Super Rugby Wrap Up Week Six
Three Things I Liked
1. Sharks vs. Crusaders in London “ You couldn't have asked for a more superb showcase of southern hemisphere rugby than you got on Sunday at Twickenham. From start to finish the match was exciting, skilled and fast-paced with both teams exhibiting a free flowing style of play. The Crusaders came out on top, with Sonny Bill Williams and Daniel Carter providing a glimpse of what must be a budding All Blacks partnership for the World Cup. Jacques Louis-Potgieter played well for the Sharks, but I remain convinced that Patrick Lambie could have made the match significantly more even. Nevertheless, it was a great day for the Crusaders and Super Rugby in general.
2. The Rebels Winning Their Second “ I have a strange affinity for the team from Melbourne due to the challenge that they faced joining this competition. I can't imagine a more competitive atmosphere to be thrown into during your first season: talent in the South is the highest it has been for some time now and add to that it's a World Cup year and you have a recipe for disaster for an expansion squad. However the Rebels have done better than I think most expected, winning two out of six against pretty decent competition. Neither the Brumbies nor the Hurricanes are top of the table, however they both are brimming with talent and it's great to see the Rebels playing well, especially showing the heart to come back from seventeen points down against the 'Canes.
3. The Stormers Remain Unbeaten Through Round Six “ If you had asked me at the beginning of the season who I thought would have gone undefeated so far there would have been several teams I would have placed above the Stormers “ Crusaders, Sharks, Bulls and maybe even the Reds. However the Stormers have shown they are the real deal in 2011, not dropping a fixture yet. They dismantled the Western Force in Week Six, with Jaque and Deon Fourie notching two tries each. Questions at fly half have certainly been answered, and Peter Grant has been playing exceptionally well so far, providing a great platform for his strong outside backs to get some space and score some points. They have a tough test in Week Seven in the Sharks, but I could see the Stormers pulling through (maybe).
Three Things I Didn't Like:
1. Everything About the Hurricanes “ What a mess. After playing very well through the first twenty minutes, the Hurricanes seemed to shut down mentally and physically against the Rebels. For a team that has now only won one from five so far this season, they can't afford not to play the entire 80 minutes, even against the Rebels. I don't know quite what's wrong in Camp 'Canes, but the leaders in Wellington need to find a spark, and they need to find it quickly. Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith have looked all out of sorts so far, and they really need Andrew Hore, Victor Vito, and Cory Jane to step up and start producing. They play a struggling Bulls side in Week Seven, but I don't see them pulling this one out.
2. Twickenham Attendance “ There were pre-match whispers that the Crusaders vs. Sharks match in London could break the attendance record of 54,000 this weekend, however attendance was somewhat disappointing. Granted, organizers only had two weeks to promote the event, but I think that word was widespread enough for expats to make their way into the centre of Britain to watch the match. Only 35,094 fans showed up, which filled up the lower bowl (of three) with a few spilling into the second. When watching the game the stadium looks eerily deserted, and the atmosphere definitely would have been enhanced with several thousand more attending.
3. The Brumbies Struggles “ Several weeks ago I blasted Brumbies management for the firing of their head coach Andy Friend after only two weeks in 2011, and I maintain my stance a month later. The Brumbies remain out of sorts, and are in a free fall down the leaderboard at the moment. I think Matt Giteau has actually played decently well this season, his running lines at 10 are a lot straighter which is giving his backs some space, but they haven't really produced anything of note so far. I thought Robbie Coleman was one of the lone bright spots for the Brumbies this season, but he was benched this past week against the Waratahs. The Brumbies play a struggling Highlanders side this week, and I hope for their sake that they can muster up some strength to pull out a victory.
Hero of the Week: Daniel Carter, Fly Half, Crusaders
This was a very difficult decision for me “ there were several players who I thought had outstanding matches this week; however the importance of Carter's performance is what tipped the scale in his favour. In a very important match he performed exceptionally well, was consistent, and ran great lines on route to a 22 point performance against the Sharks.
Villain of the Week: No One!
I really didn't feel that anyone performed notably poorly or cynically this week, and it would be unfair to put someone in here just because it's a category. You may disagree.
Best of the Rest
- The Reds are on fire! They continue to impress after a poor start, and it's refreshing to see that Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Digy Ioane are playing well. All is right again in the universe.
- You could almost hear the groans from the stands in Melbourne when the Rebels went 17-0 down, however what a show they put on for the hometown fans. I thought Nick Phipps played very well this weekend.
- Tough loss for the Chiefs against the Blues. Bad conditions make for bad games, but someone has to win and someone has to lose, and unfortunately for the Chiefs it was them who lost. Luke McAlister played well and won the game for the Blues in a tight finish.
- Kurtley Beale will be moving to fly half this week after Berrick Barnes sustained his second concussion of the season after just six weeks. I think Beale is far better at fullback, however I understand the move considering the options of the Waratahs. I hope Barnes recovers quickly as he will be central to Wallabies World Cup plans this year.
- Schalk Burger is back from injury for the Stormers, which will see Pieter Louw return to the bench. I think he has played very well when he's needed to, and on most other teams he would start.
- Speaking of reserves playing well, Matt Todd is stringing together some fine performances in the #7 jersey for the Crusaders in 2011. With Richie McCaw out he has really shown what he can do, and must be earning the attention of All Blacks selectors, even if he is only included after RWC.
- Peter de Villiers said that he wants Frans Steyn to come back to South Africa to play for the Lions before the end of the season. First of all, good luck getting him out of his Racing Metro contract. Secondly, you have already said that overseas-based players can play in the World Cup, so why bring him back? The Lions aren't exactly playing top flight rugby at the moment.
That's all for this week. Watch the Stormers and the Sharks go at it this weekend, I promise you won't be disappointed.
GT
