Super Rugby News

Hat-trick hero Vince Aso broke Tana Umaga's try-scoring record as the Hurricanes claimed a 61-7 victory over the Cheetahs in Wellington.

The Round 12 team of the week has representatives from eight of the teams and includes four Reds and three Blues players. Player of the week is Reds captain and Wallaby Centre Samu Kerevi who scored two tries, beat 9 defenders and ran for 150 metres.

The Blues continued with their impressive form of late when they claimed a 50-32 victory over the Cheetahs in Auckland on Friday.

Friday night rugby is an integral part of Super Rugby. But which teams have the best record and form for Friday night rugby?

The Round 11 team of the week has representatives from seven of the teams and includes four Sharks and three Jaguares players reflecting the high scoring and open nature of the matches they won. Player of the week is Highlanders and All Black wing Waisake Naholo who scored two tries and beat 12 defenders - the most by any player in a match since 2013.

The Highlanders pulled off a truly unthinkable comeback against the Cheetahs, with three tries in the last five minutes sealing a 45-41 victory.

The Round 10 team of the week has representatives from seven of the teams and includes four Lions and three Kings players. Player of the week is Crusaders wing George Bridge who scored a hat-trick of tries for the second week in a row.

The Crusaders maintained their winning streak when they beat the Cheetahs 48-21 in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Shortly Matt Todd will join the six players currently playing in the Crusaders squad that have earned 100 games of experience in the competition, more than any other team in the competition.

The Round 9 team of the week has representatives from nine of the teams with the player of the week being Highlanders centre Matt Faddes who scored two tries, had 15 carries and ran for 174 metres against the Sunwolves in Invercargill.

The Bulls' recent resurgence continued when they claimed a 20-14 victory over the Cheetahs in Pretoria on Saturday.

The Round 8 team of the week has a formidable and experienced backrow in Kieran Read, George Smith and Jerome Kaino. It is led by mercurial Hurricanes fly-half Beauden Barrett who ran for 204 metres, made four clean breaks and beat 9 defenders against the Blues in Auckland.

A blistering comeback from the Chiefs ensured they emerged 41-27 victors over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Players from 8 different teams make this weeks team that is led by Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie who continues to be one of Super Rugby's most potent attacking players with 16 carries and 132 metres gained against the Stormers in Cape Town.

The Hurricanes are by far the most potent attacking team in the competition so far in 2017; their 285 points scored in just six games so far are 44 more than any other team in the competition and 85 more than the next most potent New Zealand outfit.

SANZAAR has announced the referee appointments for Round 8 of the 2017 Super Rugby season.

Players from 11 different teams make this weeks team that is led by Stormers fullback SP Marias who ran for 98 metres, produced seven offloads and assisted in four tries - which is the most since 2011 - against the Cheetahs in Cape Town.

The Stormers made it five victories out of five in Super Rugby this season as they outclassed the Cheetahs, winning 53-10 at Newlands.

The starting point for more tries than any other source this campaign, the lineout is the crux around which a Super Rugby attack is built and in 2017 there is already a clear cut strategy from teams to ensure they retain possession as often as possible from the throw.

It’s not enough to have a starting XV capable of controlling the game anymore; an experienced and ample helping of bench players is crucial to maintaining a consistent performance across an 80-minute Super Rugby fixture.