Two Tests against the Springboks, with players who compete against European competition, will gauge the quality of trans-Tasman rugby.
We know what South Africans think of Super Rugby Pacific, because their terminally online supporters tell us every five minutes. In short, it’s garbage since they left for the greener pastures of the majority-European United Rugby Championship, and probably on the way to bankruptcy, but most certainly short of the physicality needed to prepare players for Tests.That thesis will certainly be tested in Brisbane on Saturday with Joe Schmidt backing Super Rugby Pacific players to get the job done.
In fact, it appears that the Wallabies are weighing up two very different philosophies: either go with Tizzano, probably the most like-for-like with McReight, or the Moneyball route, in which you don’t try to replace McReight but “recreate the aggregate” by picking a combination of other players who cover for him.
But the competition, which starts next weekend, is nothing short of an outstanding development window for players such as No.10 Tane Edmed. If you are looking for a Kiwi province to support, make it North Harbour, where Edmed and fellow Australian Ben Grant will be playing alongside the likes of one-Test All Black Shaun Stevenson, cult hero prop big Karl Tui’inukuafe and decorated former Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall.
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