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Preview: S14, Round Eleven, Day Two
April 25 2008
It's Super Saturday in week eleven of the Super 14 and once againall teams will be seeking crucial wins with the prospect of a play-off "bottleneck" looking ever-more likely.
Whilst the Crusaders are six points clear and look fairly certain of qualifying for the semi-finals, at least a further eight teams are still capable of grabbing one of the other three spots with just four rounds of action remaining.
Another key factor is that of teams wanting to secure home advantage in the play-offs.
The Chiefs, who briefly occupied third place after their impressive scalping of the Crusaders last Friday, have a challenging assignment against the unpredictable Reds when they kick off Super Saturday in Hamilton.
The Reds have blown hot-and-cold this season but the Chiefs, who are currently placed fifth, will do well to approach them with caution. Home advantage makes the fired-up Chiefs favourites.
The Sharks, who suffered their first defeat of the 2008 campaign last week, have it all to do when they face the Waratahs in Sydney.
Last year's finalists lead the third-placed 'Tahs by a single point and will surrender second place on the standings if they are beaten. Defeat could see them slip even further if the Stormers get a bonus point when they face the Highlanders on Saturday.
Essentially, the Waratahs clash will be a test of character for the Sharks who will prove that they are worthy challengers if they can bounce back. The Sharks have not won in Sydney since 2000 and will go into the game as underdogs against a home side that has steadily improved each week.
The Hurricanes, with a win and a loss so far on tour, will face a Cheetahs side that should be well rested and fresh after its bye weekend.
The Cheetahs have hopefully used the time off to take stock of their game and what they need to do to win. A frustrating campaign for the South Africans have produced just a single victory in nine matches, despite them having played some good rugby at times.
Defence and discipline have been their crutches, however, and if they can improve these aspects they could still do some damage.
The 'Canes will be wary of the home side as they bid to retain their place in the top six. They will also have to come to terms with a smaller venue with the Cheetahs' faithful sure to give them a "warm" Kimberly welcome!
The Stormers will be looking for a full quota of five points against the Highlanders at Newlands, which could see them move into the top two. They have been building momentum in the wake of a successful tour and a revived home run that has seen them secure wins over the Cheetahs and the Hurricanes in the past two weeks.
They will do well not to underestimate the Highlanders, despite the visitors having won just once in nine starts this season. However, if the Stormers can strike early, give the ball air and continue to show commitment in defence, chances are they will have too much firepower for the men from Dunedin.
Chiefs v Reds
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
While there is plenty of hype surrounding the Chiefs, the Hamilton-based side know they cannot afford to lose focus - starting with tackling the upcoming match against the improving Reds.
On a four game winning streak, the Chiefs' form of late has been in stark contrast to the way they started the competition, and last week's commanding victory over the Crusaders has confirmed their status as genuine Super 14 play-off contenders.
The win has the Chiefs in fifth place, but with the competition heating up for semi-final spots, there is no room for complacency - especially with a trip to South Africa to come.
Last year the Chiefs scored an upset win over the Crusaders in Christchurch in their last match and had to sit around all weekend waiting to see if it was good enough to earn them a play-offs berth. It wasn't, much to their frustration.
Last weekend the Chiefs scored an equally impressive 18-5 win over the Super Rugby giants.
That victory pushed them back up the table to be fifth on points difference with the Stormers and now they are out to take advantage of that without having to look for help from other teams.
They have only been to the semi-finals once - in 2004 - and now they can sniff another chance.
It's an awkward home straight, facing the unpredictable Reds in Hamilton on Saturday followed by a road trip that takes in the Western Force in Perth, Lions in Johannesburg and Sharks in Durban.
But the Chiefs are currently the hottest of the New Zealand teams with four consecutive wins and they have growing confidence levels that were dramatically boosted by their huge defensive effort in beating the Crusaders.
The Crusaders have a six point buffer at the top of the table after results went their way last weekend. The Sharks and Waratahs are also well-placed to capitalise. But just three points separate the fourth and ninth-placed teams.
The Chiefs are right in the thick of that and now have their destiny in their own hands as they push into what promises to be an intriguing final month of the Super 14's round-robin play.
The spoiling Reds are daring to dream of a second successive upset to derail the Chiefs' run towards the play-offs..
Fresh from ending the Western Force's semi-final hopes last weekend, the tenth-placed Queenslanders will want to end their three-year drought on New Zealand soil.
The Reds' last win across the Tasman came with a 20-6 result against the Chiefs in Hamilton in 2005, which remains their sole victory in the last 21 matches away to New Zealand sides dating back to 2000.
The Chiefs have won their last two meetings, needing a last-minute penalty from fly-half Stephen Donald to sneak home in Brisbane last year.
But as well as being heartened by their ability to lift against the leading teams in 2008, the Super 14 rugby wildcards will be boosted by the presence of eight "Kiwi home boys" that can help overcome their New Zealand hoodoo and claim another big scalp
The Reds' matchday 22 includes Quade Cooper, Leroy Houston, Digby Ioane, Brando Va'aulu, Dayna Edwards, Tasi Luafutu and Charlie Fetoai, who were all born in New Zealand, while Tongan-born prop Rodney Blake was also raised there.
The Reds still have some mongrel left in them and they will prove to be a handful to their opposition at the backend of the season, including the Chiefs.
They played much smarter rugby last week against the Force and thoroughly deserved their victory. They had greater ball security and for once they didn't panic and allowed their opposition to make all the errors for a change.
Super head to head: Number eight Leroy Houston, the baby-faced assassin of the Reds, will be a touch star-struck when he collides with powerhouse Sione Lauaki who has been a key figure in an industrious Chiefs pack of late. Not that it means Houston, 21, will be taking a backwards step when he confronts the imposing All Black number eight. The Auckland-born wrecking ball is finally starting to hit his straps as he finds his feet in his second incarnation as a Super 14 player and is proving to be a nightmare at the breakdown. Houston will have to be ready to rumble against one of his rugby idols in the toughest road trip in the tournament. Houston's team-mate Quade Cooper will be looking to rebound from his nightmare effort at Suncorp Stadium last year, where he was bullied by the Chiefs and dropped seven balls cold. His task ahead against the in-form Stephen Donald will make or break the talented youngster.
Prediction: The Chiefs are on the warpath at the moment and it seems they will scalp anything that comes in their way, including the Reds. The Chiefs to win by twelve points.
The teams:
Chiefs: 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Dwayne Sweeney, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Jamie Nutbrown, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Kevin O'Neill, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Ben Castle, 2 Tom Willis, 1 Ben May.
Replacements: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Simms Davison/Simon Lemalu, 18 Jay Williams, 19 Faifili Levave, 20 Brendon Leonard/David Bason, 21 Callum Bruce, 22 Sosene Anesi.
Reds: 15 Clinton Schifcofske, 14 Brando Va'aulu, 13 Morgan Turinui, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Peter Hynes, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Ben Lucas, 8 Leroy Houston, 7 David Croft, 6 John Roe, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Van Humphries, 3 Rodney Blake, 2 Stephen Moore, 2 Ben Coutts.
Replacements: 16 Sean Hardman, 17 Dayna Edwards, 18 Ed O'Donoghue, 19 Poutasi Luafutu, 20 Will Genia, 21 Charlie Fetoai, 22 Digby Ioane.
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Deon vs Blommestein (South Africa), Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Assessor: Alan Riley (New Zealand)
Waratahs v Sharks
Aussie Stadium, Sydney, 19:40 (09:40 GMT)
The battle for second spot on the ladder promises to be fierce with both the Waratahs and Sharks boasting a watertight defence and a number of experienced heads.
The Waratahs may have made it four-wins-in-a-row with their 26-3 victory over the Lions last week, but they must make considerable improvements in their run-home to the semi-finals.
The hosts had the perfect opportunity to get some valuable match practice against the lowly-placed Lions and can't afford to be as lethargic against the Sharks as they were against the tournament basement-dwellers, who have won only one game all season.
A nil-all scoreline at half-time was a disgrace and while the Lions played with a great deal of commitment to keep the Waratahs scoreless, it was another inept performance and have no doubt that departing coach Ewen McKenzie would have given them a boot up the backside.
The Waratahs are a team that can't afford to go through the motions because their game quickly falls apart and this allowed the Lions to stay in the game for much longer than they deserved.
Sloppy execution, pushing passes, running across field, trying to score from every phase wasn't a great mixture especially when the rain and wind played their part.
The second half was better although the Waratahs dare not be satisfied with the final score of 26-3 even with their bonus point from scoring four tries - they must still learn to play for eighty minutes rather than in patches.
Get this right and the Waratahs will make the final four.
The Sydney-based side's bonus-point triumph (only their second of the season) assured them third place in the standings with four matches remaining.
But McKenzie's men must now tread a treacherous road to the play-offs beginning with their final home fixture against the Sharks, before heading on the road to face the Bulls, Stormers and Reds.
The Waratahs are bound to try to antagonise the Sharks at the breakdown after South Africa's formerly unbeaten franchise lost the plot in that area against the Brumbies in Canberra last week.
Emotions ran high when the Sharks turned certain victory into a demoralising defeat as they lost two players - number eight Ryan Kankowski and centre Francois Steyn - to the sin bin in the second half because of indiscretions at the tackle area.
The Sharks, who looked terrific in the opening half against the Brumbies, fell apart after conceded 17 second half penalties and two yellow cards to leave them for 20 minutes with 14 men.
Now, after a defeat to the Brumbies, the Sharks will be looking for a momentum generating win ahead of their final tour match against the Crusaders in Christchurch next week.
The Sharks are a team that started the season like a house on fire but their charge home could be full of potholes and the Waratahs may again halt their momentum in Sydney.
The Sharks should be kicking themselves because although referee Bryce Lawrence had a massive say in their demise at the hands of the Brumbies, who came back from an 18-0 deficit to win, all Johann Muller's team needed to do after half-time was retain their composure.
They allowed the Brumbies to dominate them for the last 40 minutes in what must surely rank as the worst half from the Sharks in the last two years. Had they retained their first half momentum to win the match, which they really should have done, then the Sharks would now be just two or three Super 14 points behind the first-placed Crusaders, and virtually assured of home ground advantage in the semis.
That they are not is down as much to their own indiscipline as it is to Lawrence's whistle and the Brumbies' good play, and they are going to have to regroup quickly before the Sydney match against the Waratahs or they could find themselves slipping to third or even fourth place by the end of next weekend.
It was the first loss of the season for the Sharks, but it was in many ways a reversal of what they had experienced in many of their seven victories prior to Saturday.
For instance, when they were reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes in their awful second half, the boot was on the other foot in the sense that it was yellow cards dished out to the opposition that helped them in their victories over both the Stormers and the Sharks earlier in the competition.
It will be recalled that it was the debatable yellow card handed out to Schalk Burger that helped swing the momentum to the Sharks in their narrow 12-10 win over the Cape team in Durban.
And the Bulls had a man off the field when the Sharks scored the three tries that netted them their only four-try bonus point at Loftus as they powered away to a big win that looked unlikely going into the final ten minutes of that match.
And if the Sharks consider themselves to have been robbed by referee Bryce Lawrence, then it was no more obvious than the daylight robbery that they profited from when they drew with the Hurricanes in Wellington a couple of weeks ago. After that game the referee even apologised to the Hurricanes and admitted that he got it wrong.
None of this will of course console Sharks coach Dick Muir, for if you are one for funny feelings, then it would appear that the luck we spoke about earlier in the season has finally swung against the Sharks.
To make matters worse, the Sharks last won in Sydney in 2000 and a week of soul-searching will have them prepared for an expected onslaught from the Waratahs.
Super head to head: One appealing duel will be between the two fly-halves, the Sharks' French international Frederic Michalak and young Waratahs' number ten Kurtley Beale. The 'Tahs youngster has had plenty of tests but this is a slightly different one because this French bloke is more clever than most. Beale has proved he is a bright spark and if he continues to improve his game like he is at the moment, the Sharks have every reason to worry. Beale too will find his opposite number's lights turned on - but should hope nobody is home.
Prediction: Perhaps the toughest one to call this weekend. Home ground advantage favours the Waratahs and the Sharks will be feeling fatigue from their tour. The Waratahs to win by five points.
Waratahs: 15 Sam Norton-Knight, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Tom Carter, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (c), 6 Dean Mumm, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Will Caldwell; 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Al Baxter, 18 David Lyons, 19 Beau Robinson, 20 Brett Sheehan, 21 Matt Carraro, 22 Alfi Mafi.
Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Waylon Murray/Bradley Barritt, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jacques Botes, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Johann Muller (c), 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Deon Carstens, 18 BJ Botha, 19 AJ Venter, 20 Jean Deysel, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Adrian Jacobs.
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Grant MacNeill (Australia)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Assessor: Scott Young (Australia), Lusanda Menze (Performance Auditor) (South Africa)
Cheetahs v Hurricanes
Kimberley, 15:00 (14:00 BST, 13:00 GMT)
The Hurricanes can recover some momentum to their last three rounds of the competition with a comprehensive win against a Cheetahs team that will be competitive on their home ground.
Playing against the Cheetahs in Kimberley is never easy. You could say the prospect of a game on the hard-playing surface in the blistering Northern Cape sun is enough to drive any opposition to tears.
The Hurricanes could be one of these teams if things don't go their way like it did against the Stormers in their untimely defeat in Cape Town last weekend.
The loss means the Hurricanes slump from third to sixth.
They are down, but certainly are far from out - unless they lose again on Saturday.
A week after they hammered the defending champions Bulls, the Hurricanes have slipped out of the Super 14 top four and to make matters worse, flanker Jerry Collins has suffered a serious rib injury.
With a game still to play in South Africa and the tussle for the semi-finals intensifying, they need to win at least three of their final four games - and perhaps all of them - and collect a few bonus points along the way.
After the Cheetahs, home games against the Lions and Force, followed by their final round-robin match against the Blues in Auckland will decide their fate.
Hurricanes' coach Colin Cooper put a positive spin on life, saying 20 competition points were there for the taking and that the Stormers could have been beaten "but the rub of the green went against us".
Rub of the green? I don't think so.
It's not that the Hurricanes played poorly in Cape Town, it's more that the Stormers didn't let them play well with a defence that forced the Hurricanes into a stream of mistakes.
The Cheetahs, fresh from their bye, will be looking to take a leaf out of the Stormers' defensive manual against the Hurricanes and apply pressure through their big forwards. The Stormers stood up to the Cheetahs challenge two weeks ago, and the central franchise have had plenty to ponder in the last fortnight.
The hosts will contest the scrums and the line-outs well, and the breakdown will be fiercely competitive, but the Cheetahs will never be serious Super Rugby contenders unless they learn to play for the full eighty minutes.
There has been a few games where they've played well in the first half but then played badly in the second or vice versa. Their loyal fans will agree it's unacceptable at this level and certainly not good enough if you want to challenge in a competition like the Super 14.
Last time out, the Cheetahs outscored the Stormers in the second half, but were never going to make up a deficit that was 28-points just after half-time. They made too many handling errors and defensive lapses, which the Stormers were quick to punish.
Eight losses is tough to stomach, but coach Naka Drotske has had to endure several tight finishes that have not gone the way of his side. The Cheetahs' structures are sound and they have some gifted players, but inexperience has cost them time and again.
Super head to head: Up front it's going to be a battle royal. Neemia Tialata has been moved to loosehead prop after playing tighthead against the Stormers. He will be up against Springbok CJ van der Linde. Van der Linde has emerged from four years of regular Bok exposure as a quality prop, proficient on both sides of the scrum, and despite his bulk, is among the most mobile in the competition. The Cheetahs rely on Van der Linde as the cornerstone of their forward-based assault, and the Hurricanes will lean on Tialata to disrupt the Cheetahs' possession... so expect some vintage scrums.
Prediction: One of the Hurricanes' three losses in their best-ever season in 2006 was to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, going down 25-27 courtesy of a late try. With the hosts boasting just one win this season, one would think the Cheetahs are in for a "'caning" in Kimberley. We don't think this will be quite the case and are risking a vote of confidence to the home side by the smallest of margins. The Cheetahs to win by three points.
The teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Eddie Fredericks, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Conrad Barnard, 9 Noel Oelschig, 8 Duanne Vermeulen, 7 Juan Smith (c), 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Rory Duncan, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wiaan du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Bees Roux, 18 David de Villiers, 19 Hendro Scholtz, 20 Tewis de Bruin, 21 Hendrik Meyer, 22 Bevin Fortuin.
Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Hosea Gear, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo (c), 7 Scott Waldrom, 6 Chris Masoe, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Tim Fairbrother, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Neemia Tialata.
Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 Bernie Upton, 19 Craig Clarke, 20 Brett Goodin, 21 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 22 Tamati Ellison
Referee: Ian Smith (Australia)
Touch judges: Paul Marks (Australia), Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Stormers v Highlanders
Newlands, Cape Town, 17:05 (15:05 GMT)
Ever since the Stormers hosted the Highlanders in a Super Rugby semi-final in Cape Town in 1999, meetings between the two have never failed to capture the imagination.
This year's Super 14 encounter takes place at the same venue nearly a decade on with the Stormers clear favourites despite not having a favourable Super Rugby record against the New Zealanders.
In eleven previous meetings, the Stormers have won just twice; the Highlanders eight times and one match being drawn.
The two teams are having contrasting Super 14 seasons in 2008, the hosts last week moving into the top four and pushing for a semi-final place and the visitors struggling with just one win in nine starts.
The Stormers have been in sizzling form after a successful overseas tour with resilient defence a hallmark of their success. They have also found their try-scoring touch and look set to continue their good run against the twelfth-placed Highlanders.
Some claim you're only as good as your last performance. In that case, the Stormers are looking good having beat the Hurricanes 20-12 last week.
The win enabled the Stormers to leapfrog five teams from the ninth position they held before the match to fourth on the table, and with matches against the Brumbies, Waratahs and Lions still to come - two of those at Newlands - they must now fancy their chances of being in the top four at the finish.
Not only that, but they are now only five points behind the second-placed Sharks, with the Durban team facing tough away assignments against the Waratahs and the Crusaders before returning for home fixtures against the resurgent Chiefs and the Cheetahs.
If the Sharks lose two of those, and the Stormers win all theirs, and knock the Waratahs out along the way, we could see a Newlands semi-final.
But first things first and the Stormers will need to make sure of a win against the Highlanders who are coming off a 17-47 hiding to the equally struggling Bulls.
If the last game claim is to be believed, it should be a cake walk for the hosts in Cape Town.
The Highlanders have been battling the whole way, but that's not to say they aren't a good team. They're much better than their lowly place on the Super 14 standings suggests - and the Stormers should certainly not underestimate them.
They may have got taught a lesson from the Bulls, but they will be out to show what they can do and on their day, they can be a serious thorn in any opposition's side
Except for that match at Loftus Versfeld, the Highlanders have been unlucky to lose some tight games this season. They are very competitive and are keen to have a go from anywhere on the park.
Though their task at hand took a serious twist with ex-Highlanders' pivot Tony Brown named in the Stormers' line-up to take on his former team.
Brown played for the Highlanders from 1996-2004, scoring 817 points in 83 matches, before heading to Japan for two seasons, then to South Africa to play for the Sharks in 2006, then back to Japan for another season.
The Stormers failed to score one try in their first three games until Brown joined the side in New Zealand and they have found some good form since then.
That said, Brown's selection against his old team is hardly a coincidence. He's tasted victory twice at Newlands, first as a Highlander in the 1999 Super 12 semi-final and then in the 2001 Tri-Nations match with the All Blacks.
The Highlanders are traditionally strong up front, but the Stormers won't shy away from the physical confrontation. However a looser game will suit the hosts better.
The Stormers have played some spectacular rugby in the last few games and there'll no doubt be some running come kick-off on Saturday.
Tactical kicking is another area of great improvement and the Stormers' kickers have been crucial with their booming punts from the back, applying tremendous pressure on the opposition. But the kick is only as good as the chase, and last week we saw an excellent try scored by Schalk Brits from such a move.
Once again, this all attributes this to a confident side being in perfect sync.
Super head to head: Tony Brown gets to make his first start for the Stormers against his old team-mates, and will no doubt be relishing the opportunity to show the Highlanders that he has lost none of the wizardry that made him such a successful playmaker in his year with the South Island franchise. He possesses a deep understanding of Kiwi structures and even though the Highlanders personnel has altered dramatically since he left in 2004, the Stormers will benefit from this knowledge.
Prediction: The Highlanders will struggle against a home team that is firing on all cylinders at the moment. With a superior backline combination and some combative forwards, the Stormers should have too much strength for the down-on-their-luck New Zealanders. Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus will be happy with a win, but failure to secure the four tries will be viewed as a missed opportunity. The Stormers to win by twelve points.
The teams:
Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Dylan Des Fountain, 13 Gcobani Bobo, 12 Jean De Villiers (c), 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Tony Brown, 9 Bolla Conradie, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Ross Skeate, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Adriaan Fondse, 19 Robbie Diack, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Peter Grant, 22 Gio Aplon.
Highlanders: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Matt Saunders, 13 Brett Mather, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Craig Newby (c), 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Hayden Triggs, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Macdonald, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 David Hall, 17 Keith Cameron, 18 Hoani MacDonald, 19 Tim Boys, 20 Toby Morland, 21 Blair Stewart, 22 Aaron Bancroft.
Referee: James Leckie (Australia)
Touch judges: Ian Smith (Australia), JC Fortuin (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
By Dave Morris