Super Rugby Pacific heads into the second half of its season with a downbeat series of matches in round nine.
Nothing significant is at stake in contests between the league-leading Chiefs and eighth-place Fijian Drua and the fourth-place Crusaders and 10th-place Rebels on Friday, and again Saturday between the fifth-place Blues and ninth-place Waratahs and the seventh-place Highlanders and Western Force, who are next to last in the 12-team competition.
The first eight rounds seem to have already sorted out the leading contenders for this year’s title. The top five teams are clearly established and those teams will vie for seedings and to determine which one misses out on a home playoff.
The next few teams will attempt for the rest of the regular season to cement places in the over-generous eight-team playoff format.
There will be interest in seeing how long the Hamilton-based Chiefs can preserve their unbeaten record, which easily survived last weekend’s match against the Hurricanes.
The winning streak is certainly expected to come under pressure when the Chiefs face the Crusaders in Round 10, the Hurricanes for a second time in Round 13 and the Brumbies in Round 14.
As the tournament heads toward the playoffs, injuries increasingly are becoming a factor impinging on the form of some teams.
The defending champion Crusaders are especially hard-hit, most recently losing All Blacks prop George Bower for the remainder of the year with a knee injury. Bower also is out of World Cup contention, as is Crusaders winger Sevu Reece. Crusaders prop Fletcher Newell will at least miss the rest of the Super Rugby season with a toe injury.
Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson said Bower had successful surgery last week.
“He had an ACL reconstruction. He’s mending well. Both him and Sevu are together on the rehab,” Robertson said.
All Blacks fullback Will Jordan is edging closer to a return after being sidelined for seven weeks because of migraine headaches.
“It’s week by week, especially with someone that has had this for a period of time,” Robertson said. “You work with them. It’s new, a unique situation from a health point of view. He wasn’t quite ready this week.”
As they languish in 10th place, the Rebels face increasing pressure to pick up points to firm their playoff challenge.
“Every game from now is really crucial for us,” Rebels prop Sam Talakai said. “We’ve got to turn up to this game and we’ve got to fire a shot.
“As well as defense, in attack it’s just sticking to being fearless and trusting our skill and ability where we can.”
The Chiefs have lost All Blacks captain Sam Cane to concussion, the latest of many head injuries suffered by the backrower. Cane’s backrow partner Luke Jacobson also will be absent after a head knock, although former All Blacks lock Josh Lord is due to return to the bench against the Drua after an 11-month absence.
The Highlanders will be without two All Blacks scrumhalves when they travel to Perth to play the Force. Folau Fakatava will not travel because of illness and Aaron Smith is unavailable because of a bereavement.
The Highlanders will be boosted by the return of first-five Mitch Hunt, fullback Josh Timu and former England first-five Freddie Burns as they target wins in Australia against the Force and Waratahs.
“It’s just an awesome opportunity to try and get two wins under the belt,” Hunt said. “We’ve played the Force already and beaten them but we understand the threat that they still pose.
“If we can come home (from Australia) with two wins, that just bodes really well for us.”
