Like the South African conference, there is only one sure bet here - perennial favorites, the Crusaders. Like Matfield and Du Preez, McCaw and Carter are irreplaceable and push their team into a different realm. The rise of the Whitelock clan, and the introduction of superstars-in-the-making Israel Dagg and Sonny Boy Williams, should make them unbeatable in New Zealand.
But... the Blues look awesome, as they always do pre-season. They have the players, and a formidable balance between exciting backs and powerful forwards. They have all the ingredients to finally regain their glory days. Will they? Probably not. But don't discount them from a place in the play-offs. The return of Williams and Braid will add even more steel to their pack, and look to Ranger and Brett to finally deliver a consistent season after years of promise.
The Hurricanes have a new coach, and maybe that is the elusive ingredient they need to finally win a Super Rugby title. They have great backs - I just think they may be missing a hard edge in the pack, particularly amongst the loosies. In addition, they have a bunch of new faces... consistency in selection seems to be key in ensuring consistent performances. It may take these Hurricanes a while to get up to speed, and by then, it may be too late in this unforgiving competition.
Dark Horse: Always the Chiefs... they are devastating on their day, and now they have Umaga shoring up their leaky midfield defense. Does he still have what it takes? I wouldn't bet against it. I would guess even an old, slow Umaga will scare the likes of Nanai-Williams and Donald into actually making some tackles this year. To put their strike power into perspective, Masaga finds himself on the bench!
And the Highlanders... well, they should join the Cheetahs in a 2nd division and save themselves some pain.
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