Super 14: Round 1

[Steve]

Fixtures: Round 1


Blues v Hurricanes
12 Feb 19:35


Force v Brumbies
12 Feb 19:05


Cheetahs v Bulls
12 Feb 19:10


Crusaders v Highlanders
13 Feb 19:35


Reds v Waratahs
13 Feb 18:40


Lions v Stormers
13 Feb 17:05


Sharks v Chiefs
13 Feb 19:10


http://www.thechiefbaboon.com/forums/images/buttons/small/more_fixtures.gif (http://www.thechiefbaboon.com/forums/fixtures.asp) http://www.thechiefbaboon.com/forums/images/buttons/small/make_picks.gif (http://www.thechiefbaboon.com/forums/make_picks_round.asp?r=1)

[biffon]

Biffs expert tips:

Blues v Hurricanes
Blues despite having McCallister back will struggle with a weak Pack and questionable cohesiveness in the back line, Ali Williams' loss is a big one! Despite having some of the meanest strike weapons in the competition they have never been able to gel enough as a team to be consistent enough in defense.. often leaking tries like a collander..
The Hurricanes have managed to keep most of their best players fit in the off season and will come out firing.. i cant call this any other way even with home ground advantage.

Verdict: Hurricanes by 10



Force v Brumbies
The new local Grudge match of the year, no thanks to Matt Giteau..
Well tough to call this one without getting all fired up but, in terms of what I see on paper, even without Giteau the Brumbies look the goods. I understand Rocky Elsom is also in Doubt so if he's out, the tide might turn back to the Force as our Back Three, Hodgson, Pocock and Brown are the most mobile in the competition and will make life difficult for the Brumbies at the breakdown. The Force have 8 Debutants in their Match 22 but at least 7 of them have all played Super14 for other franchises so

Verdict: Force by 1 if Elsom is out.. otherwise Brumbies by 5.



Cheetahs v Bulls
The Bulls without Habana, could be more interesting than recent punters comments have been making of this..
These two teams contested the Currie Cup final and aside from the Sharks winning the Currie Cup in 2008, these two teams have held - even shared - the Currie Cup title over past few years and there is lots of history between the teams. For some reason the Cheetahs just cant seem to make that step up to Super14. Tempted to predict a boil-over on this one but i have to say the Bulls having won the last 17 games they've played will still be too strong.

Verdict: Bulls by 13


Crusaders v Highlanders
The Highlanders surprised a few people last year by producing some barnstorming come from behind wins against much more fancied teams however this is the Crusaders they are playing and Even though McCaw is out for four weeks they have their Talisman back.. Welcome back to the Super14 mr Dan "the man" Carter, unarguably the best flyhalf this side of the Milky way.

Verdict: Crusaders with a Run-away win, 15 points


Reds v Waratahs
OOOOhh brutal, thats what ill call this one.. there is NO love lost between these two teams even less so now that Arguably the Reds best player has defected to the Powderpuff Blue Tahs. Barnes you naughty boy!

The Reds might have a new coach, a new game plan but there are just too many Wallabies - past and present - in the Waratahs to expect the Reds to win this one. Even if you factor in the home advantage the Waratahs should be too strong. It will also be fun to see what Sosene Anesi does at the back of the Waratahs.

I think the Packs will play a major role. After the Reds pack were ground into the Turf in Perth last weekend, I do think they will be in store for a world of Pain.

Verdict: Tahs by 8


Lions v Stormers
Two Big signings in the off-season for my Favorite under-achievers the Stormers may give them the consistency they needed all along. Habana and Fourie will Provide ASC, Awesome Strike Capability.. along with rugged defence, as they showed in both their pre-season games they are out to razzle dazzle their opposition, expect high scoring games all year with these boys, My tip for the Finals.. So with that being said, lets look at the Lions... ok.. um... yeah.. sorry dont got nothin on them..

Oh thats right King Carlos Spencer is back for the Lions, he could be interesting but one man don't maketh a team. I think they'll be fighting for the wooden spoon again this year.

Verdict: Stormers by 20



Sharks v Chiefs
The Sharks cage has well and truly been rattled this year, Hernandes is out -1 flyhalf.. Steve Meyer.. his replacement has just announced his retirement from Rugby with immediate effect.. -2 flyhalves gone without a shot being fired!

Even so looking at their 1st string side there are still some awesome players there.. BUT you need to look at their opposition as well.. The Chiefs blown away in the Finals last year, will be out for redemption and who better to start with than the Injured Sharks. My Heart says Sharks but my Head says Chiefs.. this will be a close one, brutal and will define both sides for the season i think..

Verdict: Chiefs by 3


so there you go, a relatively unbiased break down of the first weeks matches...
enjoy!:smiley20:

[boards]

could you do this a week in advance so i have something to go with on my picks???

currently brown dog is picking names not performance.... so lets see how this foolish approach works

[biffon]

Well So far I have the First game pretty much spot on.. 3score wise at least .. for a change the blues leaked Penalties instead of tries - the Canes put on 22 unanswered points in the second half...thats a crime!

The second game i called Force by 1 if Elsom was out but did not count on losing our last remaining fly-half in Batholemuezse and Cameron Sheperd just before the game.. their loss was telling and we wouldve won if they were playing... no doubt in my mind.. The Brumbies with all the Wallabies stocks on the field just did not impress me at all.. the Force Back row were ALL OVER the Brumbies and kept the Force in the game all night!! very brave performance but a loss is a loss... Sheperd is apparently out for the season :( another cruel blow for my boys! :(

[zimboykie]

Biffs expert tips:

Verdict: Bulls by 13



Very close!



Lights out for Cheetahs in Bloem
by Brenden Nel | 12 February 2010 (21:10)
http://images.supersport.com.edgesuite.net/general/OlivierWynand100212GBg.jpg Wynand Olivier © Gallo Images
The Vodacom Bulls made the perfect start to their defence of their Vodacom Super 14 title on Friday night, scoring six tries in a drama-filled extravaganza to down arch-rivals, the Vodacom Cheetahs 51-34 in Bloemfontein. http://www.supersport.co.za/common/articles/gr_article_string_left.jpg
http://www.supersport.co.za/common/articles/gr_article_string_right.jpg
- Join our Super 14 Fantasy League with fantastic prizes up for grabs (http://dreamteams.supersport.com/s14/restricted/Dashboard.j)
- Buy rugby merchandise (http://www.supersport.com/shop.aspx?id=25)
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Blow-by-blow scoring (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:void%280%29)
The game had to be completed in semi-darkness after a power failure in Bloemfontein, but the lights were far from out with a nine-try festival which had just about every bit of drama that a scriptwriter could think of.
If anyone needed a better advertisement for the new interpretation of the laws and an open game, then this is about as close as you can come. Nine tries on the night tells a story of an epic of a match, which also saw two tries “saved” by last-ditch tackles and an old-fashioned penalty try from a powerhouse scrum.
On a balmy evening which cooled a bit from the mid-thirties the temperature had reached late afternoon, the Bulls were red-hot as they showed they can adapt to the new laws. If first impressions are anything to go by, the other contenders will have a tough time wrestling the title from the Pretoria side this year.
Yet the Cheetahs were not disgraced in defeat, and showed they can also play a high-pace match, scoring some magnificent tries of their own as they matched the Bulls for passion throughout the game.
The Bulls -- and Springbok loosehead Gurthrö Steenkamp in particular -- will feel chuffed with the way they demolished the much-vaunted Cheetahs scrum, a factor which certainly titled the game in the visitors’ favour. Cheetahs prop WP Nel left the field early with his reputation in tatters, and things didn’t go better for any of his fellow props on the night.
Afterwards Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske was scathing in his assessment of his side, even though they put up a good fight.
“We didn’t tackle well tonight,” Drotske said afterwards, “Its unacceptable. We also let a few soft tries in and the guys slip the defensive line too easily. We will have to go back and work harder. Our one-on-one defence wasn’t good enough for three of the Bulls tries.”
Bulls captain Victor Matfield was humble in defeat, praising the Cheetahs for their efforts.
“Look, give the Cheetahs credit, they had a go at us tonight and they are a very good side who shouldn’t be written off easily. For us the bonus point away from home with the victory is unbelievable valuable,” Matfield said.
Yet not even the perfect start -- when Lionel Mapoe burst through two defenders to score from the kickoff, would be enough to rattle the defending champions.
The try, which came as the ball was knocked out of Fourie du Preez’s hand from the kickoff for a turnover, gave the home crowd some hope, yet the Bulls were far superior in their finishing and deserved the massive scoreline in the end.
Springbok flyhalf Morné Steyn signalled his purple patch is far from ending with a 24-point performance that was the rock in the Bulls foundation. Five conversions, three penalties and a try show that Steyn is certainly a factor that other teams will have to negate if they are to beat the champions.
Jaco Pretorius hit for the Bulls' first try from pace in the backline, finally crossing the chalk that eluded him for much of last season, and the Bulls spirits were lifted again when Deon Stegmann made an exceptional try-saving tackle to stop a rampant Jonghi Nokwe, who had just stepped three players on his way to the line.
Naas Olivier kept the Cheetahs close with his boot as the inevitable penalties came, but with the Bulls on attack, the eventual break came as Steyn danced his way through the defence and then added a penalty to give the Bulls a 23-14 half-time lead.
The Bulls hit twice early in the second half, as first Wynand Olivier drew three defenders to send winger Gerhard van den Heever sprinting on the sideline to score, and then a deft grubber ahead by Danie Rossouw sent Zane Kirchner ahead to dribble his way to the line.
The match looked just about over, especially with the bonus point already claimed by the Bulls, but the Cheetahs showed heart to hit back with two tries in four minutes of their own.
First Juan Smith crashed over after a quick free kick and then Jonghi Nokwe completed a try that started deep in their own 22 and will go down as one of the tries of the season later this year.
At 37-31 with the crowd on the edge of their seats, Eskom’s entry into the game was a harsh anticlimax, as the entire city went dark just as Pierre Spies looked to be bounding for the line.
Referee Jonathan Kaplan had no option but to stop the match, which the stadium announcer announced was due to a power surge on their main grid and the players were forced to sit around for almost 10 minutes as the reserve generators kicked in.
But when it started again, the Bulls settled the match as they demolished the Cheetahs scrum, claiming the penalty with Fourie du Preez darting for the line. Stopped short, the recycled ball sent Olivier over for the fifth try.
Danwell Demas made an excellent try-saving tackle to stop Van den Heever to mirror Stegmann’s effort earlier, but the Bulls completed the victory with a celebratory penalty try after they demolished the Cheetahs scrum once again on their tryline, leaving Kaplan no choice.
The Bulls leave with five valuable away points and the Cheetahs get none for a sterling effort, but every single person who witnessed the spectacle will rest easy knowing that whatever the laws, South African rugby can certainly still excite, sparkle and entertain.

[boards]

dammit i dont have access to superbru for the moment here... who's leading?

[licorice]

Boards, JoeMac is leading.

[zimboykie]

Sharks/Chiefs game on now at http://www.justin.tv/maganasan#r=U9Imks8

Sharks 9 - Chiefs 6 after 55 mins

[zimboykie]

Sharks 12 - Chiefs 6 on 58 mins

[zimboykie]

Sharks 15 - Chiefs 6 after 63 mins

[zimboykie]

Sharks 15 - Chiefs 9 after 65 mins

[licorice]

Come on Sharks dont loose it now

[zimboykie]

Sharks 15 - Chiefs 14 after 77 mins

[zimboykie]

Sharks 15 - Chiefs 16 after 78 mins

[licorice]

Sharks 15 - Chiefs 14 after 77 mins


NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[zimboykie]

Sharks 18 - Chiefs 16 after 79 mins

Phew!!!

[zimboykie]

Sharks 18 - Chiefs 19 after 80 mins

Sh1t!!!!!

[licorice]

Well thats just awful. I think I should resign from the pool, I cant pick any team!

[biffon]

5 from 6 aint bad..( the one i missed was kinda forgivable seeing as they were my team(bias) and they suffered some terrible blows before the game) only problem for me was getting the other games point differences spot on... otherwise i think i have a good feel of how things will pan out next week too...


will do another "biff's expert tips" thread on wednesday

[barto11]

**** **** ****ing chiefs...cost me my GSP...2 league points....**** **** ****

[boards]

whahahahahhhhaahhahaha go chiefs!! had buckets... oops i mean AS keep me updated right up to the last minute!

dirkus pipped me dammit! boards at 2, barto at 3 and NYALA at 4!! good work babe!

[Angelshark]

I am a Superbru ma bru. Sharks are lower than shark shit. They really let me down. Played with 14 men twice in the game, tits.