Super Rugby 2020: Five things we learned from round one
Super Rugby returned with a bang this weekend with the first round of matches kicking off on Friday.
It is still early days, but there were plenty of talking points from the opening round of Super Rugby action.
There is heaps of rust in Super Rugby
The earliest ever start to a Super Rugby campaign has left a few sides struggling to shake off the preseason rust.
The first round of action was marked by error-strewn matches across the board, and it also seems as if the fans haven’t fully embraced the season yet with disappointing attendances.
The Sharks and Bulls played out a South African derby that descended into farce at some points. Warrick Gelant booted the ball into Johnny Kotze’s face inadvertently, and Cornal Hendricks made another glaring handling error in-goal. The Sharks came out on top 23-15 but will need to improve if they are to have a successful Australasian tour.
An Aussie derby between the Brumbies and the Reds proved an uninspiring affair as well, and even the Kiwis looked very much like they were running out in pre-season friendly action.
The Crusaders will take some beating
The Crusaders produce a classic display despite losing quite a few of their regulars after the 2019 season.
Though the Waratahs managed to pounce on a few opportunities to make the game interesting, the Crusaders always looked in control.
The first match of the season maintained the aura of invincibility of the three-time defending Super Rugby champions and confirmed they will take some stopping.
Jantjies is a magician
The Stormers also hit the ground running in impressive fashion, shell-shocking the Hurricanes in a 27-0 win. The Cape side played with great intensity from the outset and their performance laid down a marker for the competition.
Herschel Jantjies put in another inspired display, setting up the Stormers first try with a clever cross-kick and scoring the third.
Jantjies seems to know where try-scoring opportunities are going to appear and has a knack for scoring tries at big moments. He reacted quickest when the Hurricanes threw a sloppy pass inside their own half and showed a clean pair of heels to the tourists.
We have to conclude that Jantjies is a rugby magician.
The Sunwolves won’t go quietly into the Super Rugby night
The Level5 Stadium sported one of the best crowds of the weekend and the Sunwolves supporters in Fukuoka were not disappointed.
Playing in their final season of Super Rugby the Sunwolves started with a bang beating the Melbourne Rebels 36-27.
The Sunwolves may not represent the cream of Japanese rugby talent but they have attempted to play with the same enterprise as the Brave Blossoms.
The Lions have work to do
The Lions were no match for the Jaguares at the Estadio José Amalfitani in Buenos Aires.
Until a disappointing 2019 campaign, the Lions had been the standard-bearers for South Africa in Super Rugby. They have a long way to go to get back to that.
The Lions stayed in the game until half time but ran out of steam in the second half and took a thirty point thumping from the 2019 Super Rugby runners-up.
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