Another week bites the dust, meaning we have a new round of Super Rugby to sink our teeth into here at betcha. With two rounds now completed, we have seen all 11 sides take to the field and a bit of an early season pecking order is starting to take shape.
With all that new information at our disposal, we once again have a crack at previewing the five game slate and throwing in some tips along the way.
I feel there isn’t much else to say, so let’s just dive right into Friday night’s clash.
To start off the weekend, Moana Pasifika get their first home game as they host the Force, who will make the long trip from Western Australia to Auckland. For them, it is an opportunity to secure their first win of the season, as they have fallen to 0-2 with losses to the Blues and Brumbies. Moana were brought back down to earth last weekend against the Hurricanes, with the Wellington side putting 50 points on them.
While it was certainly a dampener after their win in Fiji, Moana will be looking forward to their first home game of the season and the first time they enter a match up as favourites.
I think that sentiment is for good reason, as they have named their strongest line up this weekend, with both Miracle Faiʻilagi and Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa back in the starting line up, which should be a major boost to their chances in this one.
The last of the Friday games will see the Highlanders venture out of the deep south for the first time this season, and it is quite the trip as they head to take on the Reds. The Queensland side are coming off a week two bye and should be well rested heading into this one. The Highlanders are coming off two bruising New Zealand derbies and will need to manage their fatigue while taking on one of the longest trips in the competition.
One massive issue the Highlanders need to overcome, compared to the other New Zealand teams, is the lack of depth across their squad. This has resulted in them essentially naming the same team three weeks in a row, without being able to rest many players. The Reds on the other hand, should bring some attacking flair, with Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Carter Gordon and Hunter Paisami leading the side around the park.
Looking at both teams, I think there are plenty of points in this one and, considering the slight fatigue I expect the Highlanders to carry, they might just let their defensive walls slip a little.
The Hurricanes head to Churchill Park for their second game of the season and will be feeling pretty good about things heading into this one after posting 50 points on Moana Pasifika on Friday. The Drua, on the other hand, come into this one winless and find themselves needing a points haul sooner rather than later if they are to keep their season hopes alive.
The issue is I am not sure this match up against the Hurricanes will be the game for that to occur. The side out of the New Zealand capital are arguably the most scintillating attacking team in the competition and will be more than happy to welcome back Cam Roigard and Jordie Barrett into the fold. The biggest question mark will be how Callum Harkin takes to the No. 10 jersey, as the Canes are now down to their fourth choice in the main pivot role.
When looking at his game in particular and how the sides match up, both like to give the ball some air and get it to their wide players. In the heat of Lautoka, I think defensive execution could drop off, allowing the points tally to be run up by both sides.
The headliner of the main card this weekend is a replay of the 2025 Super Rugby final, as the Chiefs are set to face off with the floundering Crusaders in this titanic round three clash. The home side have a real opportunity to put the reigning champion Crusaders to the sword this week and send them into a three loss spiral.
For Rob Penney and co, they are pulling out all the stops to ensure this early season skid does not turn into something detrimental. Outside of Codie Taylor, the Crusaders are at full strength, with 12 capped All Blacks in their 23 and 10 of them set to start. The Chiefs are also not taking this lightly, as it seems they have named what would be their strongest side at this point of the season.
I understand the poor start the Crusaders have had, especially after being historically blown out by the Brumbies at home, but I just do not think they let it happen twice. I am not saying they are going to win this one, but keeping it close is certainly in the cards, which is why I am taking them to cover.
Certainly not a bad match up to pull the curtains on round three, as the Blues stay over in Australia to face off with the Brumbies, who are coming off one of the most triumphant victories in their club’s history.
For the Blues, they secured their first win of the season against a Force team that were ripe for the picking in WA last weekend. Even with an unconvincing performance, Vern Cotter’s men got the job done. The positive to come from that is they will have plenty to work on, but with the feel good factor of a win behind them.
This weekend is a much taller task for the Auckland side, as they take on what looks to be one of the early favourites in Super Rugby. With Stephen Larkham naming a very similar side to the one that beat the Crusaders, I think the Brumbies can get the job done against the Blues, although maybe not in quite the same fashion they did on Sunday.