Super 15 Rugby 2012 Preview – Australian Conference

The Super 15 Rugby 2012 competition gets underway on Friday, February 24th. The first of the Australian winter sports to get it’s 2012 season into gear with the NRL and AFL not kicking off until early and late March respectively.

Last season, the Queensland Reds took the Super 15 Rugby competition by storm. I don’t think anyone predicted they would be champions prior to the season commencing, defeating the Crusaders in the Super 15 Rugby final 18-13.

This season is slightly different from previous ones with the Super 15 Rugby Competition paused in June for a round of international matches. These matches will feature the Wallabies, All-Blacks and Springboks over a 3 week period. The Wallabies take on Wales, the All-Blacks take on Ireland and the Springboks will play England, all will play 3 tests.

This gives the Super Rugby teams a bit of a break towards the end of the season, with just 3 rounds remaining once the internationals are out of the way. This is a good way of extending the Super 15 Rugby Season which finished in early July last year compared to September and October for the NRL & AFL.

We preview each of the Super 15 Rugby teams from the Australian Conference below, including our predictions for where each team will finish in the 2012 competition. Over the coming weeks we’ll also preview the New Zealand and South African Conferences prior to the season opener!

ACT Brumbies – Super 15 Rugby 2012 Preview

The Brumbies had a miserable 2011 season and have completely revamped their squad for this years competition. Last year they finished 13th, their worst finishing position since the inception of Super Rugby in 1996. The Brumbies have yet to name a captain for the 2012 season, coach Jake White saying the trials will clear that up.

The Brumbies got their 2012 season off to the perfect start with a 25-0 thrashing of the Western Force up in Darwin.

I think the Brumbies will have a much better season this year but I can’t see them making it back to the top of the pack just yet. They will fall just shy of a finals berth.

Prediction: 8th

Odds:
Winners - $29.00
Make Top 6 – $3.25

Brumbies Squad: 

Andrew Smith. Ben Alexander. Ben Hand. Ben Mowen. Cam Crawford. Christian Lealiifano. Colby Faingaa. Dan Palmer. Fotu Auelua. Henry Speight. Ian Prior. Ita Vaea. Jerry Yanuyanutawa. Jesse Mogg. Jono Owen. Joseph Tomane. Kimami Sitauti. Leon Power. Matt Toomua. Michael Hooper. Nic White. Pat McCabe. Peter Kimlin. Robbie Coleman. Sam Carter. Siliva Siliva. Stephen Hoiles. Stephen Moore. Tevita Kuridrani. Tom Cox. Zack Holmes.

Western Force – Super 15 Rugby 2012 Preview

In their sixth season, the Western Force managed to only place 12th overall, 1 place better than in 2010. Overall they were the 3rd best team in the Australian conference which says a lot about the seasons the other two Australian sides had.

The Force have named David Pocock captain for season 2012, a good choice with Nathan Sharpe looking at his final season. The youngster will now have Sharpe around to guide him and will no doubt have benefited from being vice captain last season.

The Force have not started the preseason well with a 25-0 loss to the Brumbies up in Darwin. I think they may also struggle during the season and I can’t see them finishing anywhere near the finals again. The bookmakers tend to agree!

Prediction: 13th

Odds:
Winners – $51.00
Make Top 6 – $5.50

Force Squad:

Alfie Mafi. Ben McCalman. Ben Seymour. Ben Whittaker. Brett Sheehan. Cameron Shepherd. David Pocock (c). Gene Fairbanks. James Stannard. Jordan Rapana. Justin Turner. Kieran Longbottom. Lachlan McCaffrey. Matt Hodgson. Napolioni Nalaga. Nathan Charles. Nathan Sharpe. Nick Cummins. Patrick Dellit. Pekahou Cowan. Phoenix Battye. Richard Brown. Rory Sidey. Salesi Ma’afu. Sam Wykes. Tetera Faulkner. Toby Lynn. Will Tupou. Willie Ripia. Winston Stanley.

Melbourne Rebels – Super 15 Rugby 2012 Preview

The Melbourne Rebels head into their second Super Rugby season on the back of last years wooden spoon. The Rebels won 3 of their first 7 matches and things weren’t looking too bad but a run of 11 straight defeats after this did not help their cause.

The Rebels have secured a couple of high profile off season recruits on Kurtley Beale and Wallaby James O’Connor. These players will complement the area that the Rebels were severely lacking in last year, the halves.

The Rebels go their preseason off to a bad start with a 36-0 thumping at the hands of the Chiefs. New players take time to gel though so I think come the season proper we will see a different Rebels outfit. I think they will significantly improve on last years form although I don’t think they will quite make the top 6.

Prediction: 9th

Odds:
Winners – $41.00
Make Top 6 – $4.00

Rebels Squad:

Laurie Weeks. Rodney Blake. Adam Byrnes. Alister Campbell. Danny Cipriani. Tom Chamberlain. Tim Davidson. Gareth Delve. Adam Freier. Mark Gerrard. Nic Henderson. James Hilgendorf. Julian Huxley. Luke Jones. Richard Kingi. Michael Lipman. Lachlan Mitchell. Stirling Mortlock. Nick Phipps. Hugh Pyle. Ged Robinson. Jarrod Saffy. Heath Tessmann. Cooper Vuna. Paul Alo-Emile. Kurtley Beale. Mitch Inman. Lloyd Johansson. James King. James O’Connor.

Queensland Reds – Super 15 Rugby 2012 Preview

The Queensland Reds are coming off a barnstorming season where they conquered all before them, losing just 3 matches all year. They went on to lift the Super 15 Rugby trophy in July after beating the Crusaders in a nailbiting final.

This season, they can only get stronger. With James Horwill, Will Genia and Quade Cooper the Reds have plenty of experience and should do well again this year. They have gone with the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and have not really recruited many new players in the offseason.

I think the Reds will be competitive again this season but I don’t think they will go all the way again. The Reds will be without Cooper until at least April with the injury he sustained in the World Cup which is a massive blow. A slow start to the season could severely hamper their chances come August.

Prediction: 3rd

Odds:
Winners – $7.00
Make Top 6 – $1.38

Reds Squad:

Quade Cooper. Ben Daley. Rod Davies. Anthony Faingaa. Saia Faingaa. Will Genia. Liam Gill. James Hanson. Michael Harris. Scott Higginbotham. Greg Holmes. James Horwill (c). Van Humphries. Peter Hynes. Digby Ioane. Jono Lance. Ben Lucas. David McDuling. Luke Morahan. Ed Quirk. Beau Robinson. Radike Samo. Jake Schatz. Guy Shepherdson. Dom Shipperley. Rob Simmons. Chris Feauai-Sautia. James Slipper. Ben Tapuai. Aidan Toua. Adam Wallace-Harrison.

New South Wales Waratahs- Super 15 Rugby 2012 Preview

The Waratahs finished last season in 5th place before going out to the Blues in week 1 of the finals. That seems to be a trend in recent seasons as they copped the same fate in 2010. The Waratahs were attacked by sections of the media and public for their boring style of play and I tend to agree with them.

This season, the Waratahs have finally shifted the deadwood, namely Kurtley Beale, and replaced with some high profile players. Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, and South African scrumhalf Sarel Pretorious join the ranks to give the Waratahs a more exciting looking backline.

Each season the Waratahs promise so much and then fall at the final hurdle, I think this season may be different though. I think they will easily make the top 6 and possibly make it to the final as well.

Prediction: 2nd

Odds:
Winners – $7.50
Make Top 6 – $1.55

Waratahs Squad:

Adam Ashley-Cooper. Chris Alcock. Berrick Barnes. Tom Carter. Daniel Halangahu. Rob Horne. Dave Dennis. Kane Douglas. Rocky Elsom (c). Damien Fitzpatrick. Bernard Foley. Brackin Karauria-Henry. Sekope Kepu. Tom Kingston. Pat McCutcheon. Brendan McKibbin. Drew Mitchell. Dean Mumm. Atieli Pakalani. Wycliff Palu. Greg Peterson. Tatafu Polota-Nau. Sarel Pretorius. Benn Robinson. Paddy Ryan. Jeremy Tilse. Sitaleki Timani. Lachie Turner. John Ulugia. Dan Vickerman.