The Western Force have righted the wrongs of 2025 and won the 2026 Super Rugby AUS trophy in style in a replay of last year’s final with the NSW Waratahs.
Although the Force were deserved winners, all four franchises gained a lot from this albeit short contest.
While new talent introduced themselves and showcased their wares to a wider Australian audience, some established talent reminded the general public why they are such decorated players.
Overall, the competition serves an important and necessary purpose to further develop the game at an elite level, but it is clear that the format does not always bring out the best in all of its players.
Still, with rugby to watch, discuss and enjoy, we now turn to what we learned from this tournament and who impressed enough to possibly beat the Australian A coach ahead of the US tour
Old dogs still have game
While this competition has allowed plenty of young stars to showcase their talent at the next level, it’s clear that certain established players have shined the brightest.
In a contact sport like rugby, many people often use the saying ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’ when talking about young talent, but in Super Rugby AUS, you’d have to be blind not to recognize the game of 37-year-old Kurtley Beale.
Super Rugby AUS may be a comp that’s quite short in significant length and overall more meaningful to players and fans, but what you can’t deny is that if the level looks easy, you’re a serious player.
Beale had the competition down to the wire, finding space, pushing his players through holes and kicking his side into great field positions at will.
He also moved quite well for a man of his age, and will do so Australia The coach’s decision about who to take on the tour is very difficult, but more on that later.
While Beale was the main playmaker for the Force in the Super Rugby AUS final in between Western Force and Waratahs, established winger Dylan Pietsch had a field day, and now we’re seeing how badly he wants that golden jersey back after a foot injury.
Elsewhere, Ben Volavola did his part to keep Queensland at bay Red in the games, and while there were plenty of young front-rowers around the traps, the experienced scrummagers really made their presence felt.
Now we know the positions that do and do not have depth
It’s clear as day that the back row is the biggest position of strength in Aussie rugby.
You can pick any side selected in the 4 rounds and look at any team sheet and see that some of the best players will be among the last players.
Whether it’s a young blond Tom Robinson at the Reds, the headgear-wearing Ella Langi at the ACT Brumbies, or the hustling Marshal La Maitre at the NSW Waratahs, the number 7 jersey will be well looked after for the next decade.
Likewise for the rest of the back row, whether it’s young 18-year-old Justice Taumopeau who left a lasting legacy in the competition with just one game to play, or Oscar Cleary’s persistent big moves at No.8 for the Brums, the back-row stock has been very impressive.
At flyhalf and halfback, the quality is mostly there, with players now really starting to understand their briefs in the game.
On the wings, the talent is something else, with Tim Ryan doing his best with very little at the Reds, or Wallace Charlie popping up with a couple of tries in the finals for the Force, and then of course there’s the discovery of the ever-elusive Latrell Smiler Ah-Kiong for the Waratahs, who burst onto the scene this year.
At fullback, the stable was impressive on paper, and they didn’t disappoint: Corey Toole, Mac Grealy and Sid Harvey were superb in their efforts for the Brumbies, Force and Tahs respectively; the only franchise struggling at No. 15 was the Reds.
Unfortunately, some major gaps were also discovered; the front rows were often too varied in quality, and the second rows often felt too small and mostly cobbled together.
The centers have also been a mixed bag, with all sides struggling to find and field a consistent center pairing, and despite certain players having their moments, it’s clear that very few stocks who have played decent minutes in the competition are ready to step up to Super Rugby Pacific.
This column asked where all the tall men went in their first iteration after Round 1 of the competition, and that question remains, and it’s a concern for teams that properly move into Super Rugby Pacific in 2027
Another problem is that many central options are moving offshore and are not being replaced by off-the-shelf replacements.
Australian Rugby needs to watch this group of players very carefully, and may need to take a long game approach with how they sign and nurture this talent for generations to come.
The competition gave Australia A train a lot for work
Now that the competition is over, attention turns to the Wallabies, but also to the Australian A tour of the USA.
Head coach Stephen Larkham, along with Joe Schmidt, will spearhead the two-match campaign, which looks to build stronger depth for the Wallabies squad.
Australia A is a depth-building exercise, so Larkham and Schmidt will only want to pick players who are of genuine national interest.
The clear candidates on the loose are Lington Ialy from the Brums, Tom Lambert from the Waratahs and Tom Robertson from the Force.
In whores, likely options are: Nic Dolly of the Force, Ethan Dobbins of the Waratahs and Matt Faessler of the Reds.
Larkham will most likely turn to the Brumbies’ Rhys Van Nek, the Waratahs’ Edwin Langi, and it would be a toss-up between Nick Bloomfield and Misinala Epenis.
In the second row, Miles Amatosero is the clear choice, with Nick Frost and Toby McPherson currently in the Wallabies squad.
While he is young Waratahs Captain Eamon Doyle was impressive, as was Zak Healy for the Force, and regular back-rower Will Harris did the job, neither likely to become second-rowers at Test level any time soon.
This only continues to highlight the dilemma Australian rugby has in the second row.
In the back row things are much simpler, with an established group of experienced players alongside exciting young talent: Angus Scott-Young at No.6 from the Waratahs, Luke Reimer to the Waratahs at No.7 and then Joe Brial at No. 8. Reds.
By backing guys like this, you could have the young guns of Robinson and Bryant in support, as well as move Harris back to the back row if there is enough talent harnessed in the second row.
There is probably a spot reserved for a young gun to join on this tour as well.
Things get tough at fly-half, with Teddy Wilson, Nathan Hastie and Klayton Thorne likely candidates at fullback, Beale stands out at No.10 alongside Max Burey at the Waratahs.
Harry McLaughlin-Phillips at the Force, and capped Wallabies Tane Edmed at Brumbies and Tom Lynagh at the Reds seem like logical options, but are they the right choice now?
In the centers it could be Sappsford and Pritchard, backed up by Boston’s Fakafonua and Jarrah McLeod, but that’s not quite the old-school center culture.
On the wings, Tim ‘junkyard dog’ Ryan appears to have a spot, just not sewn up alongside Tull and Wallace Charlie.
The question will be whether a player like Dylan Pietsch will make the squad or be needed for Wallabies duty.
Where Zac Lomax will sit in all of this remains to be seen, but if fit, expect him to be in and around the flanks.
At fullback, Australia A will be well served by Sid Harvey and Mac Grealy, provided both are fit and ready to go.
It will also be interesting to see which Aussies Larkham pulls out of the NPC, as several Aussies are tearing up the competition.
James Ramm, the giant full-back who has signed with the Western Force, is preparing for Northland; Clem Halaholo was solid in Southland and Rory Scott in Tasman.
There are also a number of youngsters such as Marley Pearce, Darby Lancaster and Dan Botha who are all at the right level to take the next step and Lancaster has already won a Wallabies cap.
Divad Palu may be one of the dark horses that was with Wellington.
