Chiefs would ‘wipe the floor’ with the northern hemisphere as New Zealand pundit makes wild claim
Chiefs celebrate against the Brumbies and the GBRANZ contributors, Andy Rowe and Justin Marshall.
Following the announcement of the Club World Cup, the big claims have already started to surface with those in New Zealand confident about the south’s chances.
After EPCR confirmed their intention to stage a competition featuring the best non-international teams in the game, Stephen Donald reckoned that the Chiefs would be far too good for Leinster if it was hosted in the southern hemisphere.
The topic was also discussed on this week’s GBRANZ podcast, which included All Blacks great Justin Marshall, Wallabies fly-half James O’Connor and host Andy Rowe.
Positive for the game
Marshall was firstly very much in support of the project, insisting that the players would relish the chance to face the best teams around.
“I love it. As a player, I wished I was able, as a Crusader, to have my team go and take on the best that the rest of the world has to offer. That’s one of the ultimate challenges in the game,” he said.
“If you’re not lucky enough to play international rugby but you play for your club, you go, ‘righto, rest of the world, bring it on. Let’s see who is the very best’.
“I love the banter already, like ‘nobody can beat Leinster’.”
That final comment sparked a reaction from Rowe, who said: “It’s wild how much they rate Leinster over there. They’re a good team, don’t get me wrong…” before Marshall added: “They just got beaten by frickin’ Northampton.”
Leinster reached the Champions Cup final in 2022, 2023 and 2024, losing all three games, before succumbing to the Saints in the semi-finals last month.
After Bordeaux-Begles followed La Rochelle and Toulouse in lifting the title in recent years, Rowe duly posed the question: “They didn’t even make the final so why are we even talking about Leinster?”
The All Blacks great responded: “They are a successful side. They’ve got history behind them, they know how to win finals. Yes, they just lost a semi but all great teams do. They’ve won Heineken Cups, they’ve won championships, they’re stacked full of internationals.
“They’re a great side but so are many of the sides in France and the UK. Teams like Glasgow are a handful, I wouldn’t like to be playing them in a quarter-final.”
Stephen Donald claims Leinster would stand ‘no chance’ against the Chiefs
Rowe disagreed, however, and believes that the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific leaders would have no trouble in dispatching the best from the northern hemisphere.
Super Rugby have ‘six of the top eight teams’
“The Chiefs would wipe the floor of all the northern hemisphere teams at the moment, wipe the floor with them. It wouldn’t be close,” he said.
Marshall is firmly expecting a backlash, saying: “I can’t wait for the social media comments now you’ve said that. That’s a massive comment,” but Rowe would not be deterred.
“If I look at Super Rugby, the top six would make up the top eight teams in the world at the moment,” he added.
O’Connor, who has played around the world, then had his say and duly questioned Rowe’s opinion.
“I don’t know, I’ve played in all these competitions, it’s completely different footy, from the Premiership to the Top 14 to Super. It’s such different styles,” he said.
“It’s going to be so important where they’re playing, the timing of the season and then just how the styles test against each other.
“It’s more international-style footy in the northern hemisphere. One, because of the weather but two, even just the build of the guys and what they focus on, how they build pressure and territory.”
READ MORE: Club World Cup finally confirmed with EPCR set to run ‘box-office’ competition