New Zealand’s Super 12 hopes are resting with the ”Super Two” as the Auckland Blues and Canterbury Crusaders set out to maintain their grip on the tournament.
Boasting backline depth that other teams can only drool over, the Blues are the favourites to repeat last year’s championship success, while the Crusaders possess a potent ball-winning forward pack brimming with All Blacks.
In the eight years of Super 12 rugby, the Crusaders have won four times and the Blues three, with only the solitary win by the ACT Brumbies in 2001 taking the title out of New Zealand.
Defending champions the Blues will learn the calibre of their closest rivals in the first two weeks, with away games against the Brumbies and then against the Crusaders in a repeat of last year’s final won 21-17 by the Blues at home.
Coach Peter Sloane is sticking to the same back four combination that proved so successful last year, playing All Black fullback Mils Muliaina at centre and All Black wing Doug Howlett at fullback so the flying Fijian-born Joe Rokocoko and Rupeni Caucaunibuca can occupy the wings.
This leaves World Cup utility replacement Ben Atiga on the bench.
Carlos Spencer, who enjoyed a vintage provincial season last year, will orchestrate from flyhalf. The most notable absentee from the Blues is technical adviser Graham Henry, now in charge of the All Blacks.
Dumped All Blacks assistant coach Robbie Deans is still smarting from last year’s World Cup failure and will be looking to his Crusaders side to regain rugby glory.
An intriguing selection will be his choice of flyhalf where All Black pointscoring machine Andrew Mehrtens, unwanted for the World Cup, is challenged by two who made the side — Daniel Carter and Aaron Mauger.
But with limited attacking options out wide, the red-and-blacks will rely heavily on their star-studded pack with six World Cup tight forwards including Mark Hammett, Greg Somerville, Chris Jack and Brad Thorn, with more All Black talent among the loose forwards with Reuben Thorne and Richie McCaw.
The Crusaders open their season at home against the New South Wales Waratahs, whom they beat by a record 96-19 two years ago, and then lost to in Sydney last year.
New Zealand’s other strong hopes are the Wellington Hurricanes, who qualified third for the semis last year thanks to a withering mid-season burst but their run had come to an end by the time the knockout rounds began.
They have lost Christian Cullen from last season, the ailing Jonah Lomu will not be back this year and Tana Umaga is still troubled by injury, but if their forwards, led by Jerry Collins and Rodney So’oialo and former Otago prop Joe McDonnell, can snare enough possession they still possess a potent midfield force in Ma’a Nonu and Tane Tuipulotu.
The Otago Highlanders have introduced a host of relative unknowns and must overcome the departure of skipper Taine Randell and the experienced Byron Kelleher, McDonnell and Paul Steinmetz.
Under new coach Greg Cooper they must put behind them the in-fighting that took over towards the under of 2003 under Laurie Mains, and captain Anton Oliver has a point to prove after being dumped last year as New Zealand’s first-choice hooker to not being among the three taken to the World Cup.
The inconsistent Waikato Chiefs remain the only New Zealand side yet to reach the semifinals and it will take quite an impact from new coach Ian Foster and Otago Highlanders imports Byron Kelleher and Tom Willis for that to change. — Sapa-AFP