26th March 2010

This week - Magners League, Super 14, Guinness Premiership

General news

I see Leinster boss Australian Michael Cheika is on his way to French superstars Stade Francais next season.Good luck to him, he’s done a great job with Leinster and had a stratospheric rise, form Padova to Randwick, then Leinster and now Stade . He’s going to have his work cut out for him though as it must be the rugby equivalent of managing Chelsea – owner Max Guazzini expects results every season and he also wants Stade to play with razzmatazz, that’s the whole pink jersey, Can Can girls and ‘artistic’ calendar thing…Fourie du Preez is going to play inJapan after the next world cup. The Springbok scrum half, arguably one of the best in the world, in the twilight of his career obviously didn’t find the thought of coming to Europe and having giant Tongans and Fijians( and the odd giant European) jumping on his head very attractive. I wonder why?...Tommy Bowe was voted the player of the tournament for the 6 Nations, the man is just pure class now.

Magners League

The pick of the weekend looks like Munster against Glasgow at Thomond Park. Both teams are pretty well at full strength, this is Munster’s chance to right the wrongs of the 6 Nations but as Ireland found last Saturday, the Scots will be no push over. I can’t see Munster losing though.

Super 14 - Whiff of desperation?

The Brumbies and the Chiefs could be interesting, likewise the Waratahs and the Blues, all teams that are there or thereabouts and need to start putting a run of results together to be serious contenders for the play offs. But the match I'll be looking forward to most will the Sharks and the Hurricanes at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. When you look at both the teams it's quality internationals all over the field, but when you look at their log positions neither has anything to write home about. Sharks coach John Plumtree is an ex-Hurricanes man so that adds a bit of extra spice to the proceedings, but the biggest attraction is the whiff of desperation this fixture brings, this is last the last chance saloon for both these clubs. It's amazing when you compare these teams to the Bulls, the standard of the players is the same but the difference is that the Bulls know how to win and the others don't. No offence to the Bulls (who you'd hate to meet in an alley on a dark night) but none of them look like math’s Olympians do they? But they know how to win, whilst the Sharks definitively don't have a clue, and the Canes just don't seem to have that canny self confidence the All Blacks nearly always seem to have. As the Sharks season is all over bar the shouting, I'd say the Canes are going to pull through in a tight match.

Guinness Premiership

Bath vs Harlequins looks like an interesting proposition but the match I'm planning to watch is Northampton Saints against London Wasps at Franklin's Gardens. It's the new kid on the block having a go at the Old School. Saints are looking very impressive this season, they were good value for their win in the LV Cup over Gloucester with Shane Geraghty in sensational form at full back - I don't understand how he's not in the England set up. The Saints' defence is a bit leaky, but I'd still see them take this.