Quade Cooper (picture from http://bit.ly/mXEBfz )
Super Rugby Saturday , July 9
Reds vs Crusaders 10:40
Super Rugby reaches it’s climax in Brisbane on Saturday after what seems like about 30 rounds of matches. OK maybe not thirty, but about 4 or 5 too many anyway. But it’s a fitting end to what has been grueling season as the two top teams by some distance fight it out for the title. 48 000 fans turned up the last time they played, to see the Reds shade the Crusaders with a 17-16 victory.
The stand out player for the Reds this season has been Quade Cooper, who seems to be able to dip into his bag of tricks and come up with a winning play on cue. His defense is not fantastic, and his kicking could do with some work, but his attack is sublime. All around him are eager runners, cutting lines of attack that have defenders grasping at thin air. And underpinning this attacking play for the Reds is stout defense, a more than able scrum, and intense competition at the breakdown.
For the crusaders, the stand out player for me is Sonny Bill Williams, who attracts 2 or 3 defenders every time he has the ball, but still seems to evade defenders and offload at will. Fruean alongside him is one mean customer. Then there’s the rest of an oustanding backline, and a truly world class scrum that are going to look to dominate the Reds, and make the breakdown an absolute warzone. Dan Carter has looked pretty quiet recently with all the fireworks going on around you, but if you were going to put your house on someone to kick points for you then this would be your man.
This really is shaping up to be the best final ever as neither teams knows when it’s beaten and can turn defense into attack in the blink of an eye. On paper the Crusaders are stronger, and we all know what they’ve been through this season, there’s more to this than just rugby for them. But the Reds are just brimming with confidence, and at home in front of what will be surely be another record crowd, I’m going with Quade and the boys. BRING IT ON!
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