Australian Club Grades - Super Rugby Week Two

The Super Rugby season is well and truly underway. There was an Australian derby to get us started and the Brumbies were in Japan to face the Sunwolves. Here are the grades for each team:

Reds – E.

The Reds could not have got off to a worse start. There was a good feeling in the camp with Brad Thorn taking control of his first Super Rugby game having lead the Queensland Country to the NRC title and giving the squad a huge overhaul.

But just nine minutes into the game, Scott Higginbotham was red carded, and that was it. As captain, Higginbotham should have known better and he will be missed in the next couple of weeks.

The Reds did rally and score two tries in the first half but conceded four and then leaked another three in the second half. This is a young team with some talented players, but it could be a long season ahead of them.

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Reds 2018 Super Rugby Preview

Rebels – A.

People may point to the fact they played against 14 men for 70 minutes but you can only beat what is in front of you. They broke their records for most points scored and most tries scored in a game.

Having made a number of key signings in the summer, the hierarchy would have been delighted to see how Will Genia played and with Dane Haylett-Petty scoring a brace on his debut he has hit the ground running.

Adam Coleman has the captain’s responsibility and he relished the role. This could be a good year for the men from Melbourne, they have recruited well.

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Rebels 2018 Super Rugby Preview

Brumbies – C.

You can’t argue with winning away. The Brumbies went to Japan and came away with the spoils, although they didn’t pick up the bonus point.

This was the Sunwolves' first competitive run out under Jamie Joseph and his influence is clear as they were a lot more organised. The Brumbies did well to rally from 19-8 down and it was great to see Christian Lealilifano continue his comeback from illness, but there is a lot to work on.

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Brumbies 2018 Super Rugby Preview

Waratahs – C.

Another team that did get the win, but it was far from convincing. There were signs of rustiness in the game against the Stormers but there were also flashes of brilliance.

Israel Folau picked up where he left off with a great try. When the ball was with their backs, they looked dangerous. Kurtley Beale enjoyed his return but upfront they got beaten up.

The Stormers were aggressive at the breakdown and the Waratahs couldn’t live with that at times. Ned Hanigan’s buzzer beater try papered over a couple of cracks but a higher quality opposition would have beaten them on the weekend.

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Waratahs 2018 Super Rugby Preview