Super Rugby
For the Brumbies to win, they need to play “Macqueenball”
They say in sports you have to lose a grand final before you win one. That is the prospect, anyway, facing the ACT Brumbies as they go into a successive Super Rugby finals campaign on Saturday night.
The team they play, the Chiefs, defeated them in the 2013 grand final at Hamilton. It took the All Blacks 24 years to understand that finals rugby is an entirely different ball game from pool-round rugby. After the All Blacks lost in the quarter-finals to France in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the coaching staff did some deep thinking into how to play finals rugby.
What they discovered is that they needed to have total clarity on how to play each specific final. And they had to have contingency plans for coping with unforeseeable events. The best contingency plan is to score enough points before trouble arrives, as it did for the Brumbies in the last 20 minutes of their final against the Chiefs.
Where the Brumbies need clarity in their qualifying final is knowing whether to play “Jakeball” or “Macqueenball”.
The Cell C Sharks will play in their 14th Vodacom Super Rugby knock-out match when they host the Highlanders in the second Qualifier for 2014 at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
The newly-crowned South African Conference champions are one of the most successful teams in the history of the competition when it comes to reaching the playoff rounds, although they are yet to take the trophy back to Durban.
The Sharks are without doubt the most successful team in the history of the competition never to have won the title.
The 2014 Super Rugby season is slowly drawing to a close and tomorrow sees the two Play-Off matches in the form of a Qualifying Round. Tomorrow’s victorious teams will qualify for the right to play in the Semi-Finals.
The only certainty is that the Crusaders and the Waratahs will be hosting those Semi-Finals, but against whom, and what happens after that?
There are multiple scenarios and permutations that could come into play.
3 Weekends of Super Rugby remain in 2014, this weekend’s Play-Off Round, the Semi-Final Weekend and the Final the week thereafter.
The Final takes place on 2 August 2014.
If you are a Sharks fan:
Your team qualified 3rd on the Combined Log.
They’re up against the Highlanders in Durban, on Saturday night.
- If the Sharks win, then they travel to Christchurch to take on the Crusaders in the one Semi-Final.
- If the Sharks beat the Crusaders and the Waratahs beat the Brumbies, the Sharks travel to Sydney to take on the Waratahs.
- The Sharks can host the Final if they beat the Crusaders and the Brumbies beat the Waratahs.
Michael Cheika has shrugged off suggestions that Waratahs stars Israel Folau and Kurtley Beale are vulnerable to offers to defect to the NRL (Rugby League) as the Waratahs build towards what looks to be a sold-out Semi-Final in Sydney next weekend.
After a week in which the minor premiers’ biggest names were linked to moves to Rugby League, the Waratahs confirmed late on Thursday that more than half of the 43,500 seats at Allianz Stadium had been sold just a day after tickets went on general sale.
Before making those all important SuperBru picks for the Super Rugby qualifying matches, let’s have a look at some predictions, thoughts and statistics from the sides taking the field this Saturday.
Blue Bird aka Carol is still leading the Rugby-Talk Super Rugby 2014 SuperBru log on a stellar 106.50 points.
Sharks_Lover has gained ground on her after his yellow cap winning Round 19 and is sitting in second spot on 106.20. Winston Champ dropped one place to 3rd on 104.50 points.
For those who might have watched the episode of Boots & All on Thursday 17 July, you might have heard John Mitchell refer to an article he read surrounding the New Zealand teams and conference.
Rugby-Talk exclusively brings you the article in question, and we must agree with John, it does make for some interesting reading.
Just how level are the current playing fields in Super Rugby, if all sides don’t face the same opposition, and what are the possible consequences thereof on the final standings?
Go-to man, Liam Messam
Coming out of the international break, the Brumbies were three points adrift of the Waratahs and strong contenders for the Australian conference crown.
Then the two teams met in Sydney… and the home side absolutely spanked their neighbours. It was 39-8, and probably not even that close.
We know what happened next – the Waratahs went on to clinch top spot while the Brumbies bounced back with a big win over the Force to set a playoff date with the Chiefs.
If the Kiwi wildcards wish to beat their Australian equivalent in Canberra tomorrow night and advance to the Super Rugby semifinals, the champs would be wise to steal a page from the Waratahs’ gameplan, as Dave Rennie explained.
Jacques Potgieter – enjoying the Sydney experience
I’m sure that everybody who has been following the Waratahs and their progress to ending first on the 2014 Super Rugby log will agree that Jacques Potgieter has played an integral part in their rise.
He has been playing with the same robust “kamikaze” style that first got Heyneke Meyer to lure him to the Bulls, and that gave him his three Springbok caps, but he has refined his game at the same time.
As good as he has been to the Waratahs, the Waratahs have been equally good to him. He has evolved as a rugby player and instead of the Bulls forward blueprint of head down and charge, he has been delivering some deft offloads and touches. He is a much more rounded player, and the frightening part is, all within the space of one season.
Jake White
Sharks boss Jake White believes Saturday’s play-off encounter with the Highlanders will be much more like Test match than a Super Rugby showcase.
As a result he believes that the experience of his seasoned Springboks will be a key factor in the knock-out stages of the competition.
“The bottom line is there are no bonus points to worry about in a knock-out game, you just have to win, it doesn’t matter how,”White told a media briefing in Durban on Thursday.
“It means you can’t take too many risks.”
Cell C Sharks coach Jake White
Cell C Sharks director of rugby Jake White has admitted that there was a big temptation to start against the Highlanders with Pat Lambie, but in the end decided against it for fear of disrupting what worked for his side against the Stormers last week.
According to the supersport.com website, speaking a few hours after announcing a match day squad that included Lambie on the bench as back-up to starting flyhalf Frans Steyn, White said he was hoping that the Springbok will get a chance to play in the second half of the Vodacom Super Rugby play-off and thus be ready to start a possible semifinal.
It is the Play-Off Round of Super Rugby 2014 this weekend! We have only the 2 Play-Off games in this Round, as all teams below Log position 6 has now been dispatched and the Top 2 teams have a nice rest weekend, with both games on Saturday.
This is the final crunch to sort the men from the boys, to sort the teams going forward into the Semi-Finals.
The Waratahs and Crusaders sit comfortably at the Top of the table and the Brumbies, Chiefs, Cell C Sharks and Highlanders compete in this Round.
It is winners take all in these Play-Off games, the losers joing the other 9 Teams who have already been dispatched to also-ran’s.
Bonus points for tries and losses within 7 now does not matter anymore, all that is needed is a win.
Let the games continue….
Flip van der Merwe
Springbok and Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe is only expected back on the field next year, but he’s already determined to make a positive return going into the next Rugby World Cup.
Van der Merwe suffered a serious knee injury during the second Springbok Test against Wales in June. He’s set to be sidelined for six months, which means he’ll only make his comeback during next year’s Super Rugby tournament.
The 29-year-old will miss the Springboks’ Rugby Championship campaign and end-of-year European tour, as well as the Blue Bulls’ Currie Cup campiagn.
A midfield match-up, the scrumhalves, the battle between the pilferers on the deck and an arm-wrestle at scrum-time come under focus as Sport24 pinpoints a quartet of areas that could tilt the balance between the Sharks and Highlanders.
The teams meet in a Super Rugby finals series first-round knockout match at Kings Park on Saturday (17:05) and these are the individual contests Rob Houwing highlights for special attention…
In the second of the Qualifying Round matches, the Cell C Sharks hosts the Highlanders from Otago. The Sharks won the SA Conference and thereby ensured they booked a home qualifier by ending 3rd on the Combined Log. The Highlanders took the last of the wild card positions by ending their season 6th.
The long-awaited return of Springbok Patrick Lambie highlights the Sharks team for their Super Rugby play-off encounter with the Highlanders in Durban on Saturday.
Scrumhalf Cobus Reinach also makes a welcome return ahead of this preliminary qualifier.
However, it is the return of Lambie’s – albeit on the replacement bench – that will hog the headlines.
The Super Rugby Qualifying Rounds kick off in Canberra on Saturday morning SA time when the ACT Brumbies hosts the current champions, the Chiefs. The Brumbies ended 4th on the combined Super Rugby log and the Chiefs 5th.
Robbie Coleman returns to the Brumbies starting side on Saturday when his team takes on the Chiefs in their Super Rugby Qualifier at GIO Stadium. Coleman’s elevation to the starting side shifts Clyde Rathbone out of the matchday 23, with rookie prop Allan Alaalatoa’s inclusion on the bench the only other change to last week’s squad.
With seven tries to his name in 2014, Coleman leads the Brumbies try-scoring tally alongside his fellow-back-three member, Jesse Mogg. It’s been a big season for the Brumbies outside backs, with Henry Speight, Joe Tomane, Pat McCabe, Mogg and Coleman combining for a total of 22 five-pointers.
Jessie Mogg has regained his starting role for the Brumbies after being dropped earlier this season
Brumbies fullback Jesse Mogg is using his Super Rugby axing to reignite his passion, admitting he took his position in the team for granted after being the first-choice No.15 for more than two years.
Mogg was benched for the Brumbies’ clash against the Melbourne Rebels in June, with coach Stephen Larkham opting to promote Wallabies warrior Pat McCabe to the starting XV.
But Mogg has regained his fullback jersey after McCabe was injured while on Wallabies duty, and the Wests speedster says being dropped was the wake-up call he needed to help the Brumbies’ charge to the championship.
“It was about me turning things around and working a little bit harder,” he said. “I’ve come back and played solid over the last two weeks, I’ll look to build on that into the finals series.”
“Welcome to SPECTRE Mr. Bond, if you’ll just sign here and here”
Speculation is rife in Australian rugby as to whether Israel Folau might be returning to the NRL. Folau and his agent was spotted meeting with the Head of the NRL, Todd Greenberg. In what can almost be described as a plot to a spy thriller, photos were snapped and keyboards frantically clicked to rush the story into print.
At the same time, uncertainty remain about the future of Kurtley Beale, and whether he too might be heading to the NRL.
Do the Waratahs need all this speculation about two of their star players only one week shy of hosting a semi final in this year’s Super Rugby Tournament?
ARU boss Bill Pulver says he is “not dissatisfied” with the departures of several high-profile players this year.
For ACT Brumbies wingers Henry Speight and Joe Tomane, there is a lot to be said for the do, not the least of which is personal comfort
Jake White used to hate the afro hairstyle, insisting that at least one of the ”fro bros” keep things short and tidy.
But for ACT Brumbies wingers Henry Speight and Joe Tomane, there is a lot to be said for the do, not the least of which is personal comfort.
“It’s give and take; you lose a bit of speed with the fro, but you get a lot of comfort,” Speight said.
Frik Kirsten
Bulls prop Frik Kirsten has been advised by doctors to call time on his rugby career due to a serious neck injury.
Kirsten, 25, has been out of action since March after injuring his neck in the Super Rugby competition.
According to reports, the injury is so serious that doctors have advised Kirsten to never play rugby again.
Super Rugby trophy
Tenders from Japan and Singapore will vie for a licence to enter the Super Rugby competition in 2016, governing body SANZAR has confirmed.
A decision is slated to be reached in September / October.
“We are now able to confirm that two parties from Asia will compete for the opportunity to join an expanded Super Rugby competition in 2016,” SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said.
Ben Daley
Ben Lucas
Reds prop Ben Daley and flyhalf Ben Lucas face lengthy rehabilitation periods after both suffered injuries in their team’s loss to the Waratahs.
Daley dislocated his shoulder in a scrum collapse in the late stages of the game, with scans yesterday revealing damage to his rotator cuff. He will have exploratory surgery next week to determine the full extent of the damage.
Lucas suffered an articular defect in his right knee joint during the opening stages of the match and had surgery today. He will be out of action for eight weeks.
Charl McLeod believes that the Sharks are on the right track
Sharks scrumhalf Charl McLeod is stoic in his approach to their play-off game against the Highlanders, it is finals rugby and nothing else matters.
The Sharks started the 2014 campaign ruthlessly, dispatching teams in a clinical matter week in and week out. However, recently there has been notable downward-turn in the Sharks performace.
A loss to the Highlanders in Round 11 and two poor performances on the bounce against the Stormers and Cheetahs seem to take the teeth out of the Costal team.
The Waratahs have been the great under-performers in the history of Super Rugby but with the 2014 minor premiership wrapped up, they’re now just two home wins from a maiden title.
Seemingly always blessed with a talent-rich roster the Tahs, up until this season, have never really delivered on that potential.
The franchise then hit rock bottom in 2011 when crowds hit an all-time low and the club conducted a series of fan forums in an attempt to reconnect with a disenchanted supporter base.
Here’s five reasons why they’re finally flying in Super Rugby.
It’s the same every year; judgement calls made in February and March.
For the past 13 seasons, another predictable outcome is that the Crusaders will make the playoffs, despite dire predictions in the early rounds. I noted on several forums that a few “fans” were picking that Todd Blackadder would be the first kiwi Super Rugby coach to be sacked mid-season.
While I don’t always agree with the former All Black captain’s selections, clearly he must have done a few things right to get his team to the top of the New Zealand Conference.
All Black midfielder, Ma’a Nonu, has confirmed his move back to the Hurricanes for 2015
Incoming Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd first guided Ma’a Nonu as part of the Wellington B side more than 10 years ago and they will reunite that partnership at Super Rugby level next season.
Since being shown the door at the Hurricanes by then-coach Mark Hammett in 2011, Nonu has bounced around New Zealand franchises with two stops at the Blues and a season with the Highlanders but the second-five will return to the capital next year to be closer to his family.
Nonu said he was thankful to the Blues, who he played for this year, for the support they had shown him, but was also grateful to be coming back to the Hurricanes.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph denies his side is lacking energy heading into the play-offs and says it is time to get excited about playing in the finals.
After a poor outing against the Crusaders in their last pool game the Highlanders know they will have to play much better if they are to be competitive in their long-awaited play-off match against the Sharks.
They never fired in Christchurch on Saturday, the 34-8 defeat from the Crusaders ensured they finished sixth in the competition and have to head to Durban to take on the Sharks.
Earlier this season, the Highlanders beat the Sharks 34-18 in Durban. The Sharks are not looking as impressive as they were at the start of the season, when they led the table for a long period of time.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union has named their CONTRACTED SQUAD for 2015. They also boast 4 Ex-Springboks amongst the Management and Coaching staff.
Kevin de Klerk, Rudolf Staeuli, Ashwin Willemse and Johan Ackerman, all Ex-Springboks are all in important positions at the Golden Lions Rugby Union, from President down to Head Coach.
Contracted Players:
The Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) has announced its new contracted player list for the 2015 season.
While financial constraints remain a challenge for the Lions, retaining talent remains their main priority. This is not unheard of as all South African unions have suffered financial constraints and must content with increasing pressure from the lucrative European and Japanese markets.
With the GLRU not yet covered by a title sponsor, the union has secured the input of several valuable partners to assist in the procurement process. Through building stronger relationships with stakeholders, the Lions put on a record-breaking Super Rugby showing, after the franchise’s return to top flight competition in 2014.
They finished the Super Rugby season in 12th spot, but surprised many pundits with their seven victories, capped by a 60-25 thrashing of the Cheetahs last weekend.
An established buy-in value system from coaching staff, players and management has seen the Lions secure the services of both top-class experienced and up-and-coming players.
The Brumbies are determined to avoid getting into a ‘brutal arm-wrestle’ with the two-time defending champion Chiefs.
The two sides meet in Canberra on Saturday in the first match of the 2014 Super Rugby play-offs, a preliminary qualifier.
Having found some late-season form – with victories over the Blues (11-8 this past weekend) and Hurricanes (24-16 the week before) – the Chiefs muscled their way from ninth to fifth on the table in the past fortnight.
Pat Lambie receiving attention after tearing his bicep at Loftus
If reports coming out of the Shark’s press conference held today is to be believed, it would seem like the return of Pat Lambie is imminent. According to captain Bismarck Du Plessis, his return against the Highlanders will be a massive lift to their hopes of winning and progressing to the semi finals.
Lambie tore his bicep against the Bulls at Loftus on the 24th of March, and according to early diagnosis it was believed that he might be out for the rest of the Super Rugby season. Lambie has however recovered faster than expected and started traing with the Shark squad a few weeks ago already.
As we head into the Super Rugby Finals Series, here is an overview of what happens should the scores be level at full time in any of our remaining matches.
(a) Extra Time – the procedure will be:
After a five minute rest period, the extra time is played in two 10-minute periods with a two minute half time;
Before extra time begins, the referee will do a coin toss with the two captains one minute before the new kick-off. The winner of the coin toss decides if his team wants to kick-off or if his team wants to choose the side of the pitch it wants to play on for the first 10 minute period;
For the second 10 minute period, the teams change sides and the team that did not kick off in the first period does so;
Coaches are not permitted on the field during the rest period or half time.
Teams and match officials must remain on the field during the rest period and at half time.
Injury time is added to the two 10 minute periods.
Schalk Burger
He didn’t get what he wanted from the last game of the Vodacom Super Rugby season, which was for his DHL Stormers team to buck the trend of failure in marquee matches, but typically that did not place a massive dent in Schalk Burger’s good humour afterwards.
“I’m not going to see you guys for a while. It would be nice to have you staying over with us in Japan sometime. Get an excuse to come and write about the South Africans playing in Japan and we will be happy to host you,” was the Stormers captain’s grinning parting statement as he left the Newlands boardroom following the post-match press conference after the defeat to the Sharks.
The amiable Burger that we saw after the game was a stark contrast to the angry and frustrated player we saw on the field during the game. The match was brutal at times, and Burger was at the heart of the tempestuous physical exchanges. It was also evident that he allowed the referee Jaco Peyper to get under his skin for what the Stormers may have seen as his inability to stop dubious Sharks tactics at the breakdown.
Embattled Hurricane coach, Mark Hammett
As he prepares to leave the Hurricanes, coach Mark Hammett gave a parting shot by claiming that the Hurricanes were in a state of disarray when he took over the coaching reins ahead of the 2011 season.
Hammett, who is heading overseas to coach Welsh club Cardiff, is in the final stages of his four-year tenure with the Hurricanes after they were left in seventh place, one point outside of the playoffs, following the final round of Super Rugby.
Seventh was the best finish Hammett led the side to during his time in charge but his first season was a rescue mission as he moved on some senior players, including Andrew Hore and Ma’a Nonu as Hammett deemed they weren’t helpful for the team environment.
Schalk Burger still has unfinished business with the Stormers and Boks
He didn’t get what he wanted from the last game of the Vodacom Super Rugby season, which was for his DHL Stormers team to buck the trend of failure in marquee matches, but typically that did not place a massive dent in Schalk Burger’s good humour afterwards.
“I’m not going to see you guys for a while. It would be nice to have you staying over with us in Japan sometime. Get an excuse to come and write about the South Africans playing in Japan and we will be happy to host you,” was the Stormers captain’s grinning parting statement as he left the Newlands boardroom following the post-match press conference after the defeat to the Sharks.
Todd Blackadder has welcomed the extra week break
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has welcomed having an extra week off to prepare for his team’s Super Rugby Semi-final clash at home in Christchurch. The Crusaders finished the regular season in second place which guarantees them extra week while the Sharks, Brumbies, Chiefs and Highlanders battle it out. How Blackadder manages the players over the next two weeks will be crucial as they look to reach their first final since 2011.
Ex- Stormers & Biarritz utility back, Joe Pietersen
The Cheetahs have found a replacement for flyhalf Johan Goosen who will leave them to further his career in France.
According to reports, former Stormers back Joe Pietersen will play for the Cheetahs in next year’s Super Rugby competition.