Mumps, mediocrity: Poor start for Aussie Super Rugby sides
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australian teams are winless in six matches against foreign opponents in Super Rugby this season and the weekend's fourth round brings the prospect of three more games against teams from other conferences.
The opening rounds of the season appear to have realized the worst fears of Australian fans that their teams will again struggle to be competitive against those from New Zealand and South Africa. Japans Sunwolves and Argentina's Jaguares have also won against Australian opponents this season.
Australian teams have achieved only three wins in three rounds and those are divided between two teams, the ACT Brumbies and the Melbourne Rebels.
The Brumbies have won twice, against compatriots the Queensland Reds and Rebels while the Rebels last week beat the New South Wales Waratahs, who haven't taken a point from three matches are at the bottom of the combined table.
In the weekend's fourth round the Rebels host South Africa's Sharks, who took a win and a loss from two matches in New Zealand, the Reds host the Sunwolves, who beat the Rebels in their opening match and the Brumbies face the unbeaten Chiefs in Hamilton.
The latter match will likely provide the best measure of the position of Australian teams this season. The Chiefs have been impressive in posting wins over the defending champion Crusaders, the Auckland-based Blues and the Sunwolves.
The Brumbies came close to a cross-conference win last week when they led after 80 minutes, only to lose to the Dunedin-based Highlanders who scored and converted a try after the full-time siren.
Television ratings for rugby have already slipped in Australia and the average crowd for the five home matches played by Australian teams has been around 7,000. A Brumbies win over the Chiefs may go some way to lifting spirits, though they haven't won in New Zealand since 2014 and have only three home wins in the last four years over New Zealand teams.
"Beating a New Zealand side anywhere and then doing it at their home ground ... it's going to be a big ask but we're ready," Brumbies lock Cadeyrn Neville said. "Their conveyor belt (of talent) isn't going to stop anytime soon so, even if they rolled out a team full of people I'd never heard of, I wouldn't expect any less of them."
The Brumbies' task has been made more difficult by an outbreak of mumps which has swept their camp, affecting both players and team staff.
On the advice of Australian Capital Territory Health, only players and staff who are completely well will be able to travel to Hamilton for Saturday's match. Those players must prove they have been immunized or, if they have had mumps, that they no longer have symptoms and have spent at least five days in isolation since the outbreak began.
The three teams the Brumbies have played this season __ the Reds, Rebels and Highlanders __ have been notified but have not reported any infections.
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