The 25th Super Rugby season starts tomorrow, but the silver anniversary will lose its shine with the absence of many stars who lit up the World Cup only a few months ago.
In the final season of the cumbersome conference system and one that will say sayonara to the no longer wanted Japanese Sunwolves, the talent vacuum will be highlighted from the first game when the Auckland Blues host the Waikato Chiefs.
The Blues’ star signing from the off-season, Beauden Barrett — the All Blacks playmaker and double World Player of the Year — has an extended holiday written into his new contract and is not to be seen until the middle of April.
Photo: AFP
It is not just the Blues who are suffering, as the Chiefs’ Brodie Retallick, another former World Player of the Year, has been excused from Super Rugby so that he can play in Japan, but still be available for the All Blacks.
Most of the Springboks squad that lifted the World Cup in Japan are now scattered throughout Europe and Japan.
The powerful Crusaders forward pack, which laid the platform for their consecutive titles over the past three years, has been decimated with retirements and sabbaticals for Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read, Jordan Taufua, Owen Franks and Matt Todd, along with backline general Ryan Crotty.
However, coach Scott Robertson has taken a positive approach to the loss of talent.
“Obviously, a lot of those guys have been part of the furniture here for a long time, so there is a real fresh feel around the place,” he said. “It’s time for the next crop to come through and take a bit more on their shoulders.”
It is a view shared by ACT Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar who lost 157 Test caps with the departures of David Pocock, Christian Lealiifano, Henry Speight, Rory Arnold and Sam Carter after the World Cup.
Rather than buying big-name replacements, McKellar said he had confidence in his younger squad members to fill the void.
“We’ll back the young guys,” McKellar said. “They’re young guys, but we’re backing them because they’re ready to go and they’ll be ready to go on the 31st.”
The Brumbies open against the Queensland Reds who have picked up James O’Connor and Henry Speight to join Jordan Petaia and Samu Kerevi for a potent backline.
The Bulls play the Sharks who are without Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, along with Ruan Botha and the Du Preez brothers, Dan and Jean-Luc.
The Sunwolves start their final season against the Rebels, while the Crusaders play the Waratahs.
The Stormers, who have kept Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit — while Eben Etzebeth and Damian de Allende have moved to France and Japan — play the Wellington Hurricanes and the Jaguares are at home to the Golden Lions.
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