Super Rugby 2015 - Team by Team Snapshot

Blues:

Big gain: Josh Bekhuis
Big loss: Ma'a Nonu
Go-to Player: Jerome Kaino
Players to watch: Ihaia West, Simon Hickey
Crucial to success: How often Kaino, Steven Luatua and Luke Braid play as a loose trio

Brumbies:

Big gain: return from injury of David Pocock and Stephen Moore
Big loss: Ben Mowen
Go-to Player: David Pocock
Player to watch: Rory Arnold
Crucial to success: Pocock remaining injury-free

Big gain: Adriaan Straus
Big loss: Flip van der Merwe (to injury)
Go-to Players: Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein
Players to watch: Lappies Labuschagne, Jesse Kriel
Crucial to success: Winning away from Loftus Versfeld

Cheetahs:

Big gain: Willie Britz
Big loss: Adriaan Strauss
Go-to Player: Willie le Roux
Players to watch: Michael van der Spuy, Clayton Blommetjies
Crucial to success: Improving their parlous defence

Chiefs:

Big gain: Sonny Bill Williams
Big loss: Tanerau Latimer
Go-to Player: Aaron Cruden
Players to watch: Seta Tamanivalu, Damian McKenzie
Crucial to success: Team synergy, after having lost more than half their 2014 squad

Crusaders:

Big gain: Robbie Fruean
Big loss: Corey Flynn
Go-to Players: Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Dan Carter 
Players to watch: Mitchell Drummond, Codie Taylor
Crucial to success: A better start than 2014’s three defeats in their first five games

Force:

Big gain: Steve Mafi
Big loss: Matt Hodgson (to injury)
Go-to Player: Nick Cummins
Players to watch: Kyle Godwin, Kane Koteka
Crucial to success: Winning games without their talisman Matt Hodgson

Highlanders:

Big gain: no-one of note
Big loss: Josh Bekhuis
Go-to Players: Aaron Smith, Ben Smith
Player to watch: Malakai Fekitoa
Crucial to success: Shoring up their insecure defence

Hurricanes:

Big gain: Ma'a Nonu 
Big loss: André Taylor
Go-to Players: Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith
Player to watch: Jason Woodward 
Crucial to success: Overcoming major changes in coaching staff, the player squad, and a tough start to their schedule

Lions:

Big gain: no-one of note
Big loss: Franco van der Merwe
Go-to Player: Warren Whiteley
Players to watch: Howard Mnisi, Martin Muller
Crucial to success: How often Warren Whiteley, Jaco Kriel and Derick Minnie play together as a loose trio; plus suffering few injuries - lack of depth is an issue

Rebels:

Big gain: Mike Harris
Big loss: Jason Woodward
Go-to Player: Scott Higginbotham 
Player to watch: Sean McMahon, Jack Debreczeni
Crucial to success: Winning sufficient possession to enable a potentially exciting backline to show their attacking skill

Big gain: James O'Connor
Big loss: Quade Cooper (broken collarbone)
Go-to Player: James O'Connor
Players to watch: Karmichael Hunt, Duncan Paia'Aua
Crucial to success: James O'Connor

Sharks:

Big gain: Mouritz Botha
Big loss: no-one crucial to team success
Go-to Players: Patrick Lambie, Bismarck du Plessis
Player to watch: Pieter-Steph du Toit
Crucial to success: Will the squad gel with their array of coaches and consultants, and adapt to a new game-plan?

Stormers:

Big gain: Gert Smal as Director of Rugby
Big loss: the warrior-king Jean de Villiers (to injury)
Go-to Player: Duane Vermeulen 
Players to watch: Nic Groom, Kobus van Wyk
Crucial to success: Maintaining defensive standards after the loss of defence guru Jacques Nienaber; plus vastly improving attacking skill

Waratahs:

Big gain: Dave Dennis’s return from injury
Big loss: Kane Douglas
Go-to Player: Michael Hooper
Players to watch: Taqele Naiyaravoro, David Horwitz
Crucial to success: Michael Cheika being able to give the same attention to detail as he did last season for the Waratahs, now that he is doubling as Wallaby coach