Super Rugby: 5 Things we learnt from Round 3

1     We saw again that scrums take too long, and collapse ad nauseam, and that referees often guess who is infringing. Among the most obvious other refereeing problems we saw yet again in Round 3, are players defending from in front of the “hindmost foot of the hindmost player” at rucks and mauls, both close to the ruck/maul and wider out, and kick chasers immediately moving forward ahead of the kicker or anyone behind them who could put them onside. Referees are not vigilant about these infringements and they are getting insufficient help from their assistant referees, who have little enough else to do.

2     New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has a plethora of number 10 riches from whom to select his back-up and/or stand-in for Dan Carter for the Rugby Championship and then the World Cup, with Colin Slade deputising with aplomb for Carter at the Crusaders, Beauden Barrett showing skill and excellent decision-making for the Hurricanes, and Aaron Cruden looking good for the Chiefs. In addition, there are also two young pivots staking a claim for future All Black honours in Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) and Ihaia West (Blues) – both exceptional talents.

3     The return of Sonny Bill Williams from Rugby League to Super Rugby, with immediate major impact, will please Hansen too. Wallaby coach Michael Cheika will have noted the skills and class shown by James O’Connor’s on his return from London Irish and Toulon to Super Rugby, and glimpses of his best from out-of-favour Wallaby Will Genia, while Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer will have been happy with the intensity with which Victor Matfield, close to his 38^th birthday and fiercely determined to silence his critics who say he is now too old to play for the Springboks, played for the Bulls against the Sharks.

4     The Bulls are back. The Sharks may perhaps feel that they got less than they deserved from the referee and TMO, but in the end the Bulls were awarded four tries to two, and were it not for the nine from nine goalkicking of Patrick Lambie, the Sharks may not have stayed so close. With scrumhalf Piet van Zyl having been tried and discarded by the Bulls, and replaced on Saturday by a decidedly mediocre Rudy Paige, should the Bulls not select Francois Hougaard at 9? If he is good enough to play scrumhalf for the Springboks, why do the Bulls banish him to the wing, where he has less influence on the game?

5     The Crusaders are in trouble, with two miserable performances in three games. Conceding five tries and 40 points against the Chiefs made for a dismal day for them, and much as they would like Dan Carter, Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock, and Owen Franks back in their line-up, coach Todd Blackadder, captain Matt Todd, and the rest of the team need to do meticulous analysis and honest soul-searching on why they’re under-performing.