Power Rankings: Super 15

Rank	Team	Change	Last Week	Comment
1	3-0		3	Pierre Spies, a classic flat track bully if ever there was one, looks on course to have a glorious season. The wing turned No 8 can motor and take the Bulls over the gainline and probably through to the playoffs. But let him have his Super Rugby moment, he'll curl up into a ball as he always does come the test season.
2	2-1		1	Last year SBW carried the ball 178 times (3rd highest in NZ), he made 23 clean breaks (1) for 969 metres (5), beat 55 defenders (1) - no wonder Chiefs technical director Wayne Smith said the Chiefs were adjusting to life without the initials. To be fair, though, they are doing it pretty well: they have scored 14 tries in three games, taken 12 points and will no doubt royally spank the Kings.
3	3-0		4	Are the Sharks the new Stormers or just simply the old Sharks who everyone forgets were a bit dull and crap until about six games from the end last year when they suddenly went ballistic without warning? Best to keep this quiet for now - but Patrick Lambie might just be every bit as limited as Morne Steyn.
4	3-1		6	Will Genia returns for the Reds and that changes everything. The hardest thing about playing in Australia is avoiding being infected by mediocrity. Genia is the antidote - a little genius who also comes with the added bonuses of being an inspiring captain and bringing the best out of Quade Cooper.
5	3-0		5	The Brumbies are flying high, looking like the Brumbies of old. Except, wait a minute, they have only played other Australian sides. Topping the Australian Conference carries all the kudos of winning a Commonwealth Games medal. Beat a team that has more punch than an SBW boxing opponent...then it's time to start thinking of them as serious contenders.
6	2-1		2	Finally, the Blues deliver exasperation the way they should, offset by just enough exhilaration to keep everyone interested. A roller coaster season warned Sir John Kirwan, except last week highlighted how little ascending the Blues will be doing if Rene Ranger suffers an injury. He de man....sorry he le homme.
7	0-2		7	The Crusaders are making life difficult. Their history and their player strength tells us they will bounce back after consecutive defeats, grind out a few wins, find their confidence and be playing like champions by mid-April. But history won't stop George Whitelock giving away endless penalties or turn Matt Todd into Richie McCaw.
8	1-2		10	How good is Sarel Pretorius? How good is Johan Goosen? How good is Pieter Labuschange? This isn't actually a test or an essay topic - these are rhetorical questions as the answer is they are very good. Thing is, though, half of New Zealand knows that but does Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer?
9	1-2		11	The masters of the late escape, the Hurricanes beat the Crusaders despite having no possession. No territory. No domination. No control and no real hope. Now they have dropped Andre Taylor - proving they also have no idea. They went surprisingly well living off scraps last year but its hard to believe they can work that trick twice.
10	1-2		12	Nicely done Stormers. Rubbish one week, dull the next and then wham - they score 36 points against the defending champions.. Random or a sign of what is to come? That sort of insightful analysis is way beyond the frippery of this column which will stick to the usual rules of sitting on the fence until Murray Deaker proffers his opinion.
11	0-2		8	The much fancied Highlanders sitting on 0-2...what's that about? They don't lack for star talent and they play on an immaculate surface. Problem? They lack ball carriers in the pack. Last year Nasi Manu led the competition with 208 carries and Adam Thomson was fifth with 160. The Highlanders topped the table by making an average of 445 metres per game with ball in hand. That analysis is for free Jamie, but the next one will cost you.
12	1-2		10	There was a dramatic picture on the front page of the NZ Herald on Wednesday, with a farmer pointing his rifle between the eyes of one of his drought affected cows. It is unfortunately true that at times it is kind to be cruel which the Waratahs should remember when they read this: you suck, seriously and that is being kind.
13	1-1		13	In normal circumstances a king outranks a chief although technically its wrong to make such comparisons across feudal and tribal systems. The picture will be complicated this weekend when the Chiefs defeat the Kings by a margin and more.
14	1-3		14	David Bowie and Billy Idol both sang expertly about rebels back in the day. Good topic rebels, in a generic sense, always doing things you didn't expect, pushing the limits, stretching and testing those around them. The Rebels, in a specific sense, do none of those things and will most likely never have a song written about them.
15	0-3		15	The big news out of the Force is that they have retained the services of Hodgie. Who? Hodgie...you know, Hodgson? Nope? Matt Hodgson? Matthew Hodgson? Matthew Hodgson, plays in the back row. Eh..? He has, to quote, "been part of the backbone of the Western Force since joining in 2006". Still no? He is the freaking captain this year.