Super Rugby: NZ teams' midseason report card

It's the halfway point of this year's Super Rugby competition. The Daily Post  senior sports reporter Greg Taipari takes a look at the five New Zealand teams' performances so far.

The Blues

What is happening with the team from our most populous area? Putting aside the racial rubbish and the media beat-up that has been casting a long dark shadow on the Blues, the Super Rugby franchise hasn't been performing.   Sure at the start of the season they were narrowly losing games - but now they are simply losing and losing ugly. The Blues are two losses away from their worst finish in the franchise's history.

Blues coach Pat Lam is under the pump - from making the semifinals last year, to their season being a wash at only the halfway mark - the Blues are in turmoil. They currently sit bottom of the New Zealand Super Rugby Conference table and in overall standings sit second from the bottom.

Lam says he isn't considering coaching offers from overseas and is still keen to continue with the Blues next season. Are you kidding? He has more chance of finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Sure Lam is a great bloke but something needs to happen when a ship runs aground and that usually means the man steering the ship takes the fall.

Played: 7, won 1, lost 6.

The Chiefs

 

Lets not jinx them Chiefs fans - no we're not in a dream world, where money grows on trees and the top try scorer in Super Rugby is a Tongan prop who plays for the Chiefs and they lead the competition.

Wait a minute - has any one seen a tree with money on it?

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie - I've heard of a guy like him once before, where everything he touched turned to gold but that was in a kids story book. Lets hope the Chiefs' season ends with "and they lived happily ever after."

We all knew about their million-dollar back line and their work horse like loose forwards. But we were worried they didn't have a tight five to go with the Ferrari body.   It turns out they do. It's a Ben Tameifuna engine block with a fuel injected Sona Taumalolo booster and a twin engine Hika Elliot and Mahonri Schwalger carburetter. That engine has added steel to a Chief side who have promised so much and delivered little in the past.

Sure it's only the halfway mark but the signs are positive. The Chiefs currently lead the competition.

Games played 7, won 6, lost 1.

The Hurricanes

The Mark Hammett coached side currently sit third in the New Zealand conference and sixth over all.

Could it be Hammett is having a snigger to himself, about getting rid of a certain All Black halfback who resembles a Teletubby?   Probably not he's too much of a professional. He's probably just happy his team sits just inside the top six and appear to be growing stronger absent the distractions of last season.   Hurricanes captain Conrad Smith has grown as a player and a leader and so has Corey Jane.

Many may have thought the Hurricanes would suffer from the loss of a number of key players but the Wellington franchise seems to be moving on with life and continue to build for the future.

Games played 7, won 4, loss 3.

The Crusaders

They are the most successful Super Rugby team and you can never count them out.   However, this time last year if someone told you the Crusaders would be sitting second from the bottom in the New Zealand conference you'd think that person was a few sheep short of the top paddock.

Well it's true but it's not all doom and gloom. The Todd Blackadder coached side, sit just outside the top six and like I said earlier, 'you can't count them out'.

There must have been some concern at the start of the season when the team would be without Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.   But instead they have found a star of the future in Tom Taylor at first-five with Carter now back and playing second-five. While McCaw is hopeful to return by Round 11 when they take on the Reds.

The Crusaders will only get better as we get to the business end of the season. What may upset the apple cart is if the other New Zealand franchies (Blues excluded) continue to perform and the Crusaders are left out of the playoffs, because of the conference system which guarantees a place for the top of the table finisher.   It's interesting to note the Brumbies (currently sitting third overall with 24 points) sit one point ahead of the Crusaders (23 points) and in seventh overall.

Games played 7, won 4, lost 3.

The Highlanders

Another New Zealand team who have punched above their weight this season. The Jamie Joseph lead side currently sit second in the New Zealand conference and fifth overall.   Sure they slipped up against the Stormers losing 21-6. But if they continue to grab our Steamers players; Culum Retallick, Phil Burleigh, Chris Noakes, Bronson Murray and now Mike Delany - they can only get better.

Hey Jamie! There is another first-five called Nick McCashin you might want to have a look at for your team.

The Highlanders appear to have a strong team spirit thanks to the culture Joseph has instilled in the team. You only have to look at Andrew Hore and Hosea Gear who seem to be thriving down south after all the dramas of last season with the Hurricanes.

Games played 7, won 5, lost 2.

The Chiefs play the Sharks on Sunday in Durban.