Super Rugby semi finals - rugby on another level!

 

Two semi finals on Saturday, and I can't say enough about the quality of the matches. It's not like rugby you're going to see anywhere else, except maybe from the All Blacks.

There's three things which set it apart. The first the speed at which everything happens - it's absolutely blistering, the speed of the attacks, the pace at which the defense comes up, and the transition from attack to defense. The fitness of the players is just amazing. Then there's the ferocity of the defense, the hits going in are just absolutely bone crunching. Finally, it's the mixed skill set - you're watching a South African team attacking with a prop and a lock in the line, and they're passing smoothly and off loading in the tackle - do not adjust your sets, this is not a test!

The Chiefs gave it their all in Wellington, but they were just 5-10% off, kept on fluffing their lines right at the last minute. The Hurricanes just bided their time, and picked them off on the break. Beauden Barrett is the epitome of bodacious, he has an uncanny knack of making the right decision, and serious speed when he needs it.The only worry for the Canes might be their scrum, which looked really creaky, and their discipline - two yellow cards is not good enough.

Meanwhile in Joburg, the Lions played the Highlanders at their own game, attacking with skill, intensity and pace. Elton Jantjies was pretty ordinary in my opinion against Ireland - he was in jaw dropping form on Saturday - he might be the best attacking fly half the Springboks have ever had. And the Lions were nothing short of sensational, best game by a South African team I've ever seen in 13-14 years of watching Super Rugby. Janties is well backed up by Faff de Klerk. The Highlanders tried until the end, but like the Chiefs were 5% off the pace

Saturday, July 30   
   
Hurricanes 25 - 9 Chiefs
Lions 42 - 30 Highlanders

Highlanders triumph while the Stormers meltdown!

 

 Joe Tomane ( picture http://bit.ly/1SB8F6q)

Super Rugby semi semis opened up with Highlanders v the Chiefs – now THAT was proper rugby, both teams in it until right to the end, although the Highlanders always had the edge you felt. They won, and they won pretty, in an entertaining match full of great tries and skill. Ben Smith and Aaron Smith were superb for me, just adding classy touch after classy touch. They now get to face the Waratahs, and if they produce the same quality of rugby, they’ll win that too. Damian McKenzie for the Chiefs looks like a future All Black.

In the other semi, the Brumbies absolutely trashed the Stormers in Cape Town. I thought the South Africn teams were supposed to be big and ugly – they got totally beaten up by the Australians, AND the Brumbies had all the cool foul play too! Joe Tomane hardly seemed to be trying with his hat trick, actually hard to judge how good they are with the Stormers being so poor. Damian de Allende was the only one who stood up to be counted, sure they had some big names missing, but South Africa has players to burn, it should have at least been close.

Super Rugby
Saturday, June 20
Highlanders 24 - 14 Chiefs    07:35
Stormers 19 - 39 Brumbies    15:05

As you were, Brumbies and Sharks!

 

 Heny Speight (picture http://bit.ly/1nLvrGg)

No major surprises this weekend as home advantage proved crucial in the Super Rugby play offs. The only major surprise for me was finding I’d recorded a super league match instead of the Sharks/Highlanders. Doh!

I did, however manage to record the Brumbies v Chiefs, and what an enjoyable match that was. Great, potent, high tempo rugby. I thought Henry Speight was outstanding, he has Wallaby superstar stamped all over him. The Brumbies built up a good early lead, and although the Chiefs fought back to even Stevens with 10 minutes to go, I always thought the Brumbies would win it. They now go on to face the Tah’s and although the Sydneymen are favourites, anything can happen in a good old derby match. The Chiefs took way too long to get into the match, they are missing a bit of the X-Factor, and Sonny Bill Williams should sort that out for them next year.

Can’t say too much about the Sharks Highlanders match for obvious reasons, but the Sharks did what they had to do, coming from behind twice to seal the win. They head off to Christchurch, knowing at least that they have already won there this season.

Meanwhile in Ireland, rugby somehow got dragged into the Garth Brooks circus, with Paraic Duffy wondering why nobody said anything when they wanted to host 7 World Cup games, but when they wanted to host 5 Garth Brooks concerts, everyone jumped up and down. Hmmm.

Finally, French internationals Benjamin Kayser, Julien Pierre and Aurélien Rougerie have been hospitalised following an attack in Millau. The Clermont trio were attacked by a dozen individuals "armed with machetes, knives, swords" on Saturday night as the players returned to their hotel, according to the club's website. What the hell! Here’s hoping they all get well soon, especially Pierre, who needs surgery.

Super Rugby
Saturday , July 19
Brumbies 32 - 30 Chiefs 
Sharks 31 - 27 Highlanders

I'm going Brumbies and Sharks this weekend!

 

As the play offs begin, I was having a look at some stats. Super Rugby in the last 10 years has only been won by a side finishing first or second. So while 4 sides toil away this weekend, the winners are probably sitting at home in Sydney and Christchurch. Also, the Crusaders haven’t played the Tah’s yet, although with the alchemy of the of how the playing schedule is decided, they probably had an easier run in than the other NZ sides.

Putting all that aside, we have some great games to look forward to this weekend. The Chiefs haven’t quite found their form of the last two years this season, while the Brumbies have done better than expected after Jake White left them in the lurch in the off season. There are two great backlines coming up against each other, and although semis are normally cagey affairs, I reckon this could be something special, neither of them is going to leave anything on the filed. I’m going with home advantage to see the Brumbies home.

The other match takes place in Durban, with the Sharks out to prove a point, after the Highlanders caught them on the hop at home early in the season. The Sharks have an awesome starting team, a great bench, but seem to blow hot and cold. The top spot was theirs for the taking mid-season, then they lost their way. The Highlanders meanwhile, are the only side in the top 6 to have a negative points difference, so while we know they are fairly handy on attack, their defense is not exactly watertight. I’m expecting no great pyrotechnics, and for the Sharks to grind out the win.

In Ireland, the big news is the signing of Simon Easterby to replace John Plumtree in the Ireland set up. Plumtree will be missed, he certainly seemed to have made improvements in the Irish scrum in his brief time there, but Easterby no doubt has a great deal to contribute himself.

Super Rugby
Saturday , July 19
Brumbies vs Chiefs 
Sharks vs Highlanders 

Tiny Super Rugby round up

 

The pool stages of Super Rugby are a wrap with the play offs starting next weekend. The Tah’s finished with a flourish, thumping the Reds, and get their feet up for next weekend. Likewise, the Crusaders put in a crushing performance against the Highlanders, getting a bonus point win that was enough to secure 2nd spot.

The Sharks had a tough match against an up for it Stormers side in Cape Town, but ground out a good win, in a way they’ve found difficult of late. They finish in third, and welcome the Highlanders next weekend, while the Chiefs will travel to Canberra to take on the Brumbies.

Saturday , July 12
Stormers 10 -34 Sharks
Reds 3 - 34 Waratahs
Lions 60 - 25 Cheetahs
Crusaders 34-8 Highlanders

It's the Chiefs and the Lions who win in Super Rugby this year

                                                                    http://bit.ly/14dBU7L

The Chiefs wrapped up their season in style with a really hard fought win over the Brumbies. That was proper rugby, with the Brumbies giving it all, building a good lead and then watching the Chiefs claw it back. It remains the one tournament where, although there’s a play off, winning the round robin stage is the surest route to becoming champs. The Brumbies shocked the Chiefs though with good defense, canny points taking, and a breakaway try that nearly broke the Chiefs. With defenses so tight and organised, it seems in the last few weeks that an intercept is one of the only ways to breach the opposition line. The Chiefs play great rugby, they have sparkling backs, and honest grafters like Clarke, Messam and Retallick. Ben Tameifuna I’m not so keen on – both this and last years final he should have at least been yellow carded for shoulder charges with a half hearted arm thrown about to disguise them as a tackle. For the Brumbies, just an absolutely brilliantly drilled side, that must be due a Super Rugby title soon.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, the Lions fell over themselves to lose to the Kings, but somehow escaped with a precious berth into next year’s competition.  Everyone’s a loser babe- I cant’ ever see the Kings coming back now, with little top class competiton to keep their level good, and for the Lions with a huge player drain, the likelihood they’ll have a decent season next year is pretty slim. 6 SA sides in Super Rugby? It seems like 5 has been too many for years and years, with the Lions as often as not propping up the table. Maybe SA should sort out 5 sides first before they get another involved.
Super Rugby
Saturday , August 3
Lions 18 - 23 Southern Kings 
Chiefs 27 - 22 Brumbies 

Finals weekend...looks like the Chiefs and the Lions!

Finals weekend is here! The winner of Super Rugby will be decided, and also which South African drops out of the competition this year.

The Chiefs didn’t always look like champs this season, but when they needed to they rolled up their sleeves and got on with it. Their win last weekend over a Crusaders team stuffed with All Blacks was very impressive. Interesting to see if more Chiefs start to get a look in for the All Blacks.The Brumbies meanwhile have had a great season, a touch of luck to come out on top against a resurgent Cheetahs, and the same with some poor decision making by the Bulls. The biggest challenge for the Brumbies is going to be coping with the physical onslaught of the Chiefs, on top of all the travelling they’ve been doing. Jake White is an astute coach, and if anyone is going come up with a plan to beat the Chiefs, he’ll do it. My feeling though is that it’s a year early for the Brumbies, they come close but the Chiefs will win it.

That’s early Saturday, and then in the afternoon it’s the Southern Kings and the Lions. This could well be the end of the Spears, unless a way of accommodating them in properly in Super Rugby is discovered. There’s’ something ludicrous about having as many as 5 teams in Australia, and only 5 teams in South Africa. This year Kings got into Super Rugby automatically – hard to see them ever being able to qualify without players or a proper competition. It should be a good game again, but the whole thing is just so messy! I think the Lions will come through, especially with home advantage.

Super Rugby

Saturday , August 3

Lions vs Southern Kings 

Chiefs vs Brumbies 

Super Rugby results this weekend - Bulls fans look away now!

http://bit.ly/1aR1dhz 

The Southern Kings and the Lions got things going in PE with a pretty decent match. It was the typical bone crunching contest you’d expect from two SA teams. Handling and a few other basics weren’t always great, but it was exciting end to end stuff. If the Lions had played like this all last season, or the Spears like this all this season – they’d have both avoided the situation they’re in. The match made a good case for 6 SA teams in Super Rugby.
Next up was the Chiefs and the Crusaders. I tipped the Chiefs, and got that one right – they tore into the Crusaders from the whistle, never let them settle, kept putting in eye watering hits, and their back line threatened all the time. The Crusaders are masters at dominating teams physically, but they don’t know how to respond when it happens to them. It’s such a classy team though – Carter is still the master, Dagg showed good touchs and Read is in the middle of everything. The final is the Chiefs to lose now.
The other semi final saw the Brumbies sneak out of Pretoria with a win. The Bulls play with the mantra that the perfect game plan was invented by Naas Botha and Northern Transvaal in 1981, and who are they to tamper with perfection. Or to use their heads – thinking is not really that masculine is it, beating the other team to a bloody pulp is the aim, and if you have to think to win – let’s not go there… They had the game wrapped up when they were camped on the Brumbies 22 in the last 10 minutes, but made the head scratching decision to go for a try  three times instead of taking the points. Fair play to the Brumbies, they have their work cut out in the final – but at least they’re in the final.
Super Rugby
Saturday , July 27
Chiefs 20 - 19 Crusaders 
Bulls 23 - 26 Brumbies 
Friday , July 26
Southern Kings 19 - 26 Lions 

This weekend- I'm going Kings, Chiefs and Bulls!

The Lions and the Southern Kings kick the Super  Rugby off on Friday, with the first of a two match series to work out who gets the 5th SA Super Rugby spot. It’s a pretty desperate affair, whoever loses is basically fecked for the next year. You only have to look at the Lions team to see the names missing without the lure of top class competition. At the start of the year I’d have said the Lions would walk back into the competition, but now I’m going with the Kings because they’ve had a better build up.
Saturday the real action gets underway with the Chiefs looking to keep their hopes of retaining their title alive. The chiefs missed  SBW this season..but they still topped the log, and apart from a few wobbles – and a big loss to the Crusaders – they have been chugging along nicely. The Crusaders are overwhelming favourites, after chewing up and spitting out the Reds, and their recent run of form. You’d figure though, that if anyone’s going to beat the Crusaders, it’s going to be the Chiefs. They are going to meet the physical onslaught from the Crusaders with absolute brutality, and have a backline that can hurt the Crusaders. The key to this match is Dan Carter – the Chiefs have to shut him down if they’re going to win. I’ve just stalked myself into a Chiefs win, just, just just!
The Bulls and the Brumbies round things off in Pretoria. The Brumbies closed a close game last weekend, but this weekend – I’d say they all be happy to get out alive, never mind with a win! I know the Aussies are good at outsmarting the Bok teams, but at home, with a spot in the final as the prize, I think the Bulls are going to win emphatically. So I’m predicting a final in New Zealand then. Enjoy the rugby.
Super Rugby
Friday , July 26
Southern Kings vs Lions 
Saturday , July 27
Chiefs vs Crusaders 19:35
Bulls vs Brumbies 17:05

Bugger! The Sharks lose their way on the way to Hamilton!

He's the man! (picturehttp://bit.ly/NVzdkX)

Bugger! I had high hopes for the Sharks, but it wasn’t to be. At least they’ll be able to take a good holiday to the destination of their choice with all the air mile they’ve accumulated! They looked good for about the first 20 minutes, but after the adrenalin wore off, it was one way traffic for the rest of the evening. Aaron Cruden was the master tactician, varying his play and setting off the Chiefs exciting backs. I may as well get a few gripes off my chest. I don’t like the way the Chiefs were holding players at the front of the ruck, or the way they came in from the side at lineouts. I don’t like their dirty play either, no arm tackles and forearm smashes in the face.

That’s a pity, because they they have all the skills, the confidence, and can win without any of that. Apart from that, fantastic to see a team with such attacking intention come out on top, and great to have a new name on the cup. They won the cup as much for their week in week out play as for what they did in the final. 0 from four finals, but with a bit more consistency, they be back, and look to go all the way.

Super Rugby
Saturday , August 4
Chiefs 37 - 6 Sharks

The Sharks five loose forwards - Daniels, Kankowski, Coetzee, Alberts and Bismarck will win them the game!

Marcel Coetzee (picture http://bit.ly/Mmtm8t)

Right, so the Chiefs and Sharks in Hamilton it is! It’s the two form teams in the last three weeks – the teams that found the form when they had to. One of them is going to get their name on the Super trophy for the first time, which is a good thing too, good for the competition. This will be the Sharks fourth final and the Chiefs second. That’s a lot that the Shark’s have had to suck up, and the Chiefs will have their own bitter memories of being demolished by the Bulls. I can tell you one thing, neither team is going to die wondering here! The Chiefs are able to name the same team that beat the Crusaders last week, while the Sharks have lost Whitehead in midfield, but have Lambie and Jordaan back in the frame.

They are both teams that want to play – none of this reliance on defense and opposition mistakes. There’s going to be an awesome battle of the little masters, Michalak and Cruden, and the front row tussle is going to be second to none. Sonny Bill gives the Chiefs a bit of an edge in midfield, but apart from that it’s even stevens across the park.

The key I think is how well the Sharks stand up to the physical onslaught the Chiefs the Chiefs are going to throw at them, and deal with a massive niggle factor as well. If there isn’t a gold old fashioned barn storming dust up in the first 10 minutes I’ll eat my hat. I’m not expecting the Sharks to be exactly meek though, in fact the opposite! My advice to them would be to make the rucks and mauls an absolute war zone, and they have the firepower, 5 loose forwards, Daniels, Kankowski, Coetzee, Alberts, and Bismarck. And Deysel on the bench! My instinct is that the Chiefs home advantage and the travel factor on the Sharks will see them home. As my instinct was 100% incorrect last week, that means the Sharks are going to win! Get in!

Super Rugby
Saturday , August 4
Chiefs vs Sharks 19:35

The Chiefs and the Sharks were awesome, the Crusaders and the Stormers weren't!

He's the Man! (picture http://bit.ly/NC9RIv)

I must have been one of the only people with a TV watching a recording of the Chiefs/Crusaders match instead of the Olympic opening ceremony. And I missed out, can’t beat the British for putting on a show. What I did get to see however was a spine tinglingly intense game of rugby. The conventional wisdom (well my wisdom anyway) was that the (rusaders were only a roll, the Chiefs weren’t, and it was going  to be a win by the men in red and black. Wrong! The Crusaders didn’t know what hit them (I’ll come back to that) and it puts into perspective the gushing praise the Crusaders were getting in NZ on the back of putting away a tired looking Bulls team last week. What hit them – I think it was Messam, Schalwager, anyone with a name ending in olo. The Chiefs to me had a definite strategy of getting in the Crusaders faces, literally, and the Crusaders didn’t like it, couldn’t cope with it. The Chiefs also came to play, Cruden is just awesome, so was Sonny Bill, what a final it’s going to be!

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, it was expected by most people (me anyway) that the Sharks were going to be too tired to beat a well rested Stormers side with the best defensive side in the competition. They looked they’d rested all right – on the beach eating pies! They were as sluggish as, well, the slugs eating all the flowers in my garden! I’m amazed at how little the Sharks had to do to beat them. Pietersen’s cheeky try was an embarrassment for them, and Michalak proved (as did Cruden) that size doesn’t always count. I think the Sharks play better when they are jet lagged! I don’t know how they’ll cope with another long plane trip, but don’t count them out just yet.

Super Rugby
Saturday , July 28
Stormers 19 - 26 Sharks 
Friday , July 27
Chiefs 20 - 17 Crusaders 

Super Rugby Semi Final Time!

Sayonara Sonny (picture http://bit.ly/P2dvGi)

Hamilton is the venue this Friday as the first semi final kicks off. Again, why it’s on a Friday I have no idea. I see the auditions for New Zealand’s Got Talent are on - I suppose they knew they’d never get an audience for the rugby with competition like that. Anyway, how’s it going to shape up?  The Chiefs topped off a great season with a stumble at the end, losing to the Crusaders and the Canes. Then they’ve had a week’s break, and a break before that for the Summer/Winter tour. All the momentum is with the Crusaders, and all the experience, the composure to deal with a big game. The Chiefs have got an awesome attack, but that only works when you have the ball, and the Crusaders have a stout defense anyway.  Even with the X-factor of the departing SBW to me, this is the situation where the Crusaders get down and dirty and grind out a win.

Then on Saturday, we’re off to Cape Town to see the Sharks come up against the Stormers. The Sharks, like the Crusaders, are a team with momentum and self belief.  They’ve chosen just the right moment to show what they can really do, with a rampaging run into the semis.  The Stormers meanwhile, had a less then impressive performance against the Rebels, and then have had a week to think about this match.  They have the most watertight defense in the competition, but not an awesomely effective attack.  The question is, can they prevent the Sharks from scoring more points than they can? I think the Sharks can absolutely beat the Stormers but jet lag has to come into it, they’ve literally flown around the world in the last week. And had to fly to Cape Town after that. The Sharks have also lost Steyn and Jordaan from midfield, and Lambie is out. The Stormers have had a horror run of injuries in the back row, and start with a hooker at eighth man. I’m going with the Stormers because of that jet lag factor for the Sharks.

Chiefs v Crusaders:
Date: Friday, 27 July
Venue: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Kick-off: (19.35 local, 17.35 AUS, 09.35 SA)
Stormers v Sharks:
Date: Saturday, 28 July
Venue: Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: (17.05 local, Sun 29 Jul 03.05 NZT, Sun 29 Jul 01.05 AUS)

Block rocking Boks grab three, New Zealand two and the Aussies one

One to watch ( picture http://bit.ly/MrSA4Y)

It’s a good thing I don’t put money on my predictions. The Chiefs will be kicking themselves after handing the top of the league to the Stormers, in the last minute of their last round robin match. Composure! That’s what champions have, and I kind of doubt that the Chiefs are going to be champions this time around. Next up in the kicking themselves stakes are the Brumbies, who after hanging on to lead of the Aussie division forever it seems, managed to lose to whipping boys the Blues in their last match, and bow out of the competition.  It’s tough, but Jake White has done a great job with a team nobody expected anything of.

After that, it went to form, with the Crusaders easily beating the Force,  and the Reds trouncing the ‘Tahs to grab a spot. With only 58 points, in a real competition, they would have got sixth spot, but Sanzar gave the Reds 3rd.

The Stormers didn’t look to flash putting away the Rebels, but they already had their eye on potentially a final. If you top the log, you normally win the whole thing, is this going to be the Stormers year? The Sharks played their normal half of rugby, but lucky for them chose the second half this time, and put down a spirited Cheetahs side. JP Pietersen and Willem Alberts had big games, but it’s a pity to see Lambie out now.

Finally, the Bulls ran over the Lions, it was contest for some of the match, but in the second half the Bulls opened up and put the game to bed. Impressive for me was JJ Engelbrecht, who looks like he could add some much needed flair to the Bok backline.
So that’s the final standing, 3 from the Republic, two from New Zealand, and an Aussie side scraping in. Good news for the Boks.

1. Stormers 66
2. Chiefs 64
3. Reds 58
4. Crusaders 61
5. Bulls 59
6. Sharks 59

Then these are the next matches, while the Stormers and Chiefs take a break.

Saturday , July 21
Crusaders vs Bulls 08:35
Reds vs Sharks 10:40

Super Rugby
Saturday , July 14
Brumbies 16 - 30 Blues 
Crusaders 38 - 24 Western Force 
Stormers 26 - 21 Melbourne Rebels 
Sharks 34 - 15 Cheetahs 
Reds 32 - 16 Waratahs 
Bulls 37 - 20 Lions 
Friday , July 13
Hurricanes 28 - 25 Chiefs