Preview: S14 - Round Seven, Part One
Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:01
13th Crusade: Can the Crusaders be stopped?
Week Seven of this year's Super 14 is already upon us, which means that the halfway mark of the tournament has been reached.
Interestingly, South African teams occupy three of the bottom four positions in the log standings, and New Zealand teams occupy two of the top three positions.
If one looks back at the competition exactly one year back, the log table reveals that the Blues, Sharks, Bulls and Force sat pretty in the semifinal positions. Not a huge difference to 2008 but for the Bulls of course, who are currently in free-fall.
Other anomalies on the 2007 table include the Highlanders, who were fifth at this stage (compared to 14th in Round Six of 2008), and the Crusaders, who were a lowly ninth (compared to first in Round Six of 2008).
The Waratahs were also not having a great time of it at this stage in 2007 (13th compared to seventh in Round Six of 2008), while the Lions were cruising in sixth place (compared to 12th in Round Six of 2008).
So how will they shape up at the halfway mark? Let's take a look.
Friday, 28 March
Hurricanes vs Crusaders
Westpac Stadium, Wellington, 19.35 (06.35 GMT)
The Crusaders have managed to stretch even further despite the fact that the Sharks haven't lost yet this season, such has the unbelievable form been of the Crusaders.
The bye has caused the Sharks to fall a full eight points behind the 'Saders by the virtue of Richie McCaw's men picking up all but one of their available bonus points.
This indicates how very dominant they have been.
Their season has been dubbed the 13th crusade, and judging by their performances they look odds on to make it seven Super rugby titles come May 31.
However their focus will be on beating the Hurricanes on Friday.
Which 'Canes team runs out of the tunnel remains to be seen, but if they do manage to put 80 minutes of rugby together, they are very capable of causing an upset.
They have the personnel, lead by their All Black loose trio of So'oialo, Chris Masoe and Collins.
These three will have a monumental battle on their hands in trying to contain All Black skipper Richie McCaw. And that's exactly what they will need to do if they want to upset the apple cart.
The problem that the 'Canes have is that So'oialo, Chris Masoe and Collins are all dynamic ball carriers, but are not renowned for their ability at the breakdown. They cannot afford to give McCaw free-reign at the breakdown, or else they will be in for a long 80 minutes.
The great thing about the Crusaders is that you know what you will get from them - 80 minutes of composed, quality rugby.
To beat them, the 'Canes will need to knock them off their stride - targeting the in-form Andrew Ellis could be the way to do this.
Ellis has been in fine form this season, making it easy for the likes of Carter to dominate outside him.
The return of Leon MacDonald, who is playing some of his best rugby of his career, will be worrying for the 'Canes.
MacDonald and wing Scott Hamilton have worked extremely well at the back for the Crusaders, and have shown a liking for counter-attacking at every available opportunity.
The Hurricanes will need to make sure that their kicking out of hand is pinpoint, with flyhalf Jimmy Gopperth set to play a key role in this department.
The Crusaders set-pieces have been exemplary this season, and looking at the two tight fives on paper, they will see this as an area where they can dominate.
The lock pairing of Ali Williams and Brad Thorne have conquered all and sundry so far, and if the 'Canes are to have a shot at winning, they will need to nullify the threat of the two giant locks.
'Canes coach Colin Cooper has stressed all week about the need to hold onto the ball, an obvious assessment one might think. But the Hurricanes know all too well that they are often guilty of not looking after the ball well enough - do that against the Crusaders and you will pay!
The battle between the two No.13's could be an interesting sideshow to watch out for.
The Crusaders' Casey Laulala has shown his worth in 2008, and has thrown his hat into the All Black mix.
Conrad Smith, a All Black in his own right has been a shadow of his former self this year. He will want to prove to the All Black selectors that he still has plenty to offer - what better time to prove his worth than against the in-form Laulala.
Prediction: I can't see the log-leading Crusaders getting anything less than a win, with the bonus of Leon MacDonald's return to action. Crusaders to win by 15 points.
Recent results:
2007: Crusaders won 23-13, Christchurch
2006: Crusaders won 19-12, Christchurch (Final)
2006: Crusaders won 20-11,
Wellington
Teams:
Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Shannon Paku, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Tamati Ellison, 11 Ma'a Nonu, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo (captain), 7 Chris Masoe, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 John Schwalger.
Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Tim Fairbrother, 18 Jeremy Thrush, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 22 Hosea Gear.
Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Scott Hamilton, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Kade Poki, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andrew Ellis, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richard McCaw (captain), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Ben Franks.
Replacements: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Paterson, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Caleb Ralph, 22 Sean Maitland.
Referee: Steve Walsh
(New Zealand)
Touch judges: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Josh Noonan (New Zealand)
Television match official: Kane McBride (New Zealand)
Assessor: Kim Eichmann (New Zealand)
Waratahs vs Cheetahs
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, 19.40 (08.40 GMT)
From one extreme to the next! The Cheetahs are on the other end of the scale compared to the unbeaten Crusaders.
Their record does not make for pretty reading - six losses from as many attempts, with the prospect of facing yet another loss on the horizon.
Admittedly, luck has not been on their side this season, but one can sense that the belief within the squad is fading fast.
The new halfback pairing of Tewis de Bruyn and Jacques-Louis Potgieter will be tasked with resurrecting the Cheetahs crumbling campaign.
Both are inexperienced in the Super 14 environment and have shown little so far to suggest that they will turn Cheetahs fortunes around.
However, Potgieter is a big flyhalf and will be up against the slightly built Kurtley Beale, who has been erratic this season.
The loose trio of the Cheetahs, sans skipper Juan Smith, has been the only shining light of their campaign, with Duanne Vermeulen and Heinrich Brussow the star performers.
No.8 Vermeulen will relish running at Beale from the back of the scrum - this could create good front foot ball for the Cheetahs backs to run off.
Left wing Jongi Nokwe is dangerous when given space, so the Cheetahs will be looking to free up the speedster out wide.
The Waratahs are also feeling the heat, with coach Ewen McKenzie under enormous pressure to start delivering results.
This could mean one of two things - either the 'Tahs will get it together and run the Cheetahs ragged, or the pressure could be too much for the young team, and they could stumble.
The return of CJ van der Linde will bring stability to the Cheetahs scrum - this is one area where the Cheetahs have the personnel to dominate their counterparts.
Australian teams have never been renowned for their scrumming prowess. Matt Dunning is definitely not the strongest scrummager around, so I suspect the Cheetahs will be calling for plenty of scrums when they are awarded free kicks.
The main issue is whether the Cheetah actually believe they can pull off a win. Their confidence will be at an all-time low and it's debatable whether they'll be up for it.
The 'Tahs will be boosted by the return of Sam Norton-Knight, who is one of the senior players in the backline. It will be interesting to see how he plays after a such a long absence from the game.
The 'Tahs will without doubt be targeting the fragile midfield defence of the Cheetahs.
The Cheetahs midfield were diabolical against the Brumbies last week, and will need to tighten up on their defence. The tackling bags would have taken a right old pounding during the week in order to get the defence up to scratch.
If the Cheetahs are to pull off an unlikely win, they will need a vast improvement from their dreadful showing against the Brumbies.
Prediction: The Cheetahs have been mostly fighting a gallant yet losing battle so far, but they are losing touch and their belief is slipping away. Waratahs to win by 17 points.
Recent results:
2007: Cheetahs won 30-26, Kimberley
2006: Waratahs won 26-3, Sydney
Teams:
Waratahs: 15 Sam Norton-Knight, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Ben Jacobs, 12 Tom Carter, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (captain), 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Will Caldwell, 19 Beau
Robinson, 20 Josh Valentine, 21 Daniel Halangahu, 22 Rob Horne.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Eddie Fredericks, 13 Hendrik Meyer, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Duanne Vermeulen, 7 Darron Nel, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Rory Duncan (captain), 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Hendro Scholtz, 20 Falie Oelschig, 21 Conrad Barnard, 22 JW Jonker.
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Brent Murray (New Zealand), Damian Mitchelmore (Australia)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Assessor: Wayne Erickson (Australia)
Western Force vs Stormers
Subiaco Oval, Perth, 20.00 (11.00 GMT)
Can the Stormers create history and become the first Stormers outfit to win three games overseas? I believe they can.
Perth has been a happy hunting ground for South African teams over the years, with a number of expats making it their home.
The Force have established themselves as title contenders and are by no means the cannon fodder of two seasons ago.
John Mitchell's team are a well-drilled unit, lead by their gifted No.10, Matt Giteau.
Giteau has been the catalyst for the Force this year, and has shown that he deserves to wear the Wallaby No.10 jersey.
His battle with Peter Grant will be a real gem.
Grant is very good on defence and has shown in the last few weeks that he has a long career ahead of him.
Looking at the two youngsters, their contrasting styles of play are clear.
Giteau is fleet-footed with an eye for the gap. He has an uncanny ability to create space for his outside backs - this is largely due to the fact that he always draws at least two defenders.
Grant on the other hand is in the Henry Honiball mould. He's not afraid of taking on the bigger men and is more abrasive than Giteau.
The goal-kicking of both has been sublime up until now - this could be a determining factor if it turns out to be a tight affair. This tussle is going to be a cracker!
The backlines are evenly matched in most departments , with both sides possessing a number a game-breakers.
However, it's at outside centre where the Force have a distinct advantage. Ryan Cross has been superb and has made many a team of the week so far.
His abrasive running will cause the Stormers headaches, and he's no mug on defence either.
His opposite number, Gcobani Bobo has been very disappointing this season. One of Rassie Erasmus' new recruits, Bobo's season has been characterised by numerous handling errors and lapses in defence. He will need to pull up his socks in order to cope with Cross.
Once again the breakdown will be a focal point in the outcome of the clash.
The Stormers have Schalk Burger - not much more needs to be said about his contribution and value to any team he plays in.
His battle with the Zimbabwean born David Pocock will be worth watching. Pocock has shown that he's prepared to get his hands dirty and will be looking forward to going head-to-head with Burger.
Luke Watson's stakes have been rising of late, but then so has his opposite number, Richard Brown. Both are great with the ball in hand and have taken full advantage of the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs).
But perhaps the unsung hero of the Stormers loose trio has been Francois Louw.
Louw has done everything asked of him this season, and more. For a man in his first Super 14 season, he has done exceedingly well and will be hoping for another solid display.
The Stormers tight five is an athletic one.
Andries Bekker and Ross Skeate are quick around the park and have had a hand in many of the Stormers' tries this season. Add to that their height, and you have a very intimidating second row.
In saying that, Nathan Sharpe is playing in his 100th Super Rugby game, and knows all the tricks in the book and won't be fooled by the two young Stormers locks.
The Force are definitely favourites, of that their is no doubt.
They have been the only team to take the Crusaders to the wire, and as a team, they combine well.
But the Stormers have come good, and were unlucky not to win in Auckland last weekend.
If the Perth weather plays ball, we could be in for an entertaining 80 minutes at the Subiaco Oval.
Prediction: A tight encounter will be won by the team that makes the fewest mistakes. That will be the team from the Cape. Stormers to win by six points.
Recent results:
2007: Force won 22-3, Cape Town
2006: Stormers won 26-25,
Perth
Teams:
Western Force: 15 Cameron Shepherd, 14 Scott Staniforth, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Scott Daruda, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau (vice-captain), 9 Chris O'Young, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Scott Fava, 5 Nathan Sharpe (captain), 4 Tom Hockings, 3 AJ Whalley, 2 Tai McIsaac, 1 Pek Cowan.
Replacements: 16 Luke Holmes, 17 Troy Takiari, 18 Sam Wykes, 19 Tamaiti Horua, 20 James Stannard, 21 Lachlan MacKay, 22 Nick Cummins.
Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Gcobani Bobo, 12 Jean De Villiers (captain), 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Ross Skeate, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 JD Moller.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Adriaan Fondse, 19 Robbie Diack, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Gio Aplon, 22 Tony
Brown.
Referee: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Geoff Acton (Australia)
Television match official: Steve Leszczynski (Australia)
Assessor: Brendan McCormick (Australia)
