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)

Crusaders slay the Bulls, while the Sharks terrorise Queensland

(picture http://bit.ly/QoJV3L)

The semi deciders got going in Christchurch, with the Bulls taking on the Crusaders. If ever a team looked like they’d got off a 24 hour flight, this was the Bulls. In fact they looked like they’d got off a 24 hour flight, gone straight to a 24 hour party, and then come to the match. All in all, they put in a decent  spell for about 10 minutes in the second half.  Their A plan didn’t fire, and let’s face it, this is the Bulls, let’s not confuse things by having two plans. The Crusaders played well, but weren’t really tested. McCaw is pure class, and could easily be starting for the All Blacks at no 8 (depending on how Read recovers) , while Carter is back to his best. The Bulls weren’t help by a succession of injuries, and a bad day at the office from Morne Steyn.

The second match was much better – OK, I’m a little biased because I’m a Sharks fan, but there was a lot more running rugby, and the teams were a lot closer. I don’t know where the Sharks have been hiding this form, but for the last three weeks they’ve been on fire. Their loose trio is immense, ( and with Alberts at lock and Bismarck they have 5 loose forwards!)and the running from the backs, in particular JP Pietersen, is savage as my son would say. Paul Jordaan impressed as well. It all went wrong for the Reds when Cooper tip tackled last week. Then Lucas went off, they lost their shape, and found it nigh impossible to break down a determined Sharks defense. With a bit more luck with injuries, they could have done a lot more this season.

This is how they line up next week. Why host the NZ side on a Friday though?

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)

Super Rugby
Saturday , July 21
Crusaders 28 - 13 Bulls 
Reds 17 - 30 Sharks

Super rugby - time for the semi semi finals

(picure http://bit.ly/MKJzhm)

After 18 rounds of slugging it out, we’re down to the knockout stage of Super Rugby. This week I guess is the semi semi final, and the intricacies of the system mean that if the Sharks beat the Reds, the Stormers play the Sharks at Newlands in the semis. Should the Reds win however, the Stormers will play the winners of the Crusaders/ Bulls match.

So, there’ll be two things on the Crusaders minds this weekend – beating the Bulls and hoping like hell that the Reds win, otherwise they’ll be on the plane to SA for the next round. The Crusaders (or team Whitelock as they are now known), have only one key player missing , Kieran Read. McCaw has stepped into the breach and is covering the number 8 position and lying all over the ball.  I can see a yellow card in this match – for standing on McCaw at a ruck. The Bulls have namedan impressively large team, and I’m sure the strategy will be to pulverize the Crusaders pack, score on the breakaway, and kick the penalties. The critical question is will they be able to contain the flair of the Crusaders backs? I’m saying, no, they won’t so a home win for the Crusaders.

The Reds have sneaked into this final, with some very up and down form, mainly as a result of a long string of injuries. They will be missing Quade Cooper, not renowned for any type of tackling, and then last week he goes and does a tip tackle. How Will Genia plays is absolutely crucial for them, he could take them through on his own.  The Sharks have picked Alberts at lock, and are planning to pulverize the Reds pack – where have I heard that before? Without Lambie in the backs they are little short on flair, so again I’m going with the home team to get the win.

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

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