Super Rugby Pacific 2023: What we learned

Etene Nanai-Seturo in action for the Chiefs during the Super Rugby Pacific Final.
Photo: Aaron Gillions / photosport

Is anyone really that surprised? The Crusaders once again won a Super Rugby title, this time with a tense and entertaining 25-20 win over the Chiefs, Scott Robertson got to breakdance, and we all got to witness just how good his side is at managing a game.

But while there are probably a few dusty heads in Crusaders country after celebrating that win, there are a few thoughts to run through before we pack up the second season of Super Rugby Pacific.

Eight teams in the playoffs still meant the best teams made the final – the playoff system is essentially just another weekend of rugby. Home ground advantage through the playoffs is key, so it’s unlikely any of the fifth- to eighth-placed sides are ever going to have much of a shot of winning it. We got the final we wanted – really the bigger issue around the format of the competition is the bye week period that saw fewer games played and interest lowered.

NZ Rugby needs to clarify what the rest policy for the All Blacks actually is – giving players a break is nothing new in Super Rugby, but NZR shot themselves in the foot by actually trying to mandate what that means. The problem was that loopholes started opening up immediately for the teams that decided to exploit them, with Scott Barrett allowed to play six games in a row for the Crusaders. Meanwhile, for the teams that didn’t bother to even check, we had ridiculous situations like zero-test All Black Billy Harmon having to sit out a game for the Highlanders.

Richie Mo’unga of the Crusaders celebrates his try in the Super Rugby Pacific Final.
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

The TMO needs to be better from a fan perspective – just bite the bullet and copy the NRL on this one, guys. This isn’t about getting it right or wrong, although Ardie Savea might have something to say about that, more just making it an engaging moment for the crowd in attendance. Put a graphic on the screen rather than have the refs talking to each other, easy.

The Highlanders are cooked – Aaron Smith has played his last game for the Highlanders and while Folau Fakatava is a capable replacement, it’s unlikely there will be an avalanche of talent heading south next season. Even their CEO admits that no one really wants to play for the Highlanders, although it’s thought that Blues outside back Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens will sign to simply get a chance to play.

The Chiefs are looking strong – on the other end of the scale, the Chiefs not only have a wealth of talent locked in for the foreseeable future, but one thing that sets them apart from every other team. Clayton McMillan has made the Chiefs his number one priority, so settle in for a long period of them being at the business end of the competition.

The Crusaders enter a Razor-less world – the end was fitting, especially the way the Crusaders’ defence efficiently ground the Chiefs into going back 30 metres and conceding a penalty that iced the final result. But what will happen next at the Crusaders will be fascinating. Will they be blunted by the loss of their most successful coach ever? Or will the foundations Robertson has put in place be built on?

The Hurricanes raised more questions than answers. Just how they’ll go next season with a new coach in Clark Laidlaw and missing franchise faces Ardie Savea and Dane Coles will be interesting, especially since the 2023 edition of the Canes really fell short after such a promising start. They have unearthed a real talent in Cam Roigard, but even that is intriguing given the imminent return of captain TJ Perenara.

A disappointed Beauden Barrett of the Blues after the Super Rugby Pacific Rugby semi-final against the Crusaders.
Photo: www.photosport.nz / John Davidson

The semifinal loss probably set the Blues back about four years. No amount of hyperbole could really encapsulate just how bad the beatdown they suffered in Christchurch was, but it may well reverberate further. Still without a coach, although it is strongly suggested that Vern Cotter is taking over, the Blues seemed like a team that had lost its identity by the end of the season. This will be a rebuild job, for sure.

Moana Pasifika needs a new home. While Mt Smart bagged the All Blacks and the Black Ferns this year, the stadium’s other foray into rugby union hasn’t gone quite as planned.

Moana Pasifika’s home crowds could have been measured by the dozens as they struggled to a one-win, 11-loss season, so rumours have already started to swirl that they may be shifting to Trusts Stadium in Waitakere next year. While it’s a nice enough ground, such a move would be seen as a serious downgrade for the team and the competition itself.