Super charged: Big game, Cooper’s back, Perenara v Smith

David Skippers
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Making its return to Planet Rugby, we bring you Super charged, in which we preview the main talking points ahead of the upcoming Super Rugby action.

Game to watch – Waratahs v Reds

Australia‘s traditional rivals resume hostilities at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday in what should be an entertaining contest.

With Israel Folau, Michael Hooper, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Karmichael Hunt and Bernard Foley in the Waratahs’ run-on side and players like Samu Kerevi, Taniela Tupou, Sefa Naivalu, Scott Higginbotham and Chris Feauai-Sautia lining up for the Reds, this should be a good spectacle with plenty of end-to-end action.

Matches between the Sydneysiders and Queenslanders are usually intense affairs but the home side will be favourites for this encounter as they have dominated the fixture in recent years and are currently on a nine-match winning streak against the Reds.

That means the visitors will be desperate and apart from that woeful record – they won their last match against the Waratahs in July 2013 – they are yet to win a game in this year’s tournament after suffering losses to the Highlanders and Crusaders in their two previous fixtures.

The Waratahs have also played two games so far and after being edged out by the Hurricanes in their tournament opener, they bounced back with a narrow win over the Sunwolves a fortnight ago.

The last match was a thrilling affair with the sides scoring a combined total of 15 tries between them as the Waratahs won 52-41 in Brisbane.

Player to watch – Quade Cooper

Cooper’s move from the Reds to the Rebels has worked out well as he has played superbly in his new team’s two previous matches – the victories against the Brumbies in Canberra and the Highlanders in Melbourne – and he will be looking to continue with his fine form when the Rebels host the Brumbies in Melbourne on Saturday.

After spending the entire 2018 Super Rugby season on the sidelines – when he was exiled by Reds head coach Brad Thorn – the Wallaby fly-half has hit the ground running in 2019.

His game management and attacking artistry have been very good and he has benefited from the presence of his Wallabies and ex-Reds team-mate, scrum-half Will Genia, as their partnership has been excellent so far this year.

One-v-One battle to watch – TJ Perenara v Aaron Smith

New Zealand‘s two premier scrum-halves will go head-to-head when the Hurricanes host the Highlanders in what should be an entertaining showdown in Wellington on Friday.

Smith is renowned throughout the world for his bullet-like spiral pass but also does well as a playmaker, and usually unlocks defences with clever offloads especially to his forwards at close quarters.

By contrast, Perenara is an attacking force who can change the course of a game with a moment of brilliance. He is especially dangerous around the fringes of the rucks and mauls where his sniping line breaks have torn numerous defences to shreds in the past.

Smith has been the All Blacks’ first-choice number nine now for several years but Perenara has been keeping him on his toes for most of that time and this duel should have a big impact on the end result.

Subplot to watch: Michael Little’s return to North Harbour Stadium

One of the tournament’s biggest mysteries must be how Michael Little missed out on selection to one of the New Zealand Super Rugby franchises despite several superb showings for the Sunwolves since joining the Tokyo-based outfit in 2018.

Little, who is the son of former All Blacks centre Walter Little, has also impressed for North Harbour at Mitre 10 Cup level, since making his debut in that tournament in 2013, and returns to Albany on Saturday when the Sunwolves take on the Blues.

An elusive runner whose brilliance on attack helped the Sunwolves to their first ever away win in Super Rugby – against the Chiefs in Hamilton last weekend – there will be no lack of motivation from the 25-year-old when he returns to his old stomping ground this weekend.

Best of the rest

Of the round’s other games, the Crusaders will be brimming with confidence as they head into their clash with the Chiefs in Christchurch.

The home side have shown, once again, that they are the form team in the competition and currently sit at the top of the overall standings after three rounds – thanks to wins over the Blues, Hurricanes and Reds – while the Chiefs are a team at the other end of the spectrum after losing to the Highlanders, Brumbies and Sunwolves.

In other action, the Bulls and the Sharks do battle in what should be a bruising South African derby in Pretoria. Although it’s still early in the competition, these sides have emerged as South Africa’s strongest teams this year although both have tasted defeat already.

Elsewhere, in Johannesburg the Lions will be keen to get their campaign back on track – after back-to-back defeats to the Stormers and Bulls – but they face a tough challenge against a confident Jaguares side, who won their last two matches against the men from Pretoria and Blues.

by David Skippers

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