NZ Super Rugby Spy Report

Much has been made about which players will board the plane to the Land of the Long White Cloud come end of May, which players are certainties, which players could be bolters from nowhere, and the best makeup of the team to beat the Kiwi's. Even here at Tackle Pad I've put forward my pick for the test match team. Meanwhile, Super Rugby has been chugging along, over looked by many, the results and performances of the five New Zealand based franchises will provide an inkling into the state of All Black rugby. So just how are they doing?

The Hurricanes swept to the Super Rugby title in a Kiwi dominated season last year, will it be the same in 2017?

On the whole New Zealand is once again leading the way in Super Rugby, with four out of five teams in the playoff positions currently. With the Crusaders the only team with a perfect 5 from 5 (South African side the Stormers are 4 from 4, after a bye week), joined by the Chiefs, Hurricanes, and Blues. Obviously, after only five weeks, the league table standings can prove a red-herring. Indeed 2015 champions Highlanders are bottom of the New Zealand conference, but taking into account they've played each of their compatriots already it means they're likely to build points up through the remainder of the season. So it is perhaps more important to consider performances over results.

We'll start with champions Hurricanes, after two rip-roaring weekends putting the Sunwolves and the Reds to the sword (with a combined score of 154-23) they realised that their local rivals wouldn't be so easy to turn over, the Chiefs stalling their rumble. Overall the 'Canes have scored some exceptional tries, even against the tougher Kiwi opponents. Their backline are the headline grabbers with Beauden Barrett, Vince Aso, Julian Savea, Nehe Milner-Skudder, TJ Perenara, and even Jordi Barrett, all of which will be strong contenders for the Lions series. For me, the real difference makers for the Wellington-based side is their back row, Ardie Savea and Brad Shields especially are having storming

Just how many Barrett's are there? (Jordi, Scott, Beauden, L-to-R)

seasons. Combining attritional hard graft to secure quick, smooth ball for the half backs, but they also pop up in the wide channels able to link the play and make breaks.

Elsewhere the Canterbury Crusaders - after an average season for them last year - seem to have found their rhythm. They've made an art form out of come-back victories, falling behind early in games before using the might of their pack to wrestle out wins. It is not the most "All Black" style of games from the former home of Carter & McCaw, but the sheer unwillingness to lose is a trait which the world has seen from the men-in-black many times over. It should provide a wake-up call to the Lions, even when Kiwi's look down and out they have a tendency to pull games back from the brink. Sitting on a lead is not an option for the touring party.

McKenzie has become the offload king in Hamilton.

Up north the Chiefs are once again looking like a classy outfit, putting out consistently high performances and racking up some good score lines in the process. They aren't a team packed to the rafters with international stars like the Hurricanes, but what they do have is a squad filled with dependable talent that understands each other very well. Lead by the shared playmaker duties of Aaron Cruden and Damien McKenzie they have developed an exceptional handling game which makes them incredibly difficult to defend. Injuries are starting to have an effect on their squad selection, especially in the back line so it will be interesting to see how they cope.

Pulu is a pocket rocket
around the ruck.

Nearby the Auckland Blues continue to be inconsistent, playing some wonderful attacking rugby lead by the likes of the Ioane brothers, George Moala and maverick scrum-half Augustine Pulu, but often throw it away with cagey defence and worryingly high penalty counts. They continue to be a development in the New Zealand game, but one that could suddenly spark to life at any moment and set a trail blaze. Sonny Bill Williams is expected back from injury soon enough, and combining his ability to offload with the running lines and 7's brain of Rieko Ioane in the centres will have any team
worried. They just need to find a fly-half capable of unlocking the talent out wide, as Pulu is pulling the strings from the breakdown with mesmeric ease at times alongside the likes of Kaino, Luatua and Akira Ioane the Blues have got a loose-forward selection which can rip up trees.

The Highlanders' standing is perhaps an unfair one, after playing only Kiwi teams so far, additionally, they have been plagued with injuries that have hampered any attempts to get a consistent team on the park. As such we can't look too much into the performances of Kiwi stalwarts Ben and Aaron Smith, but their class remains for sure and the Highlanders will relish the relative ease of the Rebels on home soil this weekend, seeing it as a chance to kick off their season properly.

Sonny Bill Williams will return from injury soon, but centre competition is fierce if he wants to face the Lions.

Hansen will have some tough
decisions to make come June.

So overall the state of New Zealand rugby is a fearsome one, not only are all their teams producing arguably the best rugby in the tournament, but the competition for places in the international set up are fierce all across the pitch. Excluding the front-five and captain Kieren Reed, realistically any player could pull on the jersey. With a back-three roster like: Milner-Skudder, B Smith, J Savea, Naholo, Dagg, McKenzie; and a centre conundrum of: R Ioane, Leniert-Brown, Moala, Crotty, SBW, J Barrett, Fekitoa; and even a back row competition between: Shields, Cane, A Savea, Todd, Dixon, Messam, Kaino. Let's just say that Warren Gatland isn't the only coach this summer with a selection headache on his hands.

The All Blacks will be playing a couple of warm-up tests ahead of the Lion's arrival to Eden Park for the 1st Test, which tells you they are not taking the challenge posed by the British & Irish lightly. The home nation has never conducted their own warm-up matches before, so it will likely give Steven Hansen chance to narrow down his selection from the myriad of options. Either way, whatever All Black side takes to the field against the Lions, it's going to be full of game-breaking, hard-working, exceptionally talented players. After five rounds of Super Rugby, it's clear to see just how tough a job the Lions have got in store.