The dominance of the New Zealand teams in the opening round of 2025 Super Rugby Pacific will have caught the eye of Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane lauds the Chiefs’ 25-14 win on Saturday against the Blues at Eden Park, despite missing star loose forward Wallace Sititi for the season due to knee surgery.
Damian McKenzie impressed while fellow All Black playmaker Beauden Barrett was less influential for the defending champions. Meanwhile, the Crusaders, who struggled under Rob Penney last year, on Friday looked back to their best in beating the Hurricanes, with Will Jordan and Sevu Reece starring for the 14-time Super Rugby champions.
Elsewhere, rugby league convert Joseph Suaalii shone on debut in the Waratahs’ thrilling 37-36 win over the Highlanders, while former World Player of the Year Ardie Savea debuted for Moana Pasifika.
Keohane argues that the All Blacks, buoyed by their successful 2024 end-of-year tour, appear more settled and physical than in the previous World Cup cycle. With the Boks set to face the Kiwis in Auckland and Wellington in September, Erasmus will be taking note of their Super Rugby outings.
“Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus will be on red alert after the opening weekend of Super Rugby Pacific. The Kiwis, in 2025, have come to play,” Keohane writes.
“There is a different New Zealand presence to what we saw in the cycle between the 2019 and 2023 World Cups.”
He also notes Erasmus’ praise of Italy’s improving defence after Zebre’s historic Vodacom URC win in Edinburgh, as the Boks will kick off their 2025 season with two Tests in the Republic against the Azzurri in July.
“Erasmus, on social media, complimented the defence of the Italians and the improvement and consistency in their performance,” Keohane writes.
“The Boks play Italy twice at home and the All Blacks twice away this season, hence the relevance of Italian and New Zealand rugby this season.”
