Super 15 Round up – Week 2

Round 2 of the Super 15 saw the regional conferences continue with all eyes facing the new Forsyth Barr Indoor Stadium, as the Highlanders took on the Crusaders. Flying winger Hosea Gear scored 10 minutes from time to win the game for the Highlanders 27-24, after the Crusaders staged a passionate comeback from 20-10 down at half time. The back-to-back wins for the Highlanders belies their early season prediction of also-rans and is made all the more remarkable when considering the dire financial position of its parent body: the Otago Rugby Union. Superb team tries from both the Crusaders and the Highlanders were a fitting way to showcase the new stadium in Dunedin. It would be too much to expect it to replace the old €˜House of Pain€™ in the hearts of New Zealand rugby fans but if the Highlanders keep up this early season form, it will certainly go some way of capturing their fans€™ imaginations. Elsewhere, in the cross-conference game in South Africa, the Hurricanes snuck past the Lions 28-30, who themselves staged a sterling comeback. A narrow defeat this week and a victory in round 1 would indicate that the Lions have prepared well in pre-season, in order to shift the tag of Super 15 whipping boys that has plagued them for the last few seasons. In Australia, the Rebels played their first match after their round 1 bye, but were thoroughly trounced by the Warratahs 19-35. In what is looking like Danny Cipirani€™s final season Down Under, he would have been hoping for a much better start to the campaign, especially after the Rebels recruited heavily in the off-season, including star Australia back James O€™Connor. Considering the remarkable pace at which the Super 15 is being played this year and the superb ball-handling skills on display already this season, it is clear to see that the Southern Hemisphere sides are taking the game to the next level. Compare that with a few of the stagnant performances from the teams in the Six Nations, it doesn€™t bode well for the Northern Hemisphere teams looking to bridge the gap between their Southern counterparts, with the exception of Wales. Should you find yourself awake early for work on Friday or can€™t break the habit on Saturday, you could do worse things than to check out the exciting rugby on display in the Super 15.