Super Charged: 100 for James O’Connor and a battle of the fullbacks

Dylan Coetzee

Making its return, we bring you Super charged, in which we preview the main talking points ahead of the start of the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season.

Games to watch

Waratahs v Fijian Drua

Waratahs come into the match on a 13-match losing streak in Super Rugby, numbers they will desperately want to change. It is the ideal opportunity to rectify this given that Fijian Drua has never played a Super Rugby match before. Jake Gordon leads the team in the absence of talismanic leader Michael Hooper, who will be sorely missed by the Waratahs. Gordon will have to step up and guide the side to a much-needed win.

Drua will be looking to hit the ground running with flamboyant, offloading rugby that will always be easy on the eye. It will be crucial for the newcomers to match up physically and keep their set-piece clean. Should they do that it could spell trouble for the home and possibly further misery. Nemani Nagusa leads the side in their first hit-out with Olympic gold medallist Meli Derenalagi starting on the flank and ready to terrorise the defensive line with his outrageous offloading ability.

Crusaders v Hurricanes

A classic clash awaits for the two New Zealand sides that are littered with All Blacks. The Hurricanes are a settled side led by Ardie Savea who is constantly growing as a leader and a player, and would be an asset for any team that could field him. The return of his brother, Julian Savea, could bring some x-factor as the big winger looks to find stability on the field after a tricky period overseas. There is sheer quality across the field for the men in yellow and they will be looking to speed out the gates in the new Super Rugby Pacific tournament. 

The Crusaders are always a favourite to win as their five titles in five years suggests. The side, led by Scott Barrett, welcomes Argentine superstar Pablo Matera to the side where he surely will excel. Beyond that, the side boasts huge quality in their backline with the likes of David Havili looking to build on a very successful career to date. Even without magician Richie Mo’unga, the Crusaders look venomous, making for a mouth-watering clash in Round One.

Player to watch

This weekend will be James O’Connor’s 100th Super Rugby appearance, an impressive feat for a well-travelled veteran. It seems like an age ago when a terrifyingly young 17-year-old O’Connor ran out for the Western Force to become Australia’s youngest ever Super Rugby player. Immediately he made an impact, full of exuberance and adventure, and a year later he became the second-youngest Wallaby in history at 18 years old. The sky seemed the limit for O’Connor’s talents but off-field incidents disrupted his progress.

After years abroad for the likes of London Irish, Toulon and Sale Sharks he returned to Australia for the second time in 2019 joining the Reds, looking rejuvenated and matured. The utility back quickly returned to Wallaby set up and showed further maturity when he led the Reds to the Super Rugby AU title last year only to step down as captain for this season. O’Connor runs out for his 100th game as a player with an impressive career that ran the risk of falling apart, but was brought back together in style. He will be boosted by the occasion and no doubt will pull the strings for the Reds in the hopes of starting the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season with a bang. 

One-v-one battle to watch – Will Jordan (Crusaders) vs Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)

A sumptuous head to head between two players vying for the All Blacks’ 15 jersey. Will Jordan has burst onto the scene with a truly prolific try-scoring record, scoring 17 tries in just 13 appearances for New Zealand. Jordan always seems to be in the right place at the right time and has blistering pace to add. The challenge for the Crusader is to continue to perform consistently on the back of well and truly bursting onto the scene.

Jordie Barrett is no stranger to bursting onto the scene as he did years ago playing a role for the All Blacks against the British and Irish Lions in 2017. However, Barrett fell out of favour and his brother Beauden was the first choice full-back for the All Blacks. Barrett had been thrown between centre and full-back but is now settled back in the 15 jersey where he looks far more mature and well rounded. A different kind of player to the prolific Jordan, Barrett’s all-around skill set is absolutely immaculate with kicking out of hand and playmaking ability a hallmark of the solid player he has become. 

What remains to be seen is which of these excessively talented players will step up and dominate the games. Who will be the game breaker?

Subplot to watch – Fijian Drua have the potential to shine

Unlike other Super Rugby Pacific newcomers Moana Pasifika, the Fijian Drua was founded before the tournament in 2017 by the Fijian Rugby Union where they competed in Australia’s National Rugby Competition (NRC). Drua went on to win the NRC in 2018, a foresight of the impact they could make on the newest version of Super Rugby. Add to the mix some new signings including three Olympic gold medallists in Napolioni Bolaca, Kalione Nasoko and Meli Derenalagi, and this side is littered with natural talent. They will benefit from having competed in the NRC, they will not accept being the whipping boys in their first season and will find their straps fairly soon to cause some of the more established sides trouble. A dark horse in their first season.

Best of the rest

Chiefs face the Highlanders in another clash set to light up the first round. Josh Ioane makes his Chiefs debut from 10 while Sam Cane returns to the starting lineup and will be looking to put a good season in after struggling with injury in recent times. 

Aaron Smith leads the Highlanders who have a strong forward pack and will be looking to get the best of their New Zealand rivals in what is likely going to be a fast-paced thriller.

Reds face the Rebels in an all Australian clash. The Reds won Super Rugby AU and are the best-placed team to compete with the New Zealand sides, but this will be a good indicator of where they are at. James O’Connor wins his 100th cap and could inspire the Reds to a victory with his ever-improving half-back partner Tate McDermott.

Reece Hodge and Matt Toomua will be crucial for the Rebels backline in a game that will be difficult for the Melbourne-based side. The Reds will come at them hard with their quality and the Rebels will do well to keep them in check, but they will be hoping to turn the tide and redesign the current rugby hierarchy in Australia.

READ MORE: Law variations confirmed for inaugural tournament