We are only one round into Super Rugby Pacific and already it appears a wildcard and a dark horse may yet upset the status quo in the Australian section of the competition.
For the past few years the race for supremacy has played out almost solely between the Brumbies and the Queensland Reds, with the NSW Waratahs, Western Force and Melbourne Rebels merely making up the numbers.
The Waratahs, however, have somewhat shaken up the status quo with their 40-10 win against the Fijian Drua in Parramatta last Friday night, raising hopes the men in sky blue have turned the corner under new coach Darren Coleman.
What exactly that five-tries-to-one performance means for the rest of the season is near-impossible to predict. It was a good start against underperforming opposition; to read much more into it would be foolish.
Fortunately, Coleman has put the win into perspective and there seems little danger of the Waratahs repeating the familiar mistake of getting carried away.
Regardless, it was heartening to see a playing group belting out their team song in the dressing room for the first time in 538 days, a rendition which showed just how much it meant.
At the very least, there was evidence of genuine cultural change at the Waratahs, which will provide a solid foundation on which to build.
Three days later, the Waratahs received another boost when it was officially announced Wallabies star Kurtley Beale was returning to Australia – and to NSW – although he will not be available for the Waratahs until next year.
Meanwhile, Queensland coach Brad Thorn was, like Coleman, realistic about the Reds’ 23-5 win against the Rebels in Brisbane on Saturday.
Acutely aware of the high standards in New Zealand, Thorn seemed at pains to try to say something positive about his side’s display but was brutally honest in his assessment that it was not satisfactory – a good sign if Queensland wants to continue to improve.
There was plenty of room for improvement in the Reds’ game, starting with their lineout, but it was the first game of the season, played in atrocious conditions.
Thorn did find something positive to say about gangling Reds fullback Jock Campbell whom he compared to former Brisbane Bronco Darren Lockyer and ex-All Black Ben Smith. High praise indeed, but well-deserving nonetheless.
The Rebels would be disappointed not just with the result, which seemed to have an inevitability about it, but also their inability to stay in the contest. Under new coach Kevin Foote, they have appeared to go to great lengths to distance themselves from their more conservative approach of previous seasons.
In recent years the Rebels attempted to accumulate points by kicking penalty goals, but on Saturday turned down several first-half opportunities t to go for seven points instead.
With heavy rain forecast to bucket down the second half they knew they had to score points in the first. Down 13-5 at half-time it was difficult to play catch-up in wet conditions.
In the absence of star winger Marika Koroibete, who is playing in Japan, the Rebels may struggle to make the necessary improvements to take their game forward this year. In their favour, it is early days.
While the Reds’ win was fairly predictable, the Brumbies staved off a massive upset against the Western Force in Canberra. With Wallabies second-rower Izack Rodda leading the charge, the Force forwards took it up to the much-vaunted Brumbies tight-five until the ACT men re-grouped.
The Force led with two minutes to go but the Brumbies showed their championship qualities at the end with Tom Wright putting Lachie Lonergan over to rescue the match 29-23.
One could argue the Force did not know how to win, especially when they kicked the ball back to the Brumbies to give the ACT side one last chance to salvage the match. But it is tough to win in Canberra, particularly for another Australian side.
The Brumbies did look somewhat lethargic at times, but for the Force to come so close to causing a boilover will give them confidence they can do something in this competition.
Super Rugby in Australia desperately needs the Waratahs, Force and Rebels to step up to challenge the Brumbies and Reds to make the competition more engaging and marketable.
While the Crusaders have been the most dominant team in New Zealand historically, the Chiefs, Highlanders and Hurricanes have all won the title in the last decade.
Supporters of all five Australian teams must go into each and every season believing this could be their year, at least in the local derbies.
Hopefully, the opening-round performances of the Waratahs and the Force were a true sign that Australian Super Rugby will not be a two-team competition for much longer.
A clearer picture will emerge when the Waratahs host the Old Foe Queensland at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night, while the Force get another chance to prove they have progressed when they meet the Rebels in Melbourne on Saturday night.
The more the Waratahs, Force and Rebels upset the apple cart the better it will be for Super Rugby in Australia.
