a game with four against the Western Force. Both players are strong contenders to replace the longstanding midfield of Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu.
The young guns of Damian Mckenzie and Ardie Savea look set to make their test debuts this year. Both players have been in red hot form, particularly Mckenzie who is leading the most points and top try scorer charts.
The battle of the first fives has also heated up over the last few weeks of Super Rugby with both Aaron Cruden and Lima Sopoaga putting their hand up as the right man for the job. With Cruden’s year off due to a knee injury, the number 10 from Manawatu has been back at his best for the Chiefs as they have gone five games unbeaten. Sopoaga has also shown how far his game has come over the past three years but knows he needs to take on the line more if he is going to claim the All Blacks number 10 jersey.