Super Rugby Wrap Up - Week Four

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Super Rugby Wrap Up. We are now four weeks in to the 2011 season, and there have been many surprises, upsets and standouts. Keep reading, and as always voice your opinions in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

Three Things I Liked:

1. The Crusaders “ For the second week in a row, the men from Christchurch have shown that they are top class. They took care of the previously unbeaten Wartahs last week, and absolutely manhandled a decent Brumbies side this week. The midfield pairing of Robbie Freuan and Sonny Bill Williams looks to be pure magic in 2011, and I would be very surprised if both men didn't get included in Graham Henry's long list for the World Cup. All things being equal, Freuan has out preformed both Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith so far this season and not to see him get a shot at test rugby would be a shame.

1. Patrick Lambie “ You may be tired of seeing his name in this column, but without him the Sharks wouldn't have a hope of keeping their unbeaten record in 2011. It was great to see the Western Force give the Sharks a close match, only falling after leading at half time. However even when his team was 25-13 down in the second half, Lambie kept his composure and slotted two crucial conversions on Ryan Kankowski's and Meyer Bosman's late tries. If Lambie had missed but one conversion the Sharks would have either tied or lost the match.

1. The end of the Lions' 17 game losing streak “ Finally! I can't imagine the feelings of joy and relief the Lions felt when they beat the Cheetahs 25-20 this past weekend. Key players came through for the Lions late in the match, with Elton Jantjies kicking two late penalties to snatch the win. It was an exciting match with the lead changing hands five different times, and the result was never certain until the final whistle. Well done.

Three Things I Didn't Like:

1. Sharks vs. Crusaders in London “ I know some of you will disagree with me on this one, but moving this top flight encounter to Twickenham is a terrible idea. Firstly, with  the match scheduled to take place in the unplayable AMI Stadium there are several more logical and practical alternatives than Twickenham, such as Nelson's Trafalgar Park. Secondly, fans of the Crusaders franchise will rue the opportunity to see what could be one of the deciding matches of the season, as both teams look like they could snatch the Super Rugby crown this season. There are however a couple positive outcomes of this situation “ the Crusaders should be able to clean up financially after the Christchurch earthquake, and it will give some Southern Hemisphere expats a chance to catch superior rugby than what is being played up north.

1. Western Force vs. Blues “ The match was fairly riveting, with Stephen Brett kicking a last minute penalty to get a draw. But a draw? Seriously? I find the result of a draw after 80 minutes of intense physical confrontation extremely unsatisfying, and I'm sure that my feelings are shared by fans of both franchises. If the match had gone to a period of sudden death overtime would James O'Connor been able to lead the Force to their first win after playing so well all match, or would the Blues been able to complete the improbable comeback like they did in week one? We shall never know, sadly.

1. The Brumbies in 2011 “ So I suppose firing Andy Friend didn't solve the problem then, did it? Since giving their head coach the boot after week two, the Brumbies have lost two straight, firstly against the struggling Reds and then getting a pounding courtesy of the Crusaders. With a bye week in week five, the Brumbies need it more than any team in Super Rugby. They have the tools to succeed, but leaders such as Matt Giteau,  and Adam Ashley-Cooper need to step up and show they know what they're doing, because so far they don't.

Hero of the Week: Patrick Lambie, Fly-half, Sharks

It was a toss-up between Lambie and Stephen Brett for this award, but I figured that Lambie got his team the win, whereas Brett only secured a draw. You could argue that the Sharks are a better team than the Blues, but both have shown some brilliance, with the Sharks only being more consistent. Watch your back Morne.

Villain of the Week: James Kamana, Fullback, Lions

The lone dark spot in the Lions' victory this past weekend was Kamana's yellow card and subsequent suspension. He received three weeks for a tip tackle on Cheetahs' centre Robert Ebersohn in the 60^th minute of their encounter. Hopefully the Lions can fill the gap and continue notching victories.

Best of the Rest:

• Condolences to Ali Williams, who received news that he will be out for a month after injuring his hamstring this past weekend against the Western Force. Williams' injury troubles have been well documented after missing the past two seasons with Achilles injuries.

• Do you think even a match as enticing as Sharks vs. Crusaders will be enough to come close to selling out Twickenham? The lower deck? We shall wait and see.

• The Crusaders are still missing a notable name from their line-up in Richie McCaw. I think Matt Todd has provided a more than suitable replacement, and looks like a long-term solution once McCaw has hung up his boots, or seeks greener pastures up North.

• Three times received bye weeks this weekend. A little bit unnecessary, don't you think?

• There are a few great matchups in week five, here's what I'm looking forward to: Highlanders vs. Crusaders; Bulls vs. Stormers; Chiefs vs. Sharks.

• Moving to the Six Nations “ great to see Italy beat France. What an upset. I hope the Azzuri can keep the momentum going into the World Cup, could they be this year's Argentina?

• Scotland have looked the worst team so far in this competition. I don't think they can beat the Italians, but never say never.

• England vs. Ireland for the Grand Slam, at Landsdowne Road. A historic venue for a historic clash. You can bet the Irish fans will be out in full force to hopefully (for them) watch their team play spoiler to what has been a dream tournament for Martin Johnson's squad.

Thank you for reading, and expect the Week Five preview up later this week.

GT