Seven players to watch in Super Rugby

Adam Kyriacou

With the Super Rugby season on the horizon, we have picked out seven players to watch this year, including some new arrivals from Europe.

Jamie Roberts (Stormers)

Unlike young Joe Marchant, who has joined the Blues on loan from Harlequins this season, the ex-Wales international gets a taste of Super Rugby towards the end of his career. No doubt the 33-year-old will offer plenty of experience to the Stormers, but the faster paced Super Rugby will be a challenge for Roberts. South Africa holds happy memories for the centre after he thrived for the British and Irish Lions back in 2009 and the Cape Town-based side will hope he can rekindle some of that magic this season. However, the likelihood is that he’ll offer a solid and experienced option in that midfield, which will potentially allow the younger Stormers players to express themselves.

James O’Connor (Reds)

Back in Australia for what appears a longer stay after stints in France and England at Toulon and Sale Sharks respectively, he returns a much more mature and rounded player and will be determined to enjoy a consistent Super Rugby season which would likely see him nail down a Wallaby shirt. Taking the place of Samu Kerevi, who’s left for Japan, big shoes need filling at the Reds and the 29-year-old must provide leadership and quality with and without the ball this year, especially with it being a youthful squad in Queensland. Young it may be but there’s a good deal of promise for Brad Thorn with the likes of Tate McDermott and Jordan Petaia exceptional talents who should kick on.

Joe Marchant (Blues)

He was mentioned in our 2020 players to watch as it is intriguing to see a genuine England contender potentially delay his Test career to feature in Super Rugby. The Harlequins centre has joined the Blues on loan for the 2020 campaign and will provide plenty of creativity and pace to the backline. With the Blues also boasting Beauden Barrett, after March at least, Rieko Ioane and TJ Faiane in their squad, head coach Leon MacDonald can put together an explosive backline this year. The southern hemisphere is a different beast to the Premiership and Champions Cup, but Marchant has all the qualities to be a success and it will be interesting to see how he progresses in the blue jersey.

Aaron Cruden (Chiefs)

The fly-half’s return to Super Rugby will be a shot in the arm for the Hamilton-based franchise, as well as the All Blacks, as he is a proven match-winner, who will be keen to show that he still has what it takes to perform at Super Rugby level. Cruden made valuable contributions for the Chiefs during their triumphant Super Rugby seasons in 2012 and 2013 and also did his bit in helping New Zealand win the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The 31-year-old’s accurate goal-kicking and excellent attacking skills should be a huge boost for the Chiefs while his experience will come in handy during a long and arduous campaign. As the team’s chief playmaker he will also be a go-to man when they are under pressure and a vital figure in implementing their game-plan – something he has done with aplomb wherever he has played in his career.

Will Jordan (Crusaders)

Super Rugby’s defending champions, the Crusaders, are blessed with several of the best attacking players in the competition and the battle to wear their 15 shirt will be hotly contested this year. All Black David Havili is the man currently in possession but he can expect tough competition from Jordan, who is one of the rising stars of the New Zealand game. The 21-year-old signed a three-year contract extension with the Crusaders last year, despite interest from other New Zealand franchises and he is highly-rated in the 10-time champions’ ranks. Blessed with searing pace, great vision and an excellent skill-set, Jordan was a valuable squad member for the Crusaders in 2019 and played in nine matches during their triumphant campaign. After that, he starred for Tasman as they won the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership for the first time in their history. Jordan played a vital role in Tasman’s triumphant campaign as he scored the fourth most tries (seven) and also finished in third place for metres gained (939) during that tournament. He will be hoping to continue with that outstanding form at Super Rugby level.

Ben Te’o (Sunwolves)

After leaving Worcester following an injury-hit three seasons in the Midlands, the former England centre has joined the Sunwolves for the team’s final Super Rugby campaign. There’s change aplenty at the Japanese side, with the Tokyo-based outfit completely overhauling the squad, and Te’o is one of the many new players. There appears to be little interest in and around the franchise going into the season, but the 33-year-old offers an intriguing subplot. He’ll add ballast in their backs and his offloading ability will suit the more expansive Super Rugby.

Solomone Kata (Brumbies)

There has been plenty of excitement amongst Brumbies’ supporters since it was announced that Kata would be joining their ranks, after making the switch from NRL side Melbourne Storm. Although he did not make any appearances in their senior squad, he’s still highly-rated in the 13-man code and should add X-factor to the Brumbies’ attacking play. Despite being a newbie at Super Rugby level, Kata is no stranger to the 15-man game as he played at schoolboy level. He soon caught the eye of NRL side the Warriors and he represented them with distinction between 2015 and 2019 before moving to the Storm. Kata combines blistering pace with raw power and showed at the Warriors that he knows his way to the try-line. His attacking prowess made him a handful for defenders in the NRL and he eventually scored 46 tries in 93 games, numbers the Brumbies will hope to see replicated.

Blues