Super 15 Rugby Week 3 Preview
Super Rugby Preview “ Week 3
Lions vs. Blues
The Lions now have not won a match in over a year, which at some point must begin to take a toll on player and management morale. They will be boosted by the return of former stalwart Wikus van Heerden, who after leaving for greener pastures in the northern hemisphere rejoins current captain Franco van der Merwe in the second row. The Lions have one of their toughest tests of the season as far as front row is concerned as they take on the formidable trio of Tony Woodcock, Tom McCartney and John Afoa “ the notable name being the absence of Kevin Mealamu as he gets a rest.
Last week against the Stormers, Elton Jantjies showed improvement over his week one performance; however he will need to do more if he wants to break the losing streak this weekend. The Lions need Jantjies to provide them with that killer instinct to finish off matches, perhaps mentor Carlos Spencer should start teaching him the intangibles that make a great fly half. The backline is unchanged from last week.
The Blues pack encountered a very strong Sharks front last week in Durban, and will certainly be looking to take their frustrations on the Lions. Coach Pat Lam has made some wholesale changes to the side, perhaps hoping to give some of his more experienced players a rest after two brutal weeks. Anthony Boric drops to the bench after showing impressive form this season in favour of Kurtis Haiu. The seven jersey will be staying in the family, after Daniel Braid hands it over to his brother Luke who will win his first ever start for the Auckland franchise. Jerome Kaino captains the side from the #6 spot.
A notable face is returning to the Blues backline “ Luke McAlister will make his first appearance of the season as he claims the fly half position from Stephen Brett. Brett's kicking form was wonky in week one, and although he didn't get much opportunity against the Sharks last weekend, one feels that he has to do more to wrestle the spot away from McAlister. Standout Rene Ranger drops to the bench as well, while Sherwin Stowers makes his first start of the season.
Player to watch: I'm excited as anyone to see the return of Wikus van Heerden for the Lions, but I think Luke McAlister will have a larger impact on the match. Expect him to match up well against the smaller, but quicker Jantjies.
Prediction: As much as I want to see the Lions pick up their first victory in what seems like forever, I can't bet against the Blues. Expect the Lions to play well, and I pray for their sake they don't give up another late lead “ Blues 23, Lions 15
Teams:
Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Josh Strauss, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe (C), 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Patrick Cilliers, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Kevin Buys, 18 Dries van Schalkwyk, 19 Cobus Grobbelaar, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Burton Francis, 22 James Kamana.
Blues: 15 Isaia Toeava, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Sherwin Stowers, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino (C), 5 Ali Williams, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 John Afoa, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Toby Morland, 21 Stephen Brett, 22 Rene Ranger.
Venue: Johannesburg
Kick-off (GMT): 1910
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Crusaders vs. Waratahs *Match of the week
After what must have been a very emotional and devastating week in Christchurch, the Crusaders will be looking forward to getting back to what they do best “ winning. They have only played one match this season, which was a heartbreaking loss to the Blues in week one, but due to the wealth of experience at their disposal I don't expect them to have missed a beat. They retain the same pack from that match, highlighted by Brad Thorn in the second row, the Whitelock brothers at #5 and #6, and Kieran Read captaining the side from the back of the scrum at #8.
The big news for the Crusaders backs is the long awaited return of Sonny Bill Williams, who must have garnered more New Zealand media attention than all the other All Blacks combined. After famously gaining All Blacks selection just weeks after joining the Crusaders, he will make his Super Rugby debut against a very challenging opposition. He has plenty of support inside and outside of him, with Daniel Carter occupying the familiar standoff position and electric Robbie Freuan, Sean Maitland and Israel Dagg all running from his outside.
What can you say about the Waratahs? They have been magnificent this season, punishing both the Rebels and the Reds. However this week they must travel south to play one of the best teams of the tournament on their own soil. If anyone has embodied the heart and resilience of the Waratahs this season it must be captain Phil Waugh. After what was thought to be a long-term injury to his bicep against the Reds, he was named in the starting line up for this clash. Standout Tatafu Polota-Nau retains the hooker spot, and look for him to make some more crunching tackles.
The backs of the 'Tahs have been simply mercurial this season, setting up and finishing tries from anywhere and everywhere on the park. However they suffer a big blow in the injury to fly half Berrick Barnes, who has played very well this season. Barnes' injury is not thought to be serious, however it is a long season and I understand the concern of the Waratahs' medical staff. He is replaced by Daniel Halangahu who is making his first start of the season for the franchise. Kurtley Beale and Drew Mitchell seem to have caught fire, scoring the majority of the Waratahs' tries between the two Wallaby standouts. Expect them to try and continue the trend against the Crusaders.
Player to watch: It simply cannot be anyone other than Sonny Bill Williams, who is returning from foot injury. The guy is an amazing rugby player, and I will be watching as closely as anyone for those deft offloads he seems to effortlessly produce.
Prediction: This is an impossibly difficult match to call. I bet against the Waratahs last week and got burned, but the Crusaders have so much going for them. In a very emotional match I have to pick the home side, who will be playing for more than a victory “ Crusaders 32, Waratahs 31
Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams,11 Adam Whitelock, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (C), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Chris Jack, 19 Jonathan Poff, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Tom Marshall.
Waratahs: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Tom Carter, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Ben Mowen, 7 Phil Waugh (C), 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Benn Robinson, 18 Sitaleki Timani, 19 Pat McCutcheon, 20 Brendan McKibbin, 21 Ryan Cross, 22 Afa Pakalani.
Venue: Trafalgar Park
Kick-off (GMT): 0635
Referee: Chris Pollock
Chiefs vs. Rebels
The Chiefs misfired several times last weekend, and will certainly be looking to right the ship against the upstart Rebels on their home turf. The Chiefs pack certainly needs to do more to give Stephen Donald and the backs a decent platform, and the majority of the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of All Black Isaac Ross, and teammate Liam Messam. The two big men will need to get around the park against a Rebels pack that will be looking to carry momentum from last week.
Veteran Tana Umaga was recalled to the starting line-up this week for the Chiefs, and hopefully he can fare better than week one, where he was completely outplayed by Brumbies youngster Robbie Coleman. The back three for the Chiefs are more dangerous than they have shown this season, with captain Mils Muliana and Sitiveni Sivivatu. The two of them should keep Danny Cipriani's hands full should he choose to kick long on Saturday.
The Rebels forwards showed that they can play in Super Rugby last week, giving the backs quick ball which they used to go over for a try. Look for Greg Somerville to cause havoc come scrum time against a weaker and less experienced prop in Ben May. Gareth Delve and Michael Lipman will have a big impact on the result of this fixture, and if they can get stuck in with their tackles, and secure quick ball then the Rebels will have a shot.
In the backs the team from Melbourne looked like they were coming together last week, and fans saw glimpses of the potential of this squad. All the talk was about Danny Cipriani and his last minute penalty, but I thought Nick Phipps' service was good as well. Julian Huxley, who made a great comeback last season, is poised to make a big impact on this match as he has been relatively quiet so far in 2011.
Player to watch: It would be very easy to jump on the Danny Cipriani bandwagon for the rest of the season, but I need to see a couple more solid performances from the young man. He is playing against one of, if not the best fullback in the world Mils Muliaina and I expect him to notch at least one try.
Prediction: The Chiefs didn't play well last weekend against the Highlanders, but I know they don't want to become the Rebels' second scalp in as many weeks “ Chiefs 28, Rebels 10
Teams:
Chiefs: 15 Mils Muliaina (C), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Dwayne Sweeney, 12 Tana Umaga, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Scott Waldrom, 5 Isaac Ross, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Nathan White, 2 Aled de Malmanche, 1 Ben May.
Replacements: 16 Sona Taumalolo, 17 Hika Elliot, 18 Romana Graham, 19 Steven Setephano, 20 Taniela Moa, 21 Mike Delany, 22 Tim Nanai-Williams.
Rebels: 15 Mark Gerrard, 14 Lachlan Mitchell, 13 Stirling Mortlock (C), 12 Julian Huxley, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Gareth Delve, 7 Michael Lipman, 6 Jarrod Saffy, 5 Kevin O'Neill, 4 Adam Byrnes, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Ged Robinson, 1 Nic Henderson.
Replacements: 16 Heath Tessmann, 17 Laurie Weeks, 18 Alister Campbell, 19 Tom Chamberlain, 20 Richard Kingi, 21 Afusipa Taumoepeau, 22 Peter Betham.
Venue: Hamilton
Kick-off (GMT): 0635
Referee: Vinny Munro
Brumbies vs. Reds
What an interesting matchup we have on our hands; the Brumbies, without head coach Andy Friend, playing the Reds who have been all out of sorts this season. The Brumbies' pack needs to show a little more grit and toughness this weekend if they hope to pull out a victory, last weekend they should have put a marker down but failed to do so. If they want to snatch a victory, look for Julian Salvi and Mark Chisholm to have big performances.
In the backs, the Brumbies must release the sensational Robbie Coleman as their strike runner, who is a dream pairing for Adam Ashley-Cooper in the midfield. I need to see more of Matt Giteau, in his final season in a Brumbies jumper, to be impressed. At this point in the season there are players more deserving of being selected to Robbie Deans' Wallaby squad.
The Reds' plight is well known. They simply can't retain the ball and go forwards at the same time, which leads to few points being scored. This all starts in the forwards where they need to be cracking the gain line with tight balls off the side of the ruck in order to give the backs some good 'go forward' ball. Loose runners Scott Higginbotham and Leroy Houston need to show some intensity, and Will Genia needs to get them going from the scrumhalf position.
The backline of the Reds was simply formidable last season, scoring tries from anywhere and everywhere. This year they have been completely the opposite “ disorganized, lazy and lacking any creativity whatsoever. Quade Cooper must step up and show some flair or else the poor result will continue. I have been very unimpressed with Digby Ioane so far, as well as Will Chambers. They need strike runners.
Player to watch: It all comes through Will Genia for the Reds. Although neither he nor Quade Cooper have produced any magic so far, I feel Genia is closer to a breakthrough. As long as he can get the forwards going and still keep good service to Cooper I expect Genia to shine.
Prediction: Tough to call given the form both teams have shown so far in 2011. I keep expecting the Reds to show me something, yet I remain disappointed. However with the turmoil that is going on in Canberra with the coaching situation I can't see the Reds dropping another game. Please don't disappoint me yet again “ Reds 21, Brumbies 15
Teams:
Brumbies: 15 Pat McCabe, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Robbie Coleman, 11 Francis Fainifo, 10 Matt Giteau (C) 9 Josh Valentine, 8 Ita Vaea, 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Colby Faingaa, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 Ben Hand, 3 Dan Palmer, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander.
Replacements: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Salesi Ma'afu, 18 Peter Kimlin, 19 Michael Hooper, 20 Patrick Phibbs, 21 Matt Toomua, 22 Christian Lealiifano.
Reds: 15 Ben Lucas, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Will Chambers, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (C), 8 Leroy Houston, 7 Beau Robinson, 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Van Humphries, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 James Slipper, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Ben Daley.
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Greg Holmes, 18 Adam Wallace-Harrison, 19 Ed Quirk, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Luke Morahan.
Venue: Canberra
Kick-off (GMT): 0840
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Western Force vs. Sharks
The Western Force are coming off their bye week, and it will be interesting to see what kind of game plan they have chosen to play the unbeaten Sharks. Up front will be an absolute warzone, with two very strong packs squaring up. David Pocock of course leads the Force in the forwards, and the young Wallaby will be looking to dominate some familiar faces across the pitch from him. Nathan Sharpe has been spectacular in the lineout so far this season for the Force, so expect to see him contesting a lot of Sharks ball.
We are lucky enough to see the matchup of two breakthrough stars “ James O'Connor and Patrick Lambie. The two did not play each other in the Tri-Nations last year, and although they are the same age they boast very different skill sets. O'Connor, ever the speedster, will certainly be looking to burn Lambie with his pace, and set up running lanes for Cameron Shepherd, who played well against the Reds.
The Sharks' forwards have been utterly dominant in Super Rugby this season, and their pack remains unchanged this weekend. It all starts in the front row; the 'Beast' and the Du Plessis twins have been very impressive in their two matches. Keegan Daniel and Ryan Kankowski have been very good around the fringes and in the rucks, and Willem Alberts will need to neutralize Pocock.
The backs for the Sharks have played well, but not spectacularly this season, with the exception of superstar Patrick Lambie. O'Connor has pace, but Lambie has the tactical advantage, and with an altogether stronger team around him he holds the advantage going into Saturday. JP Pietersen replaces Lwazi Mvovo in the starting line-up in the only change from last week.
Player to watch: The matchup between James O'Connor and Patrick Lambie is too tantalizing to pass up. The two will hopefully outduel each other in what promises to be 80 minutes of great rugby. At this point in the season Lambie has been the more impressive, but he has also played one more game than O'Connor, so really who knows?
Prediction: Although the fly halves are similarly matched, the same cannot be said for the rest of their squads. The Sharks have more experience and more skill, and I expect them to keep their unbeaten streak alive “ Sharks 31, Western Force 20
Teams:
Western Force: 15 Cameron Shepherd, 14 Nick Cummins, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 Gene Fairbanks, 11 David Smith, 10 James O'Connor, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Matt Hodgson, 5 Nathan Sharpe (C), 4 Ben McCalman, 3 Tim Fairbrother, 2 Ben Whittaker, 1 Pek Cowan.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Charles, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Sam Wykes, 19 Tevita Metuisela, 20 James Stannard, 21 Alfie Mafi, 22 Rory Sidey.
The Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche (C), 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements:16 Craig Burden, 17 John Smit, 18 Anton Bresler, 19 Jacques Botes, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.
Venue: Perth
Kick-off (GMT): 1105
Referee: Keith Brown
Stormers vs. Cheetahs
The Stormers come into week three's matchup already carrying injury baggage. They have only played one match so far this season, a last minute win against the Lions last week, but have suffered some key personnel blows. Captain Schalk Burger and Jaque Fourie are two key names not on the line-up to face the Cheetahs. Thankfully for them, they have Pieter Louw and Juan de Jongh to step in, hardly a downgrade. They will certainly want to improve on last week's performance, and a large part of that will fall on the shoulders of both Francois and Pieter Louw “ two loose forwards that act as punishing ball carriers.
The backs always look good on paper, but misfired last weekend. Peter Grant gets the nod at fly half this week, a move which head coach Allister Coetzee will hope revitalizes the dangerous backline. Jean de Villiers and De Jongh make up a strong midfield, one which Bryan Habana will look to support from depth. Habana must have a strong showing this season to earn a place in an already crowded Springbok back three.
The Cheetahs will be reeling from last week's 23-25 loss to the Bulls, which by all accounts they should have won. Ashley Johnson, who had a strong performance last weekend, gains a place in the starting squad at #8, while international flanker Heinrich Brussow must wait to make his return to the Cheetah's line up.
The team from Bloemfontein should count on Andries Strauss to break the gain-line a few times against the Stormers, as he attacked the Bulls backs last week with force. Naas Oliver must distribute quickly so the back three can get outside the Stormers' strong midfield defence.
Player to watch: Although it's tempting to select Ashley Johnson, who was awarded man of the match last week, I believe Juan de Jongh will have a huge impact on the match. He was on the bench last weekend in favour of Jaque Fourie, but with Fourie out I expect de Jongh to take his chances.
Prediction: I have to go with the upset on this one. The Cheetahs looked extremely dangerous last week against a strong Bulls team, while the Stormers looked shaky at best. Injuries cost the Stormers the game “ Cheetahs 24, Stormers 20
Teams:
Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes 14 Danie Poolman, 13 Juan De Jongh, 12 Jean De Villiers (C), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Duane Vermuelen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Pieter Louw, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 CJ van der Linde.
Replacements: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Nick Koster, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Gary Van Aswegen, 22 Paul Bosch.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Philip Snyman, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Naas Olivier (C), 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Francois Uys, 6 Kabamba Floors, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Waltie Vermeulen, 3 WP Nel, 2 Rayno Barnes, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Skipper Badenhorst, 17 Kobus Calldo, 18 Martin Muller, 19 Philip van der Walt, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Riaan Viljoen.
Venue: Newlands
Kick-off (GMT): 1505
Referee: Pro Legoete
Bulls vs. Highlanders
The Bulls play their first home match this season against a very determined Highlanders squad. The team from Johannesburg have changed one for their encounter, with lock Bakkies Botha sitting the game out because of an injury, seeing very capable Danie Rossouw join the starting squad for the first time this season. He will partner with the ever dominant Victor Matfield in the second row. Pierre Spies, who has been quiet at times this season, looks poised to have a big game against the Highlanders.
Fourie Du Preez broke the hearts of Cheetahs fans last weekend with a last minute try, which reminds you of the skill and determination the scrumhalf has. He will resume the Springbok partnership with Morne Steyn, who has played well but not unbelievably in 2011. The rest of the Bulls' backline remains unchanged.
The Highlanders have been on great form so far this season, and a large part of that is the play of their back row “ Adam Thomson, Alndo Soakai and Nasi Manu. They will meet their toughest matchup of the season in the Bulls, but I don't expect their form to drop off.
Jimmy Cowan has been an absolute revelation so far for the Highlanders in 2011, making breaks and giving unbelievable ball service to Lima Sopoaga. However, the partnership has been broken due to Sopoaga's injury, which sees Robbie Robinson included in the squad at #10. Kade Poki has also been playing noticeably well, but will see his toughest test this season in the form of Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever and Bjorn Basson.
Player to watch: Last week he showed why he might be the best scrumhalf in the world, and I don't expect him to drop off at all this week. Jimmy Cowan will probably be the All Blacks scrumhalf come October, but expect Fourie Du Preez to match him step for step.
Prediction: This game is very difficult to predict given that both teams are unbeaten so far. However it would be unreasonable to bet against history in this case, and that's why I'm taking the Bulls “ Cheetahs 18, Bulls 30
Teams:
Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Siale Piutau, 13 Kendrick Lynn, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Kade Poki, 10 Robbie Robinson, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Nasi Manu, 7 Alndo Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Josh Bekhuis, 4 Jarrod Hoeata, 3 Chris King, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh (C)
Replacements: 16 Brayden Mitchell, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Tom Donnelly, 19 John Hardie, 20 Aaron Smith, 21 Tony Brown, 22 Telusa Veainu,
Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretoruis, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (C), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Derick Kuun, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Juandre Kruger, 20 Ruan Snyman, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Stephan Dippenaar.
Venue: Loftus Versfeld
Kick-off (GMT): 1710
Referee: Stuart Dickinson
