The draw for the Super 14 for 2010 has been made.
Well the long and short of it is that the Bulls and Stormers have a dream draw, while the Lions and Sharks have a draw from hell. The Cheetahs fall somewhere in the middle and taking everything into consideration, the Bulls have a damn good chance to defend their title if we go on the draw alone!
The Bulls, Stormers and Cheetahs seemed to get the longest end of the stick this time around with all three teams spending their first 6 or 7 weeks on SA soil while they take on arguably the strongest franchises the Super 14 has to offer.
Both the Lions and Sharks have a tour from hell where they will spend 5 weeks in Australasia crossing the ditch twice during their stay.
To make matters worse for these two teams they play 3 of last year’s 4 semi-finalist away from home.
The opening week sees a host of derbies but I will only concentrate on the South African franchises.
The defending champions Bulls travel to Bloem for their opening fixture on February 12 while the Lions and Stormers lock horns in Johannesburg.
Both the Stormers and Bulls will spend their opening 6 weeks on SA soil with the Stormers probably getting the slightly more favourable draw having their bye on the weekend between their last game in South Africa and their tour following the bye in Australia against the Western Force.
The Cheetahs have it even better than these two teams where they will spend their opening 7 weeks in SA before they travel over to Australasia for a 4 week tour.
Where the Cheetahs have it slightly better again than the Stormers and the Bulls is they end of their last 3 weeks in Bloemfontein where the Stormers and Bulls will have an away match derby in their final three weeks following their tour.
But it is the Lions and Sharks that are in for a tough time. They both travel away in week two already of the competition where their opponents on tour will be the Crusaders, Waratahs, Brumbies, Hurricanes and Highlanders with both teams, as mentioned, having to cross the ditch twice (start in Aus, move to NZ and then back to Aus) in 5 weeks.
The competition starts on February 12 and round 14 will be completed when the Bulls and Stormers lock horns in Cape Town on May 15. The semi’s and finals will follow in the two weeks following Round 14.
Super 14 draw 2010:
Week 1:
Friday, February 12:
Blues v Hurricanes (Auckland – 19.35, 07.35)
Western Force v Brumbies (Perth – 19.05, 11.05)
Cheetahs v Bulls (Bloemfontein – 19.10, 17.10)
Saturday, February 13:
Crusaders v Highlanders (Christchurch – 19.35, 06.35)
Reds v Waratahs (Brisbane – 18.40, 08.40)
Lions v Stormers (Johannesburg – 17.05, 15.05)
Sharks v Chiefs (Durban – 19.10, 17.10)
Week 2:
Friday, February 19:
Highlanders v Blues (Dunedin – 19.35, 06.35)
Reds v Crusaders (Brisbane – 19.45, 09.45)
Sharks v Cheetahs (Durban, 18.00, 16.00)
Lions v Chiefs (Johannesburg – 20.00, 18.00)
Saturday, February 20:
Hurricanes v Western Force (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Bulls v Brumbies (Pretoria – 17.05, 15.05)
Stormers v Waratahs (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)
Week 3:
Friday, February 26:
Crusaders v Sharks (Christchurch – 19.35, 06.35)
Stormers v Brumbies (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)
Saturday, February 27:
Hurricanes v Lions (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Reds v Blues (Brisbane – 18.40, 08.40)
Western Force v Chiefs (Perth – 19.05, 11.05)
Cheetahs v Highlanders (Bloemfontein – 17.05, 15.05)
Bulls v Waratahs (Pretoria – 19.10, 17.10)
Week 4:
Friday, March 5:
Chiefs v Reds (Hamilton – 19.35, 06.35)
Brumbies v Lions (Canberra – 19.40, 08.40)
Saturday, March 6:
Crusaders v Blues (Christchurch – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Sharks (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)
Stormers v Highlanders (Cape Town – 17.05, 15.05)
Cheetahs v Hurricanes (Bloemfontein – 19.10, 17.10)
Bye: Bulls & Western Force
Week 5:
Friday, March 12:
Chiefs v Crusaders (Hamilton – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Lions (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)
Saturday, March 13:
Brumbies v Sharks (Canberra – 19.40, 08.40)
Bulls v Highlanders (Pretoria – 17.05, 15.05)
Stormers v Hurricanes (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)
Sunday, March 14:
Reds v Western Force (Brisbane – 16.30, 06.30)
Bye: Cheetahs & Blues
Week 6:
Friday, March 19:
Blues v Brumbies (Auckland – 19.35, 06.35)
Bulls v Hurricanes (Pretoria – 19.10, 17.10)
Saturday, March 20:
Crusaders v Lions (Christchurch – 17.30, 04.30)
Highlanders v Sharks (Dunedin – 19.35, 06.35)
Western Force v Waratahs (Perth – 19.10, 11.10)
Stormers v Cheetahs (Cape Town – 17.05, 15.05)
Bye: Reds & Chiefs
Week 7:
Friday, March 26:
Highlanders v Lions (Dunedin – 19.35, 06.35)
Brumbies v Chiefs (Canberra – 19.40, 08.40)
Cheetahs v Reds (Bloemfontein – 19.10, 17.10)
Saturday, March 27:
Hurricanes v Sharks (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Blues (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)
Western Force v Bulls (Perth – 19.10, 11.10)
Bye: Stormers & Crusaders
Week 8:
Friday, April 2:
Hurricanes v Crusaders (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Western Force v Stormers (Perth – 18.05, 10.05)
Saturday, April 3:
Blues v Bulls (Auckland – 17.30, 04.30)
Chiefs v Highlanders (Mt Maunganui – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Cheetahs (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)
Sharks v Reds (Durban – 17.05, 15.05)
Bye: Brumbies & Lions
Week 9:
Friday, April 9:
Chiefs v Bulls (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)
Saturday, April 10:
Highlanders v Western Force (Queenstown – 14.30, 02.30)
Blues v Stormers (Auckland – 17.30, 05.30)
Crusaders v Waratahs (Christchurch – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Cheetahs (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)
Lions v Reds (Johannesburg – 19.10, 17.10)
Bye: Sharks & Hurricanes
Week 10:
Friday, April 16:
Chiefs v Stormers (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Hurricanes (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)
Saturday, April 17:
Blues v Western Force (Auckland – 17.30, 05.30)
Crusaders v Cheetahs (Christchurch – 19.35, 07.35)
Reds v Bulls (Brisbane – 19.40, 11.40)
Lions v Sharks (Johannesburg – 17.05, 15.05)
Bye: Waratahs & Highlanders
Week 11:
Friday, April 23:
Chiefs v Cheetahs (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)
Reds v Stormers (Brisbane – 19.40, 09.40)
Western Force v Crusaders (Perth – 19.45, 11.45)
Saturday, April 24:
Highlanders v Hurricanes (Dunedin – 19.35, 07.35)
Waratahs v Brumbies (Sydney – 19.40, 09.40)
Bulls v Lions (Pretoria – 15.00, 13.00)
Sharks v Blues (Durban – 17.05, 15.05)
Week 12:
Friday, April 30:
Highlanders v Waratahs (Invercargill – 19.35, 07.35)
Stormers v Crusaders (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)
Saturday, May 1:
Hurricanes v Chiefs (Wellington – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Reds (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)
Cheetahs v Blues (Bloemfontein – 15.00, 13.00)
Lions v Western Force (Johannesburg – 17.05, 15.05)
Bulls v Sharks (Pretoria – 19.10, 17.10)
Week 13:
Friday, May 7:
Hurricanes v Reds (Wellington – 19.35, 07.35)
Lions v Blues (Johannesburg – 19.10, 17.10)
Saturday, May 8:
Chiefs v Waratahs (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Highlanders (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)
Bulls v Crusaders (Pretoria – 15.00, 13.00)
Cheetahs v Western Force (Bloemfontein – 17.05, 15.05)
Sharks v Stormers (Durban – 19.10, 17.10)
Week 14:
Friday, May 14:
Blues v Chiefs (Auckland – 19.35, 07.35)
Waratahs v Hurricanes (Sydney – 19.40, 09.40)
Sharks v Western Force (Durban – 19.10, 17.10)
Saturday, May 15:
Crusaders v Brumbies (Christchurch – 19.35, 07.35)
Reds v Highlanders (Brisbane – 19.40, 09.40)
Cheetahs v Lions (Kimberley – 15.00, 13.00)
Stormers v Bulls (Cape Town – 17.05, 15.05)
Week 15 – SEMIFINALS
Friday, May 21
Saturday, May 22
Week 16 – FINAL
Saturday, May 29
Fanks PissMier… jy’s ‘n Jan
Bulls should defend their trophy with ease…
bloody hell, maar die stormers het ñ goeie draw vir vlg jaar
..
maar wag, laat ek nou ni weer voorspooksels maak nie!!
Two things I dont like out of a Buls point of view.
Bulls have their bye at round THREE. After that, there will 12 games in a row if they reach the final!
Secondly, I dont like the fact that if the Bulls or Lions reach the final, they play the final at Newlands or KingsPark. Flippen soccer world cup… lol
The rest seems fine, we have an easy away fixture to end the campaign with.
It does help to have only 4 away games and not 5. Wether its to you advantage to play the strong teams at home or away, Im not coninvinced yet. An easy home draw means a real difficult away draw. An easy away draw means difficult home matches. You will lose two or three games in the s14. I would rather lose to the Saders overseas than at home.
Bulls won the s14 twice with the “difficult draw” and the “tour from hell”. So I guess its six of the one, a half dozen of the other.
Supa, am I missing something here? Where does it say that the Lions and Bulls will play away from home should they reach the finals? Or is that in the fine print?
6@Lion4ever – The 2 Stadiums, Ellispark & Loftus, have been booked for the Soccer World Cup when the Semi’s and the Finals of the Super 14 take place. No other matches may be played at the two venues between the World Cup soccer dates.
So, if either the Lions or the Bulls reach a home-semi or home-final they have to play it elsewhere….
Very unfortunate, but i suppose the Soccer needs to get preference….
@grootblousmile – @Lion4ever –
Exactly. thanks GBS. Yes Lion4ever, its closed due to WCUP committments. Apparently there arent even soccer games scheduled on those dates, its just closed because the WCUP will follow soon afterwards.
The games will be played either at Newlands/King Park. I think the Bulls/Lions should rather choose Bloem as a venue. I would be very cross if we have a home semi final against the Sharks and the semi final gets moved to Durban!
@grootblousmile – 7
The organisers of the SWC and SA Rugby made this call, after taking expert advice on who the probable semi final teams are likely to be. 🙂
@SA Barbarians – think ur right. The Lions will not yet b ready to make the semis…prob min table and the Bulls…well we all know where on the log they end the year after winning the s14 🙄
@K9-MonsterLeeu – min = mid
@K9-MonsterLeeu – 10
K9
Yes I think mid table or even higher may be realistic for the Lions with Winning Ways at the helm.
Are you alluding to the disastrous, even catastrophic slide between 2007 and 2008? 😀
Moenie worry nie, volgende jaar eindig die Bulls weer 10de… 😆
Hulle hou nie van maklike toer programme nie.
Bulls: 2 Super 14 Titles…. Combined Super 14 titles of ALL other SA Franchises: 0
Enough said !
@grootblousmile – Tvl. One top 10 title, thanks.
En die USA is die goue medalje houers vir rugby by die Olimpiese spele. Wys jou net, “shit happens!”
15@K9-MonsterLeeu – Dis steeds nie Super 14 nie…. en dis 13 jaar gelede…. gaap !
16@KingPaul – … en WP was omtrent alleenhouer van die Currie Cup voor 1938…. wat de fok…
@KingPaul – behalwe as hulle vir Brok gekoop kry. Kan dan mik vir 9de 🙂
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
Hulle gaan meer as net vir Brok nodig he!!
20@KingPaul
19@K9-MonsterLeeu
Kom ek vra vir julle beide ‘n vragie… Aan wie meet die Stormers en die Lions hulle sukses in die Super14 ?
Werner Kruger het meer S14 medaljes as die hele Stormers en Lions squad saam! 😯
@grootblousmile – Crusaders.
@Supa Die Bloubul – dis nogal erg as mens so daaraan dink.
@Supa Die Bloubul – Bakkies, Vic en FdP is seker ook al moeg om passasiers saam te dra 🙄
23@K9-MonsterLeeu – Dit was ‘n strikvraag… jy’s innie kak…. ek wag net vir Koningkie se antwoord….
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
Nee, net Stegmann en Vic in die lynstane.
@Supa Die Bloubul – Stegman het ook maar uit die bus uit geval vandat hy seergekry het 🙁
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
So Matield (net in die lynstane) dra die Bulle. Hy moet n besondere lynstaan talent he!
Lykmy Koningkie het hom morsdood geskaam vir sy antwoord op my vraag en van die blog af verdwyn..
23@K9-MonsterLeeu – Dit wys jou net hoe min geloof het die Lions in hulleself om na ‘n ander span te moet verwys en te meet hoe Super 14 sukses behoort te werk…
Die Bulle meet hulleself sommer aan hulle 2 wênne in 2007 en 2009….
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